There’s a lot of reprints, fewer regular series or new collections, in the DC Comics March 2024 trade paperback and hardcover solicitations, but overall I continue to be enthused about the trade releases coming out of DC lately.
For instance, new collections of the 1990s-2000s Nightwing series aren’t what I’d like to see so much as uncollected issues of the Superman or Titans titles, but I can’t dismiss a Nightwing: A Knight in Blüdhaven Compendium that includes two Nightwing-guest-starring Detective Comics issues. Yes, those have been collected before elsewhere, but I’m always excited about collections not so singularly focused on a series that they don’t also consider the context of the character in the larger DCU of their time.
Another, this sudden Booster Gold: The Complete 2007 Series Book One collection. No knock against it that it’s clearly coming forth because of TV rumors — I’ll take what I can get — but the fact that it doesn’t just map the original trades and rather seems to include some previously uncollected issues is really great. I’d still as soon see the wholly uncollected Damage, but filling in old gaps is good too.
Among regular series (or mainstream DCU miniseries), we’ve got Michael Dorn’s Steelworks, Joshua Williamson’s Superman Vol. 2, Mark Waid and Emanuela Lupacchino’s World’s Finest: Teen Titans, and Jeremy Adams' final Flash volume. DC Pride: Love and Justice collects DC’s 2023 Pride special and extras, while DC Pride: Better Together is an update of the original to match the more recent branding.
So in all, some things to watch as 2024 gets underway. Let’s look at the full list.
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Recent DC Comics Trade Solicitations |
• 52 Volume One (2024 Edition) TP
New printing of the larger two-volume 52 trades. Collects issues #1–26.
• Absolute Batman: Arkham Asylum (2024 Edition) HC
New printing of the Absolute Batman: Arkham Asylum. Said to have been color "revived" by artist Dave McKean, and with extras including afterwords by Grant Morrison, McKean, and Karen Berger.
• Absolute Batman: The Dark Knight: The Master Race (2024 Edition) HC
New printing of the Absolute Batman: The Dark Knight: The Master Race. Includes the nine-issue miniseries, the Dark Knight Universe Presents tie-in issues, and the Dark Knight Returns: The Last Crusade prequel. By Frank Miller, Brian Azzarello, Andy Kubert and more.
• Adventures of Superman by George Pérez (2024 Edition) TP
Includes the Superman/OMAC team-up by Len Wein and George Perez from DC Comics Presents #61, Action Comics #643–645 and #647–652 and the Annual #2 with art by Perez, and then six issues of the New 52 Superman series written by Perez. The omission of Action Comics #646 (by Roger Stern and Keith Giffen) breaks up a storyline, by the way, a reason I favor sequential instead of creator-focused collections.
• Barda TP
What a fantastic idea; a young adult graphic novel with Barda, Aurelie, Orion, and Scott Free, written and drawn by Ngozi Ukazu.
Paperback edition of the eight-issue miniseries by Gary Whitta and Darick Robertson, following the hardcover.
• Batman: The Black Mirror: The Deluxe Edition HC
Once upon a time, new DC writer Scott Snyder penned the instant classic horror superhero story Batman: The Black Mirror, and the rest is history. Collects Detective Comics #871–877 with extras, coming in May 2024.
• Batman: Wayne Family Adventures Volume Four TP
Continuing the Webtoon collections, arriving in May.
• Blood Syndicate Season One TP
Paperback collection, following the hardcover, collecting issues #1–6 and a story from the Milestone 30th Anniversary Special #1, by Geoffrey Thorne, CHRISSCROSS, and company.
• Booster Gold: The Complete 2007 Series Book One TP
I … don’t think we knew about this one? Clearly tied to the hype around the James Gunn series, this is issues #0–14 and the faux One Million tie-in, from the 2007 series that followed 52 and ran until Flashpoint and the New 52. If I’m not mistaken, issues #13–14 (a fill-in by Rick Remender) and #39–43 (by Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis) were never collected, so this already has some uncollected issues and here’s hoping subsequent volumes will have the rest. Out in April.
• DC Pride: Better Together HC
The hardcover collection of DC Pride 2023, plus stories from Lazarus Planet: Dark Fate and DC Pride: Through the Years. Among other things, I love the wonderful, random team-ups in this: Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy and Crush; Jon Kent and John Constantine; and so on. Arriving in May.
• DC Pride: Love and Justice HC
A new printing of the DC Pride 2021 collection, now subtitled DC Pride: Love and Justice to match the other volumes. This includes the original DC Pride 2021 special, plus stories from Mysteries of Love in Space #1, New Year’s Evil #1, and Young Monsters in Love #1.
• Fables: The Deluxe Edition Book Sixteen HC
In May in hardcover, collecting the entire Fables mini-relaunch, issues #151–162, short of any issues you should subsequently create yourself.
• The Flash Vol. 20: Time Heist TP
In paperback in April, finishing up Jeremy Adams' run on the series, and collecting issues #797–799 and "four stories" from Flash #800 (presumably Adams', Geoff Johns', Joshua Williamson’s, and Mark Waid’s, with Simon Spurrier’s getting collected with the beginning of his own run).
• Justice League Vol. 3: Leagues of Chaos TP
Paperback of the final volume by Brian Michael Bendis, following the hardcover. I reviewed Justice League Vol. 3: Leagues of Chaos earlier this year.
• The New Champion of Shazam! TP
Paperback of the four-issue miniseries by Josie Campbell and Doc Shaner, as well as Lazarus Planet: Once We Were Gods material, following the hardcover.
• Nightwing: A Knight in Blüdhaven Compendium One TP
New larger-page-count series of Nightwing collections. First up is the four-issue Nightwing miniseries by Dennis O’Neil, and then the first 25 issues of the Chuck Dixon run, plus the Nightwing and Detective Comics One Million tie-ins, the first annual, Wizard Presents: Nightwing #1/2 (remember those?!), Nightwing and Huntress #1–4, Green Arrow #134–135, Robin #55, and Detective Comics #723–725.
The Green Arrow, Robin, and first Detective issues are "Brotherhood of the Fist" crossover issues, but Detective #724 and #725 are "just" Detective issues by Dixon that guest-star Nightwing (also found in the Road to No Man's Land collections). I’ll be eager to see if we get any more "extras" of that kind before these are done. Only thing missing, surprisingly, is Alan Grant’s Nightwing: Alfred’s Return that preceded O’Neil’s miniseries; wonder if that’ll be included after all.
• The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country TP
Paperback of the six-issue miniseries by James Tynion, in paperback in April, following the hardcover.
Never did think I’d be reading a Steel series by Michael Dorn. In paperback, in May, collecting the six-issue miniseries plus the backups from Action Comics #1054–1056.
• Superman Vol. 2: The Chained TP
Second collection of the new Joshua Williamson run, in paperback in May, collecting issues #6–12.
The three-issue miniseries by Mark Russell and Mike Allred, in paperback following the hardcover.
In May, collecting the Webtoon series.
• World’s Finest: Teen Titans HC
In May, a new retelling of the origins of the Teen Titans by Mark Waid and Emanuela Lupacchino, in hardcover, collecting the full six-issue mini.
• Zatanna & the Ripper Volume Three TP
Third Webtoons volume, coming in May.
• Zatanna by Paul Dini (2024 Edition) TP
New printing of the Zatanna by Paul Dini volume. This collects Dini's Zatanna #1–16 and Zatanna: Everyday Magic. I had thought Black Canary and Zatanna: Bloodspell was in here, but apparently not.
Flash, Steelworks, and Nightwing for sure. Really happy to see Brotherhood of the Fist properly collected. I hope this Compendium format has legs and we get the post-Grell Green Arrow run and post-ZH Legionionaires/LOSH in this format next (beyond getting a second Kyle Raynar one and Nightwing & Robin continuing), just to pick a couple good ones from that era that haven't been collected entirely yet.
ReplyDeleteI may get Fables, but I might wait for a tpb since that's how I have every other volume. I'm not in a huge hurry since it's over here.
I haven't ever read DK: Master Race, but I might get the Absolute to go w/my other two DKR Absolute volumes. I keep hoping they'll make an expanded edition that include The Golden Child story, too. I don't think we're getting another DKR story anytime soon.
I’d buy that post-Grell Green Arrow too, but I wonder if we have to wait for Ollie’s next big media push. Curious if we might even get the 47 1980s issues before Kyle once the new Green Lantern show comes out (there was a crossover with LEGION and Darkstars, etc.)
DeleteI see Golden Child had a deluxe a while ago; rather surprised as well that they haven’t gone for Absolute.
I'm hoping that DC Marketing looks at Kyle and Dick being (hopefully!) successful in this format and say, "Who else is a young hero living in the shadow of another hero from the 90s?" and come up with Connor Hawke (Conner Kent is also a solid option after Robin gets released). I can obviously list 10-15 books I'd like in this format, generally, but I'm trying to focus my hope on the one I think is most similarly situated :D
DeleteWhile I spent years tracking down all the floppys to make my own custom bind of Impulse, I thing everyone should be able to enjoy the series, and a compendium would be perfect. The whole series can be done in 2-3 volumes.
DeleteCurious to see " Superman Vol. 2: The Chained" being solicited as paperback. Isn't the first volume a hardcover? If so, the Vol. 2 paperback would be released before the Vol. 1 paperback. (assuming Vol. 1 gets a paperback release later on)
ReplyDeleteYeah, I don’t see a paperback of Volume 1 on the way. I don’t rule it out, but that suggests to me the second volume will be paperback only. Possibly — just my speculation — DC can profit from successive Batman hardcovers (even with slower paperback releases) but that Superman without a “Vol. 1” on it may only make financial sense in paperback.
DeleteGreat to see the Zatanna series collected in a new trade form. Zee has always been underappreciated so I am happy to see some of her stories getting published. And the series is written by Dini, the best Batman writer in the industry
ReplyDeleteIf I’m not mistaken, issues #13–14 (a fill-in by Rick Remender) and #39–43 (by Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis) were never collected,
ReplyDeleteYou are correct.
On my TPB shelf I have these issues sandwiched between the TPB's for this exact reason.
Really annoyed that Zatanna is missing Bloodspell. It's *nearly* complete
ReplyDeleteDo I have it right though that Bloodspell was in one of these larger Zatanna collections, or am I imaginging that?
DeleteWhere did you get the issues collected in the Nightwing Compendium? I checked the Amazon link you provided and it does not state what it collects.
ReplyDeleteSure thing! Contents can be confirmed on most sites running the monthly DC Comics advance solicitations, but here's a link to the blurb in DC Connect: https://www.reddit.com/r/OmnibusCollectors/comments/18j0s77/other_nightwing_compendium_contents_dc_connect_44
DeleteThank you for this. Going to upgrade my trades to this then because of Brotherhood of the Fist.
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