I have an early look at your DC Comics collections for 2014 today, scheduled to be released between March and September. There are a lot of these, so I'm just going to go through them alphabetically, starting with "general collections" first and New 52 books second. To whet your appetite, however, here's some highlights:

JSA Omnibus. Brightest Day Omnibus. Doom Patrol by Grant Morrison Omnibus. Batman by Doug Moench and Kelley Jones. A new collection of Spectre by John Ostrander and Tom Mandrake. JLA Vol. 5, collecting Mark Waid's whole run. Absolute Superman/Batman Vol. 2. Absolute All-Star Batman and Robin. The third Catwoman volume by Ed Brubaker. A new "classic" Animal Man collection. Expanded collections of Batman: Murderer and Fugitive. A deluxe collection of Kevin Smith's Green Arrow stories. Tales of the Batman: Carmen Infantino. Tales of the Batman: JH Williams.

Excited yet? Let's dig in.

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UPDATE:
• Black Canary and Zatanna: Bloodspell

Previously announced graphic novel by Paul Dini and Joe Quinones, now scheduled for May 2014.

• Absolute All-Star Batman and Robin, The Boy Wonder

As I understand it, there's only ten issues of All-Star Batman and Robin out there, of which only nine have been collected in a hardcover and paperback. I don't know for sure, but presumably this Absolute edition collects all ten.

• Absolute Superman/Batman Vol. 2

We now understand these books are out there in the run-up to the new movie. Collects Superman/Batman #14-26, which are the "Absolute Power" and "Vengeance" storylines.

• Animal Man Vol. 6: Flesh and Blood

Collects the "classic" Animal Man (post-Morrison) issues #51-63 by James Delano and Steve Pugh. Previously, I totally overlooked that Animal Man Vol. 5, by Tom Veitch, contains a "War of the Gods" crossover issue.

• Batman ’66 Vol. 1

Collects the digital series based on the TV show.

• Batman Anthology
• Joker Anthology

In the spirit of the Superman and Lois Lane collections from this year, DC's releasing a Batman Anthology and a Joker Anthology to celebrate Batman's 75th birthday (Superman and Lois Lane is to Batman and ... Joker. Draw your own conclusions). I don't know the exact contents of either, but the Batman Anthology includes stories by Bob Kane, Bill Finger, Dennis O’Neil, and Frank Miller.

• Batman by Doug Moench and Kelley Jones Vol. 1

This is one fans have been requesting for a while. Doug Moench's stories were wonderfully supernatural, and Kelley Jones's art had creepiness dripping off every page.

Collects Batman #515-525, 527-532 and 535-536, including part of the previously uncollected "Troika" storyline, an "Underworld Unleashed" issue, and piece of the "Contagion" crossover, plus appearances by Black Mask, Killer Croc, Swamp Thing, Scarecrow, Two-Face, and Deadman.

Issue #526, omitted from this book, is by Moench but with art by JH Williams; it's collected in the Tales of the Batman: JH Williams collection, elsewhere in this list. The collection also omits two "Legacy" issues, #533 and #534, but you can find those in the Legacy collection.

This collection ends with the first of a three-part Man-Bat story (also a "Final Night" crossover); it's strange to end a collection like this on a cliffhanger, but maybe that helps promise a Volume 2 to follow.

Later stories would include the Spectre, Joker, Penguin, Clayface, and Ragman, and a "Genesis" crossover.

• Batman: Arkham Asylum Living Hell Deluxe Edition

This Dan Slott/Ryan Sook miniseries ended up in continuity after "One Year Later"; I'm sure a deluxe edition will be an attractive book.

• Batman: Bruce Wayne - Murderer? (New Edition)
• Batman: Bruce Wayne - Fugitive (New Edition)

Following DC's recent expanded collections of Knightfall and No Man's Land, Batman: Murderer and Batman: Fugitive each get new single-volume trades. I don't believe the contents list that I have is accurate, but I'm told each of these will include previously uncollected material; the original collections did have some holes, so this is nice to hear.

• Brightest Day Omnibus

Collects Brightest Day #0-24. On one hand, you've got a story by Geoff Johns, Peter Tomasi, and artists including Ivan Reis and Patrick Gleason, and staring Aquaman, especially, and about half of this book did lead right in to some New 52 series, Aquaman and Hawk and Dove especially. On the other hand, this is a book significantly out of continuity and that received mixed reviews; my armchair sense is that sales potential on this one is iffy.

• Catwoman Vol. 3: Under Pressure

Yes! This collection contains Catwoman #25-37, which finishes out Ed Brubaker's run and sees Catwoman through the "War Games" crossover. Most of Brubaker's Catwoman run had been collected before these new, larger trades, but these issues have never been collected before.

• Damian: Son of Batman Deluxe Edition

Collects Andy Kubert's Damian, Son of Batman miniseries, plus Batman #666.

• DC Universe Vs. Masters of the Universe

In addition to Keith Giffen's DC Universe vs. Masters of the Universe (Masters of the DC Universe?) miniseries, this collection also includes 1982's DC Comics Presents #47, where He-Man met Superman for the first time.

• Deadman Book Five

This one's for Don Klees. Collects Deadman #1-4, Secret Origins #15, and Challengers of the Unknown #85-87.

• Doom Patrol Omnibus

Another one fans have been requesting for a while. This collects Grant Morrison's entire Doom Patrol run, #19-63, in one volume, plus the Doom Force Special.

• Final Crisis (New Edition)

No word on whether this newest Final Crisis collection contains the Batman issues or the 3-D, but it's supposed to include "all new additional story pages," which sounds like the recent extra material from the Absolute edition.

• Green Arrow by Kevin Smith Deluxe Edition

Collects in one volume Kevin Smith's "Quiver" and "Sounds of Violence" stories, previously in separate trades.

• Harley Quinn: Welcome to Metropolis

Continuing DC's collections of the Karl Kesel/Terry Dodson series; includes issues #14-25.

• JLA Vol. 5

So far, the first four of these JLA collections have re-collected the Grant Morrison books, first in hardcover and then in paperback. This one is straight to paperback, and collects all of Mark Waid's JLA run, issues #47-60, including the "Tower of Babel," "Queen of Fables," and "Terror Incognita" storylines, plus JLA: Heaven's Ladder. Art on much of this is by Bryan Hitch.

• John Constantine, Hellblazer Vol. 8: Rake at the Gates of Hell

This Hellblazer collection by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillion was previously released; this is a "re-cut" collection, though I'm not entirely sure what that means.

• Jonah Hex: Shadows West

Collects the Jonah Hex miniseries Two Gun Mojo, Shadows West, and Riders of the Worm and Such, some of which have been collected before, but not together. By Joe Landsale and Tim Truman.

• JSA Omnibus by Geoff Johns Vol. 1

Let's start with the fact that finally, finally, we have a JSA Omnibus. John's Teen Titans and Hawkman, which also received omnibuses, were both good series, and no knock against Johns's Flash run, but for me, JSA is one of his best early works. I'm very happy about this, and I hope you are, too.

Take a moment with it.

OK, now the bad news is that, in addition to a variety of specials and one-shots, the regular JSA issues collected here start with #6 and go to #28.

Yes, this means the omnibus contains the Darkness Falls and Return of Hawkman collections, and part of Fair Play (stopping a little before the superlative "Stealing Thunder" storyline, which'll undoubtedly be in the next volume), but does not contain David Goyer and James Robinson's JSA #1-5, Justice Be Done. Yes, if you're someone looking to get into JSA for the first time, it does mean you're missing the first five issues.

Obviously I wish this wasn't the case. Obviously I wish this was a JSA Omnibus and not specifically a JSA by Geoff Johns Omnibus. But we have been waiting a long time for this book, and I'd rather have something instead of nothing. Go back to your happy moment, as I did when I first heard about this, and stick with your initial excitement. At least the omission isn't from the middle of the book.

Also included are the JSA Annual #1, JSA Secret Files #2, JLA/JSA: Virtue and Vice, JSA: Our Worlds at War #1, JLA/JSA Secret Files #1, Secret Origins of Super-Villains 80-Page Giant #1, and JSA All Stars #1-8. So, not an insubstantial trade altogether.

UPDATE: Early word is that the JSA Omnibus contents have been updated more favorably ...

• Justice League of America Vol. 1 Omnibus

There was a Justice League of America Chronicles that DC solicited a while ago, that was subsequently canceled. I'm pretty sure they've switched those Chronicles all over to Omnibuses now. This one collects Brave and the Bold #28-30, Justice League of America #1-16, and Mystery in Space #75.

• Masters of the Universe Vol. 3

Includes Masters #1-6 plus the digital issue #8.

• Showcase Presents: Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew
• Showcase Presents: Jonah Hex Vol. 2
• Showcase Presents: The Great Disaster featuring the Atomic Knights

There was a controversy a little while back where certain solicited Showcase volumes were canceled due to royalty issues, including Captain Carrot, Atomic Knights, and Jonah Hex. All three are back on the schedule now.

• Showcase Presents: Super Friends Vol. 1

Collects Super Friends #1-34. I don't know, will this be the same if you can't see the Wonder Twins' purple outfits?

• Smallville Season 11 Vol. 4: Argo

Collects digital issues #13-15 plus the Smallville Season Eleven Special #2, by Bryan Miller.

• Spectre Vol. 1: Crimes and Judgements

Another I'm very excited about -- the masterful John Ostrander/Tom Mandrake series gets a new collection (following the new collection of Ostrander and Mandrake's Martian Manhunter). This collects issues #1-12; issues #1-6 were previously collected in a Crime and Punishment trade (with glow-in-the-dark cover!). Ostrander and Mandrake paired for almost 62 issues of this series; I'd love to see them all collected.

• Superman/Batman Vol. 1 - Public Enemies

This new edition of Public Enemies in paperback -- again, setting things up for the movie -- includes both the "Public Enemies" and "Supergirl" storylines, issues #1-13.

• Swamp Thing by Brian K. Vaughan Vol. 2

Collecting issues #11-20 of Vaughan's Swamp Thing series.

• Tales of the Batman: Carmine Infantino

Batman, Detective, and Brave and the Bold issues.

• Tales of the Batman: J.H. Williams III

I haven't been much for these Tales of the Batman collections personally, but this one, containing a bevy of modern material, catches my interest. Batman #526 and #550, Legends of the Dark Knight #86-88, and the "Pulp Heroes" Annual #21 are all written by Doug Moench; #667-669 are from the Black Glove collection with Grant Morrison; "Snow" from Legends of the Dark Knight #192-196 is written by Dan Curtis Johnson and Williams with art by Seth Fisher; and Detective Comics #821 is written by Paul Dini. Also includes Chase #7-8, which guest-starred Batman.

And some honorable mentions:

• Arrow Vol. 2
• Batman Beyond: Batgirl Beyond
• Batman Unwrapped: The Court of Owls
• Batman/Deathblow: After the Fire
• Injustice: Gods Among Us Vol. 2

The New 52

• Batgirl Vol. 4: Wanted

Includes the Villains Month Ventriloquist issue.

• Batman Vol. 4: Zero Year-Secret City

Collects Batman #21-24, #0, and Batman Annual #2.

• Birds of Prey Vol. 4

Collects Birds of Prey #18-25 and Talon #9.

• Catwoman Vol. 4

Includes the Catwoman Annual and the Villains Month Joker's Daughter issue.

• Flash Vol. 4: Reverse

This latest Flash volume is said to include issues #20-24, plus the Villains Month Gorilla Grodd and Reverse Flash issues.

• Green Lantern: Lights Out
• Green Lantern Vol. 4
• Green Lantern Corps Vol. 4
• Green Lantern: New Guardians Vol. 4
• Red Lanterns Vol. 4

Signaling perhaps a change in how DC might be collecting crossovers, all of the new Green Lantern books contain issues #24 of all the other series, the "Lights Out" crossover. For instance, Green Lantern collects issues #21-24 of its own series, the Green Lantern Annual #2, and the Villains Month Relic issue, plus issue #24 of the others; Green Lantern Corps includes issues #21-25 of its own series plus #24 of all the others, etc. This might seem like overkill, but indeed it means you can get a complete story in whatever book you might pick up (useful, perhaps, as readers acclimate to the new Green Lantern creative teams). There's also an individual collection of the "Lights Out" crossover, though everything it includes can also be found elsewhere.

• Justice League Vol. 4

Collects Justice League #18-23, so that bridges the gap between Throne of Atlantis and Trinity War.

• Justice League: Trinity War

Collects Justice League #21-23, Justice League of America #6-7, Justice League Dark #22-23, Constantine #5-6, Trinity of Sin: Pandora #1-3, and Trinity of Sin: Phantom Stranger #11.

• Justice League Dark Vol. 4: Horror City

Collects issues #19-23 plus the Villains Month Eclipso issue.

• Larfleeze Vol. 1

Collects issues #1-5 of the new series.

• Nightwing Vol. 4

Collects issues #19-24 plus the Villains Month Prankster issue. (Zach King points out there's not actually a Villains Month Prankster issue. Not sure what's being referred to here.)

• Suicide Squad Vol. 4: Discipline and Punish

Collects Suicide Squad #20-23 plus the Villains Month Deadshot and Harley Quinn issues.

• Superman - Action Comics Vol. 4: Hybrid

Supposed to contain a selection from Young Romance #1.

• Talon Vol. 2

Collects Talon #8-14 plus Birds of Prey #21.

• Wonder Woman Vol. 4: War

Contains Wonder Woman #19-23 plus the Villains Month First Born issue.

And a "few" additional New 52 collections:

• All Star Western Vol. 4: Gold Standard
• Animal Man Vol. 4: Splinter Species
• Aquaman Vol. 4: Death of a King
• Batman - Detective Comics Vol. 4
• Batman - The Dark Knight Vol. 4
• Batman and Robin Vol. 4
• Batman/Superman Vol. 1
• Batwing Vol. 4
• Batwoman Vol. 4: This Blood is Thick
• Constantine Vol. 2
• Earth 2 Vol. 3: War
• Green Arrow Vol. 4: The Kill Machine
• Justice League of America Vol. 2
• Justice League of America’s Vibe Vol. 2
• Katana Vol. 2
• Movement Vol. 1
• Red Hood and the Outlaws Vol. 4
• Stormwatch Vol. 4: Reset
• Superboy Vol. 4: Blood and Steel
• Supergirl Vol. 4
• Superman Unchained Vol. 1
• Superman Vol. 4
• Swamp Thing Vol. 4: Seeder
• Teen Titans Vol. 4: Light and Dark
• Trinity of Sin: Pandora Vol. 1
• Trinity of Sin: The Phantom Stranger Vol. 2
• World’s Finest Vol. 3

Whew! Who thought we'd ever see that JSA Omnibus? Or Brubaker's Catwoman Vol. 3? In this whole wide list, what's got you most excited?

A pair of tales from Sparky Watts #9 (1949) feature the oddball humor artist/writer Boody Rogers was known for. The scene of Sparky sharing a bed with the man he’s protecting, Buttermilk Sky, probably didn’t seem as odd in 1949 as it does now.*

The second story, a short and mostly pantomime strip features Sparky’s bigfoot pal, Slap Happy. I recently found this online, from a weird and vintage photography site

The unfortunate woman, Fanny Mills, photographed in the 1880s, was a victim of a hideously disfiguring disease, elephantiasis. I’m interested in her very large shoes. Since I’m always looking for comic artists’ inspirations, I wonder if Rogers had seen this picture, or something similar, and patterned Slap Happy after it? Boody’s explanation for Slap Happy’s feet was that he got the cosmic ray treatment from Doc Static, and it made his feet grow big. Or, it could be that Boody Rogers was just taking the slang term for old-time “bigfoot cartoonist” to an extreme.

*Sparky once shared a bed with Hitler in a two-part story! Click on the thumbnails to see.

Though Scott Lobdell's Superboy Vol. 2: Extraction doesn't break any new ground necessarily, fans of Superboy Kon-El's various solo series should find something to like here. Lobdell generally does right by the cloned Kryptonian; new Superboy writer Tom DeFalco's issues suffer a bit, if perhaps from the effect of fill-in artists, though there's plenty hints that better things are on their way.

[Review contains spoilers]

Extraction, with Teen Titans Vol. 2 and Legion Lost Vol. 2, collect amongst themselves all the parts of the "Culling" crossover between the titles. I had previously complimented "Culling" for how it seemed like one big story with all the characters, rather than each title focusing on its own characters as Green Lantern crossovers often do. Taking the two "Culling" issues collected at the beginning of this trade away from the rest of the crossover, however, does reveal them to be more Superboy-focused than I'd originally realized.

The Superboy trade lacks the "what came before" pages that the Teen Titans volume has before its "Culling" issues, but again I think a reader who's only reading Superboy and not the other parts of "Culling" won't be confused. Lobdell narrates the stories in Superboy's voice (this voice being one of the best parts of Lobdell's Superboy stories), and the recaps that Superboy gives seem to me sufficient for the reader to understand what's happening (that, and the fact that very little actually happens in "Culling" except a series of fights).

Those who thrilled to the romance between Superboy and Wonder Girl, mourned Superboy's death in Infinite Crisis, and then were stymied by what happened when Superboy returned, will enjoy Lobdell's first post-"Culling" issue, which sees Superboy and Wonder Girl trapped on a deserted island. Seems to me Lobdell still intends a Red Robin/Wonder Girl pairing (and rightly so, what with Superman dating Wonder Woman now and Superboy and Wonder Girl having been an item in the old universe), but the tension or perhaps rivalry between Superboy and Wonder Girl is fun, especially the bit where Wonder Girl introduces Superboy to food for the first time.

The trade follows this issue with the "deserted island" issue from Teen Titans, which is useful for explaining how Superboy gets back to his own time. The Titans collection, though already overloaded with an issue of DC Universe Presents, could probably have used the Superboy issue included too, if only to explain why Superboy and Wonder Girl were popping out of a hatch in the bottom of the jungle ground.

At this point, Lobdell moves to "plot" and DeFalco comes in for "script," beginning the transition between writers. The first of DeFalco's issues, a team-up between Superboy and the Titans' Bunker, plus a villain from Lobdell's Titans, is also fun; Bunker seems to steal the show in just about any comic he's in. I liked Lobdell and DeFalco's exploration of Superboy's morality -- he fights bad guys, yes, but he also sees no problem in "borrowing" money from a bank to support himself. In the old universe, Superboy and Supergirl were both ardent crimefighters almost from the start -- I think we'd never have seen Superboy rob a bank in the old universe -- and I appreciate that the writers are taking risks with these characters and making them more than just cookie-cutter superheroes.

The art by Superboy artist R. B. Silva helps the transition from Lobdell to DeFalco feel more natural, though Silva's Bunker looks unusually wide (especially in his civilian clothes) as compared to how Brett Booth draws him rail-thin.

The issue that follows, however, uses two guest artists and three inkers, and this plus washed-out colors lessens the impact of an already-troubled issue. Superboy is out at a club with his non-distinct new friends (who I hope don't become this title's supporting cast) -- the stereotypical "cool" guy, the stereotypical "brainy" guy, and so on. A woman with equally run-of-the-mill telepathic powers marches in to collect a debt from one of Superboy's friends, the Kid of Steel gets in the way, and a fight ensues. There's little that's impressive here (except a nicely grotesque two-page spread), and the lackluster art only contributes to the sense that for DeFalco, this one's a stumble.

The book finishes more strongly, however, with the Zero Month issue by DeFalco and Silva, with much brighter colors. The origin issue simultaneously shows some behind-the-scenes action of the first issues of Superboy (making the ties to "Culling" a bit clearer) and also offers some insights into the New 52 Krypton (look for the Supergirl cameo appearance). We don't learn much we didn't already know here, but the end teases an epic confrontation between Superman and Superboy. I had not heard great things about the "He'l on Earth" crossover between the Super-titles, but this issue, and the foreshadowing of what might happen between Superman and Superboy, makes me much more eager. Had Extraction ended on issue #12, I might not have picked up the next Superboy trade, but the Zero Month issue restored my excitement for this series.

Those still missing the Superboy in Smallville days may never be satisfied by Lobdell's take on the character (and heaven help those still missing the Superboy in Hawaii days), but I find this a rather refreshing take on the Superboy character -- and one that certainly finds its roots in the animated Young Justice Superboy, even if not in the comics that came before. It's hard to say who's extracting what from whom necessarily in Superboy: Extraction, but it won't be hard for DC to extract my money for the next volume.

[Includes original covers]

One more stop on this Teen Titans trip: a review of the Ravagers collection is coming up, plus Brian Woods's Star Wars and Matt Kindt's Mind MGMT!

[Review by Doug Glassman, who Tumblrs at Hell Yeah '80s Marvel!]

The third volume of Transformers: Robots in Disguise has an odd beginning, since it starts with the second part of the “Syndromica” story. There was really no other place to put it due to how the series’ continuity works unless they waited to release a separate “Syndromica” trade, which would not sit well with fans. As a result, you might want to re-read the first part of “Syndromica” to get back into the groove of the journey of Orion Pax (formerly Optimus Prime) and his ragtag crew. Then get ready to lose the groove completely as writer John Barber jumps through time in a uniquely-told tale.

Sometimes, when stories are told in anachronic order, it feels like it’s done that way just because the author wanted to do it. This is why some of the recent issues of Hawkeye have become rather tedious. Barber, on the other hand, tells the story out of order because Pax and company are on a planet which shifts through time; it’s the result of a scheme by the mad scientist Jhiaxus, his protégé Shockwave, and the brutal warrior Bludgeon. Because of the selection of characters, the storyline feels like a tribute to Simon Furman, whose removal from the majority of IDW’s titles threw the comics franchise into chaos for a few years. Livio Raimondelli uses careful staging and repeated yet altered panels to keep the timeline somewhat accessible, splitting it into a few different, identifiable “eras." Raimondelli’s Orion Pax has gigantic antennae, perhaps a callback to Derek Yaniger’s art in Transformers: Generation 2.

Due to the odd make-up of this trade’s issues, there’s quite a bit of art-shifting, but the change from Raimondelli to Guido Guidi is one of my favorite moments. The book goes from painted work to a note-for-note recreation of the first issue of Marvel’s The Transformers, to the point that it might be mistaken for a reprint until Nova Prime appears at the bottom. Having Guidi do these flashbacks in the annuals for RID and More Than Meets the Eye was a stroke of genius, as it ties both books to the earliest days of the franchise. The flashbacks in this annual retell some of the ground covered in Furman’s multiple mini-series, though a few of those events were only told through dialogue.

One useful repetition comes in the form of the origin of Monstructor, the first combiner. I always liked Simon Furman’s idea of using the last full (albeit tiny) combiner of the original toyline as the first combiner in IDW’s continuity, and Monstructor’s creation and his feud with Omega Supreme were established in Spotlight: Optimus Prime. That issue came out in 2007, and so much has been revealed about Cybertron’s past, present, and future that it was time for this chapter to be updated. For instance, in a scene set on Cybertron in the distant past, we see Tailgate from MTMTE, who wouldn’t be established as an ancient Cybertronian until long after Spotlight: Optimus Prime. John Barber is a continuity nut, and his books are full of patches for continuity errors.

The flashback pages are interwoven with Prowl, Starscream, Metalhawk, and others investigating the mysterious arrival of a Metrotitan. This was the same Metroplex-esque giant who served as a literal deus ex machina in the MTMTE annual, and he performs a similar act on a different scale in this story. To the surprise of all involved, Starscream is proclaimed as the one who will unite Cybertron, although the Metrotitan particularly uses the word “conqueror." The political future of Cybertron is still the focus of RID, and it’s allowed the former “second bananas” of the Autobots and Decepticons to take center stage. Brendan Cahill draws the modern portions of the annual, and his art is very close to that of Andrew Griffith, the series’ usual artist.

One thing that both RID and MTMTE have in common is that Barber and MTMTE writer James Roberts enjoy playing the long game. What seem like continuity errors often end up as clues to the true mystery, leading to a strong re-read value. As of this review, Barber’s first major arc has been executed, and in retrospect, the seeds are really laid in issue #11 with an attack on Omega Supreme and the retaliation against Shockwave, Soundwave, and the other main Decepticons. Prowl calls for their capture and has Arcee destroy their headquarters, making it look like the Decepticons have blown themselves up. This is vaguely in character for Prowl ... until Arcee starts stabbing Decepticons on Prowl's order. It makes sense with a huge reveal in the next volume, but this "long-story" tactic has stretched the patience of some in the Transformers fandom.

If you want to see an impressive art transformation, issue #11 is also drawn by Guido Guidi ... in a completely different style from the flashbacks in the annuals. A lot of this can be credited to different inkers and colorists, since much of the appeal of the flashbacks comes from the block coloring. The figures in issue #11 stand taller and are far more detailed, and it’s all stylistically appropriate in both issues. It always amazes me when artists can do this; it’s the art equivalent of having a multi-octave singing range.

While Transformers: Robots in Disguise Vol. 3 doesn’t have the level of fan support that MTMTE tends to attract, it’s still one of the best Transformers titles. Volume 3 is an odd collection in that it appears to be a bit of a rip-off at $17 for three issues. However, the annual is double-length, and you’ll probably end up reading “Syndromica” multiple times to get it (I certainly did). This volume is a crucial stop on the road to the “Dark Cybertron" crossover.

For my next review: it’s a book that could cost $20 or $93 depending on how you buy it and how much room you have on your toy shelf.

On the occasions I’ve shown an original Ghost Rider — not the Marvel Comics motorcycle guy with the flaming skull, but the original Western character with reversible cloak, riding a horse — there has been a bit of grousing because the Ghost Rider stories usually turn out to be tricks that look like supernatural. So here you are, supernatural fans. A “Tales of the Ghost Rider” seven-pager from Ghost Rider #8 (1952) that features a “real” supernatural being, a vampire.

Art by Dick Ayers.

After the collected Culling crossover, Teen Titans Vol. 2: The Culling is another book it would be easy to find fault with. The book is far from startlingly good, but I maintain the quality isn't worse (and maybe a little better) than the later issues of the pre-Flashpoint Teen Titans series -- and trust me, I read them all. And though the storylines may be sometimes trite and the artwork uneven, I continue to like these Teen Titans -- young again, after the previous series aged them nearly to adulthood -- and feel that writer Scott Lobdell has set up some enjoyable characters and an interesting team dynamic.

[Review contains spoilers]

Titans Vol. 2 starts out with two parts of the "Culling" crossover with Superboy and Legion Lost: Part Three of the "Culling" prelude, and then Part Four, skipping both the material from the other series and the Teen Titans annual. This is certainly far from ideal, but it's not quite as disastrous as it sounds. The "Culling" preludes really did treat each team on its own, and this mostly sees the Titans fighting their way out of a virtual reality. Indeed then the book skips all the way to the end of "Culling," but frankly "Culling" was mainly a long fight scene and if you grant the Titans and the Legion met, fought, and teamed-up somewhere between the pages, most of the rest of what's significant about "Culling" happens here in this fourth part.

The book also offers text pages before both of these issues of "Culling." While some readers may still want to flip back and forth between their copies of Superboy, Titans, and Legion Lost, I do believe that the text pages and the overall thinness of "Culling" itself probably make it OK for someone only interested in Titans to go straight from the first to the second volume without reading any other titles, and that they'll still get a relatively complete story.

In fact, where I as a reader had a little more trouble was not as regarded "Culling" (though granted I had read the Culling collection already), but rather in a couple of instances where the Titans book plays off of things that are happening in the Superboy book post-"Culling" (Superboy and Wonder Girl off on their own in a prehistoric land, Superboy getting himself an apartment and a live-in girlfriend).

The prehistoric issue is where Titans Vol. 2 really starts, and it's probably the best of those collected here. Lobdell strands the Titans on a deserted island filled with dinosaurs, and uses it as a character-building issue -- Superboy and Wonder Girl bond, Bunker helps Red Robin with a crisis of leadership, and Solstice and Kid Flash begin a relationship. Artist Brett Booth is in his animated element here, and the tone of the issue is really what Titans is about -- teen heroes cracking wise but also supporting and encouraging one another. Lobdell is a controversial figure, but I maintain he gets the Teen Titans, even in a way some other writers have not.

The book gets a little rougher from there. Fabian Nicieza contributes a Kid Flash one-shot (from DC Universe Presents) that's enjoyable in terms of giving Bart Allen a change to shine, but goes on a little too long and maybe offers one quip too many. There's a manga influence to Jorge Jimenez's art here that's very appealing at times, though too chaotic at others.

The final four issues (of the eight in this trade) involve the origin of Wonder Girl. I'll say up front that this story might have been ten times better if the old boyfriend of Cassie's introduced here wasn't named Diesel (that the characters even comment on the ridiculousness underscores the problem). Booth starts on the art and then Ale Garza finishes, and while Garza does have some history drawing the Titans, his art lacks the detail of Booth's and comes off as hurried (with Cassie sometimes disproportionately, egregiously busty), which lessens the impact of the story as a whole.

What I loved about "Origin of Wonder Girl," however, is that it ultimately becomes a story about Wonder Girl, Red Robin, and Superboy. For a long while Superboy and (Red) Robin were both absent from the previous Titans series, and when they returned, everyone was so established (Tim now Red Robin, Superboy living in Smallville) that there wasn't the camaraderie of their early Teen Titans or Young Justice days. Titans Vol. 2 offers these central characters just starting to be friends, just starting to trust one another (again, from our perspective), and there's something wonderfully nostalgic about it. I also like the idea of Wonder Girl's powers being a danger she has to keep under control, a theme that's been common to Titans before with Raven, Red Devil, and others.

Teen Titans Vol. 2: The Culling is imperfect ("Diesel" and the general angsty-ness of Wonder Girl in the book's conclusion, to name two gripes), but I still appreciate that Scott Lobdell is building the Titans as a family; we've seen other writers depict the Titans as completely unlikable, and that's not the case here. I'd like to see Titans involved in broader conflicts than just which character's powers are acting up this adventure, but all told I've seen nothing here that would put me off getting the third volume that follows.

[Includes original covers, Brett Booth sketchbook]

Next up, keeping with the Titans theme with Superboy Vol. 2: Extraction.

Another sensational crime further sensationalized by Charles Biro and George Tuska, from Crime Does Not Pay #49 (1947). (Thanks to Darkmark for the issue number correction.) The DeAutremont brothers were Oregon lumberjacks who tried to rob a train in 1923, killed three men, and then fled.

It took four years, forensics work and wanted posters to bring the brothers to justice. All of them were caught, all were sentenced to long terms in prison. The panel of the calendar leaves shows 1942, by which time all three brothers were serving their sentences. The sequence that follows, of Hugh DeAutremont as a soldier in the U.S. Army serving in the Philippines and being recognized, actually happened in 1927. It is a reminder that when you see the word “true” in a crime comic, better doublecheck the story. You can read more about the DeAutremonts here.

I posted this story several years ago, but these are new scans: