The Trades Thread: Collected Editions

Topic

TPBs, HCs, Absolutes, Omnibuses… discuss them all here!

Replies

We’re Taking Everyone Down With Us – Dec. 5th (earlier in LCS)

TP – 256 pgs.

James Bond meets The Island of Doctor Moreau in this graphic novel about a young girl who discovers her father isn’t the hero she believed, but one of the most dangerous super-spy villains on the planet.

After her mad-scientist father is killed by the world’s greatest spy, 13-year-old Annalise is left all alone in the world. Sort of. Her dead dad’s robot bodyguard won’t stop following her around for some reason. Now Annalise has a choice: try to lead a normal life for the first time ever…or seek revenge and maybe overthrow the world order in the process.

Embark on a journey of regret and retribution, super spies and pseudoscience, growing up and global domination from brilliant artist STEFANO LANDINI (Prodigy, Hellblazer) and okay writer MATTHEW ROSENBERG (What’s the Furthest Place From Here?, Uncanny X-Men)

Couplevof things that were announced on Near Mint Condition recently are up for pre-order.

X-Men: Age of Krakoa: Dawn of X Omnibus vol. 1 – Sept. 16th

Hardcover – 1472 pgs

Collecting X-MEN (2019) #1-7, X-FORCE (2019) #1-8, MARAUDERS (2019) #1-8, EXCALIBUR (2019) #1-8, FALLEN ANGELS (2019) #1-6, NEW MUTANTS (2019) #1-7, WOLVERINE (2020) #2-3, GIANT SIZE X-MEN: JEAN GREY AND EMMA FROST and material from WOLVERINE (2020) #1.
RATED PARENTAL ADVISORY.

Phoenix: The Death and Rebirth of Jean Grey Omnibus – Sept 16th

Hardcover – 1352 pgs

Collecting NEW X-MEN (2001) #128, #139-141 and #146-154; X-MEN: PHOENIX – ENDSONG #1-5; X-MEN: PHOENIX – WARSONG #1-5; AVENGERS VS. X-MEN #0-12; JEAN GREY (2017) #1-11; GENERATIONS: PHOENIX & JEAN GREY; PHOENIX RESURRECTION: THE RETURN OF JEAN GREY #1-5; and material from POINT ONE (2011) #1.

I question the logic of these two being released on the same day. Could just be a mix-up from Marvel (or Amazon)

More like Marvel don’t care, they’re charging $150 for the Krakoa one.

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Dave, Sean Robinson

Sean Robinson wrote:

I question the logic of these two being released on the same day. Could just be a mix-up from Marvel (or Amazon)

Maybe it’s a flipbook.

A 2,824 page flipbook.

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Sean Robinson

Currently I’m reading my first DC Finest collection, Justice Society Of America v1.

In terms of the DC Finest format, it’s pretty good. There’s a contents page (not always a given with DC), there are page numbers that make said contents page useful (not always a given with DC), each issue’s covers are at the start of the issue rather than shoved in the back (not always a given with DC). The paper quality is good (though maybe a tad too glossy, but not enough to be a problem). The art reproduction is good – I sold on my copy of the first JSA Archive years ago, so I can’t directly compare, but the linework feels cleaner than I remember it – though the colours are a little desaturated in places and don’t feel consistent page to page. It feels like the kind of palette that people who complain about Marvel’s Silver Age reprints being too garish want, replicating how the colours looked on cheap (aged) paper, which is too dull for my tastes. These are bright, primary colour characters, they should be that visually.

In terms of story, well, it’s been ages since I’ve read the first four of these issues in the old Archive format. I’d forgotten quite how hatstand the stories are. Spectre ones especially are just wild, with him going off into space and other dimensions and erasing people from existence at the drop of a hat. The plotting in most of them is pretty rough, with the first issue alone filled with lots of dying explanations of the plot by villains.

If anyone doesn’t know, JSA wasn’t a real team book as we’d think of it now. The series is just a showcase to advertise the monthly anthology titles the characters appeared in, with the JSA itself just a framing narrative to present a collection of solo stories by the characters’ usual artists (and sometimes writers), which do at least have a common theme to them after the first. That actually hinders the series a bit, because it means the stories get a bit repetitive across an issue. They vary wildly in quality too. The writing’s not great in pretty much any of them, frankly, but the art in Hawkman is spectacular vs say, The Atom, which is barely competent. The Atom’s probably the weakest link all round really (though there is actually a great moment in one of his stories where he bursts into a gambling den and vaults onto a balcony, which leaves a group of the gangsters arguing in the background about whether he really had or if the one who had seen it was making things up, which carries on all through the Atom bringing down the gang and the police arresting them all). At 64 pages, the issues are quite hard going. I’ve rarely managed to read a full one in a sitting. But there is novelty to them and I like them as a historical artifact. You can see the shared root of the medium with titles like the Beano, that would gradually diverge by the 60s, really.

[Sean Robinson]

Jupiter’s Legacy Library Edition Volume 2 – Nov. 11th

HC – 464 pgs
Collects Jupiter’s Legacy 1 and 2.

Hmm, the first one (out in April) has Jupiter’s Legacy Volume 1 and Volume 2.

Going to have to figure out what has what.
Is the first one Jupiter’s Circle? (No Frank Quitely art)
Edit: a quick check and thats exactly it.

• This reply was modified 3 months, 3 weeks ago by Sean Robinson.
• This reply was modified 3 months, 3 weeks ago by Sean Robinson.

Saw this. I know nothing, but I’m intrigued enough to pre-order.

Seven Secrets Deluxe Edition – Nov. 25th

HC – 464 pgs – Boom! Studios
Collects Seven Secrets #1-18.

SEVEN SECRETS WILL CHANGE THE WORLD.
For centuries, the Order has trusted in Keepers and Holders to guard the Secrets in seven briefcases against all harm but when their stronghold is attacked and the secrets put in peril, the entire Order must face their greatest fear―an enemy who knows too much and is willing to kill to get what he wants. Now, the Order’s newest member, Caspar, must discover the truth of the Secrets before the enemy does, or risk losing everything.

New York Times bestselling author Tom Taylor (DCeased) and fan favorite artist Daniele Di Nicuolo (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers) present a sweeping saga about seven powerful secrets―words, wonders, weapons, and worse―with the power to change the world.

The entire journey is available now as a deluxe hardcover edition, bringing every issue of the critically acclaimed, action-packed series together for the very first time.

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Uncle Retrospective

Big thick trade collecting some (all?) of Zdarsky and Quinones’s Howard The Duck is out in September.

I liked Seven Secrets, a good story that knew when to end with good art.

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Uncle Retrospective, Sean Robinson

Epic Collections for the tail end of 2025, start of 2026.

Annihilation (Modern) v2
Carnage (Modern) v1
Captain America (Modern) v3
Ghost Rider v3
Spider-Gwen (Modern) v3
Moon Knight v6
X-Men v13
Hulk v10
Micronauts v3
Aliens v3
Doctor Doom v1 – Doom’s appearances in other titles, so lots of FF.
Doctor Strange v12
Star Wars: Darth Vader (modern) v2
Spider-Girl (modern) v6 – Mayday series. Not sure what that’s counted as modern.
Namor v5
Rom v3
All-New Wolverine (modern) v1
Avengers v27 – Timeslide up to Onslaught.
Hawkeye v3 – has all of Avengers Spotlight, even the non-Hawkeye issues.
Captain America v24 – This is the Heroes Return run, meaning v23 will be Heroes Reborn.
Spider-Man v12
Miles Morales (modern) v3
X-Men v11
Spider-Man (modern) v2
Deadpool (modern) v1 – start of the Daniel Way run.
X-Men v20 reprint
Avengers v16 reprint – Under Siege!

Martin Smith wrote:

Deadpool (modern) v1 – start of the Daniel Way run.

Daniel Way! I hadn’t thought about that name in a very long time!

Daniel Way, yes, yes…

 

…anyway, moving on…

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Martin Smith, Todd

DC Finest trades for the rest of the year have shown up on Penguin-Random House’s site. Includes:

Superman – seemingly the second Golden Age volume
Hawkman – first Silver Age volume
Spectre – Silver Age
Static – first volume
Superfriends(!)
Wonder Woman – first Golden Age volume
Batman – last pre-Crisis volume
War – Kubert stuff
Horror – a mix of House of Mystery, House of Secrets etc
Green Lantern – debut of Guy Gardner
Supergirl – first volume of PaD’s 90s version
Blue Beetle – Dan Garret version, so 60s?
and some others I’ve forgotten

I worry they’re going slightly too far for breadth rather than depth. The Epic Collections started with only seven series in the first year (Thor, Spider-Man, Iron Man, Avengers, then FF, Captain America and Daredevil) then slowly expanded. DC Finest, in its first year, will have about 30 different series covered. But I’m also quite interested in a wide spread of them, so I guess I can’t complain.

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Sean Robinson

Sandman Mystery Theatre Compendium Two – Aug. 26th

888 pgs.
Collects Sandman Mystery Theatre #37-70, and Vertigo: Winter’s Edge #1-2.

Hitman by Garth Ennis & John McCrea Omnibus vol. 2 – Dec. 2nd

1096 pgs.
This volume collects Hitman #34-60, Hitman/Lobo: That Stupid Bastich #1, Superman 80-Page Giant #1, Justice League/Hitman #1-2, Convergence: Harley Quinn #2, All-Star Section Eight #1-6, Sixpack and Dogwelder: Hard Travelin’ Heroz #1-6 and DC: The Doomed and the Damned #1.

Warlord by Mike Grell Omnibus vol. 1 – Nov. 25th

1040 pgs.
This volume collects 1st Issue Special #8, Warlord #1-50, and Amazing World of DC Comics #12.

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Uncle Retrospective

Sandman Mystery Theatre Compendium Two – Aug. 26th

888 pgs.
Collects Sandman Mystery Theatre #37-70, and Vertigo: Winter’s Edge #1-2.

:O FINALLY! Thank you!

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Sean Robinson

DC Drop (7 Omni, 9 DC Finest, 3 Compendium and 3 Deluxe – Near Mint Condition (video)

Sean Robinson wrote:

Sandman Mystery Theatre Compendium Two – Aug. 26th 888 pgs. Collects Sandman Mystery Theatre #37-70, and Vertigo: Winter’s Edge #1-2.

No way! Is that all the rest of the series?

[Sean Robinson]

Yes, that is correct. It ran for 70 issues.

The second half of Matt Wagner, Steven T. Seagle, and Guy Davis’ acclaimed DC/Vertigo series is collected in a massive Compendium collection!

• This reply was modified 3 months, 1 week ago by Sean Robinson.

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Martin Smith

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Compendium Vol. 2 – Oct. 14th

1224 pgs.
Collects G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO #51-78, G.I. JOE YEARBOOK #2-4, G.I. JOE SPECIAL MISSIONS #1-15.

Don’t see a second Transformers Compendium.

Sean Robinson wrote:

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Compendium Vol. 2 – Oct. 14th

1224 pgs.
Collects G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO #51-78, G.I. JOE YEARBOOK #2-4, G.I. JOE SPECIAL MISSIONS #1-15.

Don’t see a second Transformers Compendium.

I’m interested in seeing this, because this is the volume that has the issues that looked the worst in IDW’s volumes, so I’m curious to see if they’ve had a new restoration for Skybound or if they’re same old same old (which will also determine if I go for their Transformers compendium, as IDW also screwed up those quite a bit).

I guess I also need to get the first compendium of SMT, as it doesn’t line up entirely with those thick trades from a few years back.

paul f wrote:

Sandman Mystery Theatre Compendium Two – Aug. 26th

888 pgs.
Collects Sandman Mystery Theatre #37-70, and Vertigo: Winter’s Edge #1-2.

:O FINALLY! Thank you!

Right, I will now buy the first half. I was holding off due to the curse

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Martin Smith, Sean Robinson, Ben

Martin Smith wrote:

Sean Robinson wrote:

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Compendium Vol. 2 – Oct. 14th

1224 pgs.
Collects G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO #51-78, G.I. JOE YEARBOOK #2-4, G.I. JOE SPECIAL MISSIONS #1-15.

Don’t see a second Transformers Compendium.

I’m interested in seeing this, because this is the volume that has the issues that looked the worst in IDW’s volumes, so I’m curious to see if they’ve had a new restoration for Skybound or if they’re same old same old (which will also determine if I go for their Transformers compendium, as IDW also screwed up those quite a bit).

I guess I also need to get the first compendium of SMT, as it doesn’t line up entirely with those thick trades from a few years back.

So I saw a video from Near Mint Condition, interviewing one of the Skybound people doing the Transformers Compendium (which is Kickstarting now) and they’ve confirmed that they’re just using the IDW scans for both Transformers and GI Joe. Which is a hard no from me. They’re bloody awful and using those again – even if they’re insisting the original files aren’t available (I don’t buy that, Marvel probably have them) – shows this is just a cash grab.

Ghost Compendium Vol. 1 – Oct. 21st

For the first time, collect the complete comics saga of Ghost in two oversized trade paperback graphic novel collections.

Volume one collects the origins of this gritty supernatural noir;
Comics’ Greatest World: Ghost, Ghost #1-#36, Ghost Special #1, Ghost Special #2, Ghost Special #3, and Dark Horse Presents #145-#147.
1088 pages

The Complete Harrow County Compendium – Oct. 28th

This volume collects the entirety of HARROW COUNTY, the dark southern gothic fairy tale by Cullen Bunn and Tyler Crook, along with all extras from every library edition!
1080 pages

The Transformers Compendium Vol. 2 – Oct. 21st

THE END OF THE ICONIC ORIGINAL ERA OF TRANSFORMERS IS HERE!

Collects THE TRANSFORMERS #45-80, TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE #1-3, TRANSFORMERS GENERATION 2 #1-12.
1208 pages

The Invisibles Compendium – Jan. 20th 2026

This volume collects The Invisibles #1-25; The Invisibles Vol. 2 #1-22, and The Invisibles Vol. 3 #1-12.

1536 (!) pages

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Uncle Retrospective, Todd

[Sean Robinson]

A few DSTLRY items I’m having a hard time getting from Amazon.ca (all pre-ordered)

The Devil’s Cut
They’ve notified me of a delay, will ship when they can.
Came out Feb. 11th 2025 (did it?)

Time Waits
Again, notified of a delay, will ship when they can.
Came out Apr. 1st 2025 (did it?)

The City Beneath Her Feet
This one they cancelled on me.
Don’t think it’s come out (has it?).
Maybe just pushed way back?

• This reply was modified 1 month, 3 weeks ago by Sean Robinson.
• This reply was modified 1 month, 3 weeks ago by Sean Robinson.

The shipping of the DSTLRY books is atrocious. They are months late across the board. The third issue of one of their launch books still isn’t out yet (White Boat). You’ll get them when you get them. Just don’t hold your breath.

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Ben, Dave, Sean Robinson

They have major delays Sean.

Be very sceptical of any release date until it’s really locked in.

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Dave, Sean Robinson

[Sean Robinson]

They just canceled White Boat, and One For Sorrow.

Edit: and now they’ve canceled The Blood Brothers Mother, and Warm Fusion.

2nd edit: and looks like they’ve canceled (but not yet notified me of) The Big Burn and The Missionary

• This reply was modified 1 month, 2 weeks ago by Sean Robinson.
• This reply was modified 1 month, 2 weeks ago by Sean Robinson.

The Big Burn has at least seen all of its issues come out in singles by this point, so that one is probably the safest bet to get a collected edition soon.

The Big Burn trade is listed by Blackwells for December!

You know that way than an r and an n together can look like an m? Hopefully that won’t harm The Big Burn’s prospects.

(Who knows, it may even boost them.)

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Sean Robinson

Dave wrote:

You know that way than an r and an n together can look like an m? Hopefully that won’t harm The Big Burn’s prospects.

(Who knows, it may even boost them.)

Unless they assume that The Big Bum is a graphic novel about Trump.

Oh, wait, this isn’t the News and Politics thread. Sorry…

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Ben, Vikram, Dave, Sean Robinson

[Sean Robinson]

So looking around and see:

DC: Superman: The Official Cookbook: Recipes from Smallville to the Hall of Justice and Beyond

Hardcover – 169 pgs. – July 1st

Kinda curious. First thought was WTF? But there might be enough people with too much money on their hands.

Marvel: Cooking with Wolverine: Recipes, Tales, and Tips for Culinary Survival

Hardcover – 176 pgs. – August 26th

Didn’t know these were a thing.

• This reply was modified 1 month ago by Sean Robinson.

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Todd

There was a spate of SF tie-in cookbooks in the 90s, I distinctly remember Babylon 5 and Star Trek ones, the latter was co-written by Ethan Phillips in-character as Neelix IIRC.  Another Trek one came out only a couple of years ago, and the tabletop game publisher I do some work for published one last year for one game and has a cocktail book for another one coming soon

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Sean Robinson, Todd

lorcan_nagle wrote:

There was a spate of SF tie-in cookbooks in the 90s, I distinctly remember Babylon 5 and Star Trek ones, the latter was co-written by Ethan Phillips in-character as Neelix IIRC.  Another Trek one came out only a couple of years ago, and the tabletop game publisher I do some work for published one last year for one game and has a cocktail book for another one coming soon

As a kid, I used to have “The Mighty Marvel Superheroes Cookbook (1977)”.

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lorcan_nagle

[Tobias Radesäter]

Is Superman’s favorite food still Beef Bourguignon, or has that been retconned?

• This reply was modified 1 month ago by Tobias Radesäter.

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Sean Robinson, lorcan_nagle

[Tobias Radesäter]

Tobias Radesäter wrote:

Is Superman’s favorite food still Beef Bourguignon, or has that been retconned?

• This reply was modified 1 month ago by Tobias Radesäter.

I think so, like it’s referenced, just not as much as in the ’70’s and early ’80’s

See, I would have thought his favorite food would be a corndog, or meatloaf with mashed potatoes. You just never know with those Kryptonians….

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Sean Robinson

So I know nothing of this, but intrigued to make a pre-order.
Then wait for someone to talk me out of it, or forget and then it arrives.

Spread Compendium

Paperback – 800 pgs. – September 30th

“A very good case for creepiest apocalypse ever.” —USA Today

Ten years ago, we dug too deep and unleashed something we couldn’t control. Something that twisted and warped every living thing in its path. Something that remade the world in its own image. The Spread. Now, one man has found a child who could save the world, but he has to fight monsters, raiders, cannibals, religious fanatics, and one cranky baby to do it.

Collected for the first time in its entirety, experience over 800 pages of science fiction horror in this definitive deluxe package of the SPREAD saga.

Collects issues #1-25

Friday Deluxe Edition

Hardcover – 368 pgs. – November 25th

Collects all three volumes plus extra features

Darwyn Cooke’s The Complete Spirit Connoisseur Edition

Oversized Hardcover – 324 pgs. – October 21st

Darwyn’s The Spirit comic stories are collected in their entirety for the FIRST TIME in this oversized hardcover collection, presented within a beautiful slipcase.
Also included in this definitive version of Cooke’s The Spirit is a gallery featuring all the covers, two variant covers from a Rocketeer/The Spirit crossover, and several never-before-seen drawings!

Collects The Spirit #1-6, #8-12, and Batman/The Spirit one-shot.

Sam and Twitch Compendium 1

Paperback – 1328 pgs. – July 15th

Collects: Sam and Twitch 1 – 26, Case Files Sam and Twitch 1 – 25, and Sam and Twitch The Writer 1 – 4

A couple more things I know nothing of

Spectators

Hardcover – 344 pgs. – September 23rd

“A visually ambitious, thematically daring, and powerfully unsettling supernatural romance that veers into incendiary social critique.” —Library Journal

A gripping and provocative graphic novel that takes a hard look at sex and violence, and the very different ways we obsessively watch both.

Hundreds of years in the future, New York City is haunted by many ghosts, including a voyeuristic woman who died in our present day and a mysterious gun-toting man from the distant past. Normally solo travelers, these two specters meet and travel around the world together, bearing witness to society’s forward march toward decay.

Readers won’t be able to look away as they watch with dark fascination how SPECTATORS explores the fine line between living and watching others live. Explicitly sexy and shockingly violent, this lavishly hand-painted epic is a thought-provoking, metaphysical masterpiece and the most ambitious collaboration yet between Pride of Baghdad artist Niko Henrichon and Saga writer Brian K. Vaughan.

Haunt: The Complete Collection

Paperback – 608 pgs. – October 28th

Explore the thrilling world of intrigue and supernatural suspense in this COMPLETE COLLECTION of all 28 issues from Image!

Created by Robert Kirkman, Todd McFarlane, Greg Capullo, and Ryan Ottley, this collection includes exclusive bonus content like behind-the-scenes insights, a cover gallery with alternate designs, and the Image United Haunt backup story.

Based around two brothers, one a less-than-perfect priest, the other a government agent, the men struggle to get along, rarely agreeing on anything. An unexpected accident forces them to work together in ways they never thought possible. Struggling with his own personal demons, the priest begrudgingly works alongside the spirit of his recently deceased brother, who possesses him. Together, the brothers form a new superhero, Haunt.

Collects Haunt Issues #1 – 28

So I bought my brother the Simonson Thor Omni for his birthday.
Bought it for myself too.
It was a great price (shot up by $22 the next day)

So anyway, cool knowledgeable guy that I am, and barely started drinking, sends out a text to everyone about Simonson (Thor #337 was 1983) and 1984 in general (cause, a lot of cool shit).

My brother: “stoked! ’cause I never read that shit!”

Best friend: “never read that, never read Thor”

So I say “well, The Ballad of Beta Ray Bill TP (#337-340) is yours.

Next two, well, same lameness (and these two honestly should have).
Another as well, but I expected

The Fuck!

Well, I haven’t had enough beer to start buying omni’s, but what’s the harm in looking up the 4 issue TP?

That shitty paper, shitty coloring, out of print 4 issue trade can be had for $182, plus $5 shipping.
Fuck sakes.

Seriously Marvel.
The Ballad of Beta Ray Bill should be evergreen
Give me a good price, and you would have had 4 sales.

It really is good.
Like, how do you write Thor?
If you get Kirby (Simonson does), then it’s the New Gods.

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Todd, lorcan_nagle

Sean Robinson wrote:

Seriously Marvel. The Ballad of Beta Ray Bill should be evergreen Give me a good price, and you would have had 4 sales.

They (sort of) treat the Epic Collections like evergreens but they’ve been working around Simonson’s Thor in that format without touching it. Same with Miller’s Daredevil. Not entirely sure why. Also wouldn’t be as cheap to give to new readers as a smaller collection

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Sean Robinson

Martin Smith wrote:

Same with Miller’s Daredevil. Not entirely sure why. Also wouldn’t be as cheap to give to new readers as a smaller collection

Born Again was the first book released in Marvel’s attempt at replicating the DC Compact series:

They just started the Simonson Thor run in Marvel Masterworks – the first volume came out last year and the second is due out at the end of this year.

It looks so good in Masterworks – restored linework, and flat colours reflecting the original colouring (rather than the modern recolour used for the omni).

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Sean Robinson, Dan

Talking of which, it looks like the Marvel Masterworks program is ending, at least for now – going on indefinite hiatus at the end of this year.

(I’m guessing part of this is to do with tariffs and China, where the books are printed.)

It’s a shame as these books have provided some fantastic, definitive editions of the most classic Marvel comics – but I do wonder whether they are now getting towards the end of the truly classic runs that are going to really benefit from that kind of restoration. Plus I imagine the audience for these expensive HCs of decades-old comics is literally dying off.

If it doesn’t come back, it’ll be a shame – not least as it’ll leave some runs incomplete, like the Simonson Thor run I mentioned that just started last year and has several books left to go, and which I was planning to buy in full.

But it the economics just don’t stack up any more, especially in light of the current uncertainties, then I can see why they’d end it.

[Dan]

They masterworked (?!) Dazzer’s full run before they printed Simonson’s Thor

• This reply was modified 3 weeks, 3 days ago by Dan.

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Dave

paul f wrote:

Martin Smith wrote:

Same with Miller’s Daredevil. Not entirely sure why. Also wouldn’t be as cheap to give to new readers as a smaller collection

Born Again was the first book released in Marvel’s attempt at replicating the DC Compact series:

Yeah. I think part of it is that they try and keep away from printing stuff in Epics around the same time it’s in other formats (hence skipping over volume 2 of Dr Strange for a while in favour of 1 and 3) and Simonson and Miller always seem to be in other formats. Plus the line, initially at least, was pointedly about favouring material that hadn’t been reprinted before, like the Thor material immediately before Simonson’s run.

Shame about the Masterworks line, but I can definitely see how it’s becoming impossible to justify the cost of. Hopefully the remastering budget goes to epic collections instead (which often piggy back off MW and omnibus restorations). I was briefly on the MW train around 2009 and the hardcovers are lovely things. Not great when you get one with poor restoration though (Thor v2 had moire patterns in the colours, for instance) given the price and prestige. The cost was the killer for me though and I switched to the paperback MWs, which I was getting for £8-10 a pop from a remainder book shop (RIP Bargain Book Time). The price and availability just made so much more sense. Then that got killed off for Epic Collections, which I like and they’re good value for money, but they aren’t desperately cheap most of the time.

Oh, I like the new paperback Masterworks they started doing (Mighty Marvel Masterworks). I got one of the Cap ones for my nephew for Christmas and they made some nice changes to presentation (new Michael Cho covers, giving each volume a title and de-emphasising the volume numbering). I hope they continue on with those – the back catalogue is certainly big enough to work through.

I skipped on the Kickstarter for The Expanse: Dragon Tooth because the shipping costs were excessive for what you got, and eventually got around to reading it over the weekend.  It’s in a weird place, being placed as taking place between books 6 and 7 of the novels but clearly being a sequel to the show – Alex is dead, everyone looks like the show’s cast as opposed to the novel descriptions.  Each of the three trades takes place a decade apart.  The first one shortly after the end of the show, and then ten and twenty years further ahead.  The core plot is about a Martian special forces team who planned to go to Laconia with Admiral Duerte but were left behind, and their long-term plan to try and get through the gate and join their comrades.  Each trade collects essentially a 4-issue mini-arc within the broader 12-issues, and each arc is a point where the crew of the Roci interacts with the Martians, never quite getting all the pieces of the puzzle together until the very end.

Andy Diggle is on writing duties and he’s a dab hand at action and espionage and has a great take on the character’s voices, especially Amos, and while the plot centres around the Roci crew essentially being patsies for this plot up until they put everything together near the end, it still works.  The art, by Rubine in volume 1 and Francisco Pisa in volume 2 and 3 is servicable more than dynamic, but the characters all look like who they’re meant to be, and it captures the feel of The Expanse very well, the technical and mechanical art is very accurate to the show’s designs, sets and props – which is something tie-in comics often gets wrong.

Overall it was a fun, if quick read.  It’s far from essential but fits very well into the setting, spends some time with a lot of the cast (including Elive, whom the show criminally underused IMO) and has a nice little hint of things to come for people who’ve not read the last three novels.

The Transformers UK Compendium Book One

Paperback – 1064 pgs – Feb. 24th 2026

Discover the hard-to-find iconic TRANSFORMERS UK comics that continued the war between the Autobots and Decepticons from the original US comics!

Collects stories from THE TRANSFORMERS UK #9-21, #29-32, #41-50, #59-65, #74-88, #96-104, #113-120, #125, #131-138, #145; AF #24-27, and THE TRANSFORMERS UK ANNUAL 1985, 1986, & 1987.

The Shaolin Cowboy: Beginning of the End Results–21 Years of Blood, Sweat, and Chainsaws

Hardcover – 296 pgs. – Dec. 9th

Happy Anniversary to the SCU!

Celebrating twenty-one years of the Eisner and Inkpot Award–winning highly-praised Shaolin Cowboy comics series comes this brand-new collection, featuring essential stories for all fans of the legendary and renowned artist Geof Darrow’s brilliantly detailed artwork and Dave Stewart’s beautiful colors.

Collected in this special anniversary deluxe hardcover edition are The Shaolin Cowboy: Start Trek and the long out-of-print fan favorite Bourbon Thret comics from Comics and Stories, originally published in France by Moebius’ publishing house Ædena. What lies ahead are over two hundred pages where every single panel is a work of art. You can look at these pages for years and always see something new in the details.

Showcasing the essence of the Shaolin Cowboy over the last two decades, this commemorative and epic publication is a truly stunning must-have collection of art for Geof Darrow fans everywhere.

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Dave, Ben

I saw a Near Mint Condition stream the other day looking at the first compendium of  Marvel US Transformers and it is indeed just the IDW “restoration”. Same muted colours, same half-assed attempts to “correct” early colours schemes (blue Soundwave and white Starscream) and same bad OCR on all the text.

1 user thanked author for this post.

lorcan_nagle