New D.C. "Themed" Trade Paperbacks of Classic Comics

[Polar Bear]

D.C. has really been doing a great job with creating "themed" trade paperbacks lately:
--Batman: Secrets of the Batcave
--Superman: The Many Transformations of Jimmy Olsen
--Superman: Bottle City of Kandor

These paperbacks have followed ideas, sometimes across decades, and have collected smaller stories with similar ideas instead of collecting long stories with a single storyline.

What other "themed" trade paperbacks would you like D.C. to release?

My suggestions:

1) Batman: Sidekicks
First appearances or great stories featuring such characters as Robin, Batwoman (the circus owner, not the one from 52), Batgirl 1 (the blonde), Batgirl 2 (Gordon), Batmite (!), and maybe Ace, the Bathound. Keep it pre-Crisis, please. (I'd name it Batman Family, but I think one with that title is already out there.)


2) Superman/Batman: Krypto, the Superdog, with Ace the Bathound and Rex, the Wonder Dog
Atomic Age, Silver Age, and (in Krypto's case) Bronze Age stories featuring D.C.'s greatest canines. This should also include at least one Legion of Super-Pets story and at least one Space Canine Patrol Agency story.


3) D.C.'s Greatest Superman/Batman Stories Ever Told
D.C.'s World's Finest title ran for what, four decades? Plenty of room for a trade paperback to draw from. Maybe throw in one or two of the better post-Crisis stories if they must, but I'd rather they didn't. (Note: the volume MUST include at least one Composite Superman story!)


4) D.C.'s Greatest Gorilla Stories Ever Told
I got this idea from fellow poster Jamie, I must admit. One story each from Congorilla, Detective Chimp, Supermonkey, the Ultra-Humanite, Gorilla Grodd (okay, maybe two stories for him), etc. Maybe also that Jim Starlin story where an old man transfers him mind into that of a white ape (Detective 482). Perhaps that issue of Secret Origins (1980's) that gave origins for most of the above, just to round it out. I'm sure I've missed a few.

Oh, and it should have a purple cover. :p


5) D.C. Primo: Alex Toth
Okay, I'm going out on a limb here. I think D.C. should start a whole new trade paperback LINE, one imitating Marvel's "Visionaries" series. Toth's body of work at D.C. is far too large to reprint in its entirety, but D.C. could certainly make it a "best of" collection. Future editions of the "Primo" line could include Frank Frazetta and Neal Adams (his non-Batman/GL-GA/Deadman stuff, excepting the legal-limbo Supes/Muhammad Ali story).


Any other "themed" paperbacks you can think of for D.C.?

[Polar Bear]

Superman: Red Kryptonite

[MWGallaher]

It might be cool to see DC collect some of their stories about future descendents of current heroes. There were Silver Age stories about descendents of Superman, Batman and Robin, Adam Strange, and Flash; probably a few more.
They could definitely gather enough stories for a Superbabies volume with Superbaby and Wondertot alone--there were others that featured heroes temporarily transformed into babies, like the Legion of Super-Heroes and Batman.

[JKCarrier]

Flash's Rogues Gallery
Not stories about the individual rogues, but the ones where two or more of the villains teamed up. I always enjoyed the friendly rivalry/comraderie among Flash's foes.

Superman Meets the Superstars
Stories where Superman met real-life celebrities: Allen Funt, Pat Boone, Boris Karloff, Don Rickles, Muhammed Ali, et. al.

Shazam! The Not-So-Hard-Traveling Hero
Stories where Captain Marvel had adventures in different cities. There were a bunch of these in the 1940s, and another brief run of them in the '70s. They usually included cameos by local media figures (that's one way to get your comic plugged!).

Kirby Rarities
In The Days of the Mob and Spirit World, plus the unpublished Soul Love and True Divorce Cases.

[Polar Bear]

Flash's Rogues Gallery
Not stories about the individual rogues, but the ones where two or more of the villains teamed up. I always enjoyed the friendly rivalry/comraderie among Flash's foes.

WOW. Instant buy.

[thehod]

Batman Oddball.

BATMAN ODDBALL.

BATMAN ODDBALL GODDAMMIT!!!



sorry

[DoubleWide]

Superman: Imaginary stories;

Superman: Married to Lois Lane (before it actually happened);

Legion of Super Heroes: Tales Of The Adult Legion.

[Mister Intensity]

3) D.C.'s Greatest Superman/Batman Stories Ever Told
D.C.'s World's Finest title ran for what, four decades? Plenty of room for a trade paperback to draw from. Maybe throw in one or two of the better post-Crisis stories if they must, but I'd rather they didn't. (Note: the volume MUST include at least one Composite Superman story!)

That one has already been done. It does include a Composite Superman story and it begins and ends with a telling of their first team-up written decades apart, the original from Superman 76 and Joe Kelly's retelling of the same story.

Mister Intensity

[Sir Tim Drake]

Legion of Super Heroes: Tales Of The Adult Legion.

There aren't enough Adult Legion stories for a trade paperback, unless you include stories in which the Adult Legion makes a cameo appearance.

[thehod]

That one has already been done. It does include a Composite Superman story and it begins and ends with a telling of their first team-up written decades apart, the original from Superman 76 and Joe Kelly's retelling of the same story.

Mister Intensity

It didn't show the Batman and Robin II imaginary stories, though, which was a bit of a shame.

[Chris CCL]

Remember that Batman/Superman Saga of the Super Sons is due out in December
Collects stories from World's Finest Comics # 215, 216, 221, 222, 224, 228, 231, 233 and 238
There nay be room for a Volume 2. you guys would know better than I.

Another cool volume would be all the various team-ups of Supergirl and Batgirl.

[Polar Bear]

Remember that Batman/Superman Saga of the Super Sons is due out in December
Collects stories from World's Finest Comics # 215, 216, 221, 222, 224, 228, 231, 233 and 238
There nay be room for a Volume 2. you guys would know better than I.

Another cool volume would be all the various team-ups of Supergirl and Batgirl.

The Saga TPB is on my December list, and the other trade is a great idea.

Chris, I just right now put together who you are--I'm the Eric who has e-mailed from time to time about such topics as Uncle Scrooge Archives; Rex, the Wonder Dog Archives; and Showcase Presents: Legion of Super-Heroes v.2. Anyway, hi.

[Chris CCL]

The Saga TPB is on my December list, and the other trade is a great idea.

Chris, I just right now put together who you are--I'm the Eric who has e-mailed from time to time about such topics as Uncle Scrooge Archives; Rex, the Wonder Dog Archives; and Showcase Presents: Legion of Super-Heroes v.2. Anyway, hi.

Ha.

Hello again, Eric!
Cool minds think alike!
looks like you'll get that Legion #2 in 2008
Cheers!
Chris

[Polar Bear]

It might be cool to see DC collect some of their stories about future descendents of current heroes. There were Silver Age stories about descendents of Superman, Batman and Robin, Adam Strange, and Flash; probably a few more.


How about this instead?

D.C. Universe: Past Futures. Atomic, Silver, and Bronze Age stories about heroes in the future: a representative Legion story, Kamandi, Atomic Knights, descendants of Superman and Batman, travel-to-the-future stories, and so on. An introduction by Mark Waid for historical perspective might be nice.

[Polar Bear]

Shazam! The Not-So-Hard-Traveling Hero
Stories where Captain Marvel had adventures in different cities. There were a bunch of these in the 1940s, and another brief run of them in the '70s. They usually included cameos by local media figures (that's one way to get your comic plugged!).

Well, JKCarrier, how about this?

From the solicitations:
SHAZAM: THE GREATEST STORIES EVER TOLD TP
Written by Bill Parker, Dennis O’Neil, Elliot S! Maggin and others
Art by C.C. Beck, Jack Kirby, Gil Kane, Barry Kitson and others
Cover by Alex Ross
An earth-shattering volume collecting stories from Whiz Comics #2,Captain Marvel Adventures #1,137,148, Marvel Family #21, 85, Shazam! #1, 14, DC Comics Presents Annual #3, Superman #276, L.E.G.I.O.N. '91 #31, Power of SHAZAM! #33 and Adventures in the DC Universe #5.
Advance-solicited; on sale March 26 • 224 pg, FC, $24.99 US

[JKCarrier]

Well, JKCarrier, how about this?

From the solicitations:
SHAZAM: THE GREATEST STORIES EVER TOLD TP

Definitely a step in the right direction. With a Shazam movie supposedly in the works, I'm hoping we'll see more.

[scratchie]

Definitely a step in the right direction. With a Shazam movie supposedly in the works, I'm hoping we'll see more.I'd like to see a reprint of the original Monster Society story. What is DC waiting for? Sheesh, if Marvel can reprint one of their most obscure failures to tie-in with a new version (Omega the Unknown), surely DC can reprint one of the most-loved Capt. Marvel stories ever.

[Slam_Bradley]

Remember that Batman/Superman Saga of the Super Sons is due out in December
Collects stories from World's Finest Comics # 215, 216, 221, 222, 224, 228, 231, 233 and 238



Even though I have most of these books, this is a trade I may actually pay full price for.

[Aaron King]

That Shazam trade looks great. I, too, am awaiting a reprinting of the original Monster Society of Evil. I thought it would be a shoo-in after Jeff Smith's recent Prestige mini (which was great).

[Kirayoshi]

Flash vs. Reverse Flash. Reverse Flash was Barry Allen's arch nemesis. His Joker, his Luthor, his Venom. His equal and opposite, the man responsible for the death of his wife. I'd like to see a tpb involving this rivalry, like the Superman/Luthor book.

Another idea: Mxyzptlk. The best of the ol' bowler-headed semi-omnipotent imp. Especially some of the classic Silver Age stories, along with the more malevolent John Byrne era stories.

[devildinosaur]

I don't know about anyone else, but DC's Classic compilations have been my "crack" of late...I've been buying virtually every soft cover classic TPB I see.

[Polar Bear]

I don't know about anyone else, but DC's Classic compilations have been my "crack" of late...I've been buying virtually every soft cover classic TPB I see.

Big, gigantic ditto here. Between that and genealogy, it's a wonder I still remember it's 2006.

--EKP

P.S. Joke, joke . . .

[Heraclevs]

I might fork over some cash for an "All-Ditko" super-hero volume, containing all the Creeper stories (including the pages from the aborted "Showcase #106" that wound up in Cancelled Comics Cavalcade), his Hawk & the Dove, Starman, Odd Man, Man-Bat, his Legion of Super-Heroes work, etc.

- Romans 9

[Heraclevs]

I might fork over some cash for an "All-Ditko" super-hero volume, containing all the Creeper stories (including the pages from the aborted "Showcase #106" that wound up in Cancelled Comics Cavalcade), his Hawk & the Dove, Starman, Odd Man, Man-Bat, his Legion of Super-Heroes work, etc.


Oops... I forgot Shade the Changing Man.

- Romans 9

[devildinosaur]

Big, gigantic ditto here. Between that and genealogy, it's a wonder I still remember it's 2006.

--EKP

P.S. Joke, joke . . .

I was just thinking to myself yesterday "Man, I have NO idea what's going on presently in the DC universe."