A while back, DC announced a new line of reprints, called DC Finest, that packages about 500 pages of comics from various eras into a $40 softcover. From all appearances, it looks to be an attempt to mimic Marvel's successful Epic Collections line, in which complete runs of their books are reprinted in similar paperbacks, but often out of order. So you might get Fantastic Four volume 3 (The Coming of Galactus) before volume 1 (the early stuff), but the volumes have all been mapped out, and gaps get filled in as time goes on.
DC announced a bunch of collections, ranging from the Golden Age (All-Star Comics, Superman) to the 2000s (Wonder Woman), with plenty in between. In October's solicitations, they've finally nailed down the contents for most of the announced books. Here's what's been announced so far.
DC FINEST: WONDER WOMAN: ORIGINS & OMENS
ON SALE 10/8/24
DC Finest: Wonder Woman: Origins & Omens collects these Wonder Woman issues from October 2007 to 2009: Wonder Woman (vol. 3) #14-35, Outsiders: Five of a Kind – Wonder Woman/Grace #1, and The Brave and the Bold #7.
DC FINEST: SUPERMAN: THE FIRST SUPERHERO
ON SALE 11/5/24
The First Superhero covers Summer 1938 to Fall 1940 and reprints classic stories from Action Comics #1-25, Superman #1-5, and New York World’s Fair #1.
DC FINEST: BATMAN: BATMAN: YEAR ONE & TWO
$39.99 US | 592 pages | 6 5/8″ x 10 3/16″ | Softcover | ISBN: 978-1-77952-835-3
ON SALE 11/5/24
Collects Batman #404-414, Batman Annual #11, and Detective Comics #571-581.
DC FINEST: CATWOMAN: LIFE LINES
ON SALE 12/17/24
Collects Catwoman (vol. 1) #1-4, Catwoman (vol. 2) #1-12, Catwoman Annual #1, Batman/Catwoman: Defiant #1, and stories from Action Comics Weekly #611-614 and Showcase ’93 #1-4.
DC FINEST: JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA: THE BRIDGE BETWEEN EARTHS
ON SALE 11/19/24
Collects Justice League of America #45-72 from July 1966 to June 1969.
DC FINEST: GREEN LANTERN: THE DEFEAT OF GREEN LANTERN
ON SALE 12/3/24
Featuring works from revered comics writers and artists such as John Broome, Gardner Fox, and Gil Kane, this volume collects classic stories from Green Lantern #19-39, The Flash #143, and The Brave and the Bold #59.
DC FINEST: EVENTS: ZERO HOUR PART ONE
ON SALE 12/10/24
This first of two collections features Superman #93, The Flash #94, L.E.G.I.O.N. #70, Green Lantern #55, Super-man: The Man of Steel #37, Team Titans #24, The Darkstars #24, Valor #23, Batman #511, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #31, Detective Comics #678, Legionnaires #18, Hawkman #13, Showcase ‘94 #8-9, Steel #8, Superboy #8, Outsiders #11, and Zero Hour: Crisis in Time #3-4.
DC FINEST: LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES: ZAP GOES THE LEGION
ON SALE 12/10/24
This first collection starring the greatest heroes of the 30th century features stories pulled from the pages of Action Comics #378-387 and #389-392, Adventure Comics #374-380 and #403, and Superboy #172-173, #176, #183-184, #188, #190-191, #193, #195, and #197-203.
DC FINEST: THE FLASH: THE HUMAN THUNDERBOLT
ON SALE 11/26/24
Collects Showcase #4, #8, and #13-14, and The Flash #105-123.
DC FINEST: JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA: FOR AMERICA AND DEMOCRACY
ON SALE 12/3/24
Collects All-Star Comics #3-12.
DC has also announced three more for January, although the exact contents aren’t announced yet:
DC Finest: Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters – 21st of January, 2025
The most iconic stories starring Green Arrow! (From the cover, it looks like it’s the start of the Grell run, starting with The Longbow Hunters miniseries.)
DC Finest: Supergirl: The Girl of Steel – 14th of January, 2025
The earliest stories starring Supergirl! (Looks like Supergirl, from the beginning.)
DC Finest: Aquaman: The King of Atlantis – 7th of January, 2025
The earliest stories starring the King of the Seas: Aquaman! (Silver Age Aquaman, with Jack Miller, Robert Bernstein, and Ramona Fradon listed as creators.)
So for the purposes of discussion... which ones of these interest you the most? And looking forward, where would you go for the second volumes of these titles?
Replies
Would there be any need? Even the 1970s series only had any problems when the words "Captain Marvel" appeared in the covers.
I wouldn't want DC to alter the comics in any way, but I might not object if they picked a cover for the front whey they could crop a "Captain Marvel" logo out without altering the image significantly, and I guess they'd have to call it "Golden Age Shazam Omnibus" instead of Captain Marvel, which would be painful, but I'd live. My biggest curiosity is if any of these restrictions apply to UK publisher PS Artbooks. Judging from the America's Greatest Comics trade paperbacks, it looks like they don't. But that's just a WAG.
Yes! I know that most of them won’t be very good.
I would caution against getting too esotheric, too soon. Look what happened to the Golden Age and Atlas Age MMWs series. They started releasing $#!t like Battlefield and Jungle Adventures, and I still don't have Captain America Comics #25-75. You and I are interesting in that obscure stuff, but few others are. We want this line to succeed with the general comics buying public and not get cancelled early on due to lack of interest/sales.
I seem to remember reading that one somewhere...
Yeah, that's why I kind of waffled on "has not, to the best of my knowledge, been reprinted... at least not in a high-quality edition." I figured someone here would jump in with a correction if it had been. Or am I thinking of the one in which Shiera Sanders first became Hawkgirl? GA Hawkman Archives didn't get that far, either. (I know All-Star did; I'm referring to Flash Comics.) As with Sandman, I wouldn't mind a little duplication if a DCF would get to as far as that key issue.
As we’ve discussed on this site somewhere, there’s enough Shazam material to sink the Titanic.
I know you came up with a very thorough list of everthing that could be reprinted in a potential "omnibus" series and have tried to find it since, but no luck. I would not like to see the earliest material (already available in five "archive" editions) again, but the DCF format would be ideal for picking up in the height of the era.
I would caution against getting too esotheric, too soon.
You make a good point. Perhaps we should just be grateful for the "big guns" reprints and not wish for things that won't sell to anyone but us. It's not like I don't have enough to read.
As with Sandman, I wouldn't mind a little duplication if a DCF would get to as far as that key issue.
If I had three wishes for unlikely Golden Age material, it would be a Sandman volume covering Adventure #60-71 (and any duplication it wants to), a Spectre volume that begins at More Fun Comics #71 (or later) and a Hawkman volume that begins with Flash Comics #23 or later.
On un unrelated note, I just noticed that PS Artbooks' Blackhawk series is coming into the final stretch. The latest volume is, I think, Vol. 16, and takes us to issue #84. The last Quality issue was #107, and I would expect this series to end there. Given an average of five issues per trade paperback, we'll be done in six volumes, at Vol. 22. Maybe sooner, if decrease in page counts ups the average colletion to six issues at any point.
Then the ball will be in DC's court to continue the collections. There's already a Showcase with Blackhawk #108-127, so a DC Finest: Blackhawk with issues #128-150 (ish) would be pretty cool. Who knows, maybe they'll work out a deal with PS Artbooks, like Marvel has with Fantagraphics (to reprint low-selling '50s material).
PS Artbooks is also reprinting Military Comics (and Modern Comics) in TPB form, but it's going to take a long time complete those series, which were monthly anthologies. So the Blackhawk stories in the final Military and Modern issues will probably be the last to be reprinted anywhere. If they are.
I know you came up with a very thorough list of everthing that could be reprinted in a potential "omnibus" series and have tried to find it since, but no luck.
Here you go:
Fawcett Comics: The Golden Age reprint wish list
I would not like to see the earliest material (already available in five "archive" editions) again, but the DCF format would be ideal for picking up in the height of the era.
This is another excellent point. Since the DC Finest line isn't tied to chronological reprints, it could publish one from after any existing comprehensive reprints. Maybe even the "Monster Society of Evil" story. But certainly beyond the point of repeating any current Archives or PS Artbooks.
The damage? 8,030 pages. That comes to a minimum of 10 omnibuses.
Yep, that's the statistic I was looking for. Thanks! (Sometimes it's easier to find one's own post than someone else's. I could have been searching for "Fawcett" if I'd've remembered the subject line.)
Sometimes I can't find a specific post for love nor money. And I didn't remember the subject line either. It just fell in my lap on the first try, when I searched "Master Comics." Even a blind dog ...
Also, looking at this list now, I think I've become aware of a few more stories that aren't on there. So the page count will go up.
A while ago, ClarkKent_DC wrote a comprehensive overview of Johah Hex. I thought he posted it to "What comic Books Have You Read Today?" but I looked all over that thread and others for it, but couldn't find it. I enlisted CK's help, but he has (so far) been unable to find it, either. If anyone else reading this wants to give a shot, please do. It may "fall into your lap" as well.
All I could find was THIS.
Re: Sandman's costume/concept change in Aventure #69:
I kind of waffled on "has not, to the best of my knowledge, been reprinted... at least not in a high-quality edition." I figured someone here would jump in with a correction if it had been.
I just looked it up on GCD, which usually lists reprints, and there are none listed. I guess I DID dream that I read it.
I know that Roy Thomas planned to adapt it for Secret Origins but it never happened.
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