DC Hardcover Collected Editions Part 3

[GenericUserName12]

The same quality as, let's say the Watchmen absolute? That one's pretty sweet.

Absolute Sandman Vol 1 was my first over-sized anything and it's build is the gold standard I hold all OSHC to.

[Dick Grayson]

Cool thanks. Seems like both have same ISBN so it may be tricky.

Side question, is it as 'worth it' as the new editions of Knightfall and NML if I already have the original trades? (question goes for the upcoming Fugitive new edition as well.)

For Knightfall, absolutely. It includes the Knightquest: The Crusade storyline in the new trades, which the old ones omitted. This is the storyline that has Azrael as Batman. Originally the trades went from Azrael becoming Batman straight to Bruce coming back healed to take back the mantle. Unfortunately the new trades leave out Knightquest: The Search, which shows how Bruce's back is healed, but still, the new trades are a definite improvement. They also include Prodigal, the storyline where Dick Grayson takes up the mantle for a period.

No Man's Land the new trades are more complete, but many of the "new" issues included are issues of Azrael, which aren't wholly necessary. I did upgrade my trades, but I can't say that the new issues added a large amount, but they don't hurt either.

For Murderer/Fugitive, I think it's a worthwhile upgrade, but YMMV. The original trades edited many issues to stick to just the Murderer/Fugitive storyline, which made it very readable without the extra subplots, but obviously some folks (like me) would prefer the unedited issues. The new editions contain the full issues, which include those unrelated subplots, and so there are some cliffhangers that are left dangling because they're continued in issues of Nightwing, Robin etc. that are unrelated to Murderer/Fugitive. The new trades also include some issues not originally in the old trades. Many of the issues don't add much (like the Robin issues), but there are some Brubaker-penned Batman issues that are pretty important (and just good comics to boot!) that were strangely omitted from the old trades (namely, Batman 601-602, and 604.)

[Orion]

For Knightfall, absolutely. It includes the Knightquest: The Crusade storyline in the new trades, which the old ones omitted. This is the storyline that has Azrael as Batman. Originally the trades went from Azrael becoming Batman straight to Bruce coming back healed to take back the mantle. Unfortunately the new trades leave out Knightquest: The Search, which shows how Bruce's back is healed, but still, the new trades are a definite improvement. They also include Prodigal, the storyline where Dick Grayson takes up the mantle for a period.

Because they still do not include The Search, the new trades are basically worthless and another monument to DC's incompetency.

[NZ_InFerno]

This may be a bit OT but I couldn't find a DC thread for TPB.

Has anyone bought the re-edition of the new version of Bruce Wayne: Murderer?
The original 'new edition' was missing some critical issues and after fans cried foul DC said they were going to re-edit the book, which supposedly came out May 14th.

Thus my question.

Here's fine or just make a new thread.

Absolute Sandman Vol 1 was my first over-sized anything and it's build is the gold standard I hold all OSHC to.

Absolutes are the Gold standard, and have been for some time in terms of build quality.

[SJNeal]

Because they still do not include The Search, the new trades are basically worthless and another monument to DC's incompetency.

Overstating things much? "The Search" was pretty worthless in and of itself, save for one element.

[Orion]

Overstating things much? "The Search" was pretty worthless in and of itself, save for one element.

Save for the one element that the entire story revolves around? Or the one element of a collected edition purporting to finally be the *complete* version?

[Spirou]

Absolute's for sure. You can still find all 4 (or 5 if you're a super completist) online considerably discounted.

Or 6 (if you're the superior completist counting Absolute Death)

[Captain Planet]

Overstating things much? "The Search" was pretty worthless in and of itself, save for one element.

Save for the one element that the entire story revolves around? Or the one element of a collected edition purporting to finally be the *complete* version?

I remember reading Vol 3 (my first time reading the Knightfall event) and wondering how the players had gotten to their current place in the story. It was a pretty bad choice not to include the Search. That said, I would hardly say the books are worthless. I enjoyed them quite a bit and was able to follow the plot just fine.

[TomSlick]

Overstating things much? "The Search" was pretty worthless in and of itself, save for one element.

I'm going to have to disagree. As I recall, it was fairly well-written, and it also introduced the Hood (it might have been his first appearance), who ended up becoming a fairly major player in the whole Batman Inc. thing under Morrison, so it would be good for readers to be able to catch up on that character. The arc also continued the dangling plot regarding Jack Drake.

[GenericUserName12]

Or 6 (if you're the superior completist counting Absolute Death)

You don't even have to be a completionist; Absolute Death is worthy of a purchase regardless of owning Sandman or not. Death: The High Cost of Living is one of my favorite stories of all time. Made quite an impression on me as a 14 year old kid.

[pud333]

latest haul -


and some OOP books I got for under Aus$50. freakin score! been interested in the 52 omni for a long time and for that price i think it was worth it.


Pud333, the haul that is incoming is basically exactly yours, minus the FearAgent which i already got. thanks for the Arkham photos!

No problem! Nice haul.

[SJNeal]

I'm going to have to disagree. As I recall, it was fairly well-written, and it also introduced the Hood (it might have been his first appearance), who ended up becoming a fairly major player in the whole Batman Inc. thing under Morrison, so it would be good for readers to be able to catch up on that character. The arc also continued the dangling plot regarding Jack Drake.

Hmmm. I'll have to give my single issues a re-read. All I can think of when it comes to "The Search" is the drawn out stuff with Shondra and some unnecessary filler issues of JL Task Force...

[Drakul]

For Knightfall, absolutely. It includes the Knightquest: The Crusade storyline in the new trades, which the old ones omitted. This is the storyline that has Azrael as Batman. Originally the trades went from Azrael becoming Batman straight to Bruce coming back healed to take back the mantle. Unfortunately the new trades leave out Knightquest: The Search, which shows how Bruce's back is healed, but still, the new trades are a definite improvement. They also include Prodigal, the storyline where Dick Grayson takes up the mantle for a period.

No Man's Land the new trades are more complete, but many of the "new" issues included are issues of Azrael, which aren't wholly necessary. I did upgrade my trades, but I can't say that the new issues added a large amount, but they don't hurt either.

For Murderer/Fugitive, I think it's a worthwhile upgrade, but YMMV. The original trades edited many issues to stick to just the Murderer/Fugitive storyline, which made it very readable without the extra subplots, but obviously some folks (like me) would prefer the unedited issues. The new editions contain the full issues, which include those unrelated subplots, and so there are some cliffhangers that are left dangling because they're continued in issues of Nightwing, Robin etc. that are unrelated to Murderer/Fugitive. The new trades also include some issues not originally in the old trades. Many of the issues don't add much (like the Robin issues), but there are some Brubaker-penned Batman issues that are pretty important (and just good comics to boot!) that were strangely omitted from the old trades (namely, Batman 601-602, and 604.)

boom! Sold! Plus I do collect Bat-family titles such as Robin, Nightwing, BoP, Catwoman so it'll be nice to have the full issues.
And I already have the Knightfall (waited forever for that one!) and NML reprints.

Because they still do not include The Search, the new trades are basically worthless and another monument to DC's incompetency.

They're definitely a big improvement (if only for the Prodigal reprint) but I agree that it's stupid for DC to make basically the ultimate Knightfall collection and not include it (likewise with the NML reprint not including a Road to NML trade and one for Aftershock). I guess they're planning an Omnibus to include it

Overstating things much? "The Search" was pretty worthless in and of itself, save for one element.

Save for the one element that the entire story revolves around? Or the one element of a collected edition purporting to finally be the *complete* version?

I remember reading Vol 3 (my first time reading the Knightfall event) and wondering how the players had gotten to their current place in the story. It was a pretty bad choice not to include the Search. That said, I would hardly say the books are worthless. I enjoyed them quite a bit and was able to follow the plot just fine.

I'm going to have to disagree. As I recall, it was fairly well-written, and it also introduced the Hood (it might have been his first appearance), who ended up becoming a fairly major player in the whole Batman Inc. thing under Morrison, so it would be good for readers to be able to catch up on that character. The arc also continued the dangling plot regarding Jack Drake.

It wasn't great but it's wasn't bad either and I didn't mind the whole Shondra thing. Plus I remember some interesting stuff with Alfred and I really enjoyed the Alan Grant stuff in SotB.
Plus iirc you need to read some stuff to make sense of what happened to the characters if you were to skip it.

[earl]

I kind of wish DC would just bite the bullet and put out a bunch of golden age Batman in huge Omnibus collections. If nothing else, I think a big 1000 page book of just every Joker appearance from 1940 on would be really cool to have. I see they are putting out one for the 75th anniversary, but it is like a third of that size and probably is about the same as the Joker stories they have done before.

[Raffi Ol D'Arcy]

I’ve been thinking of picking up Absolute Blackest Night, but what with the Green Lantern Geoff Johns Omnibus Vol. 1 and Brightest Day Omnibus on their way (both in my sights), what do you all think of the chances of DC releasing in the not so distant future a Blackest Night Omnibus or even more likely a Green Lantern Geoff Johns Omnibus Vol. 2 including the Blackest Night issues? The latter seems a very high probability.