DC Trade Solicitations for October 2020 - Batman: Three Jokers HC, Wonder Woman: Death Earth HC, Lois Lane by Rucka, Underworld Unleashed 25th Anniversary, Supergirl: Infectious, Detective Comics Omnibus by Tynion

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I'm liking how DC Comics October 2020 hardcover and trade paperback solicitations are shaping up the more I'm looking at them. At first I felt like there wasn't much in terms of "regular series" trades this month, but I've been looking forward to Greg Rucka's Lois Lane: Enemy of the People and there's also the final Supergirl volume with ties to "Year of the Villain," well done or not. And Flash Vol. 13: Rogues Reign TP hits lucky volume 13, and I always find there's an uptick in the volumes with the Rogues in them.

Plus, two notable Black Label books, Batman: Three Jokers and Wonder Woman: Dead Earth. I sometimes find myself with reluctance to read these wholly out-of-the-main volumes, but Scott Snyder's Batman: Last Knight on Earth was just fantastic, and thinking of it that way I'm more inclined to give both those books a try (not that Three Jokers wasn't jumping to the top of the read pile anyway). So that's a big chunk of reading (noted, the Supergirl book comes out in September, not November/December), and between Rucka, Geoff Johns, and Daniel Warren Johnson, maybe of a higher reading quality than your average month.

Other books I thought might catch your eye this month include the big collection of James Tynion's Detective Comics, which gains a lot more cache now that he's the new hot Batman writer. Y: The Last Man arrived in "compendium" format, with probably just one more volume to follow. And if you weren't collecting comics 25 years ago, before "Year of the Villain" there was Underworld Unleashed, and that gets an expanded collection in November.

Let's take a look at the full list.

Batman/Superman Vol. 1: Who Are the Secret Six? TP

Paperback collection by Joshua Williamson, following the hardcover.

Batman: The Rise and Fall of the Batmen Omnibus HC

Collects James Tynion's impressive Detective Comics Rebirth run, issues #934-981 and the Annual #1, as well as pages from Detective Comics #1000 (I'd guess Tynion's "Precedent" story), and Batman #7-8 and Nightwing #5-6, the non-Detective part Batman: Night of the Monster Men. What a great set of stories; if you never read this before, you're in for a treat.

Batman: Three Jokers HC

Hardcover collection, with seemingly very Killing Joke-esque trade dress, due out in November 2020, by Geoff Johns and Jason Fabok. As long as this has taken and as far out of its original moment as it might be, one can certainly tell Johns and Fabok have put a lot in to this. I’m hoping this is a redemptive book for Johns after Doomsday Clock.

Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? Deluxe 2020 Edition HC

No different contents that I can see — Batman #686, Detective Comics #853, plus other contributions by Neil Gaiman to the Batman mythos — Secret Origins #36, Secret Origins Special #1, and Batman Black and White #2.

Daphne Byrne HC

Collection of the Hill House imprint series, in hardcover with a vellum dust jacket. Appearances make it look like this is supposed to appeal to the bookstore crowd, which is probably the right move for this.

Deadman Omnibus HC

Collects Strange Adventures #205-216; The Brave and the Bold #79, #86, #104 and #133; Aquaman #50-52; Challengers of the Unknown #74 and #84-87; Justice League of America #94; World's Finest Comics #223 and #227; The Phantom Stranger #33 and #39-41; Superman Family #183; DC Super-Stars #18; DC Special Series #8; Adventure Comics #460-466; DC Comics Presents #94; Detective Comics #500; Deadman #1-4 (1986); Secret Origins #15; and covers from Deadman #1-7 (1985). If I’m not mistaken, much of this was collected in a series of paperbacks, now all together in hardcover.

Flash Vol. 13: Rogues Reign TP

In paperback, collecting issues #82-87. I don’t know exactly where the stories begin and end, but issue #750 follows issue #88, so stopping this one with #87 makes it tougher to slot the Flash #750 Deluxe Edition in right after, unless Vol. 14 will contain just the relevant story from #750.

Flash: Year One TP

Paperback, following the hardcover, of issues #70-75 by Joshua Williamson. I enjoyed this one more than I expected, though I’m still bummed DC’s not collecting the backups from #75 anywhere.

Forever People by Jack Kirby TP

Collects the 11 issues of Jack Kirby's Forever People.

Girl TP

Collects the three-issue 1996 Vertigo miniseries by Peter Milligan and Duncan Fegredo.

Heroes in Crisis TP

The Tom King miniseries in paperback. If you can avoid spoilers till August 2020, I'd love to know your secret.

Injustice: Gods Among Us Omnibus Vol. 2 HC

Collects Injustice: Gods Among Us Year Four #1-12, Injustice: Gods Among Us Year Four Annual #1, Injustice: Gods Among Us Year Five #1-20, Injustice: Gods Among Us: Year Five Annual #1, and Injustice: Ground Zero #1-12.

Justice League by Scott Snyder Book Two Deluxe Edition HC

Collects Justice League #14-28, being more or less the Justice League Vol. 3: Hawkworld and Justice League Vol. 4: The Sixth Dimension volumes.

Justice League Unlimited: Time After Time TP

Collects Adventures in the DC Universe #10, Justice League Adventures #28, 30, and 34, Justice League Unlimited #9, and Justice League Unlimited #19, and for $9.99 apparently. Following the themed collections, this one is time travel, including appearances by the Legion of Super-Heroes, the Shining Knight, and Jonah Hex.

Legends of the Dark Knight: José Luis García-López HC

Collects Batman #272, #311, #313-314, #318, #321, #336-337, #353 (1940s series), Batman ’66: The Lost Episode #1 (2006), Batman Confidential #26-28 (2006), Batman Family #3 (1975-1978), Batman: Gotham Knights #10 (2000), DC Comics Presents #31 and #41 (1978-1986), DC Special Series #21 (1977), Detective Comics #454, #458-459, #483, and #487 (1937), The Best of the Brave and the Bold #1-6 (1988), The Brave and the Bold #164 and #171 (1955), The Joker #4 (1975), The Untold Legend of the Batman #1-3 (1980), and World’s Finest Comics #244, #255, and #258 (1941 series).

Lois Lane: Enemy of the People TP

The 12-issue Greg Rucka miniseries. The solicitations still don’t say this has the lead-in short from the Superman: Leviathan Rising special, but at least that was in the recent Event Leviathan collection.

Nightwing: The New 52 Omnibus HC

The good Kyle Higgins New 52 run, plus relevant parts of "Death of the Family." Collects Nightwing #0-30, Batman #17, a story from Young Romance: A New 52 St. Valentine’s Day Special #1, Nightwing Annual #1, a story from Secret Origins #1.

Plunge HC

Collection of the Hill House imprint title, by Joe Hill and Stuart Immonen. Again, I get a good “Barnes & Noble endcap” vibe from the hardcovers with vellum jackets.

Promethea: The 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition Book Three HC

Issues #24-32, the final issues, by Alan Moore and J. H. Williams.

Supergirl Vol. 3: Infectious TP

For a series that was doing so poorly, unfortunately, that not only was it cancelled, but the final two issues were only released digitally, this is a hefty, pricey collection. I was a buyer already, and I'm glad DC collected it all rather than not, but this feels ambitious. It's Supergirl #34-42 and the Supergirl Annual #2, so 11 issues already, plus the story from the Superman: Leviathan Rising Special. An embarrassment of super-riches.

Superman: Action Comics Vol. 3: Leviathan Hunt TP

In paperback, following the hardcover; issues #1015-1020.

Superman: The City of Tomorrow Vol. 2 TP

Following the "Superman Y2K" stories by Jeph Loeb and company, this is Superman #155-159, Adventures of Superman #577-581, Action Comics #764-768, and Superman: The Man of Steel #99-103, the 'Til Death Do Us Part and Critical Condition collections (plus a couple uncollected issues, I think). Next up would be the "Emperor Joker" storyline.

Superman: Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? Deluxe 2020 Edition HC

Hardcover of Action Comics #593 and Superman #423 by Alan Moore, plus Superman and Swamp Thing from DC Comics Presents #85 (with art by Rick Veitch) and "For the Man Who Has Everything ..." from Superman Annual #11 (with art by Dave Gibbons).

Teen Titans/Deathstroke: The Terminus Agenda TP

Paperback of the latest crossover; collects Deathstroke #41-43 and Teen Titans #28-30 by Christopher Priest and Adam Glass.

Underworld Unleashed: The 25th Anniversary TP

Said to collect Underworld Unleashed #1-3, Underworld Unleashed: Abyss — Hell’s Sentinel #1, Underworld Unleashed: Apokolips — Dark Uprising #1, Underworld Unleashed: Batman — Devil’s Asylum #1, and Underworld Unleashed: Patterns of Fear #1. All the DC villains get an offer that powers them up and emboldens them to wreak havoc on the heroes — stop me if this sounds familiar.

Wonder Woman: Dead Earth HC

Hardcover collection of the DC Black Label four-issue miniseries written and drawn by Daniel Warren Johnson. I like what I’ve seen of this post-apocalyptic Wonder Woman story and I’m looking forward to this arriving in December.

Y: The Last Man Compendium One TP

The first 31 issues, being the first five trades — Unmanned, Cycles, One Small Step, Safeword, and Ring of Truth. The next collection should get the rest, #32-60.

Comments ( 18 )

  1. It's a big months for trades but a bigger months for cancellations. Batgirl, Justice League Odyssey AND Batman & The Outsiders. Yikes.

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    1. I always figured JLO wasn't designed for a long run.

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    2. Yeah, Batman & the Outsiders and Justice League Odyssey were no surprise to me since reading their first volumes. Batgirl is a surprise if only because Batgirl's one of those titles that I think DC wants to keep going perpetually now, though of late they've had a hard time getting a creator to stick; is it possible no one out there wants to write Batgirl? Of course that title will be back sooner or later.

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    3. I think the problem with Batgirl is that there doesn't seem to be an idea of what to do with her. Is she a serious character (see Simone's run)? Is she whimsical (see the Burnside stories)? Is she a world traveler (see the Rebirth stuff)? On again, off again with Dick Grayson? I've lost interest, unfortunately.

      Even Bronze Age Batgirl, usually depicted as capable but not worthy of Batman's trust, had consistent characterization, for the most part.

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    4. Seems like some sort of Batfamily reset is imminent. I wouldn't be shocked if Nightwing gets a refresh after Joker War (while the October solicitation doesn't say 75 is a final issue, it certainly reads like a good breaking point for a new creative team in November), there is no Robin comic, no Batwoman comic, no Batgirl comic, no Birds of Prey. I expect the November or December solicits will show off a bunch of new creative teams and books from the Bat office

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    5. It's been nearly a decade, and they still have done nothing with Babs half as interesting as she was as Oracle, or as Steph or Cass were as Batgirl.

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    6. Joseph, I tend to agree with you about Babs pre-Crisis. She was consistently portrayed as capable, and the only misstep, in my opinion, was when she had her memories tampered with/removed and Batman and Robin removed her knowledge of their identities when restoring them. By that time she had earned the right to know, as Gerry Conway evidently agreed in DETECTIVE COMICS #526. (And the lack of trust regarding his identity pre-Crisis, though normal at the time, seems strange today, when everyone -- including his villains -- seems to know that Bruce is Batman. Lol)

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  2. From what I can tell, the Deadman contents do indeed contain the five paperbacks issued a few years ago. Some great material here, if anyone is a fan of the character.

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  3. That is great they are collecting some of the 2000-era Superman, but I really hope they can go back and continue on after the "Exile" omnibus. Maybe it didn't sell as well. :-(

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    1. I too hope for some Triangle Title collections, but they're focus seems to be on the Byrne issues (already collected, grr).

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    2. This has been driving me crazy. I finished the Exile omnibus and was immediately dying to just keep reading chronologically in that way. I've just been waiting and waiting.

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  4. Three Jokers, Supergirl, Underworld Unleashed, and Lois Lane are probably it. Maybe WW: Dead Earth, maybe Loeb's Superman (I didn't pick up the first volume and haven't decided how badly I want to read this era).

    Mostly unrelated, but I hope you appreciate that I can now stop whining that this doesn't exist:
    http://prhinternationalsales.com/book/?isbn=9781779509772

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    1. Does that mean I won't get my Metal omnibus until 2027? I will be inconsolable

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    2. That did take a while, but moreover I meant, it's been 10 years since Flashpoint?! It doesn't seem that long. (And DC still doesn't have a cogent history!)

      Is 5th Anniversary edition too much of a cash grab? Hopefully that omnibus will be along soon. Seems like the release of Death Metal is the right time to do it.

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  5. I'll be picking up the LOTDK:José Luis García-López collection. A shame it doesn't include 'Venom'(which he inked, but it's a heavy, almost finisher inking job - which I think should count). Unless they are potentially thinking of doing a Venom Deluxe Edition...one can hope.

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    1. I remember picking up the "Venom" story as it was originally published because it had JLGL on the art. I wasn't reading much Batman at that point.

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  6. The new Underworld Unleashed was published WITHOUT the fifth ink colours, unlike the original series and first trade. Everything is just uncoloured white flames. Lame.

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