Tag Archives: Collections

Wednesday Comics: The Giant Coffee Table Book

All right! DC has announced that they’ll be collecting Wednesday Comics as an oversized hardcover book at 11×17″!

It’s not the full size, which would be ideal, but I do think an oversized hardcover is the best way to collect it. Shrinking the art to standard size would diminish the experience of reading it, and trying to do something this size as a paperback is unwieldy at best, judging by Comic Book Tattoo. There’s a reason I bought the hardcover of that book, and it wasn’t so that I could carry extra weight around the convention floor. (It wasn’t to weaponize a comic book, either, but I’m sure I could knock someone out if I hit them over the head with it.)

Amazingly enough, they plan to sell it for $49.99, the same price as the archive books that clock in at the same page count but smaller page size. Back when I tried to figure out how Wednesday Comics could be collected, I figured a coffee table book from DC would end up costing a lot more.

I do have to wonder how they’re going to manage the paperback edition, but with this option available for this price (and you know it’ll be discounted in places like Amazon)…does it really matter?

Note: I managed to delete the original post when I intended to edit it, losing the comments made earlier this evening. Sorry about that!

Is There Demand for More Flash Archives?

Note: The discussion is from 2007, and while the Silver Age material has gotten a fifth archive volume, three Showcase books and the start of a Chronicles line, the situation for the Golden Age Flash books has not changed.

Newsarama reports that during the Q&A part of the DC Nation panel at this weekend’s Baltimore Comic-Con, a fan asked:

Are there more Legion, Flash or Justice League Archives coming? [VP of Sales Bob] Wayne said that when you get up to the issues that can be affordably bought by collectors the demand for the Archive Editions goes down.

Okay, this might apply to the Silver-Age material. The four Flash Archives books so far are up to Flash #132 (1962). When I was tracking down back-issues in the #133–140 range (the contents of a hypothetical book 5) around 2000 or so, I seem to remember finding reasonably good copies in the $5-15 range. (Better copies, of course, run into triple digits.) Note: Since this was originaly posted, volume 5 has been released.

But there’s still 8 years of Golden-Age material to cover, from 1942–1949: more than 75% of Jay Garrick’s solo run. And those books are much harder to find, with battered readers’ copies often selling for $40–150.

Moreover, those 8 years include the first appearances of every major Golden-Age Flash villain. Continue reading →

Speed Reading: Sales, Humor, TPBs, Movies

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Rounding up a week of links:

Major Spoilers has the Top 300 Comics for August 2009, and Flash: Rebirth #4 is #14. They’re also holding a costume contest.

Dan Didio’s latest 20 questions explains how Geoff Johns & Francis Manapul moved from Adventure Comics to The Flash. He adds, “my goal now is to get those guys going on Flash as soon as possible.”

High Five! Comics lists their top ten second-string couples, featuring both Barry & Iris Allen and Ralph & Sue Dibny. Their latest Things I Learned From Comics feature covers How to Gain Superpowers.

Collected Editions has updated their DC Comics Trade Paperback Timeline and moved to its new, post-GeoCities home.

Humor

The Onion brings the “news” that melting ice caps are exposing hundreds of secret arctic lairs. Does anyone remember whether Dr. Impossible had one?

Noah Van Sciver continues his comic-strip Flash: Rebirth Recaps with issue #4.

Movies

We Are Movie Geeks has made a list of five projects for DC Entertainment to jump on, starting with the Flash.

And finally, Crimson Lightning has the results of the casting poll. Fans cast Neil Patrick Harris as the Scarlet Speedster. Next up: Who’s your favorite Reverse Flash?

This Week: Showcase, Blackest Night, Titans, JSA vs. Kobra and More

~~Considering that there’s no new solo Flash material coming out this week~~ There’s an awful lot of speedster material this week! The third Showcase collection from the 1960s, Wednesday Comics, and a cameo in Adventure Comics, plus team and event books like Blackest Night, JSA vs. Kobra, and Titans should cover Barry, Wally, Jay and Bart.

Showcase presents: The Flash Vol. 3 TP

Written by John Broome, Gardner Fox and Robert Kanigher
Art by Carmine Infantino, Joe Giella, Frank Giacoia and Murphy Anderson
Cover by Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson

The Rogues take over in this new third volume collecting The Flash #141-161. Don’t miss the Scarlet Speedster’s epic battles with The Trickster, The Weather Wizard, The Mirror Master, Captain Cold and more!

520 pg, B&W, $16.99 US

Notes: This volume pushes the cheap black-and-white Showcase series past the more durable, higher-quality Flash Archives series, which currently leaves off at #141.

Wednesday Comics #6

The Flash battles Gorilla Grodd and tries to date Iris West in a story written by Karl Kerschl (Teen Titans Year One, The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive) and Brenden Fletcher with art by Karl Kerschl.

Wednesday Comics will arrive in stores folded twice to 7″ x 10″.

7″ x 10″, 16 pg, FC, $3.99 US.

Notes: I can’t believe I forgot this when writing up the list!

Blackest Night #2

Written by Geoff Johns
Art and cover by Ivan Reis & Oclair Albert
Variant cover by Mauro Cacioli
Sketch variant cover by Ivan Reis

The event of the summer continues! The dead rise across the DC Universe, bringing terror and darkness with them. What are the Black Lanterns? What do they want? Will Earth’s greatest heroes survive long enough to find out — or will they join the Black Lantern Corps?

This issue will ship with three covers. For every 25 copies of the Standard Edition (with a cover by Ivan Reis & Oclair Albert), retailers may order one copy of the Variant Edition (with a cover by Mauro Cascioli). For every 200 copies of the Standard Edition, retailers may order one copy of the Sketch Variant Edition (with a cover by Ivan Reis).

2 of 8 · 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US

JSA vs. Kobra: Engines of Faith #3

Written by Eric Trautmann
Art by Don Kramer & Michael Babinski
Cover by Gene Ha

The JSA follow the trail of Kobra into Opal City! But the stars of this shining metropolis have been darkened by a deed so vile, it’s a new low for the global terrorist. Meanwhile, Kobra warriors have been turning up dead. Is Jason Burr a lone serpent now, or is there a greater plan at work?

3 of 6 · 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Check out the preview at Newsarama.

Adventure Comics #1

Written by Geoff Johns
Art by Francis Manapul
Co-feature art by Clayton Henry Covers by Francis Manapul

It’s the return of one of DC Comics’ longest running books and one of its greatest modern-day heroes – Conner Kent! In our first heroic issue, Superboy can’t wait to jump back into his life – but which life will it be? With a clarity he’s never had before, Conner makes a beeline for the greatest place on Earth…Smallville?

Plus, in the wake of FINAL CRISIS: LEGION OF THREE WORLDS, Starman heads off on an all-new mission in the present. And it’s one that will not only impact Superboy, but the future of the DC Universe itself. Fortunately, the off-kilter Legionnaire won’t be dong it alone! And in the upcoming months of ADVENTURE COMICS look for Lex Luthor! Brainiac! Lightning Lad! Superboy’s pal Simple Simon! Sun Boy and Polar Boy! Ultra, the Multi Alien! Wonder Girl! Black Lantern Alexander Luthor! And many, many more new and familiar faces!

40pg, $3.99

Notes: We know from previews that Kid Flash has at least a cameo in this issue.

Titans #16

Written by Christopher Yost
Art by Angel Unzueta & Wayne Faucher
Cover by Angel Unzueta

Why has Starfire been acting odd the past few issues? Turns out the warrior woman has major rage issues coming out of her recent breakup with Dick Grayson, the events of Final Crisis and more. Her super-powerful emotions could very well rip the team apart!

32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Notes: Angel Unzueta did the art for Geoff Johns’ first Flash arc, “Wonderland,” and Wayne Faucher inked a long run on Impulse.

Final Crisis Aftermath: Escape #4

Written by Ivan Brandon
Art by Marco Rudy
Cover by Scott Hampton

The drugs are wearing off, and Nemesis can finally clear his head enough to make sense of life in Electric City as a “guest” of the Global Peace Agency. So what could be worse than having to experience Electric City under the influence of tranquilizers and truth serums? How about living there with a clear understanding of what’s really going to happen when they’re done with you…

4 of 6 · 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Note: I have no idea whether any Flashes appear in this, but that sure looks like the Cosmic Treadmill on the cover.

The Last Days of Animal Man #4

Written by Gerry Conway
Art by Chris Batista & Dave Meikis
Cover by Brian Bolland

Regrets…he’s had a few! Buddy Baker can’t bear to live with the regret that comes of his infidelity with Starfire…but Prismatik and Bloodrage will be happy to take the burden of life off his hands! They’ve launched a full-on assault against the League of Titans’ headquarters, and Buddy and Starfire are the only heroes who stand in their way!

~~4 of 6 · 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US~~

Note: This series takes place 15 years in the future. Prismatik is the daughter of the second Mirror Master.

2009 DC Archives Survey is Up

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The Comics Archives has posted their annual DC Archives Survey in which readers are asked to state what future collections they’d like to see. It’s not an official DC survey, but the surveyor does send the compiled information to DC.

If you’re at all interested in DC’s Archives line, or the new DC Classics Library line of hardcovers, you should seriously consider filling it out.

I put in my annual suggestion for more Golden Age Flash archives. Most of the run from 1942-1949 has never, ever been reprinted — not even the first appearances of the Thinker, Shade, Thorn or Turtle. The material that has appeared in the two archive volumes so far mainly has the Flash fighting gangsters. Super-villains haven’t even shown up yet!

No Flash Comic in October?

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DC’s full solicitations for October are up at Newsarama and elsewhere, and there’s no sign of a Flash book the month after Flash: Rebirth is scheduled to wrap. And the Flash: Blackest Night miniseries won’t start until November, after the first round of tie-in miniseries are finished. Will readers see a month without a Flash book?

I suspect not, and here’s why:

With Comic-Con International just two days away, DC may be keeping the news of the Flash relaunch in reserve for a big announcement at the convention.
With Flash: Rebirth #4 running 3 weeks behind, and #6 scheduled for the last week of September, it’s likely that issues #5 and #6 will be pushed back, with the miniseries wrapping in October instead.

Of course, the Flash won’t be completely missing in any case: the Scarlet Speedster is co-starring in Brave and the Bold, and there are the various team books and Blackest Night. I’ll post a full run-down later tonight.

Also worth checking out: DC has announced the contents of the upcoming November trade paperback collection, The Flash vs. the Rogues: they’re all stories from the early Silver Age, many of them first appearances: Showcase #8, The Flash #105, 106, 110, 113, 117, 122, 140 & 155. Oddly, the cover they’re using with the solicitations is from a 2007 issue of the short-lived Flash: The Fastest Man Alive.

Speed Force

Tracking the Flash – the Fastest Man Alive