Well, this is why you’re never going to see me give up hope for a New Titans: Titans Hunt collection, because lo and behold, four years later, without an advance hint to be seen, the DC Comics September 2023 trade paperback and hardcover solicitations has dropped a Batman: The Hush Saga Omnibus on us. As has been discussed and will be again below, to a certain extent the page-to-page quality of some of the material doesn’t matter; it’s getting this material collected at all, and getting this material collected when it seemed like it never would be. That’s a win for collections fans.
Other books of note for me include Aquaman: Andromeda — I haven’t actually heard how people are enjoying this, but I know Ram V can do horror, and a Black Label Aquaman story sounds awesome. Also Superman: The Warworld Saga, which wouldn’t be necessary if DC hadn’t skipped around here and there in collecting this story, but still, glad to have an opportunity to pick it all up complete and together. Waller vs. Wildstorm — ditto on Black Label and a DC (Comics) political tale. Also as I’m coming to the end of watching Titans Season 4, Titans United: Bloodpact’s got more and more appeal (I’d read a comic mini actually set in the Max Titans continuity in a heartbeat).
Also on the list, good for Detective Chimp finally getting his own collection. Among regular-ish series books I’ll be picking up, the Jon Kent mini, Joshua Williamson’s Superman Vol. 1, the Dawn of DC Catwoman, Lazarus Planet: Revenge of the Gods, and Stargirl: The Lost Children (do I read Flashpoint Beyond before this one? Does it matter where I read Dark Crisis in relation?).
Let’s look at the full (surprisingly early) list:
• Absolute Dark Knight (2024 Edition) HC
Collects Batman: The Dark Knight Returns #1-4 and Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again #1-4, sans the new third series and tie-ins.
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Recent DC Comics Trade Solicitations |
• Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent HC
Glad to see DC continuing the adventures of Jon Kent with Tom Taylor. Wish it were not just a miniseries, but DC has had luck with serial miniseries in the past, so hopefully it’s just the first of many. I don’t want to spoil here what I already know of this story, but I’m excited, I’m wondering how much catch-up reading I ought do, and I have questions about how this came about that I’ll ask at a later date … November, as a matter of fact.
Gosh I’ve been waiting for this for a while and no idea why it keeps getting pushed back, but hopefully November is it. Ram V writing DC Black Label horror starring Aquaman and Black Manta — here we go!
• Batman: Gotham by Gaslight (2023 Edition) TP
New printing of the proto-Elseworlds tale by Brian Augustyn and Mike Mignola. Collects both Gotham by Gaslight and the sequel, Master of the Future, as well as Countdown Presents: The Search for Ray Palmer #1 and Convergence: Shazam #1–2 (these had disappeared from some solicitations but here they are back again), and character designs from the animated Gotham by Gaslight film.
Paperback of the six-issue miniseries.
• Batman: The Hush Saga Omnibus HC
As I discussed earlier this week, out of nowhere DC has put Batman: The Hush Saga Omnibus back on the schedule four years after it was cancelled. Many have noted that there’s not much here being newly collected aside from 20 issues of A.J. Lieberman’s Gotham Knights that are not themselves very well regarded. That said, when it comes to this late 2000s Batman era where the Bat-family titles, at least, are somewhat uncertainly collected, we will take what artifacts we can get, quality notwithstanding. So, this is Batman #608–619 and #685; Batman: Gotham Knights #50–55, #60–71, and #73–74; Detective Comics #846–850 and #852; the “Hush” story from Wizard #0; presumably just the main features from Batman: Streets of Gotham #1–4, #14, and #16–21; and the new short story from the Batman: Hush: 20th Anniversary Edition.
Paperback of the three-issue DC Black Label story by Geoff Johns and Jason Fabok.
• Batman: Wayne Family Adventures Volume Two TP
Second of two collections of the Webtoon stories, coming in October. Includes not only the Bat-family, but Catwoman, Superboy, Impulse, Wonder Girl, and more.
• Catwoman Vol. 3: Duchess of Gotham TP
Third collection by Tini Howard and Sami Basri, due out in November, and collecting issues #51–56. If I understand correctly, a crossover with Chip Zdarsky’s Batman should be part of the next volume (or how ever they decide to collect it!).
• DC: The New Frontier: The Deluxe Edition (2023 Edition) HC
New printing of the deluxe edition, and collecting DC: The New Frontier #1–6 and Justice League: The New Frontier Special #1.
• The Detective Chimp Casebook HC
Well here’s a collection that seems too long in coming. Collects stories from The Adventures of Rex the Wonder Dog #4 and #6–46 and DC Comics Presents #35, which is less than what had been solicited previously, but still better something than nothing. Maybe this’ll just be the first volume of many.
• Ex Machina: The Complete Series Omnibus (2023 Edition) HC
New printing of the omnibus by Brian K. Vaughan, Tony Harris, and more, and collecting Ex Machina #1–50 and Ex Machina Special #1–4.
• Fables: The Deluxe Edition Book Sixteen HC
Collects the entirety, I think, of the mini-relaunch, issues #151–162.
• The Human Target Volume One TP
Paperback of Tom King and Greg Smallwood’s first six issues of the 12-issue miniseries, coming in October. Still holding out for the whole mini in deluxe.
In hardcover in November, the five-issue miniseries by Reginald Hudlin and Leon Chills. Depending on how far the twist in this one goes, I may find myself catching up on these respective series.
New printing of the Thanksgiving-themed JLA/JSA team-up graphic novel by Geoff Johns, David Goyer, and the late Carlos Pacheco.
• Joker: One Operation Joker Vol. 2 TP
Second manga volume by Satoshi Miyagawa and Keisuke Gotou, as the Joker seeks Harley Quinn’s help in raising a baby-fied Bruce Wayne. Can’t make this stuff up, folks.
• Kamandi, the Last Boy on Earth by Jack Kirby Vol. 2 TP
In paperback in November, issues #21–40 of Jack Kirby’s Kamandi: The Last Boy on Earth.
• Lazarus Planet: Revenge of the Gods HC
In hardcover in October (the main Lazarus Planet collection comes out in August), written by G. Willow Wilson, Becky Cloonan, Michael Conrad, and Josie Campbell, this is Lazarus Planet: We Once Were Gods #1, Lazarus Planet: Revenge of the Gods #1–4, and Wonder Woman #797–798 (also collected in Wonder Woman Vol. 4: Revenge of the Gods).
Paul Dano and Stevan Subic’s six-issue Batman movie tie-in, in hardcover in November. Feels a little late, but of course the issues themselves came out earlier, and this shouldn’t be too far behind the debut of the Penguin streaming series.
• The Sandman Universe: Dead Boy Detectives TP
Issues #1–6, in paperback in November, collecting the new miniseries by Pornsak Pichetshote.
• Stargirl: The Lost Children TP
In paperback in October, the six-issue miniseries by Geoff Johns and Todd Nauck. In this solicitation, the Stargirl Spring Break Special isn’t mentioned, but c’mon, would they really?
• Static: Shadows of Dakota HC
This solicitation says Shadows of Dakota collects the seven-issue miniseries, though I thought it was actually only six, in hardcover in November. Glad to see they’ve added the Static Team-Up: Anansi special in there, too.
• Super Sons Omnibus Super Duper Edition HC
It’s becoming a running joke, and a funny one at that (though maybe not to the people buying it) that DC keeps releasing expanded and expanded-er editions of the Super Sons omnibus. This time it’s got Superman #10–11 and #37–38, Teen Titans #15, Super Sons #1–16, Super Sons Annual #1, Super Sons/Dynomutt Special, and Adventures of the Super Sons #1–12, and new this time, Challenge of the Super Sons #1–7 and a story from the Robin 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular. Included previously but missing this time (at least from these solicitations) is a story from the DC Rebirth Holiday Special #1. And what, no Superman and Robin Special by Peter Tomasi?
New paperback of the four-issue miniseries by Jeph Loeb and the late Tim Sale, along with stories from Superman/Batman Secret Files & Origins 2003, Solo #1, Superman #226, and Superman/Batman #26. I’d spring for the Absolute.
• Superman Unchained: The Deluxe Edition (2023 Edition) HC
New printing of the Superman Unchained deluxe edition. I’d forgotten this was written by Scott Snyder; maybe deserves another look some time. Any chance they preserve the four-page fold-out in this one?
• Superman Vol. 1: Supercorp HC
In hardcover in November, collecting the first five issues of the new series by Joshua Williamson and Jamal Campbell.
• Superman vs. Meshi Vol. 2 TP
Continuing, the solicitation says, “Superman’s culinary tour through Japan.”
• Superman: The Warworld Saga TP
Good for Phillip Kennedy Johnson. In paperback in November, this is Action Comics #1030–1046, Action Comics 2021 Annual, Action Comics 2022 Annual, Batman/Superman: Authority Special, Future State: Superman: House of El #1, Future State: Superman: Worlds of War #1–2, and Superman: Warworld Apocalypse #1. No sooner did this appear in DC’s seasonal catalog than I stopped buying Action Comics collections and I’ll wait for this. That’ll show 'em to leave out the Authority special! Hopefully we get the full complement of backup stories, too.
Sequel six-issue miniseries by Canaan Scott, set more or less in the (non-continuity) DCU but mimicking the (HBO) Max Titans TV show. In paperback in October; I enjoyed the first Titans United collection, and I’m making my way through Season 4 of Titans and I think it’s darling.
The second collection of the Webtoon series, episodes #10–18 by Jasmine Walls and Manou Azumi, and optimized for print reading.
Coming in November, the four-issue, 1980s-themed spy thriller by Spencer Ackerman and Evan Narcisse. Inasmuch as this seems a Wildstorm celebration, I’m most intrigued by how this hearkens back to the political intrigue of the John Ostrander Suicide Squad days, a la “The Janus Directive.”
The eight-issue miniseries by Stephanie Phillips and Mike Hawthorne, in paperback in October, following the hardcover. I reviewed Wonder Woman: Evolution in November 2022 and was disappointed overall.
Superman x3 (Jon, Williamson, Warworld), probably Waller vs Wildstorm, not sure about anything else.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone read the Wayne Family Adventures? Are they fun? Interesting?
Yeah, I refused to double dip on the updated Super Sons omnibus -- not after the money I spent on the initial Expanded Edition after I waited too long and it went out of print.
ReplyDeleteHi! Just a minor correction that the Super Sons Expanded Edition omni *does* include the short story from the Robin 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular. So the only new material appears to be Challenge of the Super Sons #1-7 (and, though I suspect it’s just a solicit mistake, the absence of the DC Rebirth Holiday Special story).
ReplyDeleteAppreciate the update!
DeleteSuperman #29, Action #1029, and Superman and The Authority should be in Warworld Saga. I'd happily preorder it if I knew those were gonna be in.
ReplyDeleteHey! Dark Crisis goes before into Flashpoint Beyond, which leads into Supergirl.
ReplyDeleteAppreciate it! (Think you mean Stargirl there, just clarifying for others.)
Delete