DC Trade Solicitations for June/July/August 2016 - Starman Omnibus Vol. 3, Shadow of the Bat, Batman by Alan Brennert, Deathstroke, Prez ~ Comics Live Updates

No doubt there's more than a little buzz about DC Comics right now with the first details of "Rebirth," but I'd venture trade-waiters have their eye on something else with the release of the DC Comics hardcover and trade paperback collection solicitations for June/July/August 2016 (posted February 2016) -- the Starman Omnibus Vol. 3! Many a fan has resigned themselves to their shelves never being complete, but now, three years since its cancellation, here the book finally is. Just a couple months left until it's in your hands, and then starts the wait for volume four ...

A couple other fun things on this month's list include a dedicated Killer Croc collection, strange as that sounds; also some nice 1990s throwbacks with Shadow of the Bat and Deathstroke collections, plus Superman: Panic in the Sky and Legends re-releases.

I'm open to your comments on "Rebirth" below, but I'll be talking more about my thoughts on what we know so far in a separate post. Meanwhile ...

• Starman Omnibus Vol. 3 TP

The holy grail for many a trade-waiter, it looks like the once-canceled paperback Starman Omnibus Vol. 3 will finally, finally hit shelves. Maybe we should do a thing where people post pictures of themselves with this volume (of course, now comes the waiting for the rest of the series). The omnibus series collects the issues more straightforwardly than the original trades, but this is essentially the Infernal Devices collection with extras. (The solicitation does not list the Shade miniseries, included in the hardcover Vol. 3, but I imagine that's just a misprint.

• Batman: Arkham – Killer Croc TP

The solicitations for this book are unfortunately vague on issue specifics, though Gerry Conway's name is mentioned, suggesting Batman #357 (also the first pre-Crisis appearance of Jason Todd) and the like. I realize now this book is likely also meant to tie-in to the new Suicide Squad movie; I'd guess an issue from Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso's Broken City will be in here, too.

• Batman: Shadow of the Bat Vol. 1 TP

Collects issues #1-12 of Alan Grant's smart, eccentric Batman series. These self-contained stories include art by Norm Breyfogle, Dan Jurgens, and Tim Sale.

• Tales of the Batman: Alan Brennert HC

I'm not entirely familiar with these stories, but notes I've been getting from you all tell me that what was maybe thought to be another Jim Aparo Batman collection has turned into this Alan Brennert collection, with Brave and the Bold team-ups with Starman Ted Knight, Deadman, Creeper, Hawk and Dove, Black Canary, and more. Art is by Aparo, Joe Staton, and Norm Breyfogle. Also included is the Detective Comics #500 story "To Kill a Legend," and Brennert's alt-history one-shot, the first labeled Elseworlds, Batman: Holy Terror.

• Deathstroke the Terminator Vol. 3: Nuclear Winter TP

A Titans: Total Chaos collection seems less of a sure thing these days, but I'm glad to see, finally, another solicitation for a collection of Marv Wolfman's Deathstroke, the Terminator. And this is the series at some of its best, as Slade Wilson and Roy Harper try to stop Cheshire and her nuclear bomb in an espionage tale with long-standing (for the time) effects on the DC Universe. A lock, obviously, for Arrow fans of these characters.

• Justice League United Vol. 3: Reunited TP

Admittedly I've lost track of Justice League United a bit, but these issues (which, no spoilers please, but I think they follow from Convergence in some form) are written by Jeff Parker (following Jeff Lemire), with art by Travel Foreman and Paul Pelletier, closing out the series.

• Legends 30th Anniversary Edition TP

It's been a while since I've read Legends, but I don't remember the Suicide Squad presence being all that strong (saved, instead, for the tie-ins). But, if you haven't read Legends and don't have a copy, a new collection of DC Comics's first post-Crisis crossover -- by John Ostrander, Len Wein, John Byrne, and Karl Kesel -- is a nice lead-in to the new Ostrander/Suicide Squad collections.

• Prez: The First Teenage President TP

Though there was some concern expressed in the comments of my Prez review whether this miniseries was continuing or not, this collection of seemingly every other appearance of the Prez character ever would suggest DC still has faith in the property. Included is the 1973 Joe Simon/Jerry Grandenetti miniseries, the Cancelled Comic Cavalcade issue, Supergirl #10, Sandman #54, Vertigo Visions: Prez, and pages from Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again and Multiversity Guidebook.

• Superman: Panic in the Sky TP [New Edition]

As I've been saying, hands down one of my favorite Superman stories. "I get by with a little help from my friends ..." Gets me every time! Before the excesses of months-long, multi-title crossovers, here's a brilliant space-faring Superman story done in just two months (eight issues of the four Superman titles) and starring nearly every DC Universe hero of the time. If you're picking up the new Dan Jurgens Superman and the Justice League collections, you owe it to yourself to read this one that lead into that. (Some major-for-the-time Supergirl stuff in here too, matter of fact.)

• 52 Book One TP

Collects the first two original 52 trades in one larger paperback (issues #1-26), which is a bigger chunk than before but not quite the hardcover omnibus.

• All-Star Section 8 TP

The six issue miniseries plus the story from Convergence: Harley Quinn. I have liked what little I've read of Hitman but I can't say this held much interest for me. Was I wrong?

• Batman and Robin Eternal Vol. 2 TP

Collects issues #13-26, the final issues of Batman and Robin Eternal. Interesting, but perhaps more welcome, that this was half the size of Batman Eternal. Quality of DC's weekly series have varied, but I'll be curious to see if twice-monthly instead of weekly turns out better.

• Batman: Detective Comics Vol. 8: Blood of Heroes HC

Collects Detective Comics #41-47 and the preview story from Convergence: Justice League of America. This finishes out Brian Buccellato and Francis Manapul's (writing) run before Peter Tomasi comes on, including apparently the "Robin War" crossover issue by Ray Fawkes.

• Superman: Action Comics Vol. 8: Truth HC

Collects issues #41-47 and the Convergence: Superboy preview, by Greg Pak and Aaron Kuder. Don't even get me started on that this is Vol. 8 whereas the matching Superman book is Vol. 1, and what are they going to do when the numbering all starts over ...

Chime in below on what you're looking forward to here, or heck, get the "Rebirth" conversation started ...