Marvel and DC Golden, Silver, and Bronze Age collections

[John Dunbar]

It looks like DC Comics are using the Omnibus format as their current way to collect classic material in chronological order.  In the past, there have been the Archives series (hardcover, full color), the Showcase Presents series (softcover, black and white, usually twice the page count of an Archive), and the Chronicles series (softcover, full color, smaller page count than an Archive).  In the past few years, all of these lines have been quietly shuttered, and now DC is releasing Omnibus collections in both hardcover and softcover formats.

As you would expect, the Omnibus hardcovers are huge.  Two Silver Age volumes collected the first 76 issues of JLA (along with Brave and Bold 28-30 and Mystery in Space 75), for example.  Earlier this year, DC released JLA: The Bronze Age Omnibus Volume 1, collecting JLA # 77-113.  That's almost half of the original series collected in this way, which for a fan like me is great news.  The JLA Archives had 10 volumes, collected the first 93 issues, and the first volume and last volume were released twenty-two years apart.  The first JLA Omnibus came out in 2014.

DC is also releasing these collections in trade paperbacks with a smaller page count than the hardcovers.  The great thing is that these TPBs collect more issues than the Archives did!  The material collected in the first JLA Silver Age Omnibus has all been released in 3 TPBs.

I have the first JLA Silver Age TPB, and I loved it!  I also have the first JLA Showcase Presents, but I find that without color, I just don't enjoy the stories as much as I could.  Actually, I find I enjoy most Silver Age comics more in color versus reading them in Showcase Presents and Essential Marvel.

I wonder how many of the rest of you are buying and reading these Omnibus collections, and what you think of the format.

[John Dunbar]

One other thing:  the Omnibus line collects all of Superman and Batman's appearances chronologically in their Golden Age volumes, like the Chronicles series did.  The Archives had separate volumes for Action, Superman, Detective, Batman, and their stories in World's Finest. 

In my opinion, everything collected together under one cover is the right way to do it.

[John Dunbar]

GOLDEN AGE OMNIBUS HARDCOVERS RELEASED TO DATE:

Batman: 3 Volumes

Superman: 4 Volumes

Wonder Woman: 1 Volume

UPCOMING

Wonder Woman Vol 2 (July)

Batman Vol 4 (Nov)

Green Arrow Vol 1 (Nov)

Superman HC Vol 5 (Fall)

GOLDEN AGE OMNIBUS TPBs RELEASED TO DATE:

Batman: 3 volumes

Superman: 3 volumes

UPCOMING

Wonder Woman Vol 1 (Fall)

EDITED AUGUST 31, 2017

NEW INFO BOLDED

[John Dunbar]

SILVER AGE OMNIBUS HARDCOVERS RELEASED TO DATE:

Adam Strange: 1 Volume

Doom Patrol: 1 Volume

Flash: 2 Volumes

Green Lantern: 1 Volume

Justice League of America: 2 Volumes

Legion of Super-Heroes: 1 Volume

Suicide Squad: 1 Volume

Supergirl: 1 Volume

Teen Titans: 1 Volume

World's Finest: 1 Volume

UPCOMING

Supergirl Vol 2 (Fall)

SILVER AGE OMNIBUS TPBs RELEASED TO DATE:

Adam Strange: 1 Volume

Flash: 1 Volume

Green Lantern: 1 Volume

Justice League of America: 3 Volumes

World's Finest: 1 Volume

UPCOMING:

Flash Vol 2 (Sept)

Green Lantern Vol 2 (Fall)

Suicide Squad Vol 1 (Fall)

Teen Titans Vol 1 (Fall)

[John Dunbar]

BRONZE AGE OMNIBUS HARDCOVERS RELEASED TO DATE:

Batman: The Brave and the Bold: 1 Volume

Justice League of America: 1 Volume

UPCOMING

Teen Titans Vol 1 (June)

Batgirl Vol 1 (Fall)

Swamp Thing Vol 1 (Fall)

No Bronze Age Omnibus TPBs released yet, but there will be one in the fall - Batman: The Brave and the Bold Vol 1

[Richard Willis]

I have Flash Archives 1-6, which cover up to Flash #150. I have two B&W Showcase volumes covering more issues. Like you, I find that the black and white reprints are less than satisfying. The art was produced intending to be colored and suffers when it isn’t.

I see that Flash Omnibus #2 covers my gap up to #163. I would buy both existing Omnibus volumes if I could sell my six Archive volumes for a decent price, but failing that I can’t see buying Volume #2 just to get thirteen issues that I already have in the Showcase format. I would like to see Omnibus #3 and would probably buy it. So far I don’t think it’s being offered.

[John Dunbar]

So far no Flash Volume 3 yet.  DC seems to be pumping out the Golden Age volumes at a brisker pace but they are sticking to the Trinity thus far.  The Barry Allen Flash is one of Geoff Johns' favorites so I expect we'll see more Flash volumes before long.

[Wandering Sensei: Moderator Man]

I bought the first Justice League Bronze Age Omnibus from In-Stock Trades. It was 50% off. I haven't read it yet, but I do love the Bronze Age of comics.

[Captain Comics]

The second Golden Age Wonder Woman Omnibus reprints the series right up to where the Archives stopped. I imagine the others do the same -- reprinting Golden Age material that has already been digitized for Archives or Showcases. The acid test is if they progress beyond that. If they did that, I'd probably replace everything with the Omniboo, regardless of whether or not I could sell the old ones. I want '50s Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman!

[Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod)]

I haven't bought any of the Omnibuses yet -- they seem pretty unwieldy to me, and I already have a ton of Archives, so there's not a lot of new-to-me material yet. But I'll probably pick up the Flash ones eventually, and possibly some other ones if they begin to delve into unreprinted material.  

[John Dunbar]

Wandering Sensei: Moderator Man said:

I bought the first Justice League Bronze Age Omnibus from In-Stock Trades. It was 50% off. I haven't read it yet, but I do love the Bronze Age of comics.

Ditto for me.  I'm tempted to get this one - heck, all of the Bronze Age stuff being offered so far!  I would love to see a second JLA Bronze Age Omnibus, which would hopefully include Steve Englehart's run (# 139-146, 149, 150), almost all of which is uncollected in any form.

[John Dunbar]

Captain Comics said:

The second Golden Age Wonder Woman Omnibus reprints the series right up to where the Archives stopped. I imagine the others do the same -- reprinting Golden Age material that has already been digitized for Archives or Showcases. The acid test is if they progress beyond that. If they did that, I'd probably replace everything with the Omniboo, regardless of whether or not I could sell the old ones. I want '50s Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman!

Cap, the 4th volume of Golden Age Batman that's coming out in the fall won't have anything not collected in Archives already.  They are getting close on the Batman issues (2 away from where the Archives stopped) but still have a long way to go on the Detective issues (60 to go there), and are 10 issues away from where the World's Finest issues stopped.  However with the 5th volume of Golden Age Superman, it will be mostly new material.  Action Comics had 5 Archives volumes; a 6th was solicited in 2013 but cancelled before release.  Volume 6 was supposed to collect Action #86-102 and they will all be in the Omnibus, as will #103.  Superman #35 was the last issue collected in Archives; the Omnibus collects Superman # 34-42.  The WF issues (# 19-25) did appear in Archives.

[John Dunbar]

I know DC is going slowly with the Bronze Age material, but here's my thought:  I would like to see Bronze Age collections of Batman and Superman before they print Silver Age collections.  Bronze Age Batman is far superior to Silver Age Batman (imo), and while Silver Age Superman is loved by many, I find the Bronze Age stories are very underrated.  For both heroes there's a ton of Bronze Age issues that have never been reprinted before.