DC Hardcover Collected Editions Part 3

[Jeff Brady]

I've just spotted a new printing of Batman Cataclysm on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Batman-Catac...P3YCF4FQXWQA5T

Very interesting. I wonder if it includes The Road to No Man's Land.

Edit: Nope, just read the full description. Oh well.

[TheTemp]

Pretty sure I Just got my Future's End Omnibus and Identity Crisis 10th Anniversary Edition, in the mail. I'll have to pick them up after work, and for anybody interested I'll post pics of Identity Crisis!

[lvizzz]

Second Green Lantern omni showed up on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Green-Lanter...EM7K8PHM6BXM6Z

I have first one pre-ordered with good 55 quid price but I'm not sure should I get it as Omnibus or few Absolutes.

[The_Dark_Knight]

Second Green Lantern omni showed up on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Green-Lanter...EM7K8PHM6BXM6Z

I have first one pre-ordered with good 55 quid price but I'm not sure should I get it as Omnibus or few Absolutes.

As an owner of the Absolutes, I can say all 3 of the GL Absys benefit tremendously from the "IMAX" format. However, only Rebirth, Sinestro Corps War, and Blackest Night are collected in that format. This leaves a lot of material out that will, of course, be included in the omnis. It's not quite like choosing between the Absolutes and omnis of Sandman or Planetary because of the extreme content discrepancy. If you're starting your GL collection now, I'd go with the omnis.
I bought the Absolutes before the omnis were announced, so I find myself in a bit of a pickle - a pickle that will inevitably involve me owning all the GL Absolutes and omnis ....

[Commissioner Gordon]

As an owner of the Absolutes, I can say all 3 of the GL Absys benefit tremendously from the "IMAX" format. However, only Rebirth, Sinestro Corps War, and Blackest Night are collected in that format. This leaves a lot of material out that will, of course, be included in the omnis. It's not quite like choosing between the Absolutes and omnis of Sandman or Planetary because of the extreme content discrepancy. If you're starting your GL collection now, I'd go with the omnis.
I bought the Absolutes before the omnis were announced, so I find myself in a bit of a pickle - a pickle that will inevitably involve me owning all the GL Absolutes and omnis ....

Honestly, I'm just going to be sticking with the Absolutes. I read the whole pre-New 52 Johns run and while I liked pretty much all of it (it lost it's way after Blackest Night for me), the only stories I think I'd really want to reread frequently would be the material that's already collected in the Absolute format.

[TomSlick]

Second Green Lantern omni showed up on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Green-Lanter...EM7K8PHM6BXM6Z

I have first one pre-ordered with good 55 quid price but I'm not sure should I get it as Omnibus or few Absolutes.

omnibus if you want the whole story.

[Ben11345]

Very interesting. I wonder if it includes The Road to No Man's Land.

Edit: Nope, just read the full description. Oh well.

Are the Road to No Man's Land issues essential?
and if so, have they ever been collected?

[TheTemp]

Front cover:


Front cover without Dustjacket:


Back cover without dustjacket:

[Gerald Keefer]

As an owner of the Absolutes, I can say all 3 of the GL Absys benefit tremendously from the "IMAX" format. However, only Rebirth, Sinestro Corps War, and Blackest Night are collected in that format. This leaves a lot of material out that will, of course, be included in the omnis. It's not quite like choosing between the Absolutes and omnis of Sandman or Planetary because of the extreme content discrepancy. If you're starting your GL collection now, I'd go with the omnis.
I bought the Absolutes before the omnis were announced, so I find myself in a bit of a pickle - a pickle that will inevitably involve me owning all the GL Absolutes and omnis ....

Hahaha I laughed my head off at the last sentence cuz I was thinking the exact same thing. Must be the Larfleeze in us....(they best include the Johns Xmas larfleeze one shot in one of the omnibus or else!)

[Eamo71]

anyone get the jaw dropping good deal of Sandman Omnibus 2 for 9.50stg on Amazon.co.uk? Think I might have nabbed the last one...

[Raffi Ol D'Arcy]

anyone get the jaw dropping good deal of Sandman Omnibus 2 for 9.50stg on Amazon.co.uk? Think I might have nabbed the last one...

Fantastic deal Eamo! Was that direct from amazon.co.uk or the marketplace?

[Raffi Ol D'Arcy]

I've been a fan of Superman all my life, and I'm one of those people that will find some enjoyment in even a second-rate Superman tale. The New 52 Superman definitely didn't get rebooted with the TLC that Batman was given, and a comic book-reading friend and I were discussing both Unchained and the Johns/Romita Jr. run and we ended up laughing because I pointed out that those were examples of the fourth and sixth reboots the books have been given, trying to give us a N52 "definitive" Superman. Not exactly a solid gold record.

That being said, I will try and give you opinions on everything and hope it will be a sort of guide.

Action Comics volumes 1-4: Morrison's run starts out very strong; his conception of a "people's hero" Superman is both different and timely, and he manages to build a very distinct Metropolis that's different than what came before (and yet familiar). As we enter the second half of his run, it's still compelling stuff, but Morrison takes it to the extreme weird, in a story that spans multiple dimensions and almost fully leaves behind the grounded realism of the first half of the run for something that's more akin to his dimension hopping in All-Star (without the epic feel or scope of that book). I still liked it, but I really questioned if we needed to end the run in a patented Morrison "mindf--k." An example of when simple is better.

Action Comics volume 5 - Diggle's first two issues are solid gold; he was firing on all cylinders and it was some strong work, with fantastic art by Tony Daniel. The rest of the run, written solo by Daniel after DC editorial interference persuaded Diggle to leave quickly, shows you the promise of Diggle's story but without the finesse he had brought to the first issues. The Psi-War storyline that comes after features some great art by Tyler Kirkham but was more a B- story which goes on for way too long.

Superman volumes 1 and 2 feature classic creators being held down by editorial mandate. There are some genuinely good moments, especially in the Jurgens-drawn issues 7-12, but the whole thing forms one big storyline that peters out into basically nothing (when you realize the annual that's tacked onto the second Superman volume is the conclusion of the story, you may fly into rage that that's all it really came to).

Superman volumes 3 and 4 and H'el On Earth are solid B-grade comic book storytelling. H'el On Earth goes on for wayyyyyy too long and features a villain that is barely worthy of B-grade status, and Psi War is, as mentioned before, more like a C+ - and it also goes on for too long.

Superman/Wonder Woman is fantastic stuff, at least while Soule and Daniel is on board. Highly recommended.

The first volume of Superman/Batman is fantastic, classic stuff. The second volume is decent (the first story is strong but overlong, and I hated the landscape style art, the second story is stronger in the Batman/Superman portions, featuring horrible art in the World's Finest ones). Both are worth a look.

Superman Unchained is not the definitely word on New 52 Superman, but it is strong, epic work by Snyder and Lee and probably the overall best Superman story (start to finish) that's been told in the New 52.

I would read Supergirl from start to finish just because it is a damn good comic book - overall stronger than most of the Superman runs have been.

Great write up - I enjoyed reading it. Btw, what are your top 3 favourite Superman stories?

[Eamo71]

Fantastic deal Eamo! Was that direct from amazon.co.uk or the marketplace?

Hey Raffi, Through the marketplace - books_any who I always finds very reliable. Best deal I've ever got. :-)
And not to rub it in - it's brand new - sealed. Best deal I've ever got TBH.

[victorxd1999]

Front cover:


Front cover without Dustjacket:


Back cover without dustjacket:

Is it just me or does Zatana's face look really weird

[Commissioner Gordon]

Is it just me or does Zatana's face look really weird

No, I was thinking the same thing. The top part of her head is way too big.