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.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

BATMAN SILVER AGE OMNIBUS v1: I don't remember seeing this one solicited, but it collects Batman #101-116 and Detective Comics #233-257 [which raises the question what about Batman Golden Age Omnibus v10 (which would collect Batman # 86-99 and Detective Comics #211-232]. Ships July 5.

[Fraser Sherman]

I'm assuming V10 will come out — I know the Big Two make some crazy reprint decisions but it's hard to imagine they wouldn't see the potential to having an unbroken Batman string.

My brother alerted me to the Silver Omnibus last year as it's right in "his" Batman era. I'm less enthused but I'm still  looking forward to it.

Jeff of Earth-J said:

BATMAN SILVER AGE OMNIBUS v1: I don't remember seeing this one solicited, but it collects Batman #101-116 and Detective Comics #233-257 [which raises the question what about Batman Golden Age Omnibus v10 (which would collect Batman # 86-99 and Detective Comics #211-232]. Ships July 5.

[Captain Comics]

I don't know if Jeff of Earth-J has done his usual due diligence yet on the new Captain Britain Omnibus out this week, so I'll do it.

Here's the chart I did for it, with Captain Britain Omnibus (2022) on the right, compared to Captain Britain Omnibus (2009), Captain Britain Vol. 1: Birth of a Legend and Captain Britain Vol. 2: Siege of Camelot on the left.

Captain Britain Omnibus (2009)	Captain Britain Omnibus (2022)
Marvel Super-Heroes #377-378	MARVEL SUPER-HEROES (1972) #377-388
The Daredevils #1-11	DAREDEVILS #1-11
The Mighty World of Marvel #7-16	MIGHTY WORLD OF MARVEL (1983) #7-16
Captain Britain #1-14	CAPTAIN BRITAIN (1985) #1-14
New Mutants Annual #2	NEW MUTANTS ANNUAL #2
Uncanny X-Men Annual #11	X-MEN ANNUAL (1970) #11
Captain America #305-306
Marvel Tales #131-133	MARVEL TALES (1964) #131-133
Captain Britain Vol. 1: Birth of a Legend
Captain Britain #1-39	CAPTAIN BRITAIN (1976) #1-39
Super Spider-Man & Captain Britain #231-232	SUPER SPIDER-MAN & CAPTAIN BRITAIN #231-232
Captain Britain Vol. 2: Siege of Camelot
Super Spider-Man & Captain Britain #233-247	SUPER SPIDER-MAN & CAPTAIN BRITAIN #233-247
Marvel Team-Up #65-66	MARVEL TEAM-UP (1972) #65-66
Hulk Comic #1, 3-46	HULK COMIC #1, 3-46
Incredible Hulk Weekly #47-55, 57-58	INCREDIBLE HULK WEEKLY #47-55 and #57-58
Incredible Hulk #59-63	INCREDIBLE HULK WEEKLY #59-63

As you can see, If you already have the 13-year-old omnibus and the two subsequent Masterworks-style collections, then this new omnibus is superfluous. But if you're missing any significant pieces, the new book might be necessary.

Also, the new book doesn't include Captain America #305-306 for some reason. But surely those issues are available in Captain America Masterworks and/or Captain America omnibuses, or soon will be. Were I starting from scratch I wouldn't consider those absent issues a deal-breaker for getting the Omnibus, which has all the crucial stuff: The UK material that most Americans have never seen.

[Dennis Summers]

I won't be buying this one, but I applaud your thorough research.

[Fraser Sherman]

I'll have to check my various Brian Braddock books. I believe I have everything except the stretch right before Moore's run.

Captain Comics said:

I don't know if Jeff of Earth-J has done his usual due diligence yet on the new Captain Britain Omnibus out this week, so I'll do it.

Here's the chart I did for it, with Captain Britain Omnibus (2022) on the right, compared to Captain Britain Omnibus (2009), Captain Britain Vol. 1: Birth of a Legend and Captain Britain Vol. 2: Siege of Camelot on the left.

Captain Britain Omnibus (2009)	Captain Britain Omnibus (2022)
Marvel Super-Heroes #377-378	MARVEL SUPER-HEROES (1972) #377-388
The Daredevils #1-11	DAREDEVILS #1-11
The Mighty World of Marvel #7-16	MIGHTY WORLD OF MARVEL (1983) #7-16
Captain Britain #1-14	CAPTAIN BRITAIN (1985) #1-14
New Mutants Annual #2	NEW MUTANTS ANNUAL #2
Uncanny X-Men Annual #11	X-MEN ANNUAL (1970) #11
Captain America #305-306
Marvel Tales #131-133	MARVEL TALES (1964) #131-133
Captain Britain Vol. 1: Birth of a Legend
Captain Britain #1-39	CAPTAIN BRITAIN (1976) #1-39
Super Spider-Man & Captain Britain #231-232	SUPER SPIDER-MAN & CAPTAIN BRITAIN #231-232
Captain Britain Vol. 2: Siege of Camelot
Super Spider-Man & Captain Britain #233-247	SUPER SPIDER-MAN & CAPTAIN BRITAIN #233-247
Marvel Team-Up #65-66	MARVEL TEAM-UP (1972) #65-66
Hulk Comic #1, 3-46	HULK COMIC #1, 3-46
Incredible Hulk Weekly #47-55, 57-58	INCREDIBLE HULK WEEKLY #47-55 and #57-58
Incredible Hulk #59-63	INCREDIBLE HULK WEEKLY #59-63

As you can see, If you already have the 13-year-old omnibus and the two subsequent Masterworks-style collections, then this new omnibus is superfluous. But if you're missing any significant pieces, the new book might be necessary.

Also, the new book doesn't include Captain America #305-306 for some reason. But surely those issues are available in Captain America Masterworks and/or Captain America omnibuses, or soon will be. Were I starting from scratch I wouldn't consider those absent issues a deal-breaker for getting the Omnibus, which has all the crucial stuff: The UK material that most Americans have never seen.

[Richard Willis]

Today I am awaiting the Amazon driver, who will be delivering my copy of Spider-Girl: The Complete Collection Vol. 4 (softcover) along with my copy of the Spider-Man: No Way Home Blu-ray.

I know it's not Silver or Golden Age, but the Spider-Girl runs are among my favorite comics of the last few decades. I have the first three volumes. For a while I was afraid they would stop after volume 2.

[Captain Comics]

Spider-Girl was good comics. It was a pleasure to read a story about a happy (but not sappy) superhero.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

"I don't know if Jeff of Earth-J has done his usual due diligence yet on the new Captain Britain Omnibus..."

I had not, because I already own the three previous volumes you listed on the left (and before that, before any of that was even available in the U.S., I had four tpbs I got from Amazon.co.uk). Despite the missing Captain America two-parter, the new omnibus is a fascinating volume. (The Black Knight series, which guest-stars Captain Britain and leads directly into the Moore run, is of particular interest.) Not every issue is as good, but that makes the entire run even more fascinating when you see  how, Alan Moore incorporated everything that had come before into his run. If you thought Jack Kirby's final run on Captain America came to something of an abrupt end, the story in which Cap follows the Red Skull to the UK follows it directly. The Black Knight series, too, immediately precedes his return to American comics in Avengers #225-226.

Highly recommended. 

[Fraser Sherman]

Mine too. I'm almost finished with rereading the entire run, mostly in those pocket-book reprint paperbacks.

Richard Willis said:

Today I am awaiting the Amazon driver, who will be delivering my copy of Spider-Girl: The Complete Collection Vol. 4 (softcover) along with my copy of the Spider-Man: No Way Home Blu-ray.

I know it's not Silver or Golden Age, but the Spider-Girl runs are among my favorite comics of the last few decades. I have the first three volumes. For a while I was afraid they would stop after volume 2.

[Captain Comics]

I recently checked to see where we are on EC Archives, and here's the update:

• New Trend titles: All reprinted
• New Direction titles: All reprinted
• Picto-Fiction: All reprinted except Confessions Illustrated, which is due in June.

Dark horse is apparently set on reprinting the pre-New Trend/Educational Comics as well, although I'm not interested in most of them. Here's where we stand on those:

ALREADY REPRINTED

• Saddle Justice #3-8 (EC Archives: Saddle Justice Vol. 1)
• Modern Love #1-8 (EC Archives: Modern Love Vol. 1)
• War Against Crime! #1-11 (EC Archives: War Against Crime! Vols. 1-2)

PARTIALLY REPRINTED

• Gunfighter #5-14 (Gunfighter #5-9 reprinted in EC Archives: Gunfighter Vol. 1)

NOT REPRINTED (YET)

• Animal Fables #1-7         
• Animated Comics #1      
• Blackstone the Magician Detective Fights Crime! #1*        
• International Comics #1-5*
• International Crime Patrol #6*
• Crime Patrol #7-16 (issues #7-11 will be found in EC Archives: Crime Patrol Vol. 1, due in August)*
• Dandy Comics #1-7         
• Fat and Slat #1-4       
• Happy Houlihans #1-2   
• Land of the Lost #1-9*    
• Moon Girl and the Prince #1*
• Moon Girl #2-6*
• Moon Girl Fights Crime! #7-8*
• A Moon, a Girl...Romance #9-12*
• Picture Stories from the Bible #1-3          
• Picture Stories from American History #1-4          
• Picture Stories from Science #1-2  
• Saddle Romances #9-11*  
• Tiny Tot Comics #1-10

I've marked with an asterisk the titles I have an interest in.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

What an incredibly helpful list. Thanks!

"I've marked with an asterisk the titles I have an interest in."

Mine are pretty much the same. I might have an additional interest in the "Picture Stories" series. 

[Dennis Summers]

That is a great list. From what I can tell the Dark Horse collections are the same as the older Cochran B/W sets. Can someone confirm that? I have the latter, and decided against the DH color versions. Although, like Captain Comics and Jeff of Earth-J, I would likely buy those pre-trend titles, I have to say I don't expect much from the stories.