DC Trade Solicitations for February 2025 - Batman/Elmer Fudd Deluxe; Absolute Batman: Haunted Knight; Dark Knights of Steel Deluxe; DC Finest: Batgirl, Peacemaker, Superman Family; From the DC Vault: Robin Lives, Plastic Man No More ~ Collected Editions

Here’s another one of these where I see the DC Finest: Batgirl and I think, “I already have all those issues,” and the DC Finest: Superman Family and I think, “Well, that’s not really for me,” and it seems to me again there won’t be much of interest in the DC Finest books.

And then I read the DC Comics February 2025 trade paperback and hardcover solicitations listing for DC Finest: Peacemaker: Kill for Peace and I see that not only does it have comics from the 1960s, but it’s also collecting Checkmate and Suicide Squad and Vigilante and Eclipso! Some of these DC Finest are very sequential and some seem to be jumping around with more than a few surprises, and I’m learning not to dismiss these so fast.

There is not that much in terms of regular series in these listings, just the final volume of Tini Howard’s Harley Quinn ahead of that series' DC All-In relaunch. But books I’m looking forward to nonetheless, particularly the deluxe Dark Knights of Steel (probably means I need to finish Tom Taylor' DCeased books), the recent From The DC Vault: Robin Lives book, and the Black Label Plastic Man No More. Honestly I’ve been reading comics at a breakneck pace lately, trying to maybe be ready for Absolute Power by the time it arrives in February, because of I could get current on my in-continuity reading, there’s so much stuff in the non-continuity pile I’d like to look at.

Other volumes of note include the Absolute Batman: Haunted Knight and the Nightwing: Rebirth and Suicide Squad: The New 52 omnibuses. I might finally read Batman/Elmer Fudd, and there’s the Booster Gold: Complete 2007 Series Book Two, mostly by Dan Jurgens and with a Blackest Night tie-in.

Let’s jump in!

Recent DC Comics Trade Solicitations

More upcoming collections ...

• Absolute Batman: Haunted Knight HC: Collects the three Legends of the Dark Knights Halloween specials from 1993–1995 by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale that predated their Long Halloween collaboration: Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight Halloween Special, Batman: Madness - A Legends of the Dark Knight Halloween Special, and Batman: Ghosts - A Legends of the Dark Knight Halloween Special. That’s all the same as the original long-standing Haunted Knight collection, but the Absolute seems to also have Catwoman: When in Rome — a story which, perhaps confusingly for some, takes place much later than these specials (parallel to Long Halloween sequel Dark Victory), and which already had its own individual Absolute edition.
• Batman: Justice Buster Vol. 4 TP: The fourth and final volume of Eiichi Shimizu and Tomohiro Shimoguchi’s Batman manga, originally published in Japan and now translated to English.
• Batman/Elmer Fudd: The Deluxe Edition HC: I still haven’t read this, a big hole in my Tom King/Batman repertoire. Maybe the deluxe edition will be the place to do it. Coming April 2025.
• Booster Gold: The Complete 2007 Series Book Two TP: Issues #15–31 with Dan Jurgens, plus Brave and the Bold #23 by Jurgens with Booster and Magog.
• Dark Knights of Steel: The Deluxe Edition HC: By Tom Taylor and Yasmine Putri and friends, collecting Dark Knights of Steel #1–12 and Dark Knights of Steel: Tales From the Three Kingdoms #1. I’ve been waiting for this series to be collected in one volume; this is coming in April and it’ll be an immediate buy for me.
• DC Finest: Batgirl: Nobody Dies Tonight TP: Said to collect issues #8–27 from the 2000 Cassandra Cain series, plus Superboy #85. Issue #27 brings the book to a close at the end of Batman: Murderer/Fugitive, though I’m mystified by starting at issue #8 and not issue #1. The Superboy guest appearance takes place early in the series, roundabouts Batgirl #13.
• DC Finest: Peacemaker: Kill for Peace TP: Classic stories of Peacemaker wouldn’t necessarily be for me, but seeing now the 1980s-1990s content of this volume, I might have to take a look. This is The Fightin' 5 #40–41, Peacemaker (1967) #1–5, Peacemaker (1988) #1–4, and appearances from Checkmate #16–26, #28, and #32–33; Suicide Squad #27–30; Vigilante #37–38 and #41–43; and Eclipso #11–13.
• DC Finest: Superman Family: The Giant Turtle Man TP: Stories from July 1960 to October 1961: Superman’s Girl Friend, Lois Lane #19–28; Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #47–56; Action Comics #266 and #277; and Superman #142–143 and #147.
• DC Pride Box Set HC: DC Pride: Love and Justice, DC Pride: The New Generation, and DC Pride: Better Together, in a box set in May.
• DC: The New Frontier: DC Compact Comics Edition TP: Collecting the classic miniseries by Darwyn Cooke; earlier solicitations had the full six issues here plus the Justice League: The New Frontier Special.
• DC's Misfits of Magic TP: Matthew Dow Smith’s YA graphic novel, reimagining Zatanna, Blue Devil, “Deadkid,” and more.
• From The DC Vault: Death in the Family: Robin Lives! TP: If I’m reading the solicitation right, this is the new four-issue “what if Jason lived” miniseries from J.M. DeMatteis and Rick Leonardi, plus the single modified Batman #428 issue, and then also the classic Batman #426, #427, and #429. Assuming the original Batman #428 isn’t in there, this is a wild collection you could sit and read from beginning to end as if Jason really had actually lived. (Edit: I'm reminded Batman #429 reflects Robin's death; I wonder if that might be altered too?) Coming in April; this is going to be fun.
• Gotham City: Year One TP: In paperback, following the hardcover, the six-issue miniseries by Tom King and Phil Hester.
• Green Lantern: The Silver Age Omnibus Vol. 2 (2025 Edition) HC: Green Lantern #36–75 by Gardner Fox, John Broome, and more, including the Flash, Zatanna, and the first appearance of Guy Gardner.
• Harley Quinn Vol. 3: Clown About Town TP: In paperback in March, collecting issues #38–43. This is Tini Howard’s final volume before Elliott Kalan and Mindy Lee take over with DC All-In.
• Justice League by Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV Omnibus Vol. 1 HC: Collects Aquaman #41–42, Aquaman/Justice League: Drowned Earth #1, Justice League #1–18, Justice League Annual #1, Justice League/Aquaman: Drowned Earth #1, Justice League: No Justice #1–4, Titans #28, and a story from DC Nation #0. That’s plenty, and these are good comics; the original solicitation had Snyder’s Batman Who Laughs miniseries in there, but I was skeptical it would stay and I don’t really think it’s needed. This is Justice League: No Justice, Justice League Vol. 1: The Totality, Justice League/Aquaman: Drowned Earth, Justice League Vol. 2: Graveyard of the Gods, and Justice League Vol. 3: Hawkworld.
• Justice League: The New 52 Book Two TP: Collects essentially the Trinity War pre-event ahead of Forever Evil. That’s the New 52 Justice League #0 and #18–23, Justice League Dark #23–24, New 52 FCBD Special Edition #1, Justice League of America #6–7, Trinity of Sin: The Phantom Stranger #11, Constantine #5, Trinity of Sin: Pandora #1–3, and the Shazam! backups from Justice League #7–11 and #14–16.
• Legion of Super-Heroes: Five Years Later Omnibus Vol. 1 HC: New printing of the omnibus, collecting Legion of Super-Heroes #1–39, Legion of Super-Heroes Annual #1–3, Adventures of Superman #478, and Timber Wolf #1–5.
• Nightwing: Rebirth Omnibus HC: A pretty comprehensive collection of the Nightwing series post-Grayson, including Nightwing: Rebirth #1, Nightwing #1–49, Batgirl #14–17, Batman #7–8, Batman: Prelude to the Wedding: Nightwing vs. Hush #1, Detective Comics #941–942, Green Arrow #32, _Red Hood and the Outlaws Annual _#1, Suicide Squad #26, Teen Titans #12, and stories from Batgirl #25, DC Rebirth Holiday Special #1, and the Robin 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1. That starts with Tim Seeley and Javier Fernandez’s Nightwing Vol. 1: Better Than Batman and ends just before the “Ric Grayson” era, and includes all parts of the Night of the Monster Men crossover and the Gotham Resistance tie-in to Dark Nights: Metal.
• Plastic Man No More! HC: Very excited for this Black Label Plastic Man story by Christopher Cantwell. In hardcover in April, this collects the four-issue miniseries.
• Punk Rock Jesus TP: Collects the six-issue miniseries by Sean Murphy.
• Suicide Squad: The New 52 Omnibus HC: As with no small amount of the New 52, this was a take on the Suicide Squad that leaned too far into its shock value, kicking off with writer Adam Glass, but had evened out somewhat at least by the time Matt Kindt finished it off. What we’ve got here is Suicide Squad #0–30, Suicide Squad: Amanda Waller #1, Detective Comics #23.2 (Harley Quinn), Justice League of America #7.1 (Deadshot), Resurrection Man #9, and stories from Batman #13 and Secret Origins #4, both also featuring Harley Quinn. This is the Suicide Squad Vol. 1: Kicked in the Teeth, Vol. 2: Basilisk Rising, Vol. 3: Death Is for Suckers, Vol. 4: Discipline and Punish, and Vol. 5: Walled In trades.
• Wonder Woman: Blood and Guts: DC Compact Comics Edition TP: I expect this is issues #0–12 from the New 52 series by Brian Azzarello, Cliff Chiang, and company.