DC Comics Collections Opportunities

Another round of solicits have come and gone for DC Comics and with it come a few surprises. The biggest of all being an omnibus for a series way too long in the making. The Wonder Woman by George Perez omnibus, a title that finally reprints the series that many hold to be her best or, at least, most definitive is finally being released. With this revelation, and a few more, comes the need to review a few “reprint/omnibus rules”.  

  Well, more like the rule, since there’s only one. Reprints of a kind where the series has been held out on for so long have only one thing that they need readers to do. Readers need to buy the product if they want more of this level of quality. Compared to most other recent DC Omnibuses, The Invisibles and Geoff Johns’ JSA come to mind very distinctly, the Wonder Woman omnibus gives the impression of being very light.   Rather than any massive number, it only collects the first 24 issues or so of the George Perez series. A series that went on for far longer than that. This is clearly DC putting one toe into the pool and testing the waters for how well future reprints would do. As with the Starman paperback omnibuses and the Shade the Changing Man reprints, DC has shown time and again that they are not shy toward cancelling under-selling trades and collections.  

  Readers can get in an uproar about this and that concerning cancelled collections but it’s a numbers game. Demand does equality supply, but only to a point. The supply actually needs to be used up, pre-orders and all of that have to go into it and noticeably for DC and other major publishers in general to care. So, if you've been waiting for Perez’s Wonder Woman to get the omnibus treatment and actually want them to finish collecting the whole series, then spread the word.   Get this the sales it needs, and it’s not the only announcement that needs it. There’s also the reveal that China Mieville’s fan favorite Dial H series from the “New 52” will be getting a deluxe collection. While a fan favorite and modest trade seller, Dial H is on the fast track to long term obscurity. Fans of Dial H have been clamoring to get Mieville back on another title since Dial H was first cancelled, and this deluxe edition could send the right signals. At the very least it would help in making Mieville a bankable name.  

  Of the collections that DC has announced, these are possibly the two that need the support the most. Readers want DC to take more risks with what it collects and when they do, it doesn't always turn out for the best. So, in summation, the lesson is simple. Vote with your wallet. Such as if you want more golden age Captain Marvel stories, then look into spreading the word about the upcoming 75^th anniversary collection, and the same about the more ignored cosmic side with Walt Simonson’s Orion omnibus. Thoughts and opinions on this stance would be appreciated below.