TPBs, HCs, Absolutes, Omnibuses… discuss them all here!
The Trades Thread: Collected Editions
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Justice League Unlimited / World’s Finest: We Are Yesterday
Huh, interesting, this trade has a Road to DC KO tag added. As to the book itself, it is Waid having fun with an old comics technique – wrap up a story, start the next story running. And so it proves, as the League battles the revealed “Inferno”.
As this is a time travel story, it falls squarely in the category of don’t think about it too much. Waid does find a good few new riffs on temporal matters which keeps it interesting. Art is shared across Mora, Moore and Henry, who have complimentary styles.
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Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow OHC
I’m generally hot and cold on King because, well, his work is exactly that. There’s no middle ground, either it works very, very well or it falls flat completely. His long Batman run embodies both. This one? This has acquired quite the reputation, one that it lived up to. This is King on form.
Evely I’ve seen less work by but her Dreaming run was good. But this? Several levels up from that. After reading this, I’m far more interested in that deluxe edition of Helen of Wyndhorn due early 2026.
Then there’s the story that they spin. Of Supergirl and Ruthye crossing paths, their pursuit of Krem, and its examination of Supergirl, along with exploring how evil, justice and vengeance can link up. By placing the story through Ruthye’s eyes, we get an intriguing portrait of Supergirl, and her history. The final resolution with Krem is particularly good.
But, you don’t need to read this, right? After all, there’s going to be a film based on it. Might as well skip to that, right? Wrong, if you have any interest in comics. The film will not be this, it may tell a similar tale but it will not, nor could, be the same. This is a dazzling display of what comics can be, and you can’t get that from a film.
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Catwoman Volume 1
I picked this up having enjoyed Gronbekk’s Nina Petrova story in Battle Action Volume 3. Along with both artists, Mascolo and Ignazzi, this gives the book a majority women creative team. I don’t know for certain but suspect this is rare. It is also a team that has a European view of an American character.
Of course, none of that matters if it isn’t good and it is very good. The story veers away from the vigilante aspect and runs with the theft and espionage elements. Of identities, shifting agendas and past secrets. It is also a story entirely independent of Batman.
It helps too that Mascoli and Ignazxi have similar, complimentary styles that give the six issues a very consistent look. At the same time, they bring Gronbekk’s dense, twisting tale to vivid life.
There’s only one flaw here and that is the cliffhanger ending, but I read this at the right time, as the next collection is out end of the month.
Batman and Robin: Jason Todd
This sees Lemire and Ngyuen doing a sequel to their Batman and Robin book, but with a different Robin. One that might be beyond the efforts of Batman, Nightwing and Alfred to aid, while they each question if they truly gave Jason a fair chance.
Into this volatile mix steps Wraith, a villain who preys on Jason’s trauma and insecurities, while offering him what Batman won’t. It might be said what follows is conventional and predictable, but it is also very well-executed. Of course, how good that is depends on how much you like the creative duo of Lemire and Ngyuen. I like their work a lot.
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The second DC Finest Peter David Supergirl book is confirmed.
DC Finest: Supergirl: Die and Let Live
576 pgs. – May 26th ’26
Supergirl faces her most dangerous mission yet in Die and Let Live, a thrilling chapter of DC’s Finest collection. Packed with high-stakes action, emotional depth, and bold storytelling, this volume showcases Kara Zor-El’s resilience as she battles powerful enemies and uncovers shocking truths about her destiny.
In DC Finest: Supergirl: Die and Let Live, Kara Zor-El takes center stage in a gripping saga of survival and identity. From cosmic clashes to personal reckonings, Supergirl must confront deadly threats and make choices that will define her legacy. A must-have for fans of DC’s most fearless heroine.
Collects Adventure Comics 80-Page Giant #1, Resurrection Man #16–17, Supergirl #19–35, Supergirl #1 ML, Supergirl/Prysm Double-Shot #1, Team Superman #1, and Team Superman Secret Files #1.
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Sandman Mystery Theatre Compendium Two
It still feels like a minor miracle that this books even exists after so many false starts on collecting the series. It’s almost surreal to get to read the comic’s conclusion. A little bittersweet. Somewhat naively, given how long the series ran and with such a stable creative team, I had assumed that it ended on its own terms. But nope, sudden cancellation that forced a two-part finale. Despite that, Seagle mostly sticks the landing. I think his end-note after explaining what happened and his reasoning for how the story went makes me appreciate what it does more, admittedly.
End aside, there are lots of good stories in here, though a couple that are less compelling. Slightly over complicated in places. Dian seems to ricochet between charity work, working for her dad at the DA’s office then not and doing charity work again on the whims of what would be more convenient for each story. And it’s weirdly heavy on JSA elements at the start of the this volume (and tail end of the previous), which has diminishing returns. Jim Corrigan being introduced and then doing nothing, as far as I could tell (maybe I missed some subtle Spectre related shenanigans?) was a pretty pointless. But I guess that was to try and drive sales.
But when the book is left to be itself, it’s great. What other superhero comic from a mainstream publisher would have an extended, sensitively handled plot thread about one of the main characters getting an abortion? Even before that, it’s nice that Dian and Wes, well, fuck, frankly. Superhero relationships are usually so chaste or juvenile, but by the time they’re properly together here it’s clear they really enjoy each other’s company and get to express that as real humans do (and then have consequences for it).
Unfortunately, it seems that there’s a side one-shot (Sandman Midnight Theatre) that sits between Compendium 1 and this volume that’s been omitted, because DC are always going to DC.
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Wow, that second volume actually came out.
I’m bemused that somrthing with Sandman in the title, Vertigo on the spine (and not by Neil Gamian in 2025) couldn’t get a hardcover.
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Unfortunately, it seems that there’s a side one-shot (Sandman Midnight Theatre) that sits between Compendium 1 and this volume that’s been omitted, because DC are always going to DC.
It’s included in Absolute Sandman Vol. 5, along with Endless Nights and The Dream Hunters. IIRC, it’s more of a Sandman story than a SMT story (Gaiman wrote the script), so might have been a bit confusing to include, or they didn’t want to give Gaiman more money.
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DC Compact Comics has lots of nice priced gifts/stocking stuffers.
Lots to choose from and more coming:Batman: Under the Red Hood: DC Compact Comics Edition
384 pgs. – June 16th
collects the full original Red Hood saga from Batman #635–641, #645–650, and Batman Annual #25.
Batman: White Knight: DC Compact Comics Edition
216 pgs. – Feb. 16th
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow: DC Compact Comics
504 pgs. Jan. 6th
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Stargirl: The Lost Children
This is such a weird comic.
I’m not the greatest fan of Geoff Johns generally, but I do love Todd Nauck’s art and seeing that Secret from Young Justice was in this was enough to get me to bite.
And in one regard it’s great. Nauck’s art is possibly the best it’s ever been. He absolutely kills it here, with loads of crowd scenes that would break a lesser artist. Plus, there’s loads of new character designs in here, most of which are great (I especially like The Boom, although I’m not sold on her name).
Unfortunately, the reason behind all those new characters is less compelling. Part of the problem I’ve always had with Johns is that he’s a very regressive writer. His work is always about looking back to some halcyon past and rewinding comics to it, from bringing back Hal Jordan and Barry Allen, to reviving the JSA and ditching all the cool 90s reinventions like the android Hourman with facsimiles of the Golden Age originals.
His big idea for this mini-series is similar but of a slightly different approach. He seems to have decided that every Golden Age superhero should have had a kid sidekick (you know, that trope that went out in the 60s) and so retcons loads more into existence, even for heroes that no-one particularly cares about. Did anyone really think Dr Fate was missing a sidekick? Or the Dan Garrett version of Blue Beetle? Or the Red Bee?!
Quite what the point of all this is, I don’t really know. Apparently this is part of a wider thematic event – The New Golden Age – though there’s no mention of this anywhere on this collection (which is maybe for the best, as it probably would have deterred me from it). Is anyone going to make any further use of Cherry Bomb or Sparky outside of a crowd scene? It seems unlikely and most of these characters don’t get to do much here (Secret seems present entirely as fan service for Nauck and/or his existing fans, but at least it’s the same version of her from Young Justice, for whatever continuity matters these days). The entire premise of this series seems utterly self-indulgent and pointless.
It’s not a terribly satisfying story really. Although Stargirl gets to keep centre stage, Red Arrow gets increasingly marginalised through out, drowning in a sea of sidekicks. The plot doesn’t really make much of any sense (not helped by taking half an issue to have someone wang on about Flashpoint) there’s an island, whose beach is made of ground up Miraclo, on which loads of forgotten sidekicks have somehow ended up. Stargirl and Red Arrow, after being involved in a time-bending event, think Wing is still alive and follow in the footsteps of Dan The Dyna-Mite to said island, where a Baba Yaga called the Childminder is holding some of the kids and trying to capture the others, to deliver them to her buyer, who is the android Hourman from the 90s, except he’s working for Corky the Junior Time Master (who turns up to help the kids)’s evil adult self, who needs Wing to still die in the temporal event that killed him original, but not let any of the other kids back into continuity, for reasons. But he has his own time machines, cos he’s a Time Master, so I don’t get why he’s using Hourman nor Childminder, why they need Jay Garrick’s retcon daughter The Boom running on a treadmill to power something or other, nor why/how most of the kids ended up there beyond just “Flashpoint did it”.. And while I can buy Stargirl caring about the fate of Wing (the Crimson Avenger’s sidekick apparently), I’m not totally sure why most readers would. The attempts to build a theme around being forgotten and unloved doesn’t really work because, despite throwing in something about her biological dad, it’s not really relevant to Stargirl. It is to Red Arrow, but as I said, she gets increasingly displaced from focus.
Still, looks gorgeous.
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So, this is bonkers, Omar of Neat Mint Condition announced a new X-Men omnibus for August 2026…
X-Men: Blue and Gold: Bloodties Omnibus….
…except it turns out I already own the various, out-of-print OHC pieces of it! Surreal.1 user thanked author for this post.
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Superman: Love and Mercy
This volume effectively wraps up the Supercorp, Lex and Superweapon plots. And it does so in rather interesting ways.
Lex is back but not entirely reset either. It’s notable that his view of Lois losing her powers is way off too. It adds up to an intriguing status for the character, possibly more anti-hero than out-right villain.
One oddity is the next trade is not yet listed, but that’s OK as DC trades can take a while to turn up. I’m sceptical that they would cease collecting it.
Absolute Green Lantern Volume 1
An intriguing and very clever opening collection.
What’s particularly smart about it is it all works regardless of how much the reader knows. Know Green Lantern? Clever re-invention. Don’t know? Smart introduction. Know the Absolute line? It fits in well and adds to the others? Don’t know it? There’s refs to a larger world but the story works with them and they’re not the centre of it.
Will be back for the next trade in June 2026
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Absolute Flash Volume 1
It’s a fair criticism that these six issues are far from conclusive, that they are an opening shot, setting up the characters and plot, which will continue into the next volume. Thing is, they’re a really good opening shot.
It’s also a book that continues the Absolute’s line inspired re-invention of DC’s characters, combined with a careful sense of balance. It helps that the art has a kinetic style and sense of speed suited to the book too.
Batman and Robin: Year One
This book has a stellar reputation, did it live up to it? Oh yes. It doesn’t hurt that Waid and Samnee have worked before either. On their own, each is good, together they are excellent. Though, for all that it is page after page of superb art, I don’t think Samnee managed to top that chapter one opening double page splash of Gotham City.
Delving more into how Dick Grayson was adopted, and how he, Bruce and Alfred come to understand each, while tangling with a new enemy plotting a takeover, it is a well-paced tale. Waid never zooms it forward, neither does it drag, 12 issues feels the right span for it.
It’s always fun reading acclaimed comics, as there tends to be good reasons for them being so. At the same time, it is such comics that demonstrate the magic of the medium.
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The Human Target OHC
In some respects this is a very King book. A coolly collected, even cynical view of superheroes, but one for which the Black Label imprint is ideally suited for. It also demonstrates why King is more hit and miss on mainstream books.
That said, this is an interesting examination of both superheroes and perhaps the US in turn. It certainly became the book’s strongest card due to the void left by its central character.
I can’t say I ever cared a whit about Chance. King backing out of Guy being killed by him didn’t help either. Guy as an abusive ex, who’d likely do the now well known road of kill Ice then himself, fitted the world King conjured. One where there’s superpowers but little heroism. It’s a toxic world where everyone is running games, analysing everyone around them.
It does have an icy intrigue to it. This is due to Smallwood’s superb art which is an interesting mix of realism and the way Darwyn Cooke used single colours in his Parker adaptations
Overall, I’m not sure what I make of it. It’s a very good, but cold work. It’s very King. Art is excellent. Maybe the best way to look at it is as a Black Label book that proves the worth of the concept as this story is never being told any other way.
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Yeah, I liked King’s Human Target, but it didn’t really stay with me. It’s a bit of a clinical work.
I got myself the Image in the 2010s Humble Bundle, which had a lot of stuff that I haven’t read yet, or not in its entirety. Currently reading Kill 6 Billion Demons, which is an awesome journey through sci-fi/Hindu mythology where we follow a clueless heroine through a thoroughly fucked-up universe. Great art, and both writing and art kind of remind me of Brandon Graham. Which reminds me, the Prophet trades are also in this bundle and I’m very much looking forward to them.
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Friday OHC
Sometimes collaborations work, sometimes not. Matin’s The Private Eye with Vaughan didn’t work for me, but this one, with Brubaker, did.
Aside from being a damn good read, it’s also an excellent deminstration of how comics can be when freed from weekly or monthly serialising.
Told across nine chapters, previously collected as three trades, it’s very clear that it was designed to be read as a single piece. Nor are those chapters regimented in size, instead they vary as the story needs. Brubaker notes in the afterword that it was planned as a much shorter story, then it grew.
As this is a creepy mystery story, it’s best not to say too much about it. In its characters, plot, location and numerous twists and turns, all brought to life by the art, it flows brilliantly. You never find yourself questioning the narrative because you’re too invested and immersed in it. And that spell remains in place all the way to the end.
…well, for now. Brubaker says as much. If he and Matin were to return to Friday and Jones I think they’d have as much fun crafting it, as we’d do reading it.
Highly recommended.
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The Casebook of Hawksmoor Stamford
Kicking 2026 off with a banger, this is part Grandville prequel, part freestanding story, part Talbot’s homage to Conan Doyle and Sherlock, while also being 180 pages of graphic brilliance.
As should be obvious, I had a great time reading this. It’s both a very clever and very entertaining book, spinning out an intricate murder mystery, set against the backdrop of looming indepedence from France.
In contrast to Grandville, where we see LeBrock doing things, this story is told by Stamford. The perspective shift gives it a distinctly different feel and style. Talbot’s use of a copperscale effect across the pages, perhaps to better indicate it being a prequel, also creates that clear, separate identity.
Might there be more stories from Stamford? Maybe, after all Grandville started as one volume. But, if that is to happen, this one first needs to be a success, so how about you contribute to that by getting a copy? You’re unlikely to regret it.
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Nightwing – Taylor and Redondo
Had the first four trades plus Fear State and their final arc on the shelf for a while, finally got around to reading them. Taylor I’m more familar with, Redondo, bar his Superman Treasury work, which was superb, I know more by reputation. Which, from his work here, he more than lives up to.
The first arc is an excellent start. From the great, and very funny, flashback opening to Nightwing being back in the eternally corrupt Bludhaven. Then his inheritance from Alfred allows him to really start to push back on it all.
There’s also a family revelation around Tony Zucco’s daughter that, in the hands of a lesser writer, would likely be used for cheap drama. Taylor instead takes it in far better, more positive and interesting direction.
The Fear State interlude issues are OK, but very much stripped out from a larger story. Turns out DC’s numbering of the trades makes sense as they’re numbering the Taylor-Redondo ones and Fear State isn’t that.
The actual second volume starts off with the absurdly good and creative genius of Nightwing 87. A 22 page story told by a single panel running from double page to double page all the way to the end. It sounds both ludicrous and impossible, yet they pull it off brilliantly.
The rest of the trade sees the assassination attempts escalate, with Nightwing calling in help to deal with, while his phantom, new adversary Heartless remains in the shadows.
The third trade sees the plots with Blockbuster, the mob and the corrupt cops come to a very satisfying resolution. But, in turn, that opens up an opportunity for Heartless, which volume four deals with, including the 100th issue.
Along with adding a very cute puppy to the cast, Taylor develops the relationship between Dick and Babs. Again, it’d be easy to do cheap drams but he doesn’t. And these sequences are wonderfully illustrated by Redondo, and they are arguably harder to depict than the action scenes.
The final arc has Heartless frame Nightwing. Heigh ho, so far, standard villain stuff but it’s in the second half Taylor does some new moves. Like Bludhaven’s populace not buying what Heartless is selling. His identity is also revealed as a riff on what might have been if Alfred was a psychopath and Bruce wanted to be. Even better is the final, and I do mean final, resolution between them.
Another excellent pair of strands running through these collections is Alfred and Batman. Both of who Alfred was, how he chose to live and his legacy. But Taylor also gives us a Bruce Wayne and Batman who is as far as possible from the dysfunctional Bat-crap too many writers go for. It’s hugely refreshing.
I had a great time reading these. It’s currently hard to acquire in the UK, but after the fun I had, if I see a copy of the first Omnibus, going for a good price, I’d probably bag it.
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I quite liked The Last Days Of American Crime, but not sure it warrants the deluxe treatment.
I dunno…it might look nice on my shelf next to the hardcover of Remender’s A Righteous Thirst for Vengeance
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Catwoman Volume 2
This is a good conclusion to the arc. Art is good but not the equal of the last volume. The four issues collected wrap up the story of the Belov crime family and Selina’s involvement with them. Along the way there are some well-executed twists, as the Belovs, past and present, get what was always coming to them.
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The World of Black Hammer Library Edition Volume 6
HC – 264 pgs. – Sept. 29th
Jeff Lemire and Dean Ormston’s Eisner Award–winning Black Hammer superhero universe is given a closer look, with two complete series illustrated by some of the leading creators in comics in a deluxe oversized hardcover format.
Explore the farthest reaches of Spiral City and the strange mind of Colonel Randall Weird in this essential oversized hardcover collecting some of the most acclaimed and imaginative tales from the ever-expanding world of Black Hammer.
The Last Days of Black Hammer details the heroics of Joe Weber—the original hero known as Black Hammer—at the height of his power, along with the rest of the main Black Hammer heroes like Golden Gail, Abraham Slam, and Barbalien in the final days leading up their cataclysmic battle with the cosmic villain Anti-God and their imprisonment on the limbo farm!
In Colonel Weird and Little Andromeda, space-faring adventurer Colonel Weird sets forth on a journey to save his superhero colleagues from their rural purgatory by entering the Para-zone only to find himself paired with the much much younger Doctor Andromeda on a series of fantastical adventures through assorted worlds and dimensions.
Collects The Last Days of Black Hammer and Colonel Weird and Little Andromeda in a deluxe, oversized hardcover format with a new cover, sketchbook extras, and more!
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Oh, get lost with this crap of repackaging OHC-issued storirs but with another one bolted on. It’s one of the industry’s worst habits.
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All they had to do was Last Days of Black Hammer OHC, easy.
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Available for pre-order now:
Batman by Neal Adams: Absolute Edition 1967-1970
376 pgs. – Aug. 4th
Neal Adams’ legendary reimagining of Batman begins here—dark, grounded, and visually explosive. Across Gotham’s alleys, moody mansions, and supernatural corners, Adams’ dynamic realism reshapes the Caped Crusader for a new era, from the first appearance of Man-Bat to iconic team-ups in The Brave and the Bold, Detective Comics, and World’s Finest.
Teaming with writers including Denny O’Neil, Frank Robbins, and Bob Haney, Adams transforms Batman into a lean, haunted figure of noir intensity—an evolution that would define every modern version of the character. These stories introduce master criminals, occult threats, political conspiracies, and psychological mysteries, all rendered with the bold innovation that made Adams one of the most influential artists in comics history.
Eperience the complete works of Neal Adams on Batman from 1968 to 1970 in the oversize, beautiful, Absolute format! Return to the original art and colors in this celebratory volume (one of two).
Collects Batman #219; Detective Comics #395, #397, #400, #402; World’s Finest Comics #175–176; The Brave and the Bold #79–86.
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The Demon by Jack Kirby: Absolute Edition
600 pgs. – Sept. 1st
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The Demon by Jack Kirby: Absolute Edition
600 pgs. – Sept. 1st
No other infoI really enjoyed reading this when the newsprint HC came out (must be more than a decade ago now). Some of Kirby’s best art I think and some wild stories.
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Kirby’s run lasted 16 issues, at a time when individual issues had 17-20 pages of comics material. Simple math suggests that collecting all those issues (interiors plus covers) would result in a book of fewer than 350 pages. I’m curious how this will be padded out to 600 pages.
Here’s the solicit:
JACK KIRBY’S INFERNAL MASTERPIECE–THE DEMON, COMPLETE AND UNLEASHED! Part man, part elemental fury, Etrigan the Demon was bound to Jason Blood by Merlin to defend Camelot!
Now a demonologist in the streets of 1970s Gotham, he must face a barrage of gothic terror–Morgaine le Fey, Klarion the Witch Boy, and more! Collecting THE DEMON #1-16, featuring nearly 200 pages of original pencils and inks, as presented by the Kirby Museum with brand-new essays by the creators that carried forward the legacy of Etrigan, a brand-new foreword by horror legend Stephen Bissette, and more!
Nearly 200 pages of Kirby original art? That’s the kind of padding I can get behind.
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Los Monstruos Volume 1
And I really hope it gets a Volume 2 and more.
Taking all the monsters of 1950s movies, slinging them into a west coast US city and then using that for detective noir story is a superb set-up. It’s one that Robinson and Merino have a lot of fun with.
The story twists and turns across four issues, both introducing the world and characters, before concluding well, while leaving the door open for further tales. It’s a straight-forward and very fun book.
Johnny Red: Volume 2: A Couple of Heroes
Ennis and Burns on a WW2 story is one of the safest bets going, you know it’ll be good. Oh, they’re doing a final story set in 1945 for Johnny Redburn? Well, that heightens the stakes, but, to no one’s surprise, they pull it off.
Across 10 episodes and an epilogue, Ennis spins a twin track story in 1945, while weaving in both nods to and stories of times past. Along the way the cynicism of politics, secret police cruelty, the insanity of war, the British class system and probably a few other, very deserving targets get skewered.
What really boosts an already great tale is Ennis understands that an ending story does not have to mean killing everyone off. He also has trust in his readers being able to follow where allusions lead to, like the way nuclear weaponry is woven into a story of stopping a chemical weapon attack.
And then there’s Burns superb art which brings it all to life.
All right, what else do I have to say? Go out and buy it and read it.
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X-Men by Roy Thomas and Neal Adams Treasury Edition
Collecting issues 56-63 plus 65, which is more or less the end of the line for this incarnation. After this, from 67 onwards until the Claremont run started, it was reprints.
Strange as it sounds, sometimes a book being on the edge can give rise to excellent stories. Might as well go for broke in the face of cancellation and they go for it all right. Sentinels, Sauron, Magneto, Z’nox – they go through a good array of adversaries across the nine issues. And yes, Xavier is quite the arse in X-Men 65.
The Treasury format really enables Adams’ art to be shown off to the full. Kinetic, detailed, fluid, plus some very neat panel layouts, it’s spectacular stuff.
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Yep. Same here.
Uncanny X-Men Omnibus 1
Part 1 Up to the end of UXM 110
In a world without annual or even six-monthly events, so wedded are Marvel to that cycle, what happens? Well, combine that with a low tier book no one expected to take off and you get this. A set of issues that tend to have a main plot in the foreground, which may or may not resolve within the issue, and others running in the background.
The villain count across these issues is varied – Count Nefaria, Lang and Sentinels, Erik the Red and his mindfrelled pawns Havok and Polaris, Black Tom Cassidy and Juggernaut, a brief appearance by Magneto and then Emperor D’Ken. The last also brings in the Shi’Ar and the Imperial Guard.
As the issues go on you can see the creative team finding their team and getting more confident, as Claremont rotates various plots. As one story concludes, so does another take it place next issue. It makes for an effective mosaic of tales.
Marvel don’t print editions like this anymore, in the years since they’ve cut costs on the covers, binding and paper quality. I’m reading a 2006 edition and the nougties saw a good many excellent Omnibuses from Marvel.
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Uncanny X-Men Omnibus 1
Part 2 Up to the end of UXM 131, plus Annual 3.
A circus story starts off the next run then morphs into Magneto after revenge. It’s interesting to note at this point Claremont’s Magneto is a small, petty, vengeful figure. It’s hard to see anyone following him.
That story starts an extended split narrative that is only resolved in UXM125. Namely Jean and Beast escape Magneto’s full-on Bond villain underground volcanic base in Antartica as it explodes, they think the rest of the team dead and vice versa.
The rest of the X-Men hit an extended detour of the Savage Land, then Japan, followed by Canada, then when home they cross paths with Arcade. Along the way there’s a backstory for Xavier that introduces the Shadow King, then he legs it to space.
This arc also places Jean open to Wyngarde’s manipulations. His true allegiance only becoming clear towards the end when the Hellfire Club enter the picture. Talking of, despite these comics being plus 40 years old, a load of rich bastard villains who still want more, feels rather timely.
Before that there’s the reunifying of the team as they encounter the twin bastards of Moira’s abusive ex and psychopath, body-hopping, reality-reweaving son, Proteus.
There’s also an annual which features Perez art, but also a running riff of violent morons going straight to violence as soon as possible. In the annual its Arkron, but in earlier stories its the whole of “just following orders” Alpha Flight.
Overall there’s a great sense of flow to these stories. The X-Men are still finding their feet, they have both their flaws and limits. It also draws well on the Thomas-Adams stories too.
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The Sacrificers Deluxe Hardcover
336 pgs. – July 27th, 2027 (?!)
THE SACRIFICERS first two critically acclaimed arcs collected in deluxe, OVERSIZED, hardcover edition!
Tomorrow is a harmonious paradise thanks to five families who make everything perfect… for the price of one child per household. Now, as that bill comes due, a son expected to give everything for a family that never loved him, and an affluent daughter determined to destroy utopia, must unite to end one generation’s unnaturally protracted reign.
New York Times bestselling writer RICK REMENDER (LOW, DEADLY CLASS, Uncanny X-Force) joins forces with the superstar artists MAX FIUMARA (Amazing Spider-Man, FOUR EYES, Lucifer) and André Lima Araújo (A RIGHTEOUS THIRST FOR VENGEANCE), to take you through the dark fantasy world of THE SACRIFICERS!
This deluxe edition collects all issues (#1-11) every single cover, model sheets, some script, some pencils, and loaded with extra goodies.
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Batman: Gotham by Gaslight: Absolute Edition
232 pgs. – Oct. 6th
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Five Gears In Reverse: A Criminal Book
144 pgs. – June 23rd
A brand new CRIMINAL graphic novel featuring the legendary RICKY LAWLESS and the crazy tale of how he and MALLORY fell in love in the midst of a crime spree.
In one of the wildest, most action-packed books that Brubaker and Phillips have ever done, we delve deep into the life of one of CRIMINAL’s most complex and tragic characters, Ricky Lawless as he tries to pay off a deep debt to a mobster, while things just keep going from bad to worse.
FIVE GEARS IN REVERSE will have long-time CRIMINAL fans cheering the return of RICKY LAWLESS and new readers will find it a perfect jumping-on-point for the greatest crime comic series of the 21st century.
“Brubaker and Phillips don’t hit a wrong note.” – Shane Black
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Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring
144 pgs. – July 21st
The Eisner-nominated cozy-horror comic series returns in this sequel to the critically acclaimed first volume!
It’s been eight long years since a bloodlusting brown bear drove into the city, kidnapped a kind young duck, dissected his body, and buried the pieces in the woods. The duck’s family painstakingly sought justice…but this brown bear was smart…she covered her tracks…and in the ’80s, there simply wasn’t a way for the duck’s family to find answers.
But it’s not the ’80s anymore. Almost a decade after cuddly brown bear Samantha Strong solidified herself as the sole serial killer in Woodbrook, the world is entering a new era. As Samantha will soon find out, there are no secrets in the age of the internet. And those who lost loved ones to her massacre haven’t given up the flame of justice.
A reckoning is coming to Woodbrook. Join visionary writer and artist Patrick Horvath as he returns to the hit series that has taken the comic world by storm!
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Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring
I read the first volume of this and thought it was fucking awesome. The idea of doing a serial killer in a world populated with Wind-in-the-Willows-like characters sounds a bit like The Unfunnies, but it’s not that at all. It’s a bit more like Dexter, but it’s more straightforward and weirdly tender and touching than that. And the effect of doing it like this stylistically, instead of telling the story in the normal human world (which wouldn’t have really changed it at all) – well, it’s hard to describe the effect that has, but it does certainly have one.
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The Sacrificers Deluxe Hardcover
336 pgs. – July 27th, 2027 (?!)
THE SACRIFICERS first two critically acclaimed arcs collected in deluxe, OVERSIZED, hardcover edition!
Tomorrow is a harmonious paradise thanks to five families who make everything perfect… for the price of one child per household. Now, as that bill comes due, a son expected to give everything for a family that never loved him, and an affluent daughter determined to destroy utopia, must unite to end one generation’s unnaturally protracted reign.
New York Times bestselling writer RICK REMENDER (LOW, DEADLY CLASS, Uncanny X-Force) joins forces with the superstar artists MAX FIUMARA (Amazing Spider-Man, FOUR EYES, Lucifer) and André Lima Araújo (A RIGHTEOUS THIRST FOR VENGEANCE), to take you through the dark fantasy world of THE SACRIFICERS!
This deluxe edition collects all issues (#1-11) every single cover, model sheets, some script, some pencils, and loaded with extra goodies.
With it getting bumped again and the series ending at #21, wouldn’t be surprised if this becomes a complete series collection.
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Uncanny X-Men Omnibus 2
Part 1 Up to the end of UXM 140, plus Annual 4.
The first omnibus was printed 2006, the second 2014. Yep, eight years later!
This run of issues is where the entire creative team hit a high point. The Hellfire Club and the fight that ensues, including the surprising offing of Leland, followed by Dark Phoenix’s rampage, then its final resolution on the moon.
Reading it now, along with the knowledge of the various adaptation attempts, results in an interesting read. Culturally, the idea of a person losing control, and being unable to attain it despite wanting to, is an idea that tends to be suppressed. If anything the story hints at another, additional horror – that Jean Grey truly died in UXM 101 and the Phoenix kept her alive as a food source.
Then there’s the end. Claremont has a lot of ambiguity running through the story that perhaps gets missed. In their battles with Dark Phoenix, none of the X-men, including Wolverine, can bring themselves to kill her. Later, after hearing of the D’bari supernova and the five billion dead, there is reluctance and hesitancy ahead of the duel with the Imperial Guard. In the end, the Phoenix started with Jean Grey and it ended with her, with her setting up her own death via an ancient laser cannon, to stop it taking her over.
The handful of issues immediately after that are a comic version of a clip show episode, as Cyclops recaps the X-men’s history at Jean’s funeral, before leaving. Then the Annual changes the focus to Nightcrawler and a trip to “hell”. Then a two-part story that resolves the Alpha Flight hanging thread.
It’s notable that here Alpha Flight are no longer the macho morons they were previously portrayed as. While there’s a battle with Wendigo, the final resolution isn’t via that road. Nightcrawler’s story takes a similar path. The issues also cover Kitty Pryde’s intro to the X-men properly.
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Uncanny X-Men Omnibus 2
Part 2 Up to the end of UXM 150, plus Avengers Annual 10.
One thing that is interesting here is the economy of story telling. The road to Dark Phoenix is longer, but the explosion of it is a handful of issues. Now Marvel’d render it a line-wide event. It also applies to the two part Days of Future Past.
This story does all manner of smart moves, spinning out a split narrative across present 1980 and future 2013, it keeps the stakes high right until the end, nor is it an out-right win for the X-men.
This is followed by Kitty getting a solo story where she fights a demon, trashing the mansion, danger room and blackbird jet in the process! To such a degree the next few issues feature the steady progress of repairs. Oh, and Xavier’s skint.
These issues skip between the X-men tangling with Doom and Arcade and Cyclops adventures in the Caribbean. Those include a fight with a demon called D’spayre before getting stranded on an island then stumbling on a mysterious ruin island run by Magneto. The X-men get roped into an elaborate revenge plot by Arcade that needs x-men old and new to defeat it. There’s a smart finale to it too, where being confined has sent Storm off the deep end, but where talking down Dark Phoenix failed, it works here, in part due to Storm’s memory of that.
Next is an Avengers story that sees Rogue’s debut, as a member of Mystique’s brotherhood, doing a jailbreak. While that and the resultant fights are centre stage, the story is one of violations inflicted twice over on Carol Danvers. First by Rogue in the present and by Marcus in the past.
Then UXM 150. Preluded by Xavier suspecting Magneto to be up to something, with the X-men being sent to the abandoned antartic base for clues, which sees them engaging Garokk once more.
Turns out Magneto is indeed and has found some sort of ancient tech that both acts as power dampener, except for him, and allows for manipulation of earth’s crust. If the rulers of the world don’t hand over power to Magneto, its volcanoes for all.
Cue fight, where it is a far more even match than their previous encounters. Kitty wrecks Magneto’s new toy so he attacks her, lethally. But upon seeing who, and what he has slain, Kitty is still a teenage kid, also a Jewish teenage kid, which slices through all of Magneto’s professed justifications, he can no longer continue fighting, gives up and escapes. Earlier in the issue he talks of his time in Auschwitz. Obviously Kitty isn’t dead but was hard hit.
This set of issues shows off well Claremont’s skill at rolling out consequences by building on previous stories – Arcade, Garokk, Dark Phoenix, Magneto. At the sane time they also highlight the strength of the ensemble cast. Jean’s dead, Scott’s wrecked, but the story continues just fine.
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DARWYN COOKE’S THE COMPLETE SPIRIT CONNOISSEUR EDITION HC
The Spirit OHC has arrived and it is stunning. A slipcased hardback that goes perfectly with the Parker Martini editions and Absolute New Frontier.
Not cheap but definitely worth it.
If you’re a Cooke fan, it’s well worth it.
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Now available for pre-order.
Silver Surfer: The Infinity Gauntlet Omnibus
1384 pgs. – Nov. 3rd
COLLECTING: Silver Surfer (1987) #34-66, Silver Surfer Annual (1988) #3-4, Thanos Quest (1990) #1-2, Infinity Gauntlet (1991) #1-6; material from Marvel Comics Presents (1988) #50, #69, #93-97
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Alex Ross Marvel Dimensions: A Graphic Novel (Marvel Arts)
112 pgs. – Hardcover – Sept. 1st
Alex Ross, the award-winning and bestselling creator of Marvels, Kingdom Come, and Fantastic Four: Full Circle, takes readers through the Marvel Universe–but all is not as it seems
Marvel Dimensions is legendary artist Alex Ross’ second book in the Marvel Arts series, following the national bestselling, critically acclaimed, and award-winning Fantastic Four: Full Circle.
The story opens with a sweeping tour through the classic origins of Marvel’s most iconic characters. Spider-Man, the Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, Wolverine, and many others appear in dramatic, fully painted spreads that echo their earliest stories. A narrator describes each moment with confidence, guiding the reader through these touchstones of Marvel’s history. But as the story moves forward, the tone begins to shift. The voice behind the narration is not who the readers expect and carries a motive that slowly pushes the narrative somewhere darker and far more unpredictable.
Once this change becomes clear, the book expands into something larger and more surprising. Storylines twist in on themselves, characters behave in unexpected ways, and events ripple across the Marvel Universe with growing tensions. Ross uses the structure of the book to create anticipation and pull the reader deeper into a mystery that keeps widening. Every new sequence reveals another layer, building toward a final act that reframes everything that came before it. A bonus 32-page comic book is included that is pivotal to the storyline.
With Marvel Dimensions, Ross approaches the Marvel Universe from a new angle with new character invention that invites readers to question what they think and what they know. Marvel Dimensions may be the latest title in the Marvel Arts line . . . but it is only the beginning.
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Uncanny X-Men Omnibus 2
Part 3 Up to the end of UXM 153, plus Giant-Size X-men 1, Marvel Fanfare 1-4 and supplemental material.
I had thought I was near the end of this omnibus but was instead far from it, as this is probably about 10 issues of material.
It starts off with an expanded tale in the giant size special, with the Fantastic four being abducted by the Badoon, who have invaded and occupied Arkon’s world. Adding to the peril is that the Badoon are being backed by traitor Shi’Ar, including stargate tech. A multi-front, high-risk strategy from Cyclops eventually sees the Badoon successfully ejected.
A two-part story follows that sees the return of the Hellfire Club, with Kitty’s parents sending her to the White Queen’s academy. Said academy is depicted as a bunch of perfect snobs. It also emphasises the selfish aspect of the Hellfire Club. Unlike Magneto they aren’t engaged in bad acts for good ends, they’re a bunch of selfish bastards to the core.
The Hellfire Club’s assault on the mansion is also backed up by new sentinels. It also sees Storm be mind-swapped with the White Queen, including powers. Interestingly, it is Storm who becomes more adept at adjusting to the situation, while Frost loses control of the stolen powers, which is how she ends up frying Shaw into a coma, ending, for a time, the conflict between them and the X-men.
The Marvel Fanfare story sees Spider-man and Angel despatched to the Savage Land. There they encounter a team of enhanced mutants, armed with an evolution transforner. As part of fighting them, they find Lykos, who in saving them from one dire end, succumbs to being Sauron once more. They eventually they team up with Ka-zar to end the threat by taking out the transformer, reverting the mutants and manage to drain Sauron enough for him to change back.
Before it hits the supplemental material, which is mostly OK, the alternative version of UXM 137 makes a very strong case for the version that saw print, there’s one last issue.
UXM 153 sees Kitty telling Illyana a fairy tale that casts the X-men in lead parts. What elevates it beyond being merely a fun story is the X-men start to overhear it, and decide to covertly listen in!
Overall, a lot of interesting things happen across this omnibus, both on and off the page. Byrne and Austin depart, Cockrum returns, Louise Simonson starts as editor. Characters die, leave, return, depart. There’s the death of a star system, a dark future story before anyone else was doing them, mixed with some lighter fare. Nor does it spare the villains either, as shown by how disastrously the Hellfire Club’s gambit turns against them.
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My copy of I Hate Fairyland OHC4 arrived and it got me thinking about the series.
At first I thought it a short-form hit, but turns out it had far more fuel in the tank, and is heading towards it’s 50th issue! A large part of the fun is Young ripping the hell out of fairy tales, while Gert continues as the story’s psychopath, mass murdering lead.
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Uncanny X-Men Omnibus 3
Part 2 X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills, UXM 168-175, Annual 7, Wolverine 1-4 and Magik 1-4.
As an isolated story, God Loves, Man Kills is superb, and scarily timeless. Read as part of Claremont’s run, however, gives it a few added impacts. Like it being the first X-Men / Magneto alliance or Xavier making it very clear he knows Magneto. It also draws well on Magnus’ more recently established history. It’s also of note that it is Stryker who, by his own toxic extremism, destroys himself and his ideology, first by killing his daughter in full view of everyone, then attempting to shoot Kitty.
The next few issues see Kitty convincing Xavier that she belongs with the X-Men. Then the Morlocks enter the picture, with Storm eventually near killing Callisto in a duel. Then Rogue turns up, wanting to defect, just as Binary returns to earth and guess who’s target number one?
The book then catches up with Logan. Again, this Claremont-Miller mini-series is a well-known classic, but it works even better when read as part of a wider tapestry. This leads into a pair of weddings, Logan and Mariko, who gets hit by Mastermind, then Scott and Madelyne, after Scott foils Mastermind’s schemes. The remaining stories are an Annual featuring the Impossible Man then the Magik.mini, which covers Iilyana’s time in limbo.
It’s in this Omnibus you start to see the growing expansion from a book to a group. There’s the New Mutants book plus the two mini-series and it’s all being woven together by Claremont writing all of it.
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Batman: The Black Casebook: Deluxe Edition
352 pgs. – HC – Nov. 10th
Experience the bizarre and reality-warping Batman tales from the 1950s and 1960s that inspired Grant Morrison’s Batman R.I.P. with this DC Deluxe Edition featuring exclusive bonus material!
The stories that inspired Grant Morrison’s legendary run are finally collected in oversized cover, presented as an in-world artifact from the DC Universe. With a brand-new introduction by Bruce Wayne (as written by Chris Burnham), witness the story of the Batman donning the colors of the rainbow, his first encounter with the Batmen of All Nations, the Superman of Planet X, Bat-Mite, and more.
Collecting stories from Detective Comics #148, #215, #235, #241, #247, and #267; Batman #62, #65, #77, #86, #112, #113, #134, #153, #156, #162, #180, and #452-454; and World’s Finest Comics #89 and #223, along with a story by Morrison and Burnham from Detective Comics #1027.
Are you brave enough to learn the truth behind Batman’s most unbelievable tales? Welcome Batman’s personal accounts of these strange events into your library now.
____________________Zenith: Full Colour Omnibus Edition
352 pgs. – HC – Dec. 1st
The ultimate edition of Grant Morrison and Steve Yeowell’s superpowered masterpiece!
In Berlin, 1945, the Allies unleashed Maximan to take on the German super soldier Masterman. Maximan’s defeat was only kept secret by the nuclear bomb that destroyed both men. Forty-plus years later, and twenty years after a generation of ’60s British superpowered heroes came and went, the teenage pop star Zenith is the only superhuman left. His only interests – women, drugs, alcohol and fame. So, when he is contacted about the threat from the many-angled ones and the impending destruction of our world, his first reaction is to steer well clear. But the superhumans of the past have other plans…
Grant Morrison and Steve Yeowell’s ground-breaking superhero odyssey is back and presented for the first time in full colour. From the pages of 2000 AD, this beloved classic represents a highpoint in the fifty-year history of the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic. Lovingly coloured by JP Jordan, sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll has never looked so good.
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Unfinished Tales
144 pgs. – HC – Dec. 8th
A shocking new original graphic novel from the legendary team of Brubaker and Phillips!
Finnegan Blake is one of the most successful authors in the world, but he can’t enjoy all the fame and fortune anymore. Because Finn is ten years past his deadline on the final book in his epic fantasy series, and has no hope of ever finishing it. Until an old friend shows up with the perfect solution to his writers block. But their pact soon turns dark, as egos clash and old secrets emerge, leading Finn to wonder exactly what kind of deal he’s made, and how far he’s willing to go to get this final book onto the bestseller list. Most writers would kill for Finn’s life… will he?
The Lord of the Rings meets The Talented Mr Ripley in this paranoid thriller by the grand masters of comics noir. UNFINISHED TALES is the must-have graphic novel for the Christmas season, from the red hot creators of RECKLESS, THE FADE OUT, KILL OR BE KILLED and CRIMINAL (coming in 2026 to Prime Video).
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The Deviant Deluxe Hardcover
312 pgs. – HC – Dec. 1st
Eisner Award Nominee for Best Limited Series • American Library Association 2024 Best Graphic Novels for Adults Top Ten
Hannibal meets Silent Night, Deadly Night in this pitch-black holiday horror story that cuts right through our most unspoken cultural taboos.
As snow falls over Milwaukee in 1972, a blood-stained Santa Claus commits unimaginable atrocities against young men. Fifty years later, a troubled young writer interviews this so-called “Deviant Killer,” who still maintains his innocence from behind bars. And as Christmas approaches once again, the past returns, wielding a sharpened ax.
Eisner-winning writer JAMES TYNION IV (EXQUISITE CORPSES, THE DEPARTMENT OF TRUTH) and acclaimed artist JOSHUA HIXSON (The Plot, Absolute Batman) unite for a psychological crime thriller that explores the intersection of queer identities and a broader scope of cultural transgression and deviance.
This deluxe hardcover edition collects the entire nine-issue series, along with a cover gallery and exclusive developmental material to offer readers a never-before-seen look behind the mask.
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W0RLDTR33 Deluxe Hardcover Volume 1
492 pgs. – Sept 8th
A dark techno-thriller about hackers who discover a hidden layer of the internet that can reshape reality—and is rapidly learning how to control it.
In 1999, Gabriel and his friends discovered the Undernet—a secret architecture to the internet. They charted their exploration on a message board called W0RLDTR33.
Then they lost control. Someone broke into W0RLDTR33–someone who welcomed the violent hold the Undernet had on them. At great personal cost, Gabriel and the others thought they sealed the Undernet away for good.
They were wrong. And now the whole world will know the meaning of PH34R.
The first three arcs of the taboo-shattering series by Multiple Eisner Award-winning writer JAMES TYNION IV (The Department of Truth, Exquisite Corpses) and superstar artist Fernando Blanco (Detective Comics) are collected here for the first time in deluxe hardcover format.
Collects issues #1-16, a cover gallery, and initial design material.
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Harbinger’s got its moments for sure, but I far prefer the relaunch version.
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Yeah, the relaunch was very good.
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A MISCHIEF OF MAGPIES
144 pgs. – HC – DSTLRY – Dec. 1st
NEW DSTLRY GRAPHIC NOVEL DEBUT FROM SIMON SPURRIER AND MATÍAS BERGARA!
Mar has a secret. Sometimes, without warning, he falls out of the world. This would be an inconvenience if his life wasn’t already such a drag.
When he’s gone, he finds himself in an extraordinary city. A city which is also a machine, endlessly crossing a shoreless ocean. A city of two halves: the bright, bustling spires above the waves, and the beast-haunted twilight halls below. And between, clowning along the rusting beach, a troupe of anarchic magpies with all the answers but none of the questions.
Recipients of the Angoulême Sélection Officielle, GLAAD Award, and multiple Eisner Award nominations, creators Simon Spurrier and Mat as Bergara present a new fantasy masterpiece in the tradition of Coda and Step By Bloody Step, driving the comics medium into new, beautiful, baleful waters.
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A MISCHIEF OF MAGPIES
144 pgs. – HC – DSTLRY – Dec. 1st
NEW DSTLRY GRAPHIC NOVEL DEBUT FROM SIMON SPURRIER AND MATÍAS BERGARA!
Mar has a secret. Sometimes, without warning, he falls out of the world. This would be an inconvenience if his life wasn’t already such a drag.
When he’s gone, he finds himself in an extraordinary city. A city which is also a machine, endlessly crossing a shoreless ocean. A city of two halves: the bright, bustling spires above the waves, and the beast-haunted twilight halls below. And between, clowning along the rusting beach, a troupe of anarchic magpies with all the answers but none of the questions.
Recipients of the Angoulême Sélection Officielle, GLAAD Award, and multiple Eisner Award nominations, creators Simon Spurrier and Mat as Bergara present a new fantasy masterpiece in the tradition of Coda and Step By Bloody Step, driving the comics medium into new, beautiful, baleful waters.
Wait, so are DSTLRY going straight to trade on these series now rather than releasing single issues?
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Coming out 31 Never Ever.
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Kamandi by Jack Kirby Omnibus (New Edition)
896 pgs. – Aug. 4th
This deluxe omnibus edition collects issues #1-40 of the beloved classic Kamandi, The Last Boy on Earth and features informative essays from acclaimed artist and storyteller Bruce Timm and longtime Kirby collaborator Mike Royer.
This volume presents the complete Jack Kirby Kamandi saga—an essential cornerstone of DC’s Bronze Age and a testament to the King’s boundless imagination.
DC Finest: Justice League of America: Crisis on Earth-X
624 pgs. – Aug 4th
Across the multiverse, worlds live or die on the Justice League’s next move. From the Nazi-ruled Earth-X to the metafictional Earth-Prime, these landmark adventures showcase the super-team at their most iconic. This DC Finest volume celebrates the definitive Bronze Age era of Justice League of America, headlined by writer Len Wein and artist Dick Dillin.
In this volume, members of the JLA and JSA from Earth-2 are unexpectedly transported to Earth-X, where they must help that world’s heroes defeat a Nazi regime that won World War II. But it’s not all danger and doom, for amidst the chaos, the JLA finds time to save Christmas and attend an intergalactic wedding!
Collects Justice League of America #103-132.
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The Unchosen
Marquez is an artist who will always get my attention as I really like his style. But how does he do at writing? As it happens, not bad. Sure, it’s a fairly conventional magic school story, but there’s some neat surprises here too. As an opening act goes, it’s very good with superb art, just hope Marquez can return to it to do a Volume 2.
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Kill All Immortals
Had I read this before knowing it’d get a second and third volume, I would have viewed it differently. As it is, it’s a great opening act to Kaplan’s new longer form series. Generally he’s done freestanding tales for the last few years, but did also do Eclipse and Port of Earth.
I also find his work to often be an engaging read with good collaborators. Here, the story spun is of an immortal Viking family and how it all comes undone. Add in some good action scenes amid glove trotting and it’s a fun time.
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Uncanny X-Men Omnibus 4
Part 1: UXM 176-188
Reading this set of issues made it very clear as to why I’ve never had a clear sense of Claremont’s run. The flow and character arcs across the set are excellent, it all works very effectively.
Yet, if you, with no knowledge of the X-men, ask me why it is so good I likely cannot tell you. The problem is these stories work due to the preceding 100-odd issues before them and the history they established. And now there’s a parallel book, New Mutants, in the mix, oh and an event called Secret Wars poked its nose in!
Any summary attempt would be both long and doomed to failure. There’s too much subtlety and nuance to it, the relationships between the various characters reflecting this. Along with numerous plots and sub-plots running.
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Superman: The Triangle Era Omnibus Vol. 3
1520 pgs. – Aug. 11th
The era that reshaped Superman continues in this massive third volume, as the Reign of the Supermen begins!
This direct continuation of the Death of Superman storyline features the debuts of Steel and the clone Superboy, plus even more unforgettable moments, such as the destruction of Coast City and Kal-El donning the black Kryptonian war suit for the first time!
Following the in-demand two previous installments, Superman: The Triangle Era Omnibus Vol. 3 collects Action Comics #687-697, Action Comics Annual #5, Adventures of Superman # 500-510, Adventures of Superman Annual #5, Superman #78-88, Superman Annual #5, Superman: The Man of Steel #22-32, Superman: The Man of Steel Annual #2, and Green Lantern #46, plus the Superman/Doomsday: Hunter/Prey miniseries written and illustrated by Dan Jurgens.
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Trinity: Daughter of Wonder Woman
Tom King is a serious writer who writes of serious things, so how did he write this? As the series collected here is a screwball comedy involving super-corgis. Yes, super-corgies, how? That’d be telling.
At the same time this has its serious side, as comedy is that too. But King has found a way to do both in a way that’s lighter but no less effective. Which, in a way, is what comedy is all about.
It’s also a key piece of his ongoing story with Wonder Woman. That was unexpected but also fits. The series biggest accomplishment is moving Trinity away from being a super-competitive super-brat.
Overall, this is a very smart, fun book that hugely improves its lead character, while using DC continuity to the full, in a way that works without the reader knowing it. Oh and, as usual, Alfred steals the show in his chapter.
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Deadly Tales of the Gunslinger Volume 1
I know of Spawn but never read it. Don’t know the character at all. So why go for this book? One, it’s a western superhero fusion. Two, the bigger reason, is it’s written by Palmiotti, who’s work I’ve enjoyed on Harley Quinn, Jonah Hex and All Star Western.
It should be no surprise that he’s perfect for this book and that it works for someond like me. While there is an ongoing plot of the Gunslinger seeking his missing sister, this far more a collection of linked, short stories.
Art is good across the set too. There’s some very neat moments too that reflect the character, time and situation. Whether that is practically being fed to wolves or a mouthful of dynamite.
Volume 2? Yes, I’ll be back for that.
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