Imagine seeing these at 11″ x 17″…
OK, this Giant-Size single-issue format DC has introduced with Batman: Hush 2 and its upcoming W.I.P. line has definitely become a Thing. Readers are buying them and I expect they’ll continue to do so.
But, see, whenever something like this comes up, I get greedy. I start thinking, for example, “Hey, what if DC added this format to their Facsimile Edition line? I mean, they have foil covers and sketch covers and treasury edition reprints, so why not?”
The first
Now, to be 100 percent transparent, I have zero information on whether DC is planning to do this. I think it’s a safer bet that they’ll focus on the W.I.P. line, which will feature single issues done a la Artist’s Editions. Plus, it’s still early days for these 11″ x 17″ comics.
But we can dream, hope and imagine, right? So, I’ve come up with a list of 13 Giant-Size Facsimile Editions We’d Like to See. To keep it somewhat contained, I’ve chosen only to include issues that already have been produced as Facsimiles. (For example: What I’d really want the most are every Batman/Detective issue ever drawn by Neal Adams or Marshall Rogers.)
So here we go:
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13. Superman #233. Who wouldn’t want this cover in a colossal size?
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12. Green Lantern #1. Gil Kane’s work needs to be on this list, even if there are plenty of better issues from his vast body of work.
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11. Marvel Family Comics #1. My other wish list for DC’s Facsimile Edition line is to bring back the Famous 1st Edition series, which in the 1970s gave us landmark Golden Age issues in treasury-size. Doing those in a Giant-Size line would be just as good, or even better. I could pick Whiz Comics #2, with Captain Marvel’s first appearance, but this ish gives you more Big Red Cheese for your 15 bucks, or so.
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10. Wonder Woman #1. We’re talking the original here. All that odd H.G. Peter artwork. Nifty.
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9. Wonder Woman #1. The George Perez version. The wraparound cover alone would be stunning at 22″ x 17″.
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8. The Brave and the Bold #28. The first appearance of the Justice League and one of the most important comics in history. All those heroes in one place! (If you’re a JSA fan, I’d have no quarrel with you substituting in All-Star Comics #3 here.)
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7. Batman #232. I’m putting this smack in the middle because we’ve at least gotten it at classic treasury size (the 10″ x 13″-to-14″ range). But being the Batmanophile and Adamsophile I am, it would be impossible not to want to see the fantastic first encounter between the Darknight Detective and Ra’s al Ghul.
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6. The New Teen Titans #1. The series got off to a great start but there were better issues to come. Nevertheless, seeing that George Perez/Romeo Tanghal art in all its detailed glory would be fab.
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5. Action Comics #1. How could you not?
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4. Batman #1. One of the greatest comics of all time, and jammed with four fantastic Golden Age Bat-stories (five, if you consider the origin reprint), including the first appearances of the Joker and Catwoman. Immensely entertaining at any size, but the bigger the better.
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3. Batman #251. Still what I consider the single greatest Batman issue ever…
… including some of Adams’ most iconic work, such as:
So why not No. 1? Because:
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2. Green Lantern #87. You’d be hard-pressed to find any better Adams art in any one place than in this issue.
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1. Detective Comics #475. The Steve Englehart/Marshall Rogers/Terry Austin run does not get the attention from DC that it deserves. I’ve been saying that forever. This would be a great way to correct course.
Think of this page at skyscraper size. Damn:
(Meanwhile, don’t forget the Marshall Rogers illustrated bio will be here soon!)
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MORE
— DC’s GIANT-SIZE SPECIAL EDITIONS: The New 11″ x 17″ Comics Are Here to Stay. Click here.
— DC Launches New ‘W.I.P.’ Line of Massive ARTIST’S EDITION-Style Comics With ALL-STAR SUPERMAN #1. Click here.
May 6, 2025
Myself personally, I’d much rather have the facsimile editions. They fit in the spinner as remembered. Cost is much more reasonable. They also would display easier than a whole stack of these oversized. There are still some treasury ones of old that need to be reprinted and those I’d buy.
May 6, 2025
I bought the first two H2sh issues in oversized format, and they’re…a bit unwieldy. I sort of like the concept of large-print comics, but actually holding it in my hands was a bit much. I would very cautiously say that these need to be reserved for artwork that works well in large scale. For Neal Adams, sure: he draws BIG pages. Other books, less so. If this concept is purely for the covers…well, a large blowup of an image is called a poster.
May 6, 2025
This is my thought as well. I bought the first two H2SH issues in “giant size” but ended up passing them on to a friend. I’m also at the point on balking at paying $14.99 for a 36-page comic (including covers) when I can get double the pages for the same price when buying a tabloid facsimile edition.
May 6, 2025
I’d pay good money if they did Superboy’s Legion by Marc Farmer and Alan Davis
May 6, 2025
How could you miss one of Jim Aparo’s Spectre covers from Adventure Comics from the 1970s?
May 6, 2025
Because none have been Facsimiles yet. Read the intro.
May 6, 2025
I’m with a majority of the commentors, I’d much rather see more Golden, Silver and Bronze Age facsimiles in a normal size. I’m still waiting for the reprint of Flash 135 that was supposed to be a Dollar Comic reprint in 2020 and got cancelled due to Covid. Also, where is the facsimile for Justice League 21, the issue that introduced many of us to the JSA? Selfishly I want more of these issues since I give them out at Halloween. It was a lot less expensive when Marvel’s True Believers reprints were a dollar and DC’s the same price. Marvel did a far better job of getting their early inventory back into production. DC has just released their second wave of $1.25 Dollar Tree reprints and once again I believe they are missing their mark. The most recent reprints are from the last 15 years with the exception of Morrisons first JLA. But the demographic at Dollar Tree is not teens and above, its for children. The books are most likely being bought by parent and grandparents for their children and the books they are pushing are way too mature and complicated. Plus, most issues are continued, how frustrating is that for a child being introduced to comics!
May 6, 2025
>>> DC has just released their second wave of $1.25 Dollar Tree reprints and once again I believe they are missing their mark.
>>>
I was not aware. Are you saying the Dollar Tree store is carrying reprints at a $1.25 price point currently? I do remember the $1 issues Marvel was doing a few years back. Shoot. That was where I first got the idea for doing my own spinner full of new “old” comics.
May 6, 2025
Yes. This is their second wave, the first wave was released in the fall of 2024. Finding them was pretty much hit or miss, some stores carried them others did not. I hit about six stores yesterday and only found the second wave in one store. The first release was was primally reprints of the first issues of the new 52 and Rebirth. This issuance is again a majority of recent titles and not child friendly. I’ve spent most of the morning blacking out offensive words so my Bible Belt neighbors will not be offended come Halloween.
May 6, 2025
That’s a bummer. Yea. I don’t need that either.
May 6, 2025
Another casualty of the pandemic: a facsimile edition of Green Lantern #76, solicited with a scheduled May 2020 on-sale date. We’re still waiting for it, DC…
May 6, 2025
To be ”treasury-worthy”, i think it needs to be a collection of stories, around a theme, collected story arc or if it is single issue, it’s 72–80pg plus so i don’t think any of these should be on their own…
Detective 476 could be included with 475, Batman 1, 252 & 321 in a Joker treasury or Superman 233 would be great with as a Kryptonite Nevermore/Sand Superman one. Green Lantern 87 could a John Stewart themed one with JLA 110, GL 182 and GL (second series) 14–17 or as part of a ”black” superheroes treasury w Black Lightning, Cyborg, and Vixen.
Otherwise, they’re better as same format replicas…
May 6, 2025
This isn’t about treasuries. This is about the new 11 x 17 format for single issues.
May 6, 2025
I conflated the two but didn’t like the 11×17 format for the reasons I described. A single 22 page comic at that proportion felt oddly thin and didn’t seem worthy of the scale. Also didnt like that the entire book was same stock as cover.
A much more success upscale was Taschen Marvel XXL line—bound collection of issues with separate cover stock/newsprint interiors.
May 6, 2025
Superman #22 (John Byrne reboot) is one of my all time favorite covers. Also love Detective Comics #525 (Batman Year 2 #1)
May 7, 2025
I would like to see the treasury books,
like the upcoming Superman Versus Shazam, printed comic book size. Then I would buy them. The Superman The Movie treasury from 1978 done normal size would be great.
May 8, 2025
I’d be surprised if DC even has the original art files for those older books. The last thing anyone should want is DC pushing out blown up crap that is muddy/blurry/and lacking a lot of the original detail. (Not to mention horrible recolorings) I heard a story not too long ago that the Batman #5 facsimile allegedly almost went to print with the miscolored digital version (bright magenta instead of the actual red color until it was caught at the last minute, so.. I don’t have much faith in their QC when it comes to older books.