So, speaking of Triangle Titles, it’s pretty cool that the new Robin: Tim Drake Compendium One includes Superman: The Man of Steel #14 and Superman #70. Not only did those issues continue a somewhat long-running vampire story from those pages, but I recall thinking it was pretty cool when still-relatively-new Robin Tim Drake teamed up with Jimmy Olsen. Where “compendium” has sometimes meant “guest appearances by the character at that time,” I’m all for it.
That aside, in these DC Comics June 2024 trade paperback and hardcover solicitations, I’m still trying to wrap my head around hardcovers and paperbacks coming out on the same day, as we see here with Nightwing Vol. 5, Poison Ivy Vol. 3, and Detective Comics Vol. 3. Among DC’s Fall 2024 solicitations, there were only a couple more of these — Batman Vol. 3, and then Nightwing Vol. 6 and Poison Ivy Vol. 4, such that I couldn’t say yet if this is the new normal or if DC’s just trying to push ahead on a few books in particular.
Looking at the release dates of Tom Taylor’s Nightwing, I do see that we got hardcovers of the first volume (12/2021), the “Fear State” volume (6/2022), and the second volume (12/2022) all before the first volume paperback came out (6/2023) — that’s a year and six months between the first hardcover and first paperback. Each of the next paperbacks followed at least a year after their harcover — I’m not actually sure that’s so unusual, but it feels like a lot. Which is to say, if this is the direction DC is going and it’s sustainable, more power to them, but Nightwing in particular looks like a series whose collections just needed to catch up.
When I say “sustainable” … Poison Ivy Vol. 3 collects issues #13–18 and comes out in harcover and paperback in September. Poison Ivy Vol. 4 comes out in December in hardcover and paperback and collects issues #19–24, when the regular series should be at issue #29. If we keep up with six issues every three months, that puts us at March, when Vol. 5 should collect issues #25–30 and the regular series would be at issue #32, and then June, when Vol. 6 should collect issues #31–36 and the regular series would be at … issue #35. So at some point, the September/December three-month-gap release schedule that we see for Nightwing, Poison Ivy, and Detective begins to look untenable, even setting aside simultaneous hardcover/paperback release.
And, y’know, I want everybody to get whatever comics they want whenever they want, but a hardcover and then a paperback six months later at least says, “Hey, this title is still alive,” while it takes six or eight months for there to be enough content for the next hardcover. Three months and simultaneous publication, I don’t know … is this a hedge against people just pulling their books from online? “We’ll give you the paperbacks early, just please still buy them?” What do you think is happening?
Anyway, also the DC vs. Marvel and DC vs. Marvel: Amalgam Age omnibuses we’ve been talking so much about. Here’s the full list:
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Recent DC Comics Trade Solicitations |
• 100 Bullets: Brother Lono: The Deluxe Edition HC
Collects the eight-issue 100 Bullets sequel miniseries by Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso, along with a new 100 Bullets story exclusive to the collection.
• Absolute Transmetropolitan Vol. 1 HC (2024 Edition)
Said to collect Transmetropolitan #1–18, Vertigo: Winter’s Edge #2, and Transmetropolitan: I Hate It Here in new printing of the Absolute.
• Batman and Robin Vol. 1: Father and Son TP
Issues #1–6 of Joshua Williamson’s new series, direct to paperback in August.
• Batman by Paul Dini Omnibus HC (2024 Edition)
New edition of the omnibus, collecting Batman #685 (1940-); Batman Annual #1 (2016-); Batman Black and White #3 (2013-); Batman: Gotham Knights #14 (2000-); Batman: Streets of Gotham #1–4, #7, #10–14, and #16–21; DCU Holiday Special #1; Detective Comics #821–824, #826–828, #831, #833–834, #837–841, #843–850, #852, and a story from #1000.
Paperback collection of the five-issue lead-in to Lazarus Planet by Mark Waid.
• Batman: Detective Comics Vol. 1: Gotham Nocturne: Overture TP
Paperback of the first Detective Comics volume by Ram V; collects issues #1062–1065.
• Batman: Detective Comics Vol. 2: Gotham Nocturne: Act I TP
Paperback of Ram V and Rafael Albuquerque’s second Detective Comics volume, collecting issues #1066–1069. Notably, this is the two paperbacks out on the same day in July.
• Batman: Detective Comics Vol. 3: Gotham Nocturne: Act II HC and TP
Third collection of Ram V’s run, collecting issues #1071–1075, in hardcover and paperback in September.
• Batman: Wayne Family Adventures Volume Five TP
The finale of season two of the Webtoon series, collecting episodes #98–116. Does anyone reading this follow Webtoon regularly on the web, like in first run? I have questions. Get in touch?
• Batman/Superman: World’s Finest Vol. 3: Elementary TP
In paperback following the hardcover, collecting issues #12–17.
• Blue Beetle Vol. 1: Scarab War! TP
First collection proper of the Blue Beetle series by Josh Trujillo, issues #1–6, following the Blue Beetle: Graduation Day miniseries.
As previously announced, due out in hardcover in August, and collecting Superman vs. The Amazing Spider-Man #1, Marvel Treasury Edition #28, DC Special Series #27, Marvel and DC Present: Featuring the Uncanny X-Men and the New Teen Titans #1, Batman/Punisher: Lake of Fire #1, Punisher/Batman: Deadly Knights #1, Darkseid vs. Galactus: The Hunger #1, Spider-Man and Batman #1, Green Lantern/Silver Surfer: Unholy Alliances #1, Silver Surfer/Superman #1, Batman/Captain America #1, Daredevil/Batman #1, Batman/Spider-Man #1, Superman/Fantastic Four #1, Incredible Hulk vs. Superman #1, and Batman/Daredevil #1.
• DC Versus Marvel: The Amalgam Age Omnibus HC
The crossover event and most of its amalgamated one-shot specials, being DC vs. Marvel #1 and 4 and Marvel vs. DC #2–3, Amazon #1, Assassins #1, Dr. Strangefate #1, Dark Claw #1, Super Soldier #1, Bruce Wayne: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. #1, Bullets and Bracelets #1, Speed Demon #1, Spider-Boy #1, X-Patrol #1, DC/Marvel All Access #1–4, Bat-Thing #1, Dark Claw Adventures #1, Generation Hex #1, JLX Unleashed #1, Lobo the Duck #1, Super Soldier: Man of War #1, Challengers of the Fantastic #1, Exciting X-Patrol #1, Iron Lantern #1, Magnetic Men Featuring Magneto #1, Spider-Boy Team-Up #1, Thorion of the New Asgods #1, and Unlimited Access #1–4. Due out in August.
• Detective Comics #1000: The Deluxe Edition HC (2024 Edition)
New printing of the Detective Comics #1000 anthology.
• Fire & Ice: Welcome to Smallville TP
Collects the six-issue miniseries (this solicitation doesn’t mention the backup story from Power Girl Special). By Joanne Starer and Natacha Bustos, in paperback in August.
• Green Lantern: War Journal Vol. 1: Contagion TP
In paperback in August, the new series by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Montos, issues #1–6 and the backup stories from Green Lantern #1–3.
• Nightwing Vol. 5: Time of the Titans HC and TP
The fifth collection from Tom Taylor, in July, in hardcover and paperback. Collects Nightwing #101–105.
• Nightwing: Year One 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition HC
New printing of the pre-Flashpoint era Nightwing #101–106 by Chuck Dixon, Scott Beatty, and Scott McDaniel, with a variety of behind-the-scenes extras.
• Poison Ivy Vol. 2: Unethical Consumption TP
Paperback of the second volume of G. Willow Wilson’s run, following the hardcover. Collects issues #7–12, in July. I was very impressed with Wilson’s Poison Ivy Vol. 1: The Virtuous Cycle.
• Poison Ivy Vol. 3: Mourning Sickness HC and TP
Issues #13–18 from G. Willow Wilson and company, in hardcore and paperback on the same day in September.
• Robin: Tim Drake Compendium One TP
Though a “compendium” still feels unwieldly large to me, I’m pleased by the contents of this, coming in July. This is:
- Detective Comics #618–621 (Tim vs. Anarky; Batman tries to save Tim’s parents from Obeah Man)
- Batman #455–457 (Scarecrow; leading in to the first Robin miniseries)
- Robin (Vol. 1) #1–5, Batman #465–469 (following the first miniseries, plus the “Shadow Box” story)
- Batman #480 (question of where Tim will live)
- Robin II: The Joker’s Wild! #1–4
- Robin III: Cry of the Huntress #1–6
- Robin (Vol. 2) #1–5 (kind of surprised the lead-in issue, Detective #668, isn’t also here)
- Robin Annual #1–2 (“Eclipso, the Darkness Within” and “Bloodlines”)
- Superman: The Man of Steel #14 and Superman #70 (two-parter, never before collected, Superman and Jimmy Olsen and Tim Drake vs. vampires!)
- Showcase '93 #1–6, #11–12 (pretty sure DC has never collected the Showcase `93 #1–4 stories before, which were Catwoman-centric, though fed into Robin’s appearance in #5–6 and #11–12; previous Robin collections only did those latter ones)
- Stories from Batman 80-Page Giant #2 (likely “Footsteps” by Ian Edginton and Steve Pugh, the only one that’s a bit of an anachronism, as it’s set during this time period but was published years later)
In paperback, Christopher Priest, Carlo Pagulayan, and company’s 10-issue epic.
• Swamp Thing by Nancy A. Collins Omnibus HC (2024 Edition)
New printing collecting Swamp Thing #110–139, Swamp Thing Annual #6–7, Black Orchid #5, a story from Vertigo Jam #1, and “the original proposal for ‘Arcane Blood,’ an unpublished Swamp Thing miniseries by Collins.”
I really don't want to double dip on these compendiums since I already bought the Robin by Chuck Dixon trades, but like the Kyle Rayner one, I am worried if fans don't buy it then they won't continue to print the rest of the run. It is a really annoying problem to keep running into with DC.
ReplyDeleteLooks like two one shot issues are missing from the Amalgam omnibus
ReplyDeleteThe missing issues were written by a creator who was criminally charged.
DeleteYeah but they had no problem putting his Green Lantern issue in the Death of Superman omnibus. I don't like my collections incomplete, and you're punishing the artist, letter, and colorist by holding it back
DeleteI have no inside information on this, but I wonder if it was Marvel's call, not DC's. DC has reprinted some of Jones's work, like the anonymous poster says, but they've also pulled the plug on his Green Lantern reprints, some JLI work of his, etc. (One wonders, though, if Jones could volunteer to take the Alan Moore "Original Writer" position, forfeit his royalties, and cede them to the other creators.)
DeleteIt stings to be missing two issues, but I'm very glad that DC & Marvel reached enough of a compromise to get two omnibus collections of material I thought we'd never see in hardcover.
Absolutely love Bogdanove's art in that vampires vs. Superman story, his run on Man of Steel is insane. I hope DC will continue using the compendium format to reprint either series they didn't manage to collect in its entirety (Robin, Nightwing, fingers crossed for second Sandman Mystery Theatre book) or are out of print (I for one would welcome Ostrander's Suicide Squad in this format).
ReplyDeleteBogdanove drawing Bela Lugosi. Jimmy Olsen, vampire hunter. It is a pretty wild issue!
DeleteI was hoping they release a new collection edition of Avengers vs JLA.
ReplyDeleteI would be surprised if we don't get a deluxe announced before the end of the year
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