First up, Marvel provides the AVENGERS BY KURT BUSIEK & GEORGE PÉREZ OMNIBUS volume 2, closing out not just the 34-issue Busiek/Pérez run in Omnibus format, but the full 56-issue Busiek run. I reviewed Volume 1 some months back, and I'll try to get something up for this volume in the near future as well.
On the trade paperback front, Marvel brings the INFINITY WAR AFTERMATH and MOON KNIGHT EPIC COLLECTION: SHADOWS OF THE MOON.
The main appeal of AFTERMATH for me is the inclusion of WARLOCK AND THE INFINITY WATCH issues 11 - 17. This means that between the INFINITY GAUNTLET AFTERMATH, INFINITY WAR, INFINITY WAR AFTERMATH, INFINITY CRUSADE volume 1, INFINITY CRUSADE volume 2, and THOR: BLOOD AND THUNDER collections, INFINITY WATCH issues 1 - 25 are all collected in trade paperback format. Only six more issues are needed to round out Jim Starlin's run on the title.
Though for those who don't want to hunt down all the afore-mentioned trades, Marvel will also be releasing an INFINITY WATCH volume 1 trade next year, collecting the first 22 issues in one single volume (though I would strongly urge anyone interested to pick up the previously listed trades as the majority of the INFINITY WATCH series lived in permanent crossover status with Starlin's INFINITY trilogy and other titles). I would expect an INFINITY WATCH volume 2 to follow this up, collecting the remainder of the series -- issues 23 - 42.
As for Moon Knight -- I covered the contents of most of volume 1 issue by issue earlier this year, and I expect to pick that series up using this volume at some point down the line -- however I'll probably wait until we receive volume 3, which will close out the series. SHADOWS OF THE MOON reprints MOON KNIGHT issues 5 - 23, and Moon Knight's original series ran for 38 issues.
From DC, we have BATMAN ADVENTURES volume 2 and volume 3. Volume 2 actually came out some months ago, but I somehow missed it so I grabbed it this month to go with volume 3. Volume 4, which will close out the first series' thirty-five issues, is available for pre-order, set to release next year.
As I've mentioned several times, BATMAN ADVENTURES, in its various incarnations, was pretty much the only ongoing DC comic I read back in the nineties. I'm very happy to see DC has committed to collecting it, and I really look forward to re-reading all the issues. Here's hoping we'll see a couple follow-up volumes for BATMAN AND ROBIN ADVENTURES, which ran 25 issues plus a couple annuals, and then with any luck, we'll get the subsequent BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES and BATMAN ADVENTURES volume 2, which in total added another 77 issues plus annuals to the ADVENTURES canon.
Lastly, Dark Horse provides something I've been eagerly awaiting for several months: The HE-MAN AND THE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE MINICOMIC COLLECTION. This book collects every one of the little comics Mattel packed in with their Masters of the Universe action figures over the years, including the original line, the SHE-RA: PRINCESS OF POWER line, the NEW ADVENTURES OF HE-MAN sequel series, and even the 2002 and modern day revivals. Featuring work from Bruce Timm, Mark Texeira, and more, these little artifacts of my childhood have long deserved a collection and Dark Horse has come through in spades. I really look forward to reading this one.
I'm anticipating December will be a much quieter month for The Unboxing, as through delays and advance solicits, I just happened to wind up with a bunch of stuff this month, not all of which I was expecting. Still, I anticipate at least one book to discuss next time.
I straight up LOVE that He-Man collection. I wasn't quite sure what to expect from it, but I sure wasn't expecting a massive brick of a hardcover collecting everything possible, plus a ton of interviews, for less than $30 (after the usual online discounts). I also think it's great that while the book is smaller in dimensions than the average comic, they still blew it up to be a bit larger than the original comics, which makes appreciating the art even easier. Just top notch stuff.
ReplyDeleteThough for those who don't want to hunt down all the afore-mentioned trades, Marvel will also be releasing an INFINITY WATCH volume 1 trade next year
Interesting. I did not know that. I've been holding off on getting the various INFINITY trades you mentioned in the hopes that Marvel would eventually do a WAR and CRUSADE omnibus that would collect all that stuff to go along with the GAUNTLET omnibus from a few years ago, but if they're doing an individual INFINITY WATCH reprint series on top of the crossover-specific volumes, that seems less likely.
I was really impressed with the He-Man book, too -- right down to the little bookmark ribbon thingy! I can't wait to read it, though it'll be on the back burner for a while at this point.
DeleteEven despite the reprints of INFINITY WATCH in multiple formats, I would not be surprised to see an INFINITY WAR OMNIBUS at some point, though my money would be on it arriving in 2018 when INFINITY WAR PART 1 hits theaters. (Or maybe late 2017 to get it on shelves for a few months beforehand.)