Though the first DC Finest volumes were solicited last month, the DC Comics October 2024 trade paperback and hardcover solicitations see seven more, arriving throughout November and into December.
As I should have mentioned last month, these are all about 500–600 pages, paperback, and $39.99. Entries for this month include Golden Age Justice Society, Silver Age Flash and Green Lantern, classic Justice League and Legion of Super-Heroes, post-Crisis Catwoman (probably the one I’m most likely to pick up) and the first half of seemingly the entirety of Zero Hour.
Among other highlights for this month is the Deathstroke by Marv Wolfman Omnibus, again if I may not so much for itself but that if it continues into a second volume, we might then see some previously uncollected material appear. Batman/Santa Claus sounds like a whole lot of silly fun. We’ve got Suicide Squad: Dream Team, a lead-in to the Absolute Power crossover, and the solicitations are sure to mention Absolute Power in regards to Superman Vol. 3 and Wonder Woman Vol. 2. I’m realizing Joe the Barbarian, a book by Grant Morrison and Sean Murphy, sounds like something I’d probably enjoy; a year later, we also get a collections version of the Death of Superman 30th Anniversary anthology.
Among regular series, there’s new volumes of Harley Quinn, Nightwing, Flash, Poison Ivy, and the new Outsiders book. That’s not bad for the end of the year!
Let’s take a look at the full list.
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Recent DC Comics Trade Solicitations |
• Absolute Promethea Book One (2025 Edition) HC
Alan Moore and JH Williams' Promethea #1–12.
• Batman by Tom King Book One TP
I guess there have been Batman: Rebirth deluxe editions but not specifically a sequential Batman by Tom King collections run? Anyway, this will collect Batman: Rebirth #1, Batman #1–20, Detective Comics #941–942, Nightwing #5–6, and the Batman/Elmer Fudd Special #1. The earlier solicitation for this volume skipped the Night of the Monster Men issues, but now it includes the whole crossover, including the issues from the other series. The original solicitation also had Batman #21–22 and Flash #21–22, the “Button” crossover, but it seems that’ll be saved for next time. Individual volumes collected here include I Am Gotham, I Am Suicide, and I Am Bane.
• Batman – Santa Claus: Silent Knight TP
In paperback in November (just in time for Christmas, natch), it’s the four-issue miniseries by Jeff Parker, Michele Bandini, and company.
• Batman: Bruce Wayne Murderer Turned Fugitive Omnibus HC
It's perhaps overdue and quite sensible that the awkwardly named Murderer/Fugitive (subsequent events that are often run together) should be renamed "Murderer Turned Fugitive." This collects Batman: The 10-Cent Adventure #1, Batman #599–607, Azrael: Agent of the Bat #91–92, Batgirl #24, #27, #29, and #33, Birds of Prey #39–41 and #43, Nightwing #65–66 and #68–69, Robin #98–99, and stories from Detective Comics #766–775 and Batman: Gotham Knights #25–32. Not sure if “stories from” changes this from mapping to the expanded collections from 2014 as it originally seemed.
• Batman: Detective Comics Vol. 4: Gotham Nocturne Intermezzo: Batman, Outlaw TP
Only the paperback solicited here for the Dec. 31, 2024, when the previous catalog solicitation had both the hardcover and paperback coming out on the same day. Collects Detective Comics #1076–1080 by Ram V and Dan Watters.
• Batman: The Cult (2024 Edition) TP
Not sure what it is with Jim Starlin and Bernie Wrightson's excellent Batman: The Cult that's sparking multiple reprints, but this is the non-deluxe version, “remastered to preserve the original feverish colors,” coming in November.
• Dark Knights of Steel Vol. 2 TP
In paperback, following the hardcover, and collecting issues #7–12 and the Dark Knights of Steel: Tales from the Three Kingdoms special.
• DC Finest: Catwoman: Life Lines TP
Collects Action Comics #611–614, Catwoman Defiant #1, Showcase '93 #1–4, Catwoman (1989) #1–4, Catwoman (1993) #1–12, and the Catwoman Annual #1.
• DC Finest: Events: Zero Hour Part One TP
Looks like this is collecting the entirety of Zero Hour. The first volume has Superman #93, Flash #94, L.E.G.I.O.N. #70, Green Lantern #55, Superman: The Man of Steel #37, Team Titans #24, Darkstars #24, Valor #23, Batman #511, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #31, Detective Comics #678, Legionnaires #18, Hawkman #13, Showcase '94 #8–9, Steel #8, Superboy #8, Outsiders #11, and Zero Hour: Crisis in Time #3–4.
• DC Finest: Green Lantern: The Defeat of Green Lantern TP
Collects Green Lantern #19–39, Flash #143, and Brave and the Bold #59 from the Silver Age. By John Broome, Gardner Fox, Gil Kane, Ramona Fradon, and more, with appearances by Star Sapphire, Doctor Light, the Time Commander, and Sinestro.
• DC Finest: Justice League of America: The Bridge Between Earths TP
Collects Justice League of America #45–72 from July 1966 to June 1969, including but not limited to Justice League/Justice Society team-ups.
• DC Finest: Justice Society of America: For America and Democracy TP
Collects All-Star Comics #3–12 by Gardner Fox and more, introducing the Justice Society.
• DC Finest: Legion of Super-Heroes: Zap Goes the Legion TP
Collects Action Comics #378–387 and #389–392, Adventure Comics #374–380 and #403, and Superboy #172–173, #176, #183–184, #188, #190–191, #193, #195, and #197–203, Legion stories from November 1968 to July 1974 by Jim Shooter, Nelson Bridwell, Cary Bates, and more.
• DC Finest: The Flash: The Human Thunderbolt TP
The Silver Age debut of the Flash Barry Allen, collecting Showcase #4, #8, and #13–14, and Flash #105–123, the last of which is the “Flash of Two Worlds” meeting between Barry and Jay Garrick.
• The Death and Return of Superman 30th Anniversary Collection TP
Feels like it took this an unusually long time to come out (the special was published last November, the "collection" will be out in December), but then again we didn't used to get "collection" editions of single-issue specials or notable issues. Glad to have an opportunity to read it.
• Deathstroke, the Terminator by Marv Wolfman Omnibus Vol. 1 HC
Collects the 1991 Deathstroke, the Terminator series #1–25 (not to issue #26 as reported before), Deathstroke Annual #1–2 ("Eclipso, the Darkness Within" and "Bloodlines" respectively), New Titans #70, Superman #68, and stories from Showcase '93 #6–11, profiles from Who’s Who in the DC Universe #9 and Who’s Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #23, and an introduction by Marv Wolfman. The recent-ish set of Deathstroke paperbacks went up to issue #34 so there's nothing previously uncollected in this book, but the good news is the next volume ought start to get into uncollected material. This Deathstroke series ran to issue #60 and four annuals.
• Elseworlds: Superman Vol. 2 (2024 Edition) TP
Collects Son of Superman, Superboy's Legion #1–2, Supergirl: Wings, and Superman: True Brit.
• The Flash Vol. 2: Until Time Stands Still TP
The second collection by Simon Spurrier, collecting issues #7–13 and Flash 2024 Annual #1.
• Harley Quinn Vol. 2: Eye Don't Like Me TP
The second volume of the current run, collecting issues #32–37, with stories by Tini Howard with Sweeney Boo and Sam Maggs with Kelley Jones, plus more.
• Injustice: Gods Among Us Compendium One TP
Collects Injustice: Gods Among Us #1–12, Injustice: Gods Among Us Annual #1, Injustice: Gods Among Us: Year Two #1–12, Injustice: Gods Among Us: Year Two Annual #1, Injustice: Gods Among Us: Year Three #1–12, and Injustice: Gods Among Us: Year Three Annual #1. I’m reading through the Injustice volumes now, actually.
• Joe the Barbarian (2024 Edition) TP
New printing of the eight-issue, late 2000s Vertigo miniseries by Grant Morrison and Sean Murphy. Kinda feel I should check this out.
• Multiversity: Harley Screws Up the DCU TP
Paperback of the six-issue miniseries by Frank Tieri, following the hardcover. I reviewed Harley Screws Up the DCU this past May.
• Nightwing Vol. 6: Standing at the Edge HC
In hardcover, arriving in December. I don't think this is Tom Taylor's last Nightwing volume, but rather I think there's at least still one to follow. This includes the “300th” issue with a contribution by Marv Wolfman.
First volume of the new series by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly, in paperback in November. I'm excited for this one when it lands; planning to pair reading it with Lanzing and Kelly's new Star Trek series. Collects issues #1–6.
• Poison Ivy Vol. 4: Origins of Species HC
In hardcover in December from G. Willow Wilson, Marcio Takara, and Haining, spinning Ivy’s origin.
Episodes #23–34 of the Webtoons series.
• Suicide Squad: Dream Team TP
Nicole Maines and Eddy Barrows' Suicide Squad miniseries, leading into DC's Absolute Power event.
• Superman Vol. 1: Supercorp TP
Paperback of Joshua Williamson and Jamal Campbell's Superman #1–5, following the hardcover. I loved Superman Vol. 1: Supercorp, having reviewed it just last week.
• Superman Vol. 3: Justice Reborn TP
Third collection of Joshua Williamson's Superman run, in paperback in December. Though it doesn’t quite reach Absolute Power time, the solicitation calls this “an Absolute Power absolute must-read.”
• Superman: Kryptonite: The Deluxe Edition HC
Deluxe-size collection of Superman Confidential #1–5 and #11, made all the more notable by the passing of both creators Darwyn Cooke and Tim Sale.
• The Witching Hour (2024 Edition) TP
In paperback in November, collecting the Vertigo miniseries by Jeph Loeb and Chris Bachelor.
• Wonder Woman Vol. 2: Sacrifice TP
Second collection of the Tom King run. Description suggests this gets close to if not tying in to Absolute Power.
Superman v3, Wonder Woman v2, and Outsiders (my interest has been piqued but I no little about it) from the monthlies. Batman by Tom King seems like as good a way to get that run in collected form as any, Batman: The Cult, and Death of Superman special from the rest.
ReplyDeleteI have high hopes for Outsiders, too, both just in continuing the "Outsiders" tradition, the characters involved, and the apparent subject matter. That the book didn't last very long makes me worry about what's inside and whether it'll have any lasting relevance, but my hopes are high.
DeleteThroughout the New Gotham era (that ended with War Games) the Detective Comics and Gotham Knights had backups. 'Tec did a "other characters around Gotham" series (The Darwyn Cooke Catwoman series spun out of the backups.) and Gotham Knights was doing the Black and White short stories.
ReplyDeleteJoe the Barbarian is one of my favourites, a great book to read in one extended sitting!
ReplyDeleteDC Finest looks like a very good mix of origins, evergreens, and 90s gems. Love that the JSA books are starting at the literal beginning! And I've got the deluxe HC, but darned if a comprehensive "Zero Hour" set doesn't check a lot of boxes. Might we see, perhaps, a collection of all the #0 issues?
ReplyDeleteI think I'd rather have "The Button" than "Night of the Monster Men" in my "Batman by Tom King." It's a better cliffhanger and has a much stronger tie to King's whole run. But, I suppose, points for completionists.
Theme months could be a good topic for the DC Finest books. Zero Hour's "Zero Issues," then the same from the New 52 era, maybe the Forever Evil and Year of the Villains "Villains Months," etc.
DeleteDefinitely going to pick up that Legion trade. It looks like it collects the contents of volumes 9 and 10 of the Archives, with some slight bleed over into volumes 8 and 11. I only have volume 11 of the Archives, so this will fill in a gap in my Legion collection. Hopefully they find a way to reprint the contents of Archives 12 and 13 too. Those two volumes are going for a fortune on the aftermarket.
ReplyDelete