DC Hardcover Collected Editions Part 3

[Pete Wisdom]

So, we win? Just like with JSA omni, DC listens and responds in kind. Hooray internet!

Yes, you win. Instead of complete GLC by Gibbons you get first five and last five issues of it in a book that doesn't really need them. Good job!

[ukbondraider]

Why has GLC 1-13 been omitted? Is it not key to the story.

I have all GL absolutes and HCs and GLC tbps and am tempted to double dip on this. I just dislike having some of the collection in paperback only namely the GLC trades.

[victorxd1999]

Damn, I thought exactly the same. I wanted to skip because of the poor content but now I can't resist 65 bucks for more than 45 issues. Damn, I just pre-ordered it.

[TheTemp]

Why has GLC 1-13 been omitted? Is it not key to the story.

I have all GL absolutes and HCs and GLC tbps and am tempted to double dip on this. I just dislike having some of the collection in paperback only namely the GLC trades.

Because as the title of the Omnibus says, 'Green Lantern by Geoff Johns' and he didn't write the GLC series other then the "Recharge" mini. They aren't essential but I guess you can argue they add to the overall scope of the Lantern universe that Johns and others were creating. However other then the Sinestro Corps issues that they did add, they aren't really required.

[Dave Wallace]

How is the binding on the Doom Patrol omnibus? Sewn or glued? Appear to be good quality?

Seems the same as the Animal Man omnibus - a bit tight at first, but I think it'll loosen up a little bit with reading.

[PLEDGE]

What I love about Morrison is that, in nearly all his works, it requires at lot more "participation" on the reader's part than with another author. I'd be lying if I said that his plots and themes can be opaque at first, but, like, a magic eye picture from the 80s, the meaning reveals itself to you.

I found that his works like Animal man, the Invisibles, Flex Mentallo, and All-Star Superman genuinely changed the way I thought about the world, the universe, religion, philosophy, and other areas. No other writer (with the possible exception of Alan Moore funnily enough) has written things that have made me do that. Whereas most writers use simply the words and art as their canvas upon which to communicate and idea, Morrison uses meta-narrative, historical context, book layout, and other non-tradition tools to paint a picture with several dimensions of depth.

[VERY MINOR SPOILERS FOR ALL-STAR SUPERMAN AND ANIMAL MAN IN NEXT PARAGRAPH]

Furthermore, each of his books informs a unique understanding of his other books. It's like his bibliography itself is a narrative he's been slowly unraveling throughout his career. Here's an example: In Final Crisis, we're told that gods are nothing but self-aware ideas. An idea is self-aware when it can perpetuate itself, almost independent of the thinker. In All-Star Superman, we're told that Superman is an idea we came up with as something to strive toward. He's the perfect being, perfect, loving, humble, and infallible. He's an idea that has lasted several generations and maintained his core elements. He's an idea that has drastically affected culture in profound, incalculable ways. How then, is Superman not God (or a god depending on your beliefs)? [MINOR SPOILERS IN NEXT SENTENCE FOR ALL-STAR SUPERMAN]. Indeed, in what is arguably All-Star Superman's greatest issue, we see him create our world, then we see Shuster and Seagle create him in an infinite loop of creation [END SPOILERS]. Then, think of the concept of "fiction suits" as explored in The Invisibles. [MINOR SPOILERS IN NEXT SENTENCE FOR ANIMAL MAN] Just as supra-temporal, supra-dimensional beings could lower themselves to our lesser plane, so Morrison lowers himself into his own fiction to have a discourse with his creation. Creator dialoging with creation. [END SPOILERS].

As is probably obvious now, I could write about different aspects of Morrison genius all day, but suffice it to say that his material is much, much more than intentionally incomprehensible gobbledygook. It's profound.

Also, read his autobiography / history of comics through a unique perspective called Supergods.

That's all well and good, but I think there's a thin line between 'audience participation' and just poor story telling. While I have enjoyed some of Morrison's work and found his ideas at the very least to be promising, a story teller should never let anything deter his number one priority: conveying the story to the reader. If the reader doesn't know what is going on..and is then forced to read supplementary material just to make sense of it all...that's potentially a weakness, not a strength. Of course, it will vary from case to case...for me, All Star Superman was pretty easy to digest without having read anything else by Morrison or any other context filler. Batman R.I.P. on the other hand, was almost completely lost on a lot of readers, unless they went back and did a lot of peripheral reading. Morrison is a writer who focuses more on an idea, than the character or story...which is a very hit and miss approach imo.

[Johnny Thunders!]

I have always felt the Morrison's hidden strength was his characterization. In books like Batman and Robin, his dialogue between Alfred and Grayson are spot on. Same with Bruce and Gordon in I think it was RIP. His plots are very dense and his transition between ideas are jarring. Still, with repeated readings of the comics, the reward is extraordinary. I don't read comics just for story, I read comics for the unique experience of comic books, and at their most ambitious, Morrison is at the forefront. My Doom Patrol Omnibus is on order! Can't wait. I find the supplementary stuff on ideas and religion, they bring a lot to the work, but the comics themselves hold up.

[No_Problem]

Damn, if the GL omnibus really is complete and has no content problems that means I'm actually gonna have to get it. Been meaning to read Johns run for a while now.

So for someone new to GL, is this omnibus a good way to start?
Is there something else that would be advisable to read first?
Finally is there some specific issues or story that would be best to read first to be sure I really like it before going head first?

[victorxd1999]

So for someone new to GL, is this omnibus a good way to start?
Is there something else that would be advisable to read first?
Finally is there some specific issues or story that would be best to read first to be sure I really like it before going head first?

If you want a taste you can get Green lantern Secret Origins I think. It also gives you some more info about Hal Jordan. Johns' GL is the a good start for new readers

[TomSlick]

Yes, you win. Instead of complete GLC by Gibbons you get first five and last five issues of it in a book that doesn't really need them. Good job!

Nah, we probably were never - as much as I want one - going to get a complete GLC, so it's a victory.

[Captain Planet]

That's all well and good, but I think there's a thin line between 'audience participation' and just poor story telling. While I have enjoyed some of Morrison's work and found his ideas at the very least to be promising, a story teller should never let anything deter his number one priority: conveying the story to the reader.

This is one of the major factors for me in deciding whether or not to get his DP (price being the biggest one). Morrison often tells an interesting story and I love putting a little elbow grease into reading but more often than not, he has trouble getting presenting a clear story. I think it's very hard to tell a symbolic story and present a theme or message without having to spell it out and it takes a huge degree of skill to walk the line between story-telling through allusion and just being confusing.

For me, Grant too often is just confusing and un-edited. He needs someone to reign him in. Books like Animal are early on and he was reigned in by the property so they tell a more coherent story. Picking up Doom Patrol is hugely dependent on whether or not his run fits in the layered story telling or the idea explosion that seems to flow out of his brain so fast he doesn't have time to organized it all.

[The Lucky One]

I have always felt the Morrison's hidden strength was his characterization.

I'd somewhat agree, with the caveat that he's somewhat hit-or-miss in terms of capturing the voices of longstanding characters. Everyone raves about New X-Men, and I dearly wish I loved it too, but I read it and all I see is characters who have the same powers as the X-Men (mostly), and who look a bit like the X-Men if you squint hard enough, and who act and sound nothing like the X-Men... not the ones I know, anyway, the Claremont et al. X-Men. I've often said that I think I'd really like NXM if it featured brand new characters, or if I came to it new or nearly new to the X-Men. But it doesn't, so I read it and all I think is, "Who are these characters?"

But on the other hand, he's absolutely capable of respecting past characterization and capturing existing voices when he wants to, as seen in JLA and plenty of other books. So I don't know what the difference is -- if he just needs a strong editor and Marvel gave him too much free reign, or said "Just pretend it's the Ultimate X-Men and these are brand-new characters," or what.

[Balakin]

I'd somewhat agree, with the caveat that he's somewhat hit-or-miss in terms of capturing the voices of longstanding characters. Everyone raves about New X-Men, and I dearly wish I loved it too, but I read it and all I see is characters who have the same powers as the X-Men (mostly), and who look a bit like the X-Men if you squint hard enough, and who act and sound nothing like the X-Men... not the ones I know, anyway, the Claremont et al. X-Men. I've often said that I think I'd really like NXM if it featured brand new characters, or if I came to it new or nearly new to the X-Men. But it doesn't, so I read it and all I think is, "Who are these characters?"

But on the other hand, he's absolutely capable of respecting past characterization and capturing existing voices when he wants to, as seen in JLA and plenty of other books. So I don't know what the difference is -- if he just needs a strong editor and Marvel gave him too much free reign, or said "Just pretend it's the Ultimate X-Men and these are brand-new characters," or what.

Have you read his X-men manifesto? He wanted a fresh start, a new, hip, modern X-men for the kids of the 21th century. It was intentional. I think everything he does is intentional, but I don't say if you don't get it, you are stupid, or anything like this. Lots of times, I don't get it either, but I enjoy reading annotations and analysis, and the fact that you have to do this sometimes I don't think is a fault of Morrison or the reader.
It's like modern art. It's not always pretty and you don't always get what it wants to say but if somebody explains it to you a whole new dimension of the piece will reveal itself. When I was attending an art history class, I always loved to learn about modern art, it was exciting. Maybe that's why Morrison appeals to me.

[ER Prest]

Would have thought it would be better & cheaper to pick up the GL Omnibus and the tpbs for GLC, rather than tpbs for the whole lot? Then you can have a "run" of GL Omnis and a run of GLC tpbs.

Well, I already own the tpbs of both series up to Blackest Night....

[TomSlick]

This is one of the major factors for me in deciding whether or not to get his DP (price being the biggest one). Morrison often tells an interesting story and I love putting a little elbow grease into reading but more often than not, he has trouble getting presenting a clear story. I think it's very hard to tell a symbolic story and present a theme or message without having to spell it out and it takes a huge degree of skill to walk the line between story-telling through allusion and just being confusing.

For me, Grant too often is just confusing and un-edited. He needs someone to reign him in. Books like Animal are early on and he was reigned in by the property so they tell a more coherent story. Picking up Doom Patrol is hugely dependent on whether or not his run fits in the layered story telling or the idea explosion that seems to flow out of his brain so fast he doesn't have time to organized it all.

This is an easily understandable series, even more so, I feel, than Animal Man. In fact, I've long said that this is my favorite Morrison work - and I'm not a Morrison fan boy. This has one of the all-time best, ass-kicking, hitting on all cylinders, balls to the wall, endings that's I can recall. I mean, everything and the kitchen sink gets thrown in!

And then that final issue. Oh wow!

Is there some weirdness? Yeah. One of the characters is a transvestite street. But, it's cool weirdness, not like some of the incomprehensible stuff he threw into the Invisibles.