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?
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Yes, the first thing that struck me about the Blue Beetle volume was how thin it is in comparison to the others. It is thin but complete. It is for that reason I have decided to move on to that one next after I finish the (non-DCF) volumes I'm working my way through now. It has all of the Dan Garret material from the '60s plus all of the Ted Cord stories as well. I have changed my opinion about having the Steve ditko material duplicated. I am now in favor of it. I like the idea of reading the DCF volume whenever I'm in the mood to read Blue Beetle, and the Action Heroes archives when I'm in the mood for Ditko. As I did with the Peacemaker volume, however, when I do decide to read the DCF volume, I plan to read only the Dan Garret stories at this time (because it hasn't been just too long since I last read the Achion Heroes archives). and who knows? By the time I get to that point I may have changed my mind. (It happens.)
They could have included the Question stories. His Silver Age adventures were too few for its own volume.
Or the three Nightshade back-up stories.
It is for that reason I have decided to move on to that one next after I finish the (non-DCF) volumes I'm working my way through now.
I'm reading it now, alternating with the DC Finest: Superboy volume. I have to take a break now and then, as the Charlton mechanical lettering is hard on my eyes (and there's a LOT of it in these wordy stories).
I wound up getting the complete Nightshade from Gwandanaland.
...the Charlton mechanical lettering is hard on my eyes...
Lettered by "A. Machine."
I had forgotten how disconcerting the Charlton lettering was especially with the sheer amount of verbiage used! Were they paid by the word back then?
Of course, no one was expecting those Dan Garrett stories to be good but I would have liked them to be readable.
OTOH, I received the HAWKMAN volume yesterday and I am very happy with it! Joe Kubert's almost primal work along with Murphy Anderson's pristine illustrationsmake it one of the better packages.
I have only two minor quibbles: they should have picked a better cover and I would have liked to have seen Hawkman's induction to the Justice League included. Again, very minor.
What I learned: that his guest shot in The Atom #7 was earlier than I thought, being his seventh appearance, between Brave & Bold and Mystery In Space, while Brave & Bold #51 was later than I believed. I thought it was before the Mystery In Space run but it happened during it.
Mavis Trent is unlike any other romantic "rival" in comics at that time and she should know more than she lets on!
I wound up getting the complete Nightshade from Gwandanaland.
Are they still in business? I was curious what would constitute the complete Nightshade, but was unable to find it via Google. I found a current Facebook page gor Gwandanaland, but that's all.
I would have liked to have seen Hawkman's induction to the Justice League included.
Justice League of America #31 would have appeared right around Hawkman #4. I guess they just don't want to crack open the JLA can of worms. I can't remember any DC Finest books so far that do.
Off topic, it sure took a while for Hawkman to get his own title! His first Brave and Bold try-out issue was in April 1961, but he didn't get his own book until November 1964. The Atom, by contrast, had his first try-out in October 1961, but had his own title by June of the next year. I wonder if it was Hawkman's slow start that ended the revamps of Golden Age heroes. (Or maybe it was because by 1965, they were using the originals!)
What I learned: that his guest shot in The Atom #7 was earlier than I thought, being his seventh appearance.
It hadn't occurred to me when I read that story (as a back issue) that, at the time, Atom was a member of the Justice League, and Hawkman was not.
The Metamorpho volume included JLA #42 ("Metamorpho Says NO!") and the Showcase Presents: Green Arrow had JLA #4 in it.
When the team was thinking about disbanding in JLA #27 (My'64), "The 'I' Who Defeated the Justice League!", both the Atom and Aquaman lament that Hawkman would never get to join now!
Hawkman was nominated in JLA #4 but lost out to Green Arrow and he may have been nominated for all we know in #14.
Are they still in business?
I had been having trouble finding Gwandanaland books online as well, so I recently called Lance Jones to find out why. It seems that Amazon has recently given the boot to all publishers of public domain material. If you're looking for Gwandanaland books, they can be found at www.lulu.com. If you want to contact Lance Jones directly, his e-mail is gwandanaland@yahoo.com.
I had been having trouble finding Gwandanaland books online as well, so I recently called Lance Jones to find out why. It seems that Amazon has recently given the boot to all publishers of public domain material.
Uh oh. That probably includes PS Artbooks. If I miss something, I'll probably have to order from them directly.
The Metamorpho volume included JLA #42 ("Metamorpho Says NO!") and the Showcase Presents: Green Arrow had JLA #4 in it.
That makes the absence of Justice League of America #31 in the Hawkman book even more irritating. If they ever do an Atom, they'd better have JLA #14 in it, or we riot!
Uh oh. That probably includes PS Artbooks. If I miss something, I'll probably have to order from them directly.
"Uh oh," indeed. With my pre-order discount, PS Artbooks cost me about $37 each. The last time I missed a volume and had to order from the publisher (overseas), it came to $72. But it was volume seven of (so far) eight, so what else could I do? PS Artbooks provides good service, but it ain't cheap. And with tariffs, it ain't getting any cheaper.
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