Infinite Crisis Omnibus, New 52, Knightquest in DC Comics 2012 solicitations

Just a few weeks ago, we learned the full schedule for DC Comics's release of the first collections of their New 52 titles. Today, those collections are available for pre-order -- but that's not the biggest headline in DC's new solicitations.

It's hardcover. It's reportedly 1,152 pages. It retails, before discounts, for $150. It's the long-awaited Infinite Crisis Omnibus.

* Infinite Crisis Omnibus

When DC announced the equally-massive, equally-expensive DC Comics: The New 52 collection of all 52 of their new first issues, I for one wondered if it would have any takers. Obviously it did well, though, because here comes another, almost of the same size and at the same price -- the Infinite Crisis Omnibus.

I applaud DC for this. As opposed to the DC: New 52 hardcover, which I thought would be a funny reading experience, this overstuffed omnibus is an opportunity to collect Infinite Crisis right. If you consider the book has space for almost 52 issues to work with, that would mean they could include Countdown to Infinite Crisis, the four lead-in miniseries (Omac Project, Day of Vengeance, Rann-Thanagar War, and Villains United), each miniseries' respective special, Superman: Sacrifice, JLA: Crisis of Conscience, and the seven-issue Infinite Crisis. That would be an epic, epic reading experience, and a great collection for anyone reading Infinite Crisis for the first time.

This also explains why DC might have collected Final Crisis in an Absolute edition, given that the most relevant parts only consist of five to ten issues or less, whereas Infinite Crisis is a much more sprawling story.

(Now, the fact that DC is collecting this story in this manner even though it's absolutely, entirely out-of-continuity ... well, we'll talk about that below.)

* Superman - Action Comics Vol. 1: Superman and the Men of Steel
* Animal Man Vol. 1: The Hunt
* Batgirl Vol. 1: The Darkest Reflection
* Batman and Robin Vol. 1: Born to Kill
* Batman Vol. 1: The Court of Owls
* Batman: Detective Comics Vol. 1: Faces of Death
* Batman: The Dark Knight Vol. 1: Knight Terrors
* Batwing Vol. 1: The Lost Kingdom
* Batwoman Vol. 1: Hydrology
* Catwoman Vol. 1: The Game
* Deathstroke Vol. 1: Legacy
* Demon Knights Vol. 1: Seven Against the Dark
* Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. Vol. 1: War of the Monsters
* Green Arrow Vol. 1: The Midas Touch
* Green Lantern Vol. 1: Sinestro
* Grifter Vol. 1: Most Wanted
* Hawk and Dove Vol. 1: First Strikes
* Justice League International Vol.1: The Signal Masters
* Legion of Super-Heroes Vol. 1: Hostile World
* Men of War Vol. 1: Uneasy Company
* Mister Terrific Vol. 1: Mind Games
* O.M.A.C. Vol. 1: Omactivate!
* Red Lanterns Vol. 1: Blood and Rage
* Resurrection Man Vol. 1: Dead Again
* Stormwatch Vol. 1: The Dark Side
* Suicide Squad Vol. 1: Kicked in the Teeth
* Superboy Vol. 1: Incubation
* Swamp Thing Vol. 1: Raise Them Bones
* Wonder Woman Vol. 1: Blood

As you know, DC announced their collection plans for the New 52 books a few weeks ago, but now they're coming available for order. What caught my eye here is that the books, every one of them, appear to have subtitles attached, which they did not in DC's original notice.

Granted I have not read Judd Winick's Catwoman yet, and want to try to give it as fair a shot as possible, but the cynical among us will appreciate these two blurbs that DC included on the promotional cover for the new Catwoman collection:

"Judd Winick is bringing Catwoman back to basics starting in September." -- MTV Geek

"One of the men leading the charge for this new era of DC is writer Judd Winick." -- Complex Magazine

From the "you say it best when you say nothing at all" department.

* Challengers of the Unknown Omnibus by Jack Kirby
* Showcase Presents Rip Hunter, Time Master Vol. 1
* Showcase Presents Showcase Vol. 1

With Challengers making headlines again, under Dan DiDio's pen no less, a Challengers hardcover in the Jack Kirby Omnibus style seems a safe bet. I'm glad to see Rip Hunter getting a nod with a Showcase Presents collection, despite that the character doesn't seem to exist in the New 52 (or does he?). And it's probably too much for me to hope that Showcase Presents Showcase is a collection of the Showcase '93 through Showcase '96 series; instead it's probably the 1950s book.

* Batman: Knightfall Vol. 2: Knightquest
* Batman: No Man's Land Vol. 3

That this first collection is called "Knightquest" specifically means that it collects the previously uncollected second "act" of the "Knightfall" storyline, right? If so, that's another one that fans have awaited for a while, and I'm glad to see it. I skimmed the first new No Man's Land collection in a comics shop the other day, and it's just astounding to see Azrael issues in there; here's the third volume right on track.

* Infinity Inc.: The Generations Saga Vol. 2
* Secret Society of Super-Villains Vol. 2
* Wonder Woman: The Twelve Labors

The first Secret Society of Super-Villains collection was supposed to contain the team's entire publication history, including the Secret Society series, Justice League, and Cancelled Comics Cavalcade appearances, but only actually contained the first ten issue of the series and a couple of other appearances. Probably this second volume collects the rest and ends it there.

Quite glad to see Infinity, Inc. getting a second volume; this was one of my personal most-wished-for trades and I'm pleased to own it, but the titular "Generations Saga" actually goes to issue #10 (the first trade collected to issue #4); I'm glad DC won't leave this "incomplete."

Glad to see Wonder Woman getting some collection attention here. "Twelve Labors" is the 1970s storyline that followed Wonder Woman's mod Diana Prince look, returning her to her earlier appearance -- an interesting analogue to today, where Wonder Woman has recently been Diana Price again but no longer seems to be in the New 52.

* Hitman Vol. 7: Closing Time
* JLA Vol. 2
* T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents Vol. 2

I was under the impression DC has stopped collecting Hitman, but browsing my local comics shop shelves, I believe its the case the one volume was cancelled and resolicited, and these collections continue as planned. Closing Time ought be the last volume.

There was some controversy over the last paperback deluxe JLA reprint, in that it contained additional issues not collected in the similar JLA hardcover. Remains to be seen if the same will be true here.

I remarked the other day how much DC seems to be behind THUNDER Agents, despite that the book seems to be struggling to find an audience. A recent reprint collection of old THUNDER Agents issues was cancelled; here, however, DC is advance soliciting a collection of the current THUNDER Agents miniseries.

* Batman: Prey
* Green Lantern/Green Arrow
* Superman: Kryptonite Nevermore
* World's Finest

A couple of reprints I can't figure out here -- Batman: Prey by Doug Moench; Green Lantern/Green Arrow and Superman: Kryptonite Nevermore both by Dennis O'Neil; and World's Finest by Dave Gibbons and Steve Rude. The last, especially, is one of my all-time favorites, but were any of these so topical or in-demand as to warrant reprints.

* Brightest Day Vol. 2
* Batman: Bruce Wayne - The Road Home
* Batman: The Streets of Gotham - The House of Hush
* Birds of Prey Vol. 1: Endrun
* First Wave
* Green Lantern: Brightest Day
* Gotham City Sirens: Strange Fruit
* Legion Lost
* Wonder Woman Vol. 1: Odyssey

And then these really had me scratching my head -- paperback collections of a number of series severely out of continuity at this point. The Batman and Green Lantern books I understand, and even Legion Lost is a "new classic," but will anyone be picking up a paperback Wonder Woman: Odyssey, an essentially-Elseworlds story from a bygone continuity? Will there be many takers for Birds of Prey or Gotham City Sirens? For First Wave, for gosh sakes, a noir line otherwise already cancelled?!

I've got all the Infinite Crisis issues already, but I'm already thinking whether that Infinite Crisis Omnibus will be at the top of next year's recommended gift list. So what's caught your attention? What'll you be signing up to pre-order?

(We're getting started with our Flashpoint review week tomorrow -- don't miss it!)

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DC Trade Solicits for February 2012: Flashpoint details, Absolute Final Crisis, Batman Incorporated, New Teen Titans Omnibus Vol. 2

Still enjoying DC Comics's new habit of teasing out their solicitations all day on the Source blog -- you get single-issue appetizers throughout the day, and then a big helping of trade collections at 5 pm. It's a good day -- and an interesting set of collected comics this month. Here's what caught my eye:

* Absolute Final Crisis

Some will be disappointed that this book does not include the Batman tie-in issues; I am not one of those people. Different than Superman Beyond, the Batman story is a tertiary part of Final Crisis better left to another volume, just like you wouldn't include Black Lantern Terra attacking the Outsiders in the Blackest Night collection -- you don't need it to get the gist of the main story. This is controversial, I know.

(Related, didja see the solicitation for All-Star Western #6 in the same month? Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Hex fighting Darkseid's Final Crisis/Batman-related Hyper Adapter in that issue? Did DC hand writers Gray and Palmiotti a copy of Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne and say "Here, don't come back until you've squeezed every last story out of this?")

* Flashpoint
* Flashpoint: The World of Flashpoint Featuring Batman
* Flashpoint: The World of Flashpoint Featuring Superman
* Flashpoint: The World of Flashpoint Featuring Wonder Woman
* Flashpoint: The World of Flashpoint Featuring Green Lantern
* Flashpoint: The World of Flashpoint Featuring The Flash

When all is said and done, I guess DC's Flashpoint collection plans kind of, sort of make some sense. The good news here is that every single Flashpoint miniseries and special finds its way into one of these collections, including the Booster Gold tie-in issues. I might still wish these were hardcovers, but my wallet's probably better off that they're not. It's a nice touch that the tie-in books arrive in stores at the same time as the main Flashpoint paperback, and it's all prior to when the New 52 collections start arriving ... so I guess I'm making my peace with this.

* New Teen Titans Omnibus Vol. 2

In my opinion, perhaps the coolest thing on this list is the second New Teen Titans omnibus, for which we now have confirmation that this'll include the final DC Archives: New Titans edition, the Terra Incognito collection, Judas Contract, and a handful of never collection New Teen Titans issues plus material from Batman and the Outsiders. New question: how much do we think this omnibus series will collect -- through Tales of the New Teen Titans #59, or also the New Teen Titans volume two series?

* Batman: Birth of the Demon
* Batman Incorporated Vol. 1 Deluxe Edition

Birth of the Demon is just a darn cool collection of three classic, related stories all together. That's about all I have to say about that, except I wish it was hardcover.

As for the Batman Inc. collection, I knew it was about to be re-solicited, but for some reason I thought it was actually landing in December. No such luck. Oh, well.

* Justice League of America: The Rise of Eclipso

I know we pick on DC a bit when we're not happy with this or that collection, but fair is fair: someone at DC did a really nice thing here. Even as it may not relate to the Eclipso story (or maybe it does) and even as the storyline it was part of is two trades back, DC's including James Robinson's Justice Society of America #43 here, an epilogue issue excluded from the Dark Things trade. This makes the collection of Robinson's Justice League stories complete -- good on you, DC.

* Gotham City Sirens: Division
* Red Robin: Seven Days of Death

Collects the final issues of these series up to Flashpoint. Don't mean to sound cynical, but I wonder if Gotham City Sirens: Division will actually make it to publication or be cancelled due to low pre-orders.

So, who's throwing down $100 for Absolute Final Crisis? What's on your pull list?

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DC Comics Retroactive Collections Coming 2012

While we're talking continuity, I'll close out the day mentioning how pleased I am to see DC soliciting collections of the Superman Retroactive and Wonder Woman Retroactive specials, with Batman, Green Lantern, Justice League, and Flash collections certainly on the way.

Given that each main story in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s specials was only 26 pages, we can guess that these books will include more than just the three specials themselves, but also the backup stories. That would put each trade at about 168 pages, or about the size of an ordinary paperback trade. If we could get some of the digital-only back-up stories as well, interviews with the creators from those eras, or sketchbook or other bonus material, that'd just be icing on the cake.

I had only grabbed the ones of these whose eras I enjoyed the most and hoped I could find the rest in a back-issue bin some time, figuring the disparate specials of this type probably wouldn't see trade. I'm quite pleased to have been incorrect in this instance, and even better -- if these volumes do contain the backup reprints, it's going to be a blast getting them situated on the DC Universe Trade Paperback Timeline.

Will you be grabbing all the volumes, or picking and choosing? What was your favorite Retroactive?

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DC Trade Solicits for January 2012: Batman Deluxe, DC Presents: New 52, and more

After a day of teasing out all of their January 2012 solicitations group by group on their blog (which I find a lot more fun than having to wait till 5 for everything), DC Comics has released their first 2012 offerings -- plus their collected editions. Here's what caught my eye:

* Batman vs. The Black Glove

You heard about this one first on Collected Editions, and now we know this joint collection of Batman and Son and Black Glove will be in stores March 28. All of you who speculated that this would be a deluxe edition, you were right -- my guess is DC will just skip over Batman: Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul, and we'll simply have a deluxe Batman and Son/Black Glove to put on our shelves next to Batman RIP (which will look thin, unfortunately, in comparison). Pity DC seems to have dropped the "and Son" from this boo's title -- I thought it paid good homage to both books inside.

* Batman Versus Bane

Unfortunately, this book doesn't collect everything I'd hoped. Looks like we just have the stories surrounding Batman: Legacy -- the Bane of the Demon miniseries preceding that crossover, and the Batman/Bane special following it -- and not the two great Vengeance of Bane specials nor any of Bane's other appearances in Batman.

* Batman: Gates of Gotham

Gates of Gotham has been Scott Snyder and Kyle Higgens's show, so it's surprising but certainly welcome that DC also includes the two part story from Batman Annual #28 and Detective Comics Annual #12 by David Hine. The solicitation here states outright what many of us already understood, that the barrier between pre- and post-Flashpoint Batman stories is largely permiable: "This miniseries spins out of recent events in the Batman titles and sets the stage for several exciting storylines in 2011," indeed.

* DC Comics Presents: The New 52 #1

Down among the trade collections is this solicitation for a DC Comics Presents issue that could've been called "New 52: The Dark, given that it includes Animal Man #1, Justice League Dark #1, I, Vampire #1 and Swamp Thing #1. So here we are in January, five issues into all of these series, and DC is releasing a mini-collection of issues four months old? I guess this would be a useful tool for new readers, but by January I imagine you're already hooked or you're not, and you can always get these digital -- I'd as soon see the first hardcovers of these titles arrive sooner than DC Comics Presents issues throughout the New 52 genres (see my Tumblr rant on DC Comics Presents issues).

* Hawk and Dove: Ghosts and Demons

I guess the original collection of the Karl Kesel/Rob Liefeld Hawk and Dove miniseries is well out of print, so that justifies simply re-issuing it, but I wish DC had gone bigger with this and included some material from the series itself, too, even if it no longer had Liefeld pencilling it.

* Justice Society of America: Monument Point
* Power Girl: Old Friends
* Titans: Broken Promises
* Xombi

All of these, thankfully, collect the final issues of their respective series before the DC Relaunch. Given we lost both the final Doom Patrol and JSA All-Stars collections (and the final Booster Gold collection is nowhere to be found), it's good to see these lower-tier titles with collections promised. Now, this doesn't ensure DC won't cancel them down the road, like the others I mentioned ... (The Titans solicitation, by the way, names issue #39, when the series ended with #38).

Meanwhile, John Rozum may have left the Static Shock title, but news of a collection of his most recent Xombi series should assuage some rumors of difficulties between he and DC. I'd be surprised to find DC was collecting this without plans to bring Xombi back in some form coming up.

* Flash Omnibus by Geoff Johns Vol. 2

As covered over at Speed Force, the second volume of the Flash by Geoff Johns omnibus will collect the Rogues, Crossfire, and Blitz trades (closing out artist Scott Kolins) plus a DC First special. This is one trade more than the first volume collected and more than we originally speculated when you heard about this series first on Collected Editions. DC's been doing a lot of this lately, pumping up the contents of books like the New Teen Titans Omnibus while leaving the price intact -- in this case, the second Flash volume has almost 200 pages more than the first, for the same price. More for your money is always better, of course, and I'm thrilled with a trend toward DC releasing collections with greater amounts of material.

That's my take -- what's on your pull list?

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Judas Contract in hardcover with New Teen Titans Omnibus Vol. 2 solicitation

We've seen DC Comics 2012 trade solicitations for the Flashpoint hardcovers, for a pseudo-Batman by Grant Morrison Omnibus, a bunch of massive Wildstorm collections, and the second volume of the Flash by Geoff Johns Omnibus.

What comes next is the second volume of the New Teen Titans Omnibus, notable because it could be the first hardcover release of one of DC Comics's most famous storylines, "The Judas Contract."

The first New Teen Titans Omnibus collected issues #1-16 of the New Teen Titans series, plus their debut in DC Comics Presents #26 -- that is, most of the previously released DC Archives: New Teen Titans volumes one and two (see Death of the DC Archives?").

It stands to reason that the next volume would collect issues #17-32 -- more than DC Archives: New Teen Titans volumes three and four, but not quite through the "Judas Contract" storyline, which had its prologue in New Teen Titans #28-34 (the storyline later dubbed "Terra Incognito") but is most specifically in New Teen Titans #39-44 and their third annual.

However, DC's initial solicitation for the New Teen Titans Omnibus volume two reads:

The New Teen Titans -- consisting of the sidekicks to heroes from across the DCU, including Robin, Kid Flash, Donna Troy and more--battle threats large and small and from outside and in. Betrayal comes from one of their own when it's revealed that their teammate Terra is secretly working the Titans' deadly enemy Deathstroke. [Unfortunate typo there, but no less true.]

Two possibilities:

One, that the New Teen Titans Omnibus volume two is massive, collecting issues #17-40 of New Teen Titans, over twenty issues, plus an annual. That's pretty darn well unheard of, but not impossible -- note that the Starman Omnibus volume six itself collects twenty issues.

Two, given that "Terra Incognito" has only of late been added to the "Judas Contract" canon, it might be that DC has decided to split this storyline up in the omnibus editions. Not terribly controversial, I don't think, but notable -- whereas "Judas Contract" has historically been New Teen Titans #39-44, now it's #28-44, just as DC recently expanded Legion of Super-Heroes: The Great Darkness Saga to include earlier issues in their new deluxe collection. Alternatively, maybe the distinction of the "Judas Contract" storyline falls away completely now in our new post-trade, omnibus edition, DC Relaunch reality, and "Judas Contract" is just another aspect of the overall collected New Teen Titans story.

Either way, "Judas Contract" is certainly deserving of hardcover treatment, and it's been a long time coming from DC. Whatever form the second New Teen Titans Omnibus volume takes, the fans win.

And more ...
* Batman: Venom

Still working those movie tie-ins, we see a re-release of Dennis O'Neil's Venom storyline that later factored into Bane and Knightfall.

* Superman: The Secrets of the Fortress of Solitude

This strikes me as a weird release, what seems to be a collection of Golden Age Fortress of Solitude back-up stories, given that the Superman and Fortress features here doesn't exist any more after September. Given that some stories here are written by Jerry Siegel, maybe this is DC flexing its post-court case muscles (or otherwise paying restitution!).

* Showcase Presents: All-Star Squadron Vol. 1

I'll need a little help with this one, but I believe All-Star Squadron dovetails somewhat with Infinity Inc., making this a companion to the new line of Infinity Inc. hardcovers.

* Teen Titans: Prime of Life

My guess is this will go up to issue #100 of the series, making it the final Teen Titans collection before the DC Relaunch.

* Legion of Super-Heroes: When Evil Calls

Initial solicitations have this in paperback, and I'd say I'm disappointed; I'd rather this be in hardcover to sit beside The Choice. Chances are the next DC Relaunch volume will be in hardcover.

* Batman: No Man's Land Vol. 2

The current solicitation for this is wild, and wildly inaccurate. Take a look:

After suffering a cataclysmic earthquake, the U.S. government has deemed Gotham City uninhabitable and ordered all citizens to leave. It is now months later and those that have refused to vacate "No Man's Land" live amidst a citywide turf war in which the strongest prey on the weak.

Batman and his allies continue their fight to save Gotham during its darkest hour. Taking on a new costume and persona as Batgirl, the Huntress joins forces with Barbara Gordon, the former Batgirl, while Nightwing, the former Robin, tries to help the city's remaining citizens in any way he can. But as Batman begins to realize that he is fighting a fight he can't win, he collapses into a state of despair from which he may never recover.

A state of despair? I don't remember that from No Man's Land ...

Again, three cheers for "Judas Contract" in hardcover! What'll you be picking up?

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Batman by Grant Morrison Omnibuses, Deluxe WILDCATS, classic Deathstroke in DC Early 2012 solicitations

Go on, call it the "Batman by Grant Morrison Omnibus." You know you want to.

Among the latest DC Comics collections solicitations news is Batman & Son vs. The Black Glove, a hardcover collection which must undoubtedly collect the individual Batman & Son and Batman: The Black Glove hardcovers.

Two previous collections in one? Sounds like the start of a "Batman by Grant Morrison" omnibus series to me ...

* Don't miss our recent news on the Flashpoint and DC: The New 52 collections, and the Flashpoint tie-in hardcover collections. *

Collecting Around the DC Relaunch
No word on collections of DC Relaunch material just yet (they have only solicited the second issues, after all!), but obviously DC's 2012 collection plans contain a couple of books meant to pick up on DC Relaunch excitement.

* WILDC.A.T.S. Vol. 1 Deluxe Edition
* Stormwatch Vol. 1

Both of these are hardcover, and it hardly seems fair (to me) that WILDC.A.T.S. warrants the oversized deluxe format while Stormwatch is just a "regular" hardcover; I'm personally more interested in Stormwatch. I'm sure it has mostly to do with the fact that Jim Lee provides art on WILDC.A.T.S., and not on Stormwatch.

* Deathstroke, The Terminator: Assassins
* Hawk & Dove: Ghosts & Demons

We've just been talking on this blog lately about whether we might ever see additional collections of the Karl Kesel Hawk and Dove or Marv Wolfman Deathstroke series. I do have some concern that Hawk & Dove: Ghosts and Demons might just be a reprint of the existing Hawk & Dove collection (collecting the initial miniseries) since the first issue of that mini was titled "Ghosts and Demons." The second story arc in Wolfman's classic Deathstroke series (after the collected Deathstroke: Full Cycle) was called "City of Assassins," so I'm holding out hope that the above Deathstroke collection contains newly-collected material.

* Resurection Man Vol. 1
* I, Vampire

DC's also starting a collection series, apparently, of Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning's first Resurrection Man series, in time for this character's DC Relaunch rebirth. Though the original series lasted twenty-seven issues (plus a DC One Million tie-in), I don't recall it garnering much acclaim, as opposed to Chase published about the same time. DC's motivation, of course, is the relaunch, but to an extent I see this as the very kind of bloating DC's trade list that Brian Hibbs complained about recently.

Admittedly I have no frame of reference for J.M. DeMatteis's I, Vampire, or what connection there might be between the old and new DC Relaunch series. Undoubtedly this makes someone happy.

Did someone say something about a movie?
With The Dark Knight Rises on the horizon, it seems like every other trade coming out from DC these days is Batman-centric (compare their Batman output with their Superman, Wonder Woman, and even Green Lantern output, a result to be sure of how many Batman periodicals they publish at the front end).

* Batman Versus Bane
* Catwoman: Vol. 1

Two most specifically movie-related include these Bane and Catwoman collections. Bane is another we've been clamoring for here on the site, and will hopefully contain the Chuck Dixon Vengeance of Bane and Bane miniseries that have languished in DC limbo for a while now (what can bring DC and Chuck Dixon back together? A high profile movie can bring DC and Chuck Dixon back together).

The Catwoman collection, while paperback (for now), looks to bring together some of the separate Catwoman collections by Ed Brubaker, and will hopefully go farther than where Catwoman: Wild Ride ended. I wouldn't be surprised if the graphic novel Selina's Big Score ends up here, too.

* Batman: Dark Knight Vol. 1 Deluxe
* Batman: Gates of Gotham

Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in. I have really no interest whatsoever in DC's umpteen Batman titles, and specifically the most recent, Dark Knight, which (A) seems mostly there for movie-name recognition and (B) will only last five issues before it's somewhat ridiculously restarted for the DC Relaunch. That said, I do love DC's deluxe hardcover format -- big enough to be widescreen, small enough that you're not reading with a brick on your lap a la their Absolute format. So when I see Batman: Dark Knight Deluxe, likely collecting the five pre-relaunch issues of this series ... it gives me pause.

Ditto for Scott Synder's Detective Comics. I mean, Greg Rucka did a bang-up job with his Batwoman stories on Detective while Grant Morrison wrote the main Batman story in Batman & Robin, but I do at some point get tired of DC releasing what are obviously tertiary Batman stories when the forward action is taking place in one title only. However -- people are raving about Snyder's Detective, and also I'm fairly interested in the "first families of Gotham" stories taking place in Gates of Gotham and filtering in, as I understand it, to Detective (not to mention that I'll probably sample Synder's DC Relaunch Batman, which I believe also ties in to Gates). So despite my reluctance, chances are I'm in for this one.

* Batman & Robin: Dark Knight, White Knight
* Batman Beyond: Industrial Revolution
* Batman: Gotham Shall Be Judged
* Gotham City Sirens: Division

No doubt some of these collect right up to the DC Relaunch, and bear an update of our "Trade-Waiting at the End of the Universe" post. Gotham Shall Be Judged seems to contain, at least, the recent three-part Batman/Red Robin/Gotham City Sirens crossover.

* Batman: Birth of the Demon
* Batman: Through the Looking Glass
* Legends of the Dark Knight: Jim Aparo Vol. 1

Is it interesting or coincidental that DC plans a reprint of Batman: Birth of the Demon around the time Dark Knight Rises is to come out? The book is accompanied by a picture of the most recent Son of the Demon printing, and credit goes to both Mike Barr and Dennis O'Neil -- maybe this is a grand collection of the entire Batman: Demon saga.

More from the End of the Universe
* Superman: Reign of Doomsday
* War of the Green Lanterns: Aftermath

We can now see the recent "Doomsday" crossover between Action Comics and Steel, Outsiders, Justice League of America, Superman/Batman and Superboy will be collected with all the latter issues in a Return of Doomsday paperback, and the Action Comics issues in a hardcover bannered with writer Paul Cornell's name.

War of the Green Lanterns Aftermath lists both Tony Bedard and Peter Tomasi as its writers (it's a former DC Editors party!), so chances are we've got both the Aftermath series and related issues from Green Lantern Corps or Emerald Warriors here.

* Green Arrow: Salvation
* Justice Society of America: Monument Point
* Power Girl: Old Friends
* Red Robin: Seven Days of Death
* Secret Six: The Darkest House
* Titans: Broken Promises
* Wonder Woman: Odyssey Vol. 2

These, too, no doubt run up right to the DC relaunch in most cases.

Various and Sundry
* Flash Omnibus by Geoff Johns Vol. 2
* Justice League International Vol. 7

* DC Universe: Secret Origins
* DCU by Alan Moore

Last but definitely not least, the next Flash by Geoff Johns Omnibus lands in 2012, as does the next (paperback, sadly) edition of Justice League International. JLI is still a ways away from its "Breakdowns" finale; Flash ought collect the Rogues and Crossfire trades, about issues #177-191.

Hard to say what we're looking at with Secret Origins -- I'd like to see a collection of the 1980s series, but that would seem ill-timed amidst the DC Relaunch. The Alan Moore book has seen multiple reprintings, but this is the first time, I believe, it's in hardcover.

Whew, quite the list! Between these and the Flashpoint collection and the DC: The New 52 hardcover, what will you be picking up?

Also this

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DC Solicits Flashpoint hardcover, DC Comics: The New 52 Collection

Ever since DC Comics announced their September relaunch, collected comics fans have been wondering when we might get to enjoy the new first issues ... but I don't think anyone imagined this.

As revealed on the DC Comics Source blog and in DC's October solicitations, October sees not just the Flashpoint collected hardcover, but also a massive 1,216 page, $150 hardcover collecting all fifty-two of DC's new number ones in one volume, called DC Comics: The New 52.

It is, frankly, a rather staggering prospect.

As originally reported in Bleeding Cool, DC also solicited a hardcover of the five-issue Flashpoint miniseries, due in stores October 19. Due in stores just a month and a half after the Flashpoint series folds, this is an unusually quick turnaround to collection for DC -- spurred on no doubt by publicity and fan interest in the September relaunch, and not a sign of other quick turnarounds to come.

But let's talk about the 1,216 page (!), $150 (!) hardcover some more, shall we?

I am right now on the fence about buying it. On one hand, the hardcover is a wonderful (if pricey) memento of this significant moment in DC Comics history. Comics are transitory, and twenty years down the road I'm not sure a hardcover of DC's fifty-two new number ones will be so meaningful when they release fifty-two number ones all over again. But in the moment, caught up in all the excitement, this book would be a cool thing to have.

On the other hand, this collection is a memento only. From what I understand, the fifty-two issues will be self-contained and not feed in to one another; there won't be much issue-to-issue enjoyment reading this book front to back. Further, as it's just the first issue of each series, readers like me will be returning to the well not long after to buy each individual series' collection -- so this is a keepsake and not a viable replacement for some other way of reading these books.

(I would add this would be a lot easier sell for me if it had commentary, designs, something to make it not just a collection of the fifty-two issues, but indeed more of a collectable book about the relaunch endeavor overall.)

Still, I admire DC Comics's ambition with this. This is the first shot across the bow for what I expect to be big collected comics releases for DC's "new fifty-two," and I'm glad to be along for the ride.

Here's the original solicitations. Will you be lugging the New 52 collection around your home?

FLASHPOINT HC

Written by GEOFF JOHNS
Art by ANDY KUBERT and SANDRA HOPE
Cover by ANDY KUBERT
On sale OCTOBER 19 • 176 pg, FC, $22.99 US
The red-hot, sold-out five-issue miniseries from Geoff Johns and Andy Kubert is back in a new hardcover!
This is Flash Fact: When Barry Allen wakes at his desk, he discovers the world has changed. Family is alive, loved ones are strangers, and close friends are different, gone or worse. It’s a world on the brink of a cataclysmic war – but where are Earth’s Greatest Heroes to stop it?
It’s a place where America’s last hope is Cyborg, who hopes to gather the forces of The Outsider, The Secret 7, S!H!A!Z!A!M!, Citizen Cold and other new and familiar-yet-altered faces! It’s a world that could be running out of time, if The Flash can’t find the villain who altered the time line!

DC COMICS: THE NEW 52 HC

Written by VARIOUS
Art by VARIOUS
Cover by JIM LEE
On sale DECEMBER 7 • 1,216 pg, FC, $150.00 US
In September, DC Comic will launch 52 new #1 issues starring the World’s Greatest Super-Heroes! In December, to commemorate this incredible event, DC is collecting every one of these debut issues in a once-in-a-lifetime massive hardcover that includes:

• JUSTICE LEAGUE #1 by Geoff Johns and Jim Lee
• ACTION COMICS #1 by Grant Morrison and Rags Morales
• BATMAN #1 by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo
• GREEN LANTERN #1 by Geoff Johns and Doug Mahnke
• SWAMP THING #1 by Scott Snyder and Yanick Paquette
• STORMWATCH #1 by Paul Cornell and Miguel Sepulveda
• TEEN TITANS #1 by Scott Lobdell and Brett Booth
• And 45 more!

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Trade Perspectives: DC August 2011 Solicitations: JLA and other concerns

A couple of collected comics items from DC Comics's August 2011 solicitations have garnered discussion in the Collected Editions comments sections and elsewhere, such that I wanted to take a specific post to address them. First up is the paperback release of JLA Volume 1.

The solicitation for this book, which for all intents and purposes should match that of the JLA: Deluxe Edition Volume 1 hardcover published previously, does not mention specific issues, but does mention the JLA's "Hyperclan" adventure found in the JLA: New World Order trade paperback. That's true for the original solicitation for the hardcover as well, and based on page count, we can take for granted that the paperback contains at least New World Order and JLA: American Dreams, much the same as the deluxe hardcover did.

What's at issue is the final line of the paperback solicitation, which reads:

This new trade paperback includes several issues written by Mark Millar (Kick-Ass, Ultimate Fantastic Four) that were not collected in the hardcover JLA DELUXE EDITION series.

One tenet of the JLA Deluxe series has been that it only collects the Grant Morrison-written issues of JLA, and not the rather well-regarded fill-in issues by Mark Waid and others. The hardcover JLA Deluxe actually does contain an issue (co-)written by Mark Millar, the "Star Seed" story from the JLA Secret Files and Origins #1. It does not include Millar's other stories from Secret Files, about Superman and Martian Manhunter, despite that the original solicitation for JLA Deluxe credits the artist of those stories, Don Hillsman. Hillsman's stories do not appear in JLA Deluxe.

Therefore, when talking about "several issues by Mark Millar" to be included in the JLA Volume 1 paperback, it's my speculation that this refers to the Superman and Martian Manhunter stories from Secret Files. Perhaps the "was not/was" in regards to Hillsman's credit indicates these stories were considered for the original hardcover edition; interestingly, DC has both volumes listed with the exact same page count.

Of concern here is that fans spent $30 for the JLA Deluxe hardcover under the reasonable assumption that this was DC Comics's new, definitive edition of the largely out-of-print original JLA trade paperbacks, only to now find that DC is releasing a $20 paperback with additional issues -- a less expensive edition with more content, only three years later. There is an unspoken contract among readers and publishers, I believe, that a primary hardcover release of a book is the "definitive" edition, and the following paperback will contain the same or less material, and this violates that contract.

The difference between including or excluding two short Mark Millar stories is, I grant, not all that great. This precedent of returning stories excluded from the JLA Deluxe volumes to the JLA paperbacks will become much more significant one book hence, however, as JLA Deluxe Volume 2 excluded JLA #18-21 by Mark Waid, and the paperback JLA Volume 2 could now bring those back. This would make the difference between the second hardcover and paperback JLA volumes much more significant, and increase the possibility that someone who collected the JLA Deluxe hardcovers is going to feel cheated.

Other August 2011 Anomalies
There are certainly books of interest in DC's August 2011 solicitations, including Birds of Prey: The Death of Oracle and Flash: The Road to Flashpoint, and I'm still riding high on DC for continuing their Suicide Squad reprints, and for collections like Infinity Inc. and Legion Lost.

But at the same time, their complete Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps War paperback emerges as something of a disappointment, since the solicitation suggests the Tales of the Sinestro Corps material won't be included. Having read Tales separate from Sinestro Corps War, I can tell you it does fill in some necessary, otherwise-confusing holes in the main stories. This seems to me a missed opportunity for DC to release a single, comprehensive edition of Sinestro Corps War, and it's a pity.

Another head-scratcher is DC's Showcase Presents: All-Star Comics Volume 1, a black and white reprint of the two color Justice Society trade paperbacks from a few years ago. I understand DC releasing Showcase Presents: Booster Gold, for instance, when Booster's series isn't otherwise available in trade, but this seems needless duplication of already-released material. Worse, this is "Volume 1"; will volume 2 collect further adventures of the Justice Society at this time, like All-Star Squadron, in black and white format instead of continuing the color trade paperbacks? Another disappointment, in my opinion, for readers of those early trades.

Right now there's not anything else on the horizon I can think of that's directly related to a collection already released -- that is, I don't see anything else coming up that I think bears the risk of disappointing the way the above do. However, I think DC has muddied a bit of reader/publisher trust with these volumes, and with some shifts going on in DC's collections department, that's not a great foot to be starting on.

[Felt this was important enough to interrupt our regular review schedule; new reviews coming here tomorrow and later in the week.]

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Chase by Dan Johnson and JH Williams comes to trade paperback

There's been a lot of post-con chatter lately about how DC Comics management may not listen to or appreciate fan concern, or fan appreciation for some characters.

I've got to say, however, this one is a mark in DC's favor.

Chase, the much-loved series by Dan Curtis Johnson and JH Williams III, comes to trade paperback.

Early solicitations have this book by Johnson and also Doug Moench, which suggests the book will not only collect aspects of the Chase series, but also Chase's first appearance in Batman #550 (with art by Kelley Jones).

The book lists at 352 pages, so my hope is that's enough to collect all ten issues, plus the DC One Million crossover issue, of this series starring DEO special agent Cameron Chase. The book has any number of things going for it -- strong female protagonist, federal-agency-tracks-metahumans X-Files-type vibe, and of course art by Batwoman's JH Williams III. Chase would go on to appear in Marc Andreyko's Manhunter series, among other places.

Not to mention, a couple issues of Chase were part of the inaugural round of DC's new DC Comics Presents books, what I've taken to calling "newsstand trades" -- 100-page books, square bound, about half the price of a trade and published like a monthly issue. If we can intuit that sales of DC Comics Presents: Chase were such to make a Chase trade worth DC's while, then my esteem for the DC Comics Presents books goes way up. I heartily approve of DC Comics Presents as a testing ground for potential trades (so long as we don't get teased by a DC Comics Presents attempt that never manifests in collection).

In other good news, REBELS: Starstruck is also coming down the pike; that's the fifth collection of the Tony Bedard series. The last volume, Sons of Brainiac, ended with issue #20, so there's a better-than-good chance that this book will collect issues #21-28, and finish out the end of the series with the book's final issues. Again, good news.

The Chase and REBELS news comes amidst a spate of releases about DC's end-of-2011 trade collections plans. Don't miss our previous posts on the Hawkman by Geoff Johns Omnibus, Batman, Inc., the Teen Titans by Geoff Johns Omnibus, the complete Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps War volume, and much, much more.

Chase! In trade paperback! Hooray!

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Hawkman Omnibus, Batman Inc. Deluxe, Flex Mentallo in DC's winter 2011 trade paperback solicitations

Can you say "omnibus?"

DC Comics sure can. Looking toward their 2011 winter trade paperbacks and collections already, the name of DC's game seems to be omnibuses.

* The Hawkman Omnibus Vol. 1

* DC/Marvel Crossover Omnibus Vol. 1

* League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Omnibus

* Kamandi Omnibus Vol. 1 The Last Boy on Earth

This is in addition to the recently announced Teen Titans by Geoff Johns Omnibus series, the New Teen Titans Omnibus series, and the earlier Flash by Geoff Johns Omnibus series.

What is an omnibus? In DC parlance, it seems to be a hardcover volume (initially) that collects the amount of material you'd usually find in at least two trades. The first Flash omnibus contains the Wonderland and Blood Will Run trades; the first New Teen Titans omnibus contains issues #1-16 from the first two New Teen Titans Archives.

Where did this Omnibus format come from? By my estimation, it started with the Starman Omnibus editions and with the Jack Kirby Fourth World Omnibus editions. There have been other books of similar ilk not specifically called omnibuses, like the JLA Deluxe books and the Gotham Central and Seven Soldiers hardcovers that collected two or more of the previous trade paperbacks. These were it in terms of omnibuses for a little while; in a short amount of time, however, we've seen an increasing number of omnibuses, including the classic Green Lantern omnibuses, and now these.

Why Omnibuses? They are not cheap, to be sure; the Hawkman volume is $50 before discounts, but the New Titans and Flash books are both $75. They do however in large part collect out-of-print material, consolidating DC's expansive collections line into fewer volumes.

Also -- furthering my theory that trade paperbacks are the new single issues -- I believe there's a growing sense when we see two volumes of Superman: The Black Ring or Superman: Grounded that a trade paperback is no longer the "whole story" like it once was, and the omnibuses offer additional completion for someone willing to forgo the immediate trades for the later omnibuses (or, I imagine DC hopes, someone willing to buy both).

New in the DC Universe
* Batman Incorporated Vol. 1 Deluxe

The next biggest news here, though not perhaps much of a surprise, is that Batman Inc. will be collected first in the deluxe oversized format. As Grant Morrison's recent other Batman books -- Batman RIP and the Batman and Robin volumes -- were also deluxe, this only stands to reason, though I wish all the books might've had a common trade dress.

* Superman: Reign of Doomsday

It's also not a great surprise that the ongoing Reign of the Doomsday crossover is getting a collection, but it will be interesting to see how this fits in trade-continuity-wise, given that it includes issues from Superboy, Supergirl, Outsiders, and Justice League.

* Flash Vol. 2: The Road to Flashpoint

Flashpoint, did you say? The crossover that will inevitably overwhelm DC's trade program not too long from now gets the titular role in the next (and last, if DC's hype machine is to be believed) Flash collection.

* Green Lantern: War of the Green Lanterns

Also, just in time for movie-time, a book with the word "Green Lantern" in the title not once, but twice.

* Doom Patrol: Fire Away

If you turn your head and squint just a little bit, it's possible this could collect issues #14-22 of Keith Giffen's Doom Patrol, bringing the entirety of this cancelled series to trade. Dare we hope?

* New Teen Titans: Games

The long-awaited and much delayed New Teen Titans graphic novel -- which I believe Marv Wolfman recently said would be back on the schedule soon -- is now re-solicited for September 2011.

* Booster Gold: The Life and Times of Michael Jon Carter

I believe this is just the next Keith Giffen Booster Gold volume, tying in to Justice League: Generation Lost, and not yet the Booster Gold/Flashpoint tie in -- but I mention it just because I like the title a lot.

Collected Reprints (sans Omnibus)
* Flex Mentallo: Man of Muscle Mystery Deluxe

Sure to be a hit, the legally-tenuous, long-rumored Flex Mentallo collection from Grant Morrison finally gets a solicitation.

* Batman: A Death in the Family

An interesting item here at 272 pages; I wonder if this is a paperback of the recent DC Comics Library hardcover, which collected both Robin Jason Todd's demise in A Death in the Family and Tim Drake's arrival in A Lonely Place of Dying. That "DC Comics Library" imprint seems to have died a quick death, however, and I think we'll know for sure if the paperback doesn't carry that label.

* Batman No Man's Land Vol. 1

The six-book No Man's Land is a favorite among Batman fans, and some of the volumes out of print. At $30 and 544 pages, my guess is that this paperback contains one or two of the No Man's Land books -- what'd be even better is if this series collects some of the No Man's Land stories that never saw collections (like stories that introduced the DC Universe Harley Quinn). I'd have preferred this in hardcover (Omnibus much?) but something is better than nothing.

* Suicide Squad Vol. 2 The Nightshade Odyssey

Pleased to see another volume reprinting the 1980s Suicide Squad series, bringing us one step closer to a trade of the first appearance of Barbara Gordon as Oracle.

* Legends of the Dark Knight: Marshall Rogers

Another artist-focused Batman collection, like similar books featuring the artwork of Gene Colan and Tim Sale. Curious that this one is called Legends of the Dark Knight and not Tales of the Batman like those are.

* The Legion of Super-Heroes: The Curse - Deluxe Edition

The new deluxe Great Darkness Saga was such a good-looking volume when it appeared on store shelves and then sold out during the holidays, that I finally picked one up for myself just a few weeks ago. I was quite excited to see DC solicit a sequel some time ago, and I re-mention it here only to note that this is indeed a collection of the early Paul Levitz stories that came after Great Darkness (as confirmed by recent DC solicitations) and not a part of the new series (though there's that, too -- see below). I hope DC continues to produce these -- deluxe oversized "omnibus-length" editions of DC's relevant classic material is OK with me!

* Night Force

Speaking of Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan, here's a collection of their 1982 supernatural series. DC just published a DC Comics Presents edition of issues #1-4; I'd hope at $40, this hardcover collects the entire series.

The Best of the Rest (also not Omnibus)
* Batman: Noel

Here's Lee Bermejo's new original graphic novel, becoming a DC Comics holiday tradition after Joker and Luthor. The next Superman Earth One isn't solicited yet, nor J. Michael Straczynski's Samaritan X, but DC publisher Dan DiDio has suggested the end of the year is when we'll see a spate of DC graphic novels.

* Batman: The Black Mirror

Collecting the Scott Snyder/Jock storyline that's getting considerable acclaim right now. Here's hoping this is just one volume, not two (per Superman's Black Ring and Grounded).

* Brightest Day Vol. 3

* Brightest Day Vol. 1 (paperback)

Brightest Day concludes in 2011, and even starts again in paperback the same year -- you can all check my math, but I think this is a "getting better" release schedule on DC's part. It does seem like we won't see Flashpoint collections until 2012, however.

* Superman: The Black Ring Vol. 2

* Superman Grounded Vol. 2

At about twelve issues each, and especially with all of Grounded's bad publicity, I really would've liked to see DC publish both of these as respective individual volumes, instead of unnecessarily stretching them out into two short hardcovers. We know DC can do twelve-issue hardcovers, i.e. Brightest Day -- not doing so just seems like profiteering to me.

* Supergirl: Good Looking Corpse

Even if this is the title of the new Nick Spencer/James Peaty storyline, it has weird "dead women" connotations of the kind I thought DC was trying to make a concerted effort to avoid these days. Will anyone ever want to say "my favorite Supergirl trade is Good Looking Corpse"? I think this one needs a re-do.

* Batman: Arkham City

* Birds of Prey Vol. 2: Death of Oracle


* Green Lantern Corps: The Weaponer

* Justice League: Generation Lost Vol. 2

* Justice League of America: Omega

* Justice Society of America: Supertown

* Superboy Vol. 1: Smallville Attacks

* Teen Titans: Team Building

No surprises here necessarily, either, but the next releases of your favorite ongoing series. Both the Superboy and Justice League trades ought be roundabout the Reign of Doomsday crossover.

EDIT:

* All Star Superman

With the Absolute edition and such, this didn't especially jump out at me, but it would seem a bunch of readers have been waiting to read All Star Superman in single-volume paperback form (and indeed I approve DC bringing these issues together in one volume, not two). I'd have thought this would be better released when the movie came out, but maybe DC was trying to push the Absolute at that time.

* Batgirl: The Lesson

Also can't believe I left off the next Bryan Miller Batgirl collection. I really liked the first volume and I'm looking forward to the second, and I'm thrilled at all the acclaim Miller has received for the most unlikely of books, one starring the erstwhile Spoiler Stephanie Brown.

There is more to say, especially on certain Omnibus editions, and look for that coming in a few days. I'll pause here, though, and ask: Omnibuses, love 'em or hate em? What else is on your to-buy list?

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Teen Titans by Geoff Johns Omnibus, paperback Jack Kirby's Fourth World solicited

Consider me a little speechless right now.

Teen Titans by Geoff Johns Omnibus.

When DC Comics announced the Flash by Geoff Johns Omnibus, it made immediate sense to me. Johns's Flash series was critically acclaimed, massively long, and almost completely out of print, not to mention that Johns was about to start an entirely new Flash run built on the foundation of his first. We predicted the Flash omnibus series, begged for it, and lauded its arrival.

But this ... is unexpected.

I'll say the first reason the Teen Titans by Geoff Johns Omnibus surprises me, perhaps unfairly, is because of the way the series ended. Johns's Teen Titans started strong, really strong; Teen Titans: Kid's Game is one of my top favorite trade paperbacks -- well-written, well crafted and executed, and as I see now, out of print. But as well as Johns's Teen Titans started, the book lost considerable momentum around Infinite Crisis, and ends rather unevenly with a co-writer and varying art teams. Johns's Teen Titans is in general worthy of an omnibus edition, I think, but the unevenness of the series as a whole makes me surprised that DC would collect it in whole this way.

Second is that, considering again all the reasons a Flash omnibus seemed inevitable, I wonder now what the Teen Titans omnibus means for DC's publishing line going forward. One semi-modern series collected in omnibus format is a surprise; two semi-modern series collected in omnibus format starts to look like a pattern. We've speculated on a Green Lantern by Geoff Johns Omnibus before; is that next? A Justice Society by Geoff Johns Omnibus? A Batman by Grant Morrison Omnibus? Like hardcovers and paperbacks, are omnibuses something we should start to expect, too?

Not to mention, the other big news of the day is a paperback edition of DC's Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus Vol. 1. We've seen this with Gotham Central, JLA, and others -- omnibuses aren't even exclusive hardcover volumes any more, but also more affordable paperback releases. Is this a trend toward larger volumes overall -- hardcover, paperback, whatever, are bigger volumes and more issues the new normal?

Now, possibly DC produced the Flash omnibuses in connection with Johns's new Barry Allen Flash series, and maybe the Teen Titans omnibuses are meant to reflect Young Justice -- though I can't imagine the Young Justice audience is quite extensive enough to support a series of potentially $75.00 omnibuses. A Young Justice tie sounds to me like a big risk; I'd sooner hope DC is publishing the Teen Titans omnibus series, for better or worse, out of love for Johns's Teen Titans stories.

... OK, so maybe not speechless afterall, but certainly surprised. Are you surprised, too? Is this a must-buy, or a plan-to-pass? I'm still thinking this through, and I'm eager to hear everyone's thoughts.

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