DC Trade Solicitations for November/December 2015 - Batman Eternal, Green Arrow by Jeff Lemire Deluxe, Phantom Stranger ~ Comics Live Updates

After the big launch of the Convergence trades in last month's DC Comics hardcover and trade paperback collection releases, November/December 2015 (posted July 2015) is a bit quieter -- some solid books, but no giant headlines, I don't think. Briefly, I was glad to see a lot of DC original graphic novel news coming out of San Diego Comic-Con: two different Earth One volumes, Grant Morrison's Multiversity graphic novels, and most significantly new Milestone graphic novels. All of that says to me the original graphic novel market is stable and DC has committed to it for the foreseeable future, and that's good news. (Now if we could only see that Samaritan X graphic novel one of these days.)

Anyway, here's my picks for this month. Not the full list, mind you, which you can find at the DC Comics site, but my picks:

• Batman Eternal Vol. 3 TP

I'm re-reading Batman Eternal Vol. 1 right now, maybe a little more slowly, and I'm liking it better than before. I'm still into the crime part and not quite into the supernatural part, which is where I remember it got shaky, so we'll see what happens.

Anyway, this collects the final issues of Batman Eternal, plus the flash-forward issue Batman #28, which was also collected in Batman Vol. 6: The Graveyard Shift. I feel like including it here misses what I thought was the point of the issue, that it was a non-Eternal preview of the Eternal world, but I guess it'll be interesting to see where it's supposed to fit, and how Eternal makes sense with and without it.

• Batman/Superman Vol. 4: Siege HC

I'm not much for the question of "Who is Superman's Joker?" addressed here (Superman's Joker is Lex Luthor. If the question is "Who's Superman's strange, sadistic, Joker-like foe," that's a confusion of Superman and Batman as interchangeable characters with interchangeable villain types. Batman has a Joker, Superman has a Lex Luthor). Notably, however, this collection includes issues #16-20, an annual, and the Futures End tie-in issue.

• Green Arrow Vol. 7: Kingdom TP

Arguably DC Comics's hottest television property has had a rough time in the New 52, starting to see the light only with Jeff Lemire's suprisingly short stint on the title. We've another new team post-Convergence, leaving us with one single Arrow-inspired volume by Andrew Kreisberg and Ben Sokolowski. I'm hoping for good things but I can imagine if some people would just as soon skip to the new (and hopefully more permanent) run.

• Green Arrow by Jeff Lemire Deluxe Edition HC

Speaking of which, if one didn't read Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino's Green Arrow run, this deluxe edition is surely a nice way to enjoy it. DC is offering some fine deluxe editions of the best New 52 runs lately -- of which Flash by Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato is another -- though unfortunately without enough consistency for one to decide to skip the original trades for the deluxes.

• Harley Quinn Vol. 3: Kiss Kiss Bang Stab HC

In a Harley book for all seasons, the collection includes just three regular issues, #14-16, an annual, and then the Valentine's and Holiday specials.

• Justice League United Vol. 2: The Infinitus Saga HC

I've been trying (poorly) to keep track of where the Futures End tie-ins show up. I don't know for sure, but I sense that when a volume has two Futures End issues in it, that's a sign maybe these are a bit more connected to Futures End proper than the other tertiary tie-in issues. Anyway, Justice League United Vol. 2 has a lot going for it, namely Jeff Lemire, the Legion of Super-Heroes, issues #6-10 plus an annual, and both the Justice League and United Futures End tie-in issues.

• The Phantom Stranger TP

Collects the 1980s Phantom Stranger miniseries by former DC editor Paul Kupperberg, plus the Phantom Stranger stories from Action Comics Weekly (making this another, after Superman: The Power Within and Nightwing: Old Friends, New Enemies, to collect the Action Comics stories). Artists include Mike Mignola and Kyle Baker.

• Superman – Action Comics Vol. 7: Under the Skin HC

The final Action Comics collection before Convergence. Solicitations say this collection includes Futures End #1, which I'm guessing means the Action Comics: Futures End issue by Sholly Fisch, since I can't figure why Futures End #1 proper would be included here.

Book you're looking forward to? Something I should have mentioned? Sound off in the comments and let me know.