My head hurts
Ripped from Newsarama! NEWSARAMA - DC COLLECTS EVERY ALAN MOORE STORY, LISTS JAN/FEB '06 COLLECTIONS
Gathering every DCU tale written by Alan Moore under one cover for the very first time, DC UNIVERSE: THE STORIES OF ALAN MOORE TP features sixteen stories including the never-before-collected BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE and SUPERMAN: WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE MAN OF TOMORROW.
So, a great big "get bent!" goes out to all the mooks who bought the first edition of the book. Nice. That's class. Granted, I'm not likely to sit down and read Killing Joke again anytime soon, but it's the thought that counts.
Let's see what else we can find worth mentioning...
Oh, right here:
SEVEN SOLDIERS OF VICTORY VOL. 1 TP
Writer: Grant Morrison
Artists: J.H. Williams III, Simone Bianchi, Cameron Stewart, Ryan Sook, Frazer Irving and Mick Gray
Collects SEVEN SOLDIERS OF VICTORY #0, SEVEN SOLDIERS: SHINING KNIGHT #1-2, SEVEN SOLDIERS: GUARDIAN #1-2, SEVEN SOLDIERS: ZATANNA #1-2 and SEVEN SOLDIERS: KLARION THE WITCH BOY #1
224 pages, $14.99 US
Yeah, collecting Seven Soldiers was going to be a pain no matter how you slice it, but would it have killed the editors to consider reprinting complete stories. As complete as these stories are anyways. Since there's a common thread running from the zero issue to the concluding issue, and each mini ends on a cliffhanger--albeit one that will be wrapped up in a single issue and not an interminable crossover.
But stuff like this drives me batty. At least try to make these collections work a little cleanly, people. The stories reference one another, but each one can be read and enjoyed on its own. Reading the others isn't a requirement (as it is with typical crossovers, protestations to the contrary notwithstanding.) This book could easily have been the zero issue, Shining Knight and Guardian, with the others collected two to a volume until the end. This isn't brain surgery. Regular readers are turned off by coming back and picking up the story in another volume as much as most comics readers seem to be turned on by it.
If you want more readers outside traditional comics channels, then give them a little of what they expect, at least. Try to give them a whole story, or something approaching it, in a single volume. I railed against this when New Frontier wasn't given a one-volume collection, and I'm gonna do it here, too.
The work deserves better treatment than this. Granted, it's not likely to be a good gateway book for non-comics readers, but at least give it a goddamn chance.
SHOWCASE PRESENTS: HOUSE OF MYSTERY VOL. 1 TP
Writers: Joe Orlando, Sergio Aragones, Howie Post, E. Nelson Bridwell, Otto Binder, Robert Kanigher, Jack Oleck, Marv Wolfman, Len Wein, John Albano and Jack Miller
Artists: Joe Orlando, George Roussos, Lee Elias, Doug Wildey, Bernard Baily, Carmine Infantino, Mort Meskin, Neal Adams, Sid Greene, Jack Sparling, Sergio Aragones, Howie Post, Bill Draut, Jim Mooney, Win Mortimer, Jerry Grandanetti, Gil Kane, Wallace Wood, Bernie Wrightson, Alex Toth, Wayne Howard, Al Williamson, John Celardo, Mike Peppe, Tony deZuniga, Leonard Starr, Tom Sutton, Ric Estrada, Ralph Reese, Frank Giacoia, Jim Aparo, Gray Morrow, Don Heck, Russ Heath, Jack Kirby, John Costanza and Nester Redondo
Collects HOUSE OF MYSTERY #174-194
552 pages, $16.99, black & white
Now this makes me very happy. Currently enjoying the Superman Showcase edition and can't wait to get my hands on this one.
THE WILL EISNER COMPANION SC
Writers: N.C. Christopher Couch and Stephen Weiner
Artist: Will Eisner
176 pages, $12.99, black & white
I should probably be excited about this, too.