DC Hardcover Collected Editions Part 3

[Brian]

Previews has what seems to be the final cover for next month's WW by George Perez trade, and it's the first one I've seen with the new DC logo. Also interesting to see that DC has decided to use the modern logo on collections of older material as well. Sorry for the large size, I can't figure out how to make it smaller!

[OldManBrian]

I recently read the Graphic Ink Art of Darwyn Cooke book, and aside from the New Frontier Special and Batman stuff from Solo #5, the absolute highlight of the book for me were the three Jonah Hex issues. Just wow. Incredible stories. Tight writing. Incredible art. And best of all, the art and the writing played off each other in perfect complimentary fashion, which is when comics as a medium really shine. Masterful all around.

If their work is this good without Darwyn Cooke (the art won't be, of course), then Gray and Palmiotti were born to write westerns and Jonah Hex. I just bought an ebay lot with all their pre-New 52 trades. It isn't here yet, but I can't wait to read it and find out. So yes, I'd likely buy the hell out of an omnibus!

How is All Star Western after the New 52 relaunch?




(And I know some people are probably like "eh, whatever, who cares about western comics or some cowboy with a messed up face, give me superheroes in omnibus please." And I'd just say to that, any character or premise is awesome if written well enough, and you're missing out!)

I've never read the entire run, just sporadic issues throughout. I enjoyed all of what I've read though, but I am a sucker for western anti-heroes. I think the character was very much a passion project for Gray and Palmiotti and it shows in the quality. The New 52 run is a bit different, and an overarching story, but I'd say definitely worth reading if you like the Jonah Hex series. Enjoy those trades and let us know what you think. Some of them are getting increasingly harder to track down. It's kinda why I was curious about omnibus interest. I think it's about a 70 issue run, which would fit perfectly in two omnibus volumes. I think New 52 All-Star Western is another 35 issues that would be perfect for an omni down the line.

[kodave]

Previews has what seems to be the final cover for next month's WW by George Perez trade, and it's the first one I've seen with the new DC logo. Also interesting to see that DC has decided to use the modern logo on collections of older material as well. Sorry for the large size, I can't figure out how to make it smaller!

Using the current logo usually always happens on the trade covers. What's kind of annoying in an OCD-way is when the logo changes and doesn't match the rest of the set. That happened with the new No Man's Land editions. And it happened back on the original War Games collections.

And now if DC reprints anything currently in print with the New 52 era logo, it's going to have the new logo, meaning everything is going to look off shelf-collection-wise. It's bad enough they changed the trade dress to coincide with Convergence but then applied it to pre-Covergence trades.

[The Whovian]

What are some great LoSH collections? I really enjoyed Abnett's Legion Lost, but other the The Great Darkness Saga and The Curse, I know very little.

-DnA's complete Legion run

-Levitz and Giffen's complete LOSH run

-Superboy's Legion by Farmer/Davis

-The Lightning Saga (Justice League of America vol. 2 #8–10 & Justice Society of America vol. 3 #5–6)

-Legion of 3 Worlds

-LOSH: Eye for an eye

-LOSH: The more things change

[The Flicker Fade]

Thanks for all the thoughts on Jonah Hex. Was hoping the package would arrive today, but no luck. Ah well. Will post some thoughts when I can!

What are some great LoSH collections? I really enjoyed Abnett's Legion Lost, but other the The Great Darkness Saga and The Curse, I know very little.

Funny you should ask this right now, as I happen to be reading the Legion this week for the first time ever. I've just read The Life and Death of Ferro Lad (DC Comics Classics Library edition), The Great Darkness Saga, and I'm halfway through The Curse.

I have to say that to me, the 1960s version of the Legion is awesome. All retro-futurist art (by Curt Swan!) like ray guns and jet packs and rocketships and glass domes on alien asteroids, wrapped up in Kennedy era fashions, gender relations, and "wholesome" social attitudes. These are characters who unabashedly call themselves things like Cosmic Boy and Lightning Lad and Triplicate Girl, dress up in space helmets and capes and hang out in their superhero clubhouse for no other reason than just because. It's glorious. Add in that these comics are written by Jim Shooter when he was a thirteen year old boy--seriously!--and it's simply amazing like Adventure Time or Axe Cop is. Now, I know reading comics written by a 13 year old sounds downright awful, but in this case it just isn't. His plots make sense, are actually interesting with engaging twists and turns, and the stories have a towering amount of imagination. Honestly I've read a bunch of DC Silver Age stuff and most of it (to me) is unreadable tripe full of cardboard characters, awful illogic, deus ex machina, etc. Not these. It's Marvel-style Silver Age comics (Shooter's stated goal) and I really can't say enough about how much it all works.

One of my favorite sequences in the book has the Science Police (yes they're called the Science Police) about to execute a supervillain in deep space with a rocket guillotine as they all float along outside of their rocketship police cruiser. Which is handily labeled so everyone knows what it is.

This book is actually the blueprint for all the Legion stories that happen afterward, it lays down all the lore that matters and future writers refer back to, creates important characters and concepts, etc.

I like it so much I was looking at getting the Legion Archives volumes (there's more of them than any other series, and is this material going to get another reprint anytime soon?), but it seems they were really popular (go figure!) and some of them are going for hilarious money now. So that's off the table.

But you can still get The Life and Death of Ferro Lad pretty cheap, and I really, really recommend it.


Great Darkness Saga / The Curse is pretty different. It's circa 1980, so Star Wars exists by then. So pulp space opera with superheroes (like Star Wars doesn't have superheroes, but anyway) and it's pretty great in its own way. Still has that screwball view of the future charm but the aesthetics have been updated (to 1980s! massive computer banks everywhere!) and the plots are more continuing and complex, like with all comics of the era. I don't love the Keith Giffen art so much (that's probably just me) but it's serviceable if not inspiring.


Other than that I know Geoff Johns uses the Legion in his JSA run in a plot that continues on to his Action Comics and then wraps up in Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds (art by Perez!). Haven't read that stuff, but I have it and I'm looking forward to it. He also used them for a cool arc in his Teen Titans that I liked.


Didn't even know about DnA doing Legion stuff. Their history got all messed up after Crisis and the concept changed around a lot so I was just going to ignore anything after that except for Johns's reboot of the original. But if you liked it I'll probably check it out. DnA rarely disappoint.

[UltimateTy]

What happened to the second Perez Wonder Woman omnibus?

I remember seeing it on Amazon when I bought the first one but I don't see it anymore

[Balakin]

Thanks for all the thoughts on Jonah Hex. Was hoping the package would arrive today, but no luck. Ah well. Will post some thoughts when I can!




Funny you should ask this right now, as I happen to be reading the Legion this week for the first time ever. I've just read The Life and Death of Ferro Lad (DC Comics Classics Library edition), The Great Darkness Saga, and I'm halfway through The Curse.

I have to say that to me, the 1960s version of the Legion is awesome. All retro-futurist art (by Curt Swan!) like ray guns and jet packs and rocketships and glass domes on alien asteroids, wrapped up in Kennedy era fashions, gender relations, and "wholesome" social attitudes. These are characters who unabashedly call themselves things like Cosmic Boy and Lightning Lad and Triplicate Girl, dress up in space helmets and capes and hang out in their superhero clubhouse for no other reason than just because. It's glorious. Add in that these comics are written by Jim Shooter when he was a thirteen year old boy--seriously!--and it's simply amazing like Adventure Time or Axe Cop is. Now, I know reading comics written by a 13 year old sounds downright awful, but in this case it just isn't. His plots make sense, are actually interesting with engaging twists and turns, and the stories have a towering amount of imagination. Honestly I've read a bunch of DC Silver Age stuff and most of it (to me) is unreadable tripe full of cardboard characters, awful illogic, deus ex machina, etc. Not these. It's Marvel-style Silver Age comics (Shooter's stated goal) and I really can't say enough about how much it all works.

One of my favorite sequences in the book has the Science Police (yes they're called the Science Police) about to execute a supervillain in deep space with a rocket guillotine as they all float along outside of their rocketship police cruiser. Which is handily labeled so everyone knows what it is.

This book is actually the blueprint for all the Legion stories that happen afterward, it lays down all the lore that matters and future writers refer back to, creates important characters and concepts, etc.

I like it so much I was looking at getting the Legion Archives volumes (there's more of them than any other series, and is this material going to get another reprint anytime soon?), but it seems they were really popular (go figure!) and some of them are going for hilarious money now. So that's off the table.

But you can still get The Life and Death of Ferro Lad pretty cheap, and I really, really recommend it.


Great Darkness Saga / The Curse is pretty different. It's circa 1980, so Star Wars exists by then. So pulp space opera with superheroes (like Star Wars doesn't have superheroes, but anyway) and it's pretty great in its own way. Still has that screwball view of the future charm but the aesthetics have been updated (to 1980s! massive computer banks everywhere!) and the plots are more continuing and complex, like with all comics of the era. I don't love the Keith Giffen art so much (that's probably just me) but it's serviceable if not inspiring.


Other than that I know Geoff Johns uses the Legion in his JSA run in a plot that continues on to his Action Comics and then wraps up in Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds (art by Perez!). Haven't read that stuff, but I have it and I'm looking forward to it. He also used them for a cool arc in his Teen Titans that I liked.


Didn't even know about DnA doing Legion stuff. Their history got all messed up after Crisis and the concept changed around a lot so I was just going to ignore anything after that except for Johns's reboot of the original. But if you liked it I'll probably check it out. DnA rarely disappoint.

you got me interested in the older LoSH stuff but I couldn't get past the first few issues of the Great darkness saga. I just didn't care about anything that happened and the art was just bleh.
I remember liking Legion of 3 worlds but the Lightning saga is one of the dullest Johns books I've ever read especially the issues written by Meltzer.

[The Flicker Fade]

you got me interested in the older LoSH stuff but I couldn't get past the first few issues of the Great darkness saga. I just didn't care about anything that happened and the art was just bleh.
I remember liking Legion of 3 worlds but the Lightning saga is one of the dullest Johns books I've ever read especially the issues written by Meltzer.

The first few issues in the newer collection of the Great Darkness Saga (the Deluxe and the trade reprinting it) are pretty slow and don't really have much to do with the story. They're also not pencilled by Giffen. Can't say if this'll make the difference in you ultimately enjoying it or not, but it's something to consider if you're ever of a mind to revisit it.

[The Whovian]

The first few issues in the newer collection of the Great Darkness Saga (the Deluxe and the trade reprinting it) are pretty slow and don't really have much to do with the story. They're also not pencilled by Giffen. Can't say if this'll make the difference in you ultimately enjoying it or not, but it's something to consider if you're ever of a mind to revisit it.

Yeah, you need to read further into the Great Darkness Saga.

I do think you'd like DnA's Legion as well.

[The Whovian]

Can someone post scans of some of the pages from the Perez Titans Omnis?

[Balakin]

The first few issues in the newer collection of the Great Darkness Saga (the Deluxe and the trade reprinting it) are pretty slow and don't really have much to do with the story. They're also not pencilled by Giffen. Can't say if this'll make the difference in you ultimately enjoying it or not, but it's something to consider if you're ever of a mind to revisit it.

It's still on the shelf so might gonna happen. Thanks for the recommendation!

[Enormouse]

Thanks for all the thoughts on Jonah Hex. Was hoping the package would arrive today, but no luck. Ah well. Will post some thoughts when I can!


Funny you should ask this right now, as I happen to be reading the Legion this week for the first time ever. I've just read The Life and Death of Ferro Lad (DC Comics Classics Library edition), The Great Darkness Saga, and I'm halfway through The Curse.

I have to say that to me, the 1960s version of the Legion is awesome. All retro-futurist art (by Curt Swan!) like ray guns and jet packs and rocketships and glass domes on alien asteroids, wrapped up in Kennedy era fashions, gender relations, and "wholesome" social attitudes. These are characters who unabashedly call themselves things like Cosmic Boy and Lightning Lad and Triplicate Girl, dress up in space helmets and capes and hang out in their superhero clubhouse for no other reason than just because. It's glorious. Add in that these comics are written by Jim Shooter when he was a thirteen year old boy--seriously!--and it's simply amazing like Adventure Time or Axe Cop is. Now, I know reading comics written by a 13 year old sounds downright awful, but in this case it just isn't. His plots make sense, are actually interesting with engaging twists and turns, and the stories have a towering amount of imagination. Honestly I've read a bunch of DC Silver Age stuff and most of it (to me) is unreadable tripe full of cardboard characters, awful illogic, deus ex machina, etc. Not these. It's Marvel-style Silver Age comics (Shooter's stated goal) and I really can't say enough about how much it all works.

One of my favorite sequences in the book has the Science Police (yes they're called the Science Police) about to execute a supervillain in deep space with a rocket guillotine as they all float along outside of their rocketship police cruiser. Which is handily labeled so everyone knows what it is.

This book is actually the blueprint for all the Legion stories that happen afterward, it lays down all the lore that matters and future writers refer back to, creates important characters and concepts, etc.

I like it so much I was looking at getting the Legion Archives volumes (there's more of them than any other series, and is this material going to get another reprint anytime soon?), but it seems they were really popular (go figure!) and some of them are going for hilarious money now. So that's off the table.

But you can still get The Life and Death of Ferro Lad pretty cheap, and I really, really recommend it.


Great Darkness Saga / The Curse is pretty different. It's circa 1980, so Star Wars exists by then. So pulp space opera with superheroes (like Star Wars doesn't have superheroes, but anyway) and it's pretty great in its own way. Still has that screwball view of the future charm but the aesthetics have been updated (to 1980s! massive computer banks everywhere!) and the plots are more continuing and complex, like with all comics of the era. I don't love the Keith Giffen art so much (that's probably just me) but it's serviceable if not inspiring.


Other than that I know Geoff Johns uses the Legion in his JSA run in a plot that continues on to his Action Comics and then wraps up in Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds (art by Perez!). Haven't read that stuff, but I have it and I'm looking forward to it. He also used them for a cool arc in his Teen Titans that I liked.


Didn't even know about DnA doing Legion stuff. Their history got all messed up after Crisis and the concept changed around a lot so I was just going to ignore anything after that except for Johns's reboot of the original. But if you liked it I'll probably check it out. DnA rarely disappoint.

Oh man! Thanks for the thoughtful response!

[The Flicker Fade]

Can someone post scans of some of the pages from the Perez Titans Omnis?

Here's some with a review.


It just so happens I also read these recently. Only about two months ago. Heh. I'm on a roll today. Ask me any questions, I can answer them!


Let's see . . .


The first omnibus has a glued binding and is very tight. It doesn't stay open, like, at all. Meaning you'll have to read it while holding it in your hand, you can't lay it on a table. Not an issue for me. There's some gutter loss, but only one really egregious example, a double page spread where a dialogue balloon was unreadable. Reasons to own this over the trades are the better paper, the bigger size for Perez art, and it's the only place to get DC Comics Presents #26, which the trades skip. Missing this issue however is no big deal, it's short, entirely inconsequential, is drawn by Carmine Infantino (man he really suffers next to Perez), and isn't very good.

The second omnibus kicks everything up to eleven. Sewn binding that stays open pretty well. Perez starts drawing things that make you go "holy **** are you even serious right now?" every time you turn a page, and the stories blew me away. I didn't like every story in the first omnibus and found some of the characterization annoying (seriously Raven just answer a damn question!), but Wolfman finds all their voices and starts paying off story threads and I really can't oversell how well it comes together and how good it all is. It's definitely absolutely essential to read the entire first omnibus before this to get the payoff, though. It's all one long story. These are legendary comics and I thought they actually lived up to the hype, which is pretty amazing. Note that issue #38 isn't in this book, it leads off the third omnibus instead. Some people have complained about this a lot, and while I am definitely someone who is adamantly against doing things like this and wants everything complete and in the publication order, I can honestly say that in this case it doesn't matter at all. #38 is an entirely self-contained side story and the events aren't even so much as referenced in the remaining issues in this book. But they ARE referenced and essential to events at the start of the third omnibus, and without it being in that book a reader wouldn't understand important things or know who some characters were. In my opinion, in this instance AND ONLY THIS INSTANCE ( ), it was the right call.

The third omnibus has a sewn binding but the ribbon is glued to the spine, eliminating almost all of the benefit. Dumb, I know, but it's still very readable and doesn't have gutter loss that obstructs anything like the first volume did. In this volume the Teen Titans become victims of their own success. DC kills the golden goose by demanding of it more than what Wolfman and Perez can produce. Still the momentum carries it a bit further and it doesn't die right away. Between issue #50 and the new #1, eight issues are missing. This is unfortunate because up til now the entire series had been collected without gaps, even when Perez didn't work on an issue (he didn't work on two issues in volume 2). Events from these missing issues are referenced, making it even more lame that they're not in here. Issues #1-6 are then an awesome story, but unfortunately they really mark the end of the Teen Titans as the magic leaves with Perez. I think it stays readable up through around CoIE (so I've heard) but without Perez co-plotting or doing pencils it's a sharp decline. Then there's a forty issue gap (not collected) before Perez returns for an encore, which luckily is just as good as anything he and Wolfman ever did on the book. Only five issues though. The omnibus then collects odds and ends that Perez did with Wolfman on the Titans after that. It's got two issues of the Lonely Place of Dying crossover with Batman, but it's completely unreadable without the other three parts. Then there's two final issues Perez got a story credit on, but those are in the 90s and the less said of them, the better.


So, uh, does that help at all? Heh. Hope so. Buy them, obviously, if you have the opportunity. They're among my most prized possessions. Desert island stuff, personally.


Plus there's the consideration that if--IF--the trade reprints continue at their current pace and size, we'll arrive at the first gap in what the third omnibus collects (the eight issues) by January 2019. So to get all the way through the third omnibus? Longer than that, especially considering the second gap is 40 issues!



Plus oversized George Perez. I couldn't possibly pick a favorite artist ever. I couldn't possibly. But it's George Perez.

[Raffi Ol D'Arcy]

The Flicker Fade, I've really enjoyed your posts - very interesting, well versed and informative. Thank you!

[wwise03]

What happened to the second Perez Wonder Woman omnibus?

I remember seeing it on Amazon when I bought the first one but I don't see it anymore

The book was never solicited. I believe Amazon just got that listing wrong (frankly confusing it with the upcoming trade paperback of the same series). My guess is it will be a long time before we get a second volume (if we get one at all).