Good News for Wonder Woman Fans
- Posted by Johanna on February 1, 2007 at 8:21 pm
- Category: Graphic Novel News
DC has announced their collections planned for this summer, and they include the following:
In July, they’re reprinting the 1976 Wonder Woman encyclopedia as THE ORIGINAL ENCYCLOPEDIA OF COMIC BOOK HEROES VOL. 2: WONDER WOMAN (272 pages, $19.99). This is a great reference to the character and her stories, up until the mid-60s.
And finally in August, SHOWCASE PRESENTS: WONDER WOMAN. Aside from my general love of the character, I’m excited because the stories reprinted come from WONDER WOMAN #98-117, a run by Robert Kanigher, Ross Andru, and Mike Esposito that includes several legitimately scarce issues.
As usual, I’m most excited by DC’s wide-ranging history, and I’m thrilled they’re making it more available. The two Showcase volumes in July are also interesting. There’s a BATGIRL book:
Writers: Gardner Fox, Cary Bates, Bob Haney, Mike Friedrich, Robert Kanigher, Frank Robbins, Dennis O’ Neil, and Elliot S. Maggin
Artists: Carmine Infantino, Curt Swan, Frank Springer, Gil Kane, Bob Brown, Win Mortimer, Irv Novick, Don Heck, Mike Sekowsky, Neal Adams, and others
Collects stories from DETECTIVE COMICS #359, 363, 369, 371, 384, 385, 388, 389, 392, 393, 396, 397, 400, 401, 404, 405-424, BATMAN #197, ADVENTURE COMICS #381, WORLD’ S FINEST COMICS #169 and 176, THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #78, JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #60, and SUPERMAN #268 and 279.
as well as a MARTIAN MANHUNTER (reprinting material from DETECTIVE COMICS #225-305). Additionally, there’s a wacky Superman Family trade: THE AMAZING TRANSFORMATIONS OF JIMMY OLSEN (192 pages, $14.99), collecting stories from SUPERMAN’S PAL JIMMY OLSEN #22, 28, 31-33, 41, 42, 44, 49, 53, 59, 65, 69, 72, 77, 80, 85, and 105.
For more modern work with classic flavor, in June comes BATMAN: EGO AND OTHER TAILS (200 pages, $14.99). It’s mostly Darwyn Cooke work, but it also includes stories by Paul Grist and Tim Sale. It collects BATMAN: EGO, CATWOMAN: SELINA’S BIG SCORE, and stories from SOLO #1 and 5 and BATMAN: GOTHAM KNIGHTS #23 and 33.
Is this the first time SOLO work has been reprinted?
February 1, 2007 at 10:19 pm
Don’t forget the Golden Age Dr. Fate archives. A book I’ve been praying for the past three or more years.
February 1, 2007 at 10:23 pm
I think it is the first time any SOLO work has made it to trade. I’d like to see the Allred stuff and Pope stuff into comprehensive Allred and Pope omnibuses, but I’m not sure if that’ll ever happen.
This both excites and infuriates me…I KNEW I shouldn’t have bought that SELINA’S BIG SCORE hardcover!
February 1, 2007 at 11:55 pm
Oh, sure — just when I was trying to give up buying any more Showcase Presents books they announce three that sound really interesting.
February 2, 2007 at 12:23 am
I’m really glad to see them reprinting those Fleischer Encyclopedias. I could never find the Wonder Woman volume back in the day, and my Superman and Batman volumes are pretty worn out (plus 11-year-old me used the Batman volume as a coloring book…).
February 2, 2007 at 7:00 am
Ed, the only time I’ve read Dr. Fate was when deMatteis had two people sharing the identity/body, so that’s certainly a chance for me to learn more about the classic character.
Caleb, but the hardcover was so pretty! I need to reread that now that I’ve twigged to Cooke’s appeal.
JKC, hee hee hee. But you enjoyed it, right?
February 2, 2007 at 8:45 am
the biggest problem that I have with the Showcase is that hundreds of pages of stories that were originally intended to be 5-8 page backups gets very tedious very quickly. I know, I know, parcel the reading out — but that’s not the way I’m used to reading collections of comics. there’s definitely solid craft in these DC backup stories, but I’m not sure that there’s all that much art.
February 2, 2007 at 8:59 am
I have a similar problem, quitting before I find them tedious, especially when they’re very formulaic.
February 2, 2007 at 11:12 am
As thrilled as I am by stuff like the Cooke collection and the weird Jimmy Olsen book and the Atom Showcase, I can’t help but cringe at the fact that it’s been FOUR YEARS since the last Legion Archive.
February 2, 2007 at 11:14 am
It would be interesting to see sales figures on the last volume, which began entering what I think of as “modern era”. When you’re competing with easier-to-find back issue sales, then I’m sure the financial concerns change.
February 2, 2007 at 11:46 am
My 11 year old just let out a frenzied scream of joy when I informed him of the Jimmy Olsen book. Of all the characters superhero comics provide, his favorite of all time is Jimmy Olsen, which I just find comforting in this day and age . . .
February 2, 2007 at 12:45 pm
Wow those are some great books coming out. I found the Batman Encyclopedia at a flea market years back and really enjoyed it so the WW one sounds nifty too.
The Cooke collection should be really good to read too.
February 2, 2007 at 2:41 pm
Any word on the contents for the previously announced “Greatest Wonder Woman stories ever told” collection?
February 2, 2007 at 6:07 pm
Not that I’ve heard.
John, that’s so cute! And what Jimmy was created for, for kids to have someone to identify with.
February 2, 2007 at 6:46 pm
Not that I’ve heard.
So they’re releasing contents info for stuff coming out in the summer, but not for something coming out this spring… [dumbfounded]. Oh well, I guess I won’t pre-order it then.
February 2, 2007 at 6:50 pm
It’s somehow typical of my collecting woes that the Wonder Woman Showcase is announced a few weeks after my completing my collection at no small cost… Sigh.
February 2, 2007 at 6:59 pm
Allan — that’s so frustrating! My sympathies.
Glaurung, I have this theory that they don’t want to commit in public to the contents so they can give themselves flexibility.
February 2, 2007 at 8:38 pm
SHOWCASES and MARVEL ESSENTIALS are perfect bathroom reading, Johanna! Stick them in there, read one or two per visit, and you never end up reading too much at one sitting.
February 2, 2007 at 9:58 pm
Clever! Just have to worry about not getting them too close to any steam or moisture, though, because I bet that newsprint would be awfully spongy.
February 3, 2007 at 2:02 am
They Showcases and Essentials work well for me because I work late evenings and so don’t get home until 1 a.m. or later in the morning. So reading a chapter or issue a night when I get home to unwind is enjoyable.
Anyone know anything about the Showcase Atom one? I don’t really know much about the character, but creators seem to like him as he’s always getting put on the JLA and other team books.
February 3, 2007 at 6:35 pm
Yay! BATGIRL!
December 29, 2008 at 9:02 am
You must be waiting for that new Wonder Woman DVD to come out. It sounds pretty good, plus if sales do well there might be a live action WW movie to follow (WB is testing the waters).