DC Trade Solicitations for December 2022 - Absolute Batman: Three Jokers, Black Adam — Justice Society Case Files, Aquaman: Andromeda and 80 Years, Monkey Prince, Milestone Compendium Two, Batman Beyond: Neo-Year, Batman: Urban Legends Vol. 4

Perhaps the skimpiest monthly list in recent memory, the DC Comics December 2022 trade paperback and hardcover solicitations has only eight books on it! For what will be February 2023, that’s a little worrisome (the December 2021 solicitations list had about double this amount), but also the DC Comics November 2022 solicitations had 20 books, so maybe we just chalk this up to the vagaries of shipping schedules than anything else.

Among surprises here is the Absolute Batman: Three Jokers, just because I hadn’t heard it was getting an Absolute (and is this the first original Black Label Absolute?). I’m fine with the copy I have, but if you haven’t read this book before, this is a good way to do so. I’ve been eager to read Ram V’s Aquaman: Andromeda since it was announced, and it remains a thrill that the DC/Milestone “Worlds Collide” crossover will be collected in Milestone Compendium Two.

Tie-ins to the movie with the Black Adam — Justice Society Case Files book, DC’s Monkey Prince series gets its first collection … let’s take a look at the (very short) list:

• Absolute Batman: Three Jokers

Considering the weird alt-history of this story (a book that requires both a healed Barbara Gordon and a resurrected Jason Todd, and so in the late 1980s would have been nigh unimaginable), in my review I called Batman: Three Jokers “perhaps the first to truly chart the [DC Black Label] imprint’s way forward.” Based only on memory, maybe this is the first original Black Label title to be reprinted Absolute? It was good, and well-drawn by Jason Fabok — no complaints here.

• Aquaman: 80 Years of the King of the Seven Seas: The Deluxe Edition

Another of DC's anniversary hardcovers. The previously solicited contents for this seem way off base, describing a range of 50 to 100 comics, though some of the quirky one-offs named are interesting — JLA: Our Worlds at War #1 and Outsiders: Five of a Kind - Metamorpho/Aquaman #1, for two. But maybe some of this is just covers? The newest solicitation doesn't include contents, so I guess we'll see next Valentine's Day.

Previously said to include Aquaman #0-37; JLA: Our Worlds at War #1; Aquaman #17; Outsiders: Five of a Kind - Metamorpho/Aquaman #1; Adventure Comics #120-137, 232-266, and 269-475; More Fun Comics #73; Aquaman #11-35 and 46-62; two different Aquaman #1s; Aquaman Special #1; and Aquaman_ #25, coming in February 2023.

Recent DC Comics Trade Solicitations

November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 More upcoming collections ...

• Aquaman: Andromeda

Ram V writing a DC Black Label horror story starring Aquaman and Black Manta feels like about all I could want write now. Glad to see Black Label branching out beyond just Superman, Batman (and Harley Quinn and the Joker), and Wonder Woman. In hardcover in February. Aquaman is a character I can see starring in a horror title but not a character I imagine is given to being horrified, so I'm curious how this will play out.

• Batman Beyond: Neo-Year

In paperback, collecting the six-issue miniseries by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly.

• Batman: Urban Legends Vol. 4

Said to be stories of Wight Witch, a new Birds of Prey, and Batman teaming with Aquaman, Plastic Man, the Flash, the Question, Black Adam. In paperback in January. Notably Urban Legends ends this month with issue #23 and a slick character-jam cover.

• Black Adam — The Justice Society Case Files

Collects Black Adam - The Justice Society Files: Hawkman #1, Black Adam - The Justice Society Files: Cyclone #1, Black Adam - The Justice Society Files: Atom Smasher #1, and Black Adam - The Justice Society Files: Dr. Fate #1. Indeed this is all in the continuity of the Black Adam movie, though to be sure we could use some secret files to explain the status of the DCU Justice Society. Hopefully the new series will make that clearer, though it's not guaranteed (a movie JSA, however, perhaps puts some legs under the newest JSA series lasting a while).

• Milestone Compendium Two

Great to see a second Milestone Compendium, and it finally collects the “Worlds Collide” crossover with the Superman titles (probably no Colorforms cover though). There’s still material for at least another volume or two. Said to collect Blood Syndicate #13–23, Hardware #13–21, Icon #11–21, Shadow Cabinet #1–4, Static #9–20, Steel #6–7, Superboy #6–7, Superman: The Man of Steel #35–36, and Worlds Collide #1, in paperback at the end of January.

• Monkey Prince Vol. 1: Enter the Monkey

In hardcover in January. Previous solicitations listed the first six issues of the series and the debut story from DC Festival of Heroes: The Asian Superhero Celebration by Gene Luen Yang and Bernard Chang.