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Also, just in time for Superman to return to the big screen, DC reprints the "Death of Superman" saga, the modern age's best-known Superman story, in an unprecedented five volumes. This splits Reign of the Supermen from Return of Superman, and then also collects the follow-up Doomsday miniseries together for the first time. There's only a little bit here that hasn't been collected before, but it's always nice to see DC re-collecting things toward more and more completeness.
Let's jump in, shall we?
• Absolute Batman: Year One HC
You can read it in the solicitation, but for those who asked me, the way Batman: Year One will make up a whole Absolute volume is that it'll be two books in a slipcase, both the recolored and original versions of Batman #404-407, plus bonus material including all extras from previous collections. Most interesting to me is that the original-colored version will be printed on a paper kind of like the original "newsprint" paper.
• Batman Noir: The Killing Joke HC
Similarly, rounding out the black-and-white Batman: Killing Joke reprint is, fittingly, Brian Bolland's (digital-first?) Batman: Black and White story.
• Batman/Superman Vol. 5: Truth Hurts HC
This looks to be the second-to-last volume of Batman/Superman before "Rebirth," collecting issues #21-27 and the story from Convergence: Booster Gold. This would mean the final volume collects issues #28-32, which is a three-part story plus two parts of "Super-League." Depending on how you collect, a hardcover for three independent issues might be problematic.
• Batman: The Brave and The Bold -- The Bronze Age Omnibus HC
Issues #87-122 of Brave and the Bold, spanning 1970 to 1975. Plenty of good team-ups here though I didn't necessarily see anything historically significant, referenced a lot later, etc.; if I missed something, let me know.
• Batgirl Vol. 2: To the Death TP
Collects issues #13-25 of the Cassandra Cain series, which are parts of the A Knight Alone and Death Wish collections, including Joker's Last Laugh and Batman: Murderer/Fugitive crossover issues.
• Batman: The Road to No Man's Land Vol. 2 TP
Whereas the Batman: Road to No Man's Land Vol. 1 collection actually collected the "Aftershocks" stories that followed Batman: Contagion, this collection actually collects the "Road to No Man's Land" stories proper that preceded No Man's Land (which is great! I'll take both!).
• Superman: The Death of Superman TP [New Edition]
• Superman: Funeral for a Friend TP
• Superman: Reign of the Supermen TP
• Superman: The Return of Superman TP
• Superman: Doomsday TP
A new series of 5(!) volumes collecting the "Death of Superman" storyline. Included for the first time is the Newstime magazine issue and also the Supergirl and Team Luthor special. We also get the Superman/Doomsday: Hunter/Prey and Doomsday Wars miniseries in one volume. The only omission I see in these books is that Justice League #69 isn't collected, a fairly important "Death of Superman" issue from Dan Jurgens's run. Chances are this is being collected over in the new Superman and the Justice League collections, but arguably it probably should (and maybe will) be here too.
• Aquaman: Sub-Diego Vol. 2 TP
As unexpected (but welcome) as was the original Sub-Diego collection, I'm surprised and thrilled to see another, which moves beyond the Will Pfiefer run to stories by John Ostrander and John Arcudi, with art continuing by Patrick Gleason. This collects issues #23-29; a third volume could collect #30-39 by the same team, finishing out this series before Infinite Crisis.
• Daring New Adventures of Supergirl Vol. 1 TP
Collects the first twelve issues of the last Supergirl series before Crisis on Infinite Earths. The solicits highlight a Doom Patrol appearance; I'd be happy to see this collection also include the Lois Lane backup stories.
• Flash Vol. 8: Zoom HC
The second-to-last Flash collection before "Rebirth" collects issues #41-47 and the Convergence: Detective Comics story; next volume would presumably be issues #48-52.
• DC Elseworlds: Justice League Vol. 1 TP
Collects League of Justice (fantasy-based), Justice Riders (Western; recently in Convergence), Elseworld's Finest (Superman/Batman pulp noir), Elseworld's Finest: Supergirl & Batgirl (unrelated to the earlier Elseworld's Finest, but introduces a Supergirl and Batgirl who also appeared in Countdown to Final Crisis and Convergence), Titans: Scissors Paper Stone (manga-influenced), and Wonder Woman: Amazonia (Wonder Woman vs Jack the Ripper in Victorian England).
• Demon Vol. 2: The Longest Day TP
The second new collection of Garth Ennis's Demon collects issues #49-58 (possibly also the Zero Month issue after Zero Hour), the final issues of that series.
• Green Arrow Vol. 8: The Nightbirds TP
Second-to-last Green Arrow collection before "Rebirth," collecting issues #41-47, the annual, and the story from Convergence: Speed Force.
• Lobo Vol. 3: Paid in Blood TP
I wasn't keen on the first new Lobo collection, but this one's crossover with Sinestro and Green Lantern ahead of "Rebirth" will probably have me picking it up eventually. Also Lobo hunts "the last of the Red Lanterns" here, which given the end of my favorite Red Lanterns, I'm curious who exactly that means.
• New Teen Titans Vol. 5 TP
Collects issues #28-34 and Annual #2, within the previously-collected Terra Incognito era.
• New Suicide Squad Vol. 3: Freedom TP
Solicitations say this collects issues #13-18, but with #20 being the last issue before "Rebirth," I wouldn't be surprised if it sweeps clean to the end.
• Suicide Squad Vol. 4: The Janus Directive TP
A major late 1980s crossover, "Janus Directive" brought together all of DC's gritty spy-espionage series of the time -- Firestorm, Captain Atom, Manhunter, and Suicide Squad and Checkmate, the latter of which double-shipped during this time. This is an exciting collection of post-Crisis DC Comics history.
• Wonder Woman by Greg Rucka Vol. 1 TP
The solicitation of this collection -- quite a while back -- certainly makes more sense now. This first volume collects Rucka's Down to Earth and Bitter Rivals, plus the Hiketeia graphic novel. Remaining would be Eyes of the Gorgon, Land of the Dead, and Mission's End; likely parts of Superman: Sacrifice will be included too.
What's caught your eye? More thoughts on "Rebirth"?
Posted in: Collected Editions
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