52: The Companion TP

[Ian J.N.]

http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=112964

52: THE COMPANION TP
Writers: Steve Ditko, Greg Rucka, Gardner Fox, Grant Morrison, Steve Gerber, Mark Schultz, Jack Miller, Dan Jurgens, David Goyer and Geoff Johns

Artists: Steve Ditko, Kano & Stefano Gaudiano, Chaz Truog & Doug Hazlewood, Carmine Infantino, Walter Simonson, Doug Mahnke & Tom Nguyen, Murphy Anderson, Alex Toth, Dan Jurgens & Tom Dzon and Leonard Kirk & Keith Champagne

Collects: MYSTERIOUS SUSPENSE #1, GOTHAM CENTRAL #40, ANIMAL MAN #16, METAL MEN #45, SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL #97, RIP HUNTER: TIME MASTER #6, JSA #43-44, and stories from DETECTIVE COMICS #350, STRANGE ADVENTURES #226, SECRET ORIGINS #35.

$19.99 U.S., 224 pages

...

This is what my internet searches have turned up about those issues:

MYSTERIOUS SUSPENSE #1
- first full length adventure of the Question (Charlton)

GOTHAM CENTRAL #40
- last Renee story before 52
- the story of what happened with Corrigan

ANIMAL MAN #16
- highlights Buddy's relationship with Ellen
- guest stars Ralph and Sue

METAL MEN #45
- the story of Magnus' insanity and the Plutonium Man
- first new Metal Men story of the 70's revamp
- "Trample! Raze! Annihilate!"

SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL #97
- features Steel (and Natasha? She's in the issue, at least)

RIP HUNTER: TIME MASTER #6
- early Rip Hunter adventure

JSA #43-44
- features Black Adam in ancient times

DETECTIVE COMICS #350
- trademark Elongated Man mystery
- a birthday where Sue isn't mutilated and killed
- first issue of the red and black costume

STRANGE ADVENTURES #226
- early Adam Strange adventure

SECRET ORIGINS #35
- Booster Gold's origin story

...

Basically there's a story for each of the main characters. Sounds like a great collection.

Also:
52: THE COVERS HC
Writer: J.G. Jones
Artists: J.G. Jones
Collects: Every cover from 52, 52 Vol. 1-4 TPs, the 52 novel, sketches, plus commentary from Jones.
$19.99 U.S., 128 pages

[dancj]

Hmmm... When I saw the title I assumed it would have the 52 backups that didn't make it into the main 52 TPBs.

[Sean Walsh]

Hmmm... When I saw the title I assumed it would have the 52 backups that didn't make it into the main 52 TPBs.

Actually, I was kinda depressed when that was the tactic they used for the INFINITE CRISIS COMPANION.

Sure, I liked that those 4 specials were collected (wish they'd put them in the TPBs for each miniseries but whatever), but to me a companion book collects useful info (little stories and reference material) for the reader so that they get to know the original text better.

This 52 book really seems like a proper companion; the IC one, not so much.

[PastePotPete]

Wow. This sounds really great. A nice companion piece for anyone who collected all of 52. I usually don't fall in for these types of collections (like The Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told) but this one sounds different. I'm going to pick this one up.