Scott and Dan pick the comics they’re most looking forward to…
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Scott Tipton, columnist, 13th Dimension
DC Finest: Superman — The First Superhero, DC. DC kicks off their new line of softcover historical collections with the earliest tales of the Man of Steel. So excited about these.
Dan adds: This line is more or less designed to compete with Marvel’s Epic Collections. Most editions are chronological but some are a mix. Batman — Year One & Two is also out this week, but as I’ve said, I’m waiting to go deeper into this line because the initial offerings cover well-trod ground. Click here for the TOP 13 DC FINEST EDITIONS WE’RE MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO — RANKED.
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Captain America Epic Collection Vol. 16: Streets of Poison, Marvel. Admittedly, this isn’t a high point of Mark Gruenwald’s legendary run, but it’s still pretty solid.
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JSA #1, DC. I’ll always give a new Justice Society series a try.
Dan adds: Anything Jeff Lemire writes is worth a shot, especially a series like this. Black Hammer, after all, was an homage to comics past, so this just seems like a homecoming of sorts. Art by Diego Olortegui.
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Rom: The Original Marvel Years Omnibus Vol. 3, Marvel. The wrap-up to Bill Mantlo’s cult classic series, with Rom leading Earth’s heroes against the Dire Wraiths!
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Dan Greenfield, editor, 13th Dimension
Mighty Marvel Masterworks: The Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 5, Marvel. Oh, man, I love that Leonardo Romero cover. Like I said, just last week, I’m a total sucker for Spidey-Green Goblin close-quarters aerial combat. By the way, to keep things straight, this is Marvel’s series of trade paperbacks with smaller dimensions, designed to appeal to younger readers. As in, manga readers or those who buy their trades at book fairs.
Main cover by Leonardo Romero
This collection includes the beginning of John Romita’s run: The Amazing Spider-Man #39-46 and Amazing Spider-Man Annual #3. I’m not a huge fan of smaller dimensions but, hey, this isn’t actually designed for me, and if this is what it takes to get more kids reading these classics, I’m all for it.
Variant cover by John Romita
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Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #11 Facsimile Edition, Marvel. Hey, go check out Fred Van Lente’s latest COMIC BOOK DEATH MATCH: Secret Wars #11 vs. Crisis on Infinite Earths #11! Click here!
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The Bat-Man: First Knight, DC. Hardcover collecting the first-rate three-issue Black Label miniseries by Dan Jurgens and Mike Perkins. Takes place in 1939 with a real-world sensibility. Recommended.
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Green Lantern/Green Arrow: Hard Traveling Heroes Omnibus, DC. I don’t usually get this pedantic, but I’m calling this one a near miss. It includes both the O’Neil/Adams and the O’Neil/Grell runs and that’s just downright strange and incongruous. They have nothing to do with one another save that they both came out in the ’70s. It does include never-collected and never-collected-in-color issues from that latter era, plus bonus material — and that’s enticing — but the packaging just doesn’t work for me.
Pretty sure this isn’t the actual cover but it’s what’s out there.
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The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries #11, DC. The penultimate issue of the series. Sigh.
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ReAction Godzilla Model Kit Action Figure, Super7. I love this. A 3 3/4-inch Godzilla figure based on the classic Aurora model kit. For $20!
November 5, 2024
Not a fan of the manga-sized Masterworks. The early stories are so dialogue heavy that it becomes a chore to read them.
November 5, 2024
I agree with you on the issue with the size. Unfortunately, those issues covered aren’t available in an affordable edition of the Epic Collection or Omnibus series. Prices on eBay are simply crazy.
November 6, 2024
Readability can be a real issue
I find omibus editions too heavy to comfortably read (and too pricey to buy) . The Masterworks are a bit tiny to read or appreciate the art but at least they are portable, less expensive and take up less space. But I really enjoy the facsimile editions coming out. Particularly from DC. I am reading Police Comics #1 Fab!