Time again for DC Comics's trade paperback and collected hardcover solicitations! July 2017 brings us a couple of Rebirth Vol. 2 and 3 collections; in the past week or so I've been reading a lot of the Rebirth material and I've been enjoying it more and more the farther in I go.
It's also a good month for Batman collections, with the "now more complete than ever" Batman: Knightfall Omnibus Vol. 2: Knightquest, Batman: Shadow of the Bat Vol. 2 (which collects some of the same material, I know), and the first new collection of Bryan Q. Miller's Stephanie Brown Batgirl series. There's also Grayson and Justice League: Darkseid War omnibuses, the Swamp Thing: Bronze Age collection, the 25th anniversary Wildstorm collection with all-new material, and more.
And can you believe the Vigilante Vol. 1 collection by Marv Wolfman finally came out?! Got to pick that up if you want it to continue!
Let's see what July 2017 has to offer ...
• Absolute Justice League: Origin HC
Joins Absolute Batman: Court of Owls and Absolute Wonder Woman by Azzarello and Chiang as Absolute editions coming out of the New 52 era.
• Aquaman Vol. 3: Crown of Atlantis TP
Collects issues #16-24, which is an impressive nine issues (previous volumes were eight issues each, which is also good). We saw the Rebirth Vol. 1 in January and Vol. 2 in April, and then Vol. 3 will be out in September, so a couple extra months between the second and third volumes, though this is still better pacing than we saw before the issues double-shipped.
• Batgirl: Stephanie Brown Vol. 1 TP
Definitely deserving of a new collection series, this is the first twelve issues of Bryan Q. Miller's Batgirl series starring former Spoiler Stephanie Brown, which was funny and exciting and well-written and had a lot of heart. This gets all the way through the previous Batgirl Rising trade and into The Flood, and presumably the next collection will finish out the Flood issues and The Lesson.
• Batman Vol. 3: I Am Bane TP
Like Aquaman, Batman sees a January-April-September release schedule. Can't argue with 25 issues in the first year; in comparison, it was roughly three-or-so years before DC collected the same amount of New 52 Batman material.
This collection includes issues #16-20 and #23-24, so jumping over the "Button" material (though the solicitation for issue #24 does mention the aftermath of "Button," so it remains to be seen how this will read).
• Batman: Rebirth Deluxe Edition Book One HC
Collects the Rebirth special and issues #1-15, so the first two trades and the "Night of the Monster Men" issues, though I would note that it seems the Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps, Aquaman, and Green Arrow deluxe Rebirth hardcovers have all been cancelled.
• Batman: Arkham — Clayface TP
Another in the Batman: Arkham series, which have turned out to be interesting spotlights on Batman's foes, occasionally collecting some uncollected gems. Interesting in this one seems to be an emphasis on all the different Clayfaces over the years; the classic Detective Comics stories are #40 (movie star Basil Karlo), #298 (treasure hunter Matt Hagen), and #478 (scientist Preston Payne), plus Outsiders #21 ("Lady Clay" Sondra Fuller), Batman #550 (Cassius "Clay" Payne), Catwoman #4 (Todd Russell), and Batman: Gotham Knights #69-71 (Johnny Williams). Being one of the rare collections of Gotham Knights issues, I'd like to hope this is issues #68-71, all four parts of the "Shape of Things to Come" story, and not just parts two through four. Secret Origins #44 is the origin of the "Mudpack" and Batman Villains Secret Files includes a "Who's Who" of the various Clayfaces. The only issue I can't place here is the apparent inclusion of Batman: Gotham Knights #23.
• Batman: Knightfall Omnibus Vol. 2: Knightquest HC
These omnibuses are on their way to being the most complete collection of the "Knightfall" storyline ever, with this one including the yet-still-uncollected Justice League Task Force #5-6 and Batman: Shadow of the Bat #21-23 (the latter of which, when it rains it pours, is also collected in its own volume this month; see below). If the third omnibus collects Legends of the Dark Knight #59-61, we'll finally have all the parts of "Knightfall" in collected print.
• Batman: Shadow of the Bat Vol. 2 TP
We discussed in my look at the Fall 2017 DC Comics collections that this was something of a funny trade, collecting as it does parts of "Knightfall," "Knightquest: The Crusade," and "Knightquest: The Search," much of which is also collected elsewhere. Still personally I'm curious to read Alan Grant's work linearly to see what themes or recurring images emerge without the static of the other Bat-title parts; also we've got here Batman: Shadow of the Bat Annual #1, adding to the growing pantheon of collected "Bloodlines" annuals.
• Cyborg Vol. 2: Danger in Detroit TP
Collects issues #6-13. I liked the first volume and I'm eager for the second, and eight issues is a nice size, too. This finishes the "Imitation of Life" storyline and into "Danger in Detroit."
• Deadman by Kelley Jones: The Complete Collection TP
This includes Jones and Mike Baron's Deadman: Love After Death and Exorcism. and some stories from Action Comics Weekly. As the title suggests, the draw is Jones's art, though for completeness I might have liked to see some of Baron's Deadman stories from Action Comics that weren't drawn by Jones.
• Earth 2: Society Vol. 4: Life After Death TP
The final collection of Dan Abnett's Earth 2: Society, issues #17-22.
• Grayson: The Superspy Omnibus HC
Among the best things to come out of the New 52/DC You, if you never read Tom King and Tim Seeley's Grayson, this the book for you. This definitive collection includes all the material from all the previous trades, including the Annuals, the two Robin War issues, the Futures End tie-in, and Nightwing: Rebirth.
• Green Arrow Vol. 3: Emerald Outlaw TP
Issues #12-17, the entire "Emerald Outlaw" storyline, ending just before "The Return of Roy Harper."
• Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps Vol. 3: The Quest for Hope TP
Issues #14-21, so another eight-issue collection, with the "Quest for Hope" and "Prism of Time" storylines. At this point Robert Venditti is approaching something over 50 issues of Green Lantern in one form or another, which is pretty notable in this day and age.
• Harley Quinn by Karl Kesel and Terry Dodson Deluxe Edition Book One HC
The 2000s Harley Quinn series lasted thirty-eight issues, but just twenty-five (and the Our Worlds at War issue) were written by Kesel, and just nineteen were drawn by Dodson. This collects issues #1-8; the entire series (including issues by AJ Lieberman) have been collected in paperback.
• Harley's Little Black Book HC
The six issue miniseries with Zatanna, DC Bombshells, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and Lobo.
• Justice League of America Vol. 1: The Extremists TP
The first six issues of the new Steve Orlando Justice League of America series; the Rebirth issue is in its own trade with the individual character Rebirth issues.
• Justice League: The Darkseid War Saga Omnibus HC
Collects Justice League #40-50, the Darkseid War specials, and the Divergence story.
• Legends of the Dark Knight: Jim Aparo Vol. 3 HC
Said to collect Brave and the Bold #152, 154-178, and #180-182, Detective Comics #444-446, #448, #468-470, #480, #492, #493, #495-499, #501, #502, #508, and #509, Batman Family #17, and Untold Legend of the Batman #1-3. Some of this near as I can tell is just cover work, so you'll have to tell me if there's anything super-notable here.
• New Teen Titans Vol. 7 TP
This is the "Judas Contract" story and aftermath, though still within the contents of the New Teen Titans Omnibus Vol. 3.
• Sixpack and Dogwelder: Hard-Travelin’ Heroz TP
Noonan's Bar cameos in the Batman and Robin Eternal Vol. 1. That is all.
• Superman Vol. 3: Multiplicity TP
Collects issues #14-17 and the Annual #1, which is fewer issues than I'd like as compared to some of the others on this list. It ends just before the "Superman Reborn" crossover with Action Comics.
• Swamp Thing: The Bronze Age Omnibus HC
This is said to include House of Secrets #92, Swamp Thing #1-24, Saga of the Swamp Thing #1-19, and Saga of the Swamp Thing Annual #1, which brings us right about up to the start of the Alan Moore run.
• Wildstorm: A Celebration of 25 Years HC
Surprisingly, not only does this collect classic issues, pinups, and etc., but also new stories, including WildCATS by Brandon Choi and Jim Lee and by Christos Gage and Dustin Nguyen, Authority by Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch (the same as in the new Absolute edition?), Gen13 by J. Scott Campbell, and Backlash by Brett Booth.
• Wonder Girl: Adventures of a Teen Titan TP
What had been previously solicited as DC Spotlight: Wonder Girl is now Wonder Girl: Adventures of a Teen Titan. I'd wondered what this collection was supposed to be tying in to specifically, maybe something comics-related; I'm revising that guess now but I don't want to say more for spoiler reasons.
Contents-wise, again this is Wonder Woman #105 (Wonder Woman as "Wonder Girl"), The Brave and the Bold #60 (first appearance of Donna Troy), Teen Titans #22 (origin of Donna Troy), Adventure Comics #461 (Wonder Woman and Donna Troy team-up), Wonder Woman #105 and #113 (Cassandra Sandsmark stories by John Byrne), Wonder Woman: Donna Troy #1 ("GirlFrenzy" one-shot), and Wonder Girl #1 (Cassie special in the midst of J.T. Krul's pre-Flashpoint Teen Titans run.
• Wonder Woman Vol. 3: The Truth TP
Collects issues #13, #15, #17, #19, #21, #23, and #25, which we now know to be Rucka's last issue of the series, though there should be one more Rucka trade collecting the "Godwatch" issues set between these.
How're you enjoying Rebirth? Any of these books going on your want list? Did you pick up Vigilante?
It's also a good month for Batman collections, with the "now more complete than ever" Batman: Knightfall Omnibus Vol. 2: Knightquest, Batman: Shadow of the Bat Vol. 2 (which collects some of the same material, I know), and the first new collection of Bryan Q. Miller's Stephanie Brown Batgirl series. There's also Grayson and Justice League: Darkseid War omnibuses, the Swamp Thing: Bronze Age collection, the 25th anniversary Wildstorm collection with all-new material, and more.
And can you believe the Vigilante Vol. 1 collection by Marv Wolfman finally came out?! Got to pick that up if you want it to continue!
Let's see what July 2017 has to offer ...
• Absolute Justice League: Origin HC
Joins Absolute Batman: Court of Owls and Absolute Wonder Woman by Azzarello and Chiang as Absolute editions coming out of the New 52 era.
• Aquaman Vol. 3: Crown of Atlantis TP
Collects issues #16-24, which is an impressive nine issues (previous volumes were eight issues each, which is also good). We saw the Rebirth Vol. 1 in January and Vol. 2 in April, and then Vol. 3 will be out in September, so a couple extra months between the second and third volumes, though this is still better pacing than we saw before the issues double-shipped.
• Batgirl: Stephanie Brown Vol. 1 TP
Definitely deserving of a new collection series, this is the first twelve issues of Bryan Q. Miller's Batgirl series starring former Spoiler Stephanie Brown, which was funny and exciting and well-written and had a lot of heart. This gets all the way through the previous Batgirl Rising trade and into The Flood, and presumably the next collection will finish out the Flood issues and The Lesson.
• Batman Vol. 3: I Am Bane TP
Like Aquaman, Batman sees a January-April-September release schedule. Can't argue with 25 issues in the first year; in comparison, it was roughly three-or-so years before DC collected the same amount of New 52 Batman material.
This collection includes issues #16-20 and #23-24, so jumping over the "Button" material (though the solicitation for issue #24 does mention the aftermath of "Button," so it remains to be seen how this will read).
• Batman: Rebirth Deluxe Edition Book One HC
Collects the Rebirth special and issues #1-15, so the first two trades and the "Night of the Monster Men" issues, though I would note that it seems the Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps, Aquaman, and Green Arrow deluxe Rebirth hardcovers have all been cancelled.
• Batman: Arkham — Clayface TP
Another in the Batman: Arkham series, which have turned out to be interesting spotlights on Batman's foes, occasionally collecting some uncollected gems. Interesting in this one seems to be an emphasis on all the different Clayfaces over the years; the classic Detective Comics stories are #40 (movie star Basil Karlo), #298 (treasure hunter Matt Hagen), and #478 (scientist Preston Payne), plus Outsiders #21 ("Lady Clay" Sondra Fuller), Batman #550 (Cassius "Clay" Payne), Catwoman #4 (Todd Russell), and Batman: Gotham Knights #69-71 (Johnny Williams). Being one of the rare collections of Gotham Knights issues, I'd like to hope this is issues #68-71, all four parts of the "Shape of Things to Come" story, and not just parts two through four. Secret Origins #44 is the origin of the "Mudpack" and Batman Villains Secret Files includes a "Who's Who" of the various Clayfaces. The only issue I can't place here is the apparent inclusion of Batman: Gotham Knights #23.
• Batman: Knightfall Omnibus Vol. 2: Knightquest HC
These omnibuses are on their way to being the most complete collection of the "Knightfall" storyline ever, with this one including the yet-still-uncollected Justice League Task Force #5-6 and Batman: Shadow of the Bat #21-23 (the latter of which, when it rains it pours, is also collected in its own volume this month; see below). If the third omnibus collects Legends of the Dark Knight #59-61, we'll finally have all the parts of "Knightfall" in collected print.
• Batman: Shadow of the Bat Vol. 2 TP
We discussed in my look at the Fall 2017 DC Comics collections that this was something of a funny trade, collecting as it does parts of "Knightfall," "Knightquest: The Crusade," and "Knightquest: The Search," much of which is also collected elsewhere. Still personally I'm curious to read Alan Grant's work linearly to see what themes or recurring images emerge without the static of the other Bat-title parts; also we've got here Batman: Shadow of the Bat Annual #1, adding to the growing pantheon of collected "Bloodlines" annuals.
• Cyborg Vol. 2: Danger in Detroit TP
Collects issues #6-13. I liked the first volume and I'm eager for the second, and eight issues is a nice size, too. This finishes the "Imitation of Life" storyline and into "Danger in Detroit."
• Deadman by Kelley Jones: The Complete Collection TP
This includes Jones and Mike Baron's Deadman: Love After Death and Exorcism. and some stories from Action Comics Weekly. As the title suggests, the draw is Jones's art, though for completeness I might have liked to see some of Baron's Deadman stories from Action Comics that weren't drawn by Jones.
• Earth 2: Society Vol. 4: Life After Death TP
The final collection of Dan Abnett's Earth 2: Society, issues #17-22.
• Grayson: The Superspy Omnibus HC
Among the best things to come out of the New 52/DC You, if you never read Tom King and Tim Seeley's Grayson, this the book for you. This definitive collection includes all the material from all the previous trades, including the Annuals, the two Robin War issues, the Futures End tie-in, and Nightwing: Rebirth.
• Green Arrow Vol. 3: Emerald Outlaw TP
Issues #12-17, the entire "Emerald Outlaw" storyline, ending just before "The Return of Roy Harper."
• Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps Vol. 3: The Quest for Hope TP
Issues #14-21, so another eight-issue collection, with the "Quest for Hope" and "Prism of Time" storylines. At this point Robert Venditti is approaching something over 50 issues of Green Lantern in one form or another, which is pretty notable in this day and age.
• Harley Quinn by Karl Kesel and Terry Dodson Deluxe Edition Book One HC
The 2000s Harley Quinn series lasted thirty-eight issues, but just twenty-five (and the Our Worlds at War issue) were written by Kesel, and just nineteen were drawn by Dodson. This collects issues #1-8; the entire series (including issues by AJ Lieberman) have been collected in paperback.
• Harley's Little Black Book HC
The six issue miniseries with Zatanna, DC Bombshells, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and Lobo.
• Justice League of America Vol. 1: The Extremists TP
The first six issues of the new Steve Orlando Justice League of America series; the Rebirth issue is in its own trade with the individual character Rebirth issues.
• Justice League: The Darkseid War Saga Omnibus HC
Collects Justice League #40-50, the Darkseid War specials, and the Divergence story.
• Legends of the Dark Knight: Jim Aparo Vol. 3 HC
Said to collect Brave and the Bold #152, 154-178, and #180-182, Detective Comics #444-446, #448, #468-470, #480, #492, #493, #495-499, #501, #502, #508, and #509, Batman Family #17, and Untold Legend of the Batman #1-3. Some of this near as I can tell is just cover work, so you'll have to tell me if there's anything super-notable here.
• New Teen Titans Vol. 7 TP
This is the "Judas Contract" story and aftermath, though still within the contents of the New Teen Titans Omnibus Vol. 3.
• Sixpack and Dogwelder: Hard-Travelin’ Heroz TP
Noonan's Bar cameos in the Batman and Robin Eternal Vol. 1. That is all.
• Superman Vol. 3: Multiplicity TP
Collects issues #14-17 and the Annual #1, which is fewer issues than I'd like as compared to some of the others on this list. It ends just before the "Superman Reborn" crossover with Action Comics.
• Swamp Thing: The Bronze Age Omnibus HC
This is said to include House of Secrets #92, Swamp Thing #1-24, Saga of the Swamp Thing #1-19, and Saga of the Swamp Thing Annual #1, which brings us right about up to the start of the Alan Moore run.
• Wildstorm: A Celebration of 25 Years HC
Surprisingly, not only does this collect classic issues, pinups, and etc., but also new stories, including WildCATS by Brandon Choi and Jim Lee and by Christos Gage and Dustin Nguyen, Authority by Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch (the same as in the new Absolute edition?), Gen13 by J. Scott Campbell, and Backlash by Brett Booth.
• Wonder Girl: Adventures of a Teen Titan TP
What had been previously solicited as DC Spotlight: Wonder Girl is now Wonder Girl: Adventures of a Teen Titan. I'd wondered what this collection was supposed to be tying in to specifically, maybe something comics-related; I'm revising that guess now but I don't want to say more for spoiler reasons.
Contents-wise, again this is Wonder Woman #105 (Wonder Woman as "Wonder Girl"), The Brave and the Bold #60 (first appearance of Donna Troy), Teen Titans #22 (origin of Donna Troy), Adventure Comics #461 (Wonder Woman and Donna Troy team-up), Wonder Woman #105 and #113 (Cassandra Sandsmark stories by John Byrne), Wonder Woman: Donna Troy #1 ("GirlFrenzy" one-shot), and Wonder Girl #1 (Cassie special in the midst of J.T. Krul's pre-Flashpoint Teen Titans run.
• Wonder Woman Vol. 3: The Truth TP
Collects issues #13, #15, #17, #19, #21, #23, and #25, which we now know to be Rucka's last issue of the series, though there should be one more Rucka trade collecting the "Godwatch" issues set between these.
How're you enjoying Rebirth? Any of these books going on your want list? Did you pick up Vigilante?
This post first appeared on Collected Editions | Blog, Collected Comics Review, please read the originial post: here
