We’re slipping back a little in terms of DC’s output for the May 2022 hardcover and trade paperback collections solicitations — in four weeks, just six regular series collections. Don’t get me wrong, I’m looking forward to all of them, but this is what we’ve got: Nightwing: Fear State, Batman: Detective Comics Vol. 2: Fear State, Checkmate, Green Lantern Vol. 2: Horatius, Justice League Dark: The Great Wickedness, and Flash Vol. 16: Wally West Returns. Now that Fables is back, maybe that should be my next big reread?
Otherwise, the name of the game this month is all Black Adam, all the time — Black Adam: Rise and Fall of an Empire, Black Adam: The Dark Age, and Black Adam/JSA: Black Reign. If the movie is successful, might DC do a Black Adam ongoing series? Would it work?
And then two one-offs I might check out, Justice League Infinity and Justice League: Last Ride. Anyone been reading Last Ride? Is it any good?
But hey, I guess any month DC is still publishing is a good month. (Oh, and Dark Crisis! And another new Tom King miniseries, Danger Street! And a Ram V Black Label Aquaman miniseries!) Let’s take a look at the full list.
• 52 Omnibus (2022 Edition)
New collection of the omnibus by Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, and Mark Waid. The previous edition collected 52 issues #1-52 though not the DC: World War III tie-in miniseries; still no word whether this will be the same or different.
• Absolute Swamp Thing by Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson
Swamp Thing's first appearance in House of Secrets #92 and Swamp Thing #1-13, in Absolute format.
• Batman '89
In hardcover in July, collecting the miniseries by Sam Hamm and Joe Quinones.
• Batman: Detective Comics Vol. 2: Fear State
In hardcover in July, collecting Detective Comics #1041-1056 (previously solicited as #1040-1046) and Batman Secret Files: Huntress #1 by Mariko Tamaki and company. A little bird tells me those recent Secret Files should all be getting their own collection soon.
• Batman: The Adventures Continue Season Two
Issues #1-7 of the second “season” (plus a story from Tis the Season to Be Freezin') by Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, Ty Templeton, and others, this time bringing the Court of Owls to Batman: The Animated Series.
• Batman: The Court of Owls Mask and Book Set
Why is this back out? I mean, great story, but is there something new about the Owls out there other than this month's Batman: The Adventures Continue book? A paperback of Scott Snyder's Batman #1-7 with a Court of Owls mask.
• Batman: The Deluxe Edition Book 6
Collects the end of Tom King's Batman run, issues #70-85, the Batman Annual #4, and Batman Secret Files #2.
• Birds of Prey: Whitewater
I think many will be happy to see the collections of the first Birds of Prey series continuing. This is issues #104–112, marking the end of Gail Simone’s run (for this iteration of the series) and the start of Tony Bedard’s. Simone’s Secret Six appear a couple of times.
• Black Adam: Rise and Fall of an Empire
This would be kind of a double-dip purchase for me, but at the same time I’m very curious how it’ll read. Essentially this is just the Black Adam material from the 52 weekly series, said to collect stories from 52 #1–3, 6–10, 12–16, 18–26, 29–34, 36–40, 43–50, and 52. It has been a while since I read 52 but I feel like the stories were very interwoven, especially toward the end, and I wonder to what extent a cogent story can be told with just the Black Adam parts and not the Elongated Man or Question parts. At the same time, I’m now very interested in a Pulp Fiction-esque set of interweaving 52 collections, this one with all the Black Adam material, that one with all the Question Renee Montoya material, and so on.
• Black Adam: The Dark Age (New Edition)
New printing of the six-issue miniseries by Peter Tomasi and Doug Mahnke, in paperback next July. I reviewed Black Adam: The Dark Age some 10 years ago.
• Black Adam/JSA: Black Reign (New Edition)
New edition of JSA Vol. 8: Black Reign, which collected JSA #56–58 and Hawkman #23–25. Apparently getting a movie gives Black Adam top billing in the JSA's own book. I reviewed JSA: Black Reign some 15 years ago.
• Checkmate
In paperback in June, collecting the six-issue miniseries by Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev, plus the Leviathan Dawn special. The solicitation calling this "the sequel to the ... mystery that upended the DC Universe" is maybe a bit of wishful thinking, but I'm excited for this anyway.
• The Flash Vol. 16: Wally West Returns
Collects Flash #763-771 and the 2021 annual, which is the four interstitial issues (#763-766) by Kevin Shinick in between the end of Joshua Williamson's run and the end of Dark Nights: Death Metal and the start of the Infinite Frontier era; the second part of "Endless Winter" (#767) by Andy Lanning and Ron Marz (which is Flash-centric enough that it could be included, or not), and five Wally West-centric issues by new ongoing writer Jeremy Adams (#768-771 and the annual).
• Green Lantern Vol. 2: Horatius
In paperback in June, this is Green Lantern #5-12 and the 2021 annual (almost 300 pages!) by Geoffrey Thorne with Tom Raney and others.
• Justice League Dark: The Great Wickedness
Collects the Justice League Dark backup stories from Justice League #59-71 and the Justice League Dark 2021 annual, by Ram V and company.
• Justice League Infinity
In paperback in June, collecting the seven-part series based on Justice League Unlimited.
• Justice League: Last Ride
In paperback in June, collecting the seven-issue miniseries by Chip Zdarsky and Miguel Mendonca. Is this good? Should I be interested in it?
• Nightwing: Fear State
By Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo, this collects Nightwing #84-86 (previously solicited as #84-88), the Nightwing 2021 annual, and the Nightwing/Batgirls story from Batman: Urban Legends #10, in hardcover and tying in to the "Fear State" event.
• Static: Season One HC
In hardcover, collecting issues #1-6 of the new Static series by Vita Ayala and Milestone Returns: Infinite Edition #0.
• Superman: The Golden Age Omnibus Vol. 7
Includes Action Comics #126-147 (previously solicited as #125-143), Superman #55-65, and World’s Finest Comics #37-47.
• Tales From the DC Dark Multiverse II
In paperback, following the hardcover (which I just recently reviewed), this is the Dark Multiverse takes on Batman: Hush, Flashpoint, Wonder Woman: War of the Gods, Crisis on Infinite Earths, and Dark Nights: Metal.
• Zatanna: The Jewel of Gravesend
YA graphic novel by Alys Arden and Jacquelin de Leon.