It’s the DC Comics April 2023 trade paperback and hardcover solicitations, and June brings the Dark Crisis on Infinite Earth collections. Unless I’m overlooking something, everything is there. A quick breakdown:
If I’m not mistaken (give or take a regular series issue or two collected in their own trades), that’s everything in four hardcovers, which is not nothing, but Dark Nights: Death Metal was five collections and Blackest Night was seven.
A few others to note — we see the first collection of Christopher Priest’s Black Adam series. Also a DC Pride collection with much emphasis on Robin Tim Drake; the New Champion of Shazam! collection has a “Lazarus Planet” story in it already(!), because clearly the years start coming and they don’t stop coming. (And, not to overlook, the next collection of Jerry Ordway’s Power of Shazam!) A Gotham Academy collection, a Steel anniversary book, and Wonder Woman Historia; it’s a good list all around.
Let’s dive in.
• Absolute Preacher Vol. 1 (2023 Edition)
Collects issues #1–26 by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon, with an introduction by Preacher TV producers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, the script for issue #11, promotional art, and sections from the “Gone to Texas” letters column. Apparently the first of three planned volumes.
• Absolute Sandman Overture (2023 Edition)
Reprint of the Absolute edition, including a foreword by Neil Gaiman, behind-the-scenes and sketchbook material, “artist’s edition” of JH Williams’s work, and a script for issue #1.
• Absolute V for Vendetta (2023 Edition)
Alan Moore and David Lloyd’s 10-issue story, plus recolored “bridging” pages and extras. Guess I should read this one of these days, eh?
• Batman – One Bad Day: Penguin
In hardcover in July 2023, by Other History of the DC Universe's John Ridley and Giuseppe Camuncoli.
• Batman – One Bad Day: Two-Face
In hardcover in July 2023, by Mariko Tamaki and Javier Fernandez.
• Batman: Beyond the White Knight
In hardcover in June 2023, collecting Batman: Beyond the White Knight #1–8 and Batman: White Knight Presents: Red Hood #1–2.
• Batman: Fortress
In hardcover, collecting the eight-issue miniseries by Gary Whitta and Darick Robertson. The solicitation calls this an "Elseworlds-type" story, which is an interesting hedge.
• Batman: Urban Legends Vol. 5
What had seemed to be mostly movie-themed Bat-team-ups now mentions, according to the solicitations, the Outsiders, an Alfred Pennyworth story, and the new Arkham Academy. I liked Brandon Thomas' previous Outsiders story from Batman: Urban Legends Vol. 2 and I'm eager for the next.
• Black Adam Vol. 1: Theogony
In paperback, surprisingly, by Christopher Priest and Rafa Sandoval, coming in May and collecting issues #1-6.
• Clark & Lex
Brendan Reichs and Jerry Gaylord’s young adult story of Smallville.
• Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths
In hardcover in June 2023, collecting Justice League #75 and Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #0–7.
• Dark Crisis: Worlds Without a Justice League
In hardcover in June, Dark Crisis: Worlds Without a Justice League – Superman #1, Dark Crisis: Worlds Without a Justice League – Green Lantern #1, Dark Crisis: Worlds Without a Justice League – Wonder Woman #1, Dark Crisis: Worlds Without a Justice League – Green Arrow #1, and Dark Crisis: Worlds Without a Justice League – Batman #1. This hopefully includes all the backup stories therein.
• Dark Crisis: Young Justice
In hardcover, still scheduled for June 13, 2023, the week before the actual Dark Crisis hardcover, collecting the six-issue tie-in by Meghan Fitzmartin and Laura Braga.
• DC Pride: The New Generation
It would seem this is at least the contents of DC Pride 2022, but then also the DC Pride: Tim Drake special, which itself collected the Tim Drake stories from Batman: Urban Legends #4–6 and #10 with a brand-new story. So that's a good amount already, plus the story by the late Kevin Conroy, and an introduction by Nicole Maines. In hardcover in May.
• Gotham Academy
Apparently issues #1–18 of the original Gotham Academy and the annual, but not the 12-issue Gotham Academy: Second Semester or any extras. If they’d reprint everything, I’d probably do a reread. I first reviewed Gotham Academy back in 2015.
• History of the DC Universe
The original and still the best attempt to present DC’s history as a cohesive whole, by Marv Wolfman and the late George Pérez. In hardcover in June.
• The New Champion of Shazam!
In hardcover in May, collecting the four-issue miniseries by Josie Campbell and Doc Shaner, plus a story from Lazarus Planet: We Once Were Gods #1.
• Nightwing Vol. 1: Leaping Into the Light
By Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo, in paperback following the hardcover, collecting issues #78–83.
• Nightwing Vol. 3: The Battle for Blüdhaven's Heart
The third series collection by Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo, in hardcover in June, collecting issues #92-96 (so probably next one has issue #100).
• Poison Ivy Vol. 1: The Virtuous Cycle
In hardcover (how far Poison Ivy has come!) by G. Willow Wilson and Marcio Takara, collecting the first six-issues of the expanded-to-12 miniseries.
• The Power of Shazam! Book 2: The Worm Turns
In paperback in May, continuing the collection of the Jerry Ordway series, including The Power of Shazam! #13–23, Superman: The Man of Tomorrow #4, Showcase ’96 #7, The Power of Shazam! Annual #1, Superboy Plus #1, and Supergirl Plus #1. This went for 47 issues and change, so another volume or two to go.
• Shazam! and the Seven Magic Lands
In time for the new movie, paperback of the story by Geoff Johns and Dale Eaglesham.
• Static: Season One
Paperback, following the hardcover, collecting all six issues by Vita Ayala and the Milestone Returns: Infinite Edition #0.
• Steel: A Celebration of 30 Years
This seems a highly worthy collection for a great character with a lot of staying power. Now, what’d really be great would be if we could get some new collections of the Steel run by Christopher Priest or even a new Christopher Priest series, but hey, it’s a start. Collects Action Comics #4 (Grant Morrison’s New 52 Steel), Adventures of Superman #500 (if not the whole book then John Henry Irons' pre-“Reign of the Supermen” debut), Convergence: Superman: Man of Steel #1–2, JLA #17, Justice League Unlimited #35, Steel #1 and #34, Suicide Squad #24, and Superman: The Man of Steel #22, #100, and #122, as well as (presumably the Steel story from) the Death of Superman 30th Anniversary Special and "Steel (Vol. 2) #1," which I'll hazard a guess is the Reign of Doomsday special from 2011 (and not actually volume 2 of Steel, but volume 3; volume 1 is the Hank Haywood [Sr.] miniseries from 1978).
• Superman '78/Batman '89 Box Set
Box set of the two movie sequel miniseries, in hardcover.
• Superman: Son of Kal-El Vol. 3: Battle for Gamorra
Hardcover by Tom Taylor, coming in May, and collecting issues #11-15. The series ends with issue #18 (ahead of the miniseries) so who knows if the contents will expand.
• Tales From Dark Crisis
In hardcover on June 20 (same day as the Dark Crisis collection itself), collecting Justice League: Road to Dark Crisis #1, Dark Crisis: The Deadly Green #1, Dark Crisis: The Dark Army #1, Dark Crisis: War Zone #1, and Dark Crisis: Big Bang #1.
• Teen Titans Academy Vol. 2: Exit Wounds
Paperback, following the hardcover, due in June and collecting the final issues of the series, #6–15.
• Teen Titans Go! Box Set 1: TV or Not TV
Apparently the first of two box sets planned. This one includes the graphic novels Teen Titans Go! Vol. 1: Party, Party!, Teen Titans Go! Vol. 2: Welcome to the Pizza Dome, and Teen Titans Go! Vol. 3: Mumbo Jumble.
• Tom Strong Compendium
Tom Strong issues #1–36 by Alan Moore, Chris Sprouse, and others. Put Terrifics issues in one of these, cowards.
• Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons
• Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons (Direct Market Edition)
The masterwork by Kelly Sue DeConnick, Phil Jimenez, Gene Ha, and Nicola Scott, in “regular”(?) and direct market editions, in hardcover in June.