In news that just made me yelp and almost drop my laptop, Amazon has a listing for Absolute All-Star Superman, with a release date set for October 2010!*
It's about friggin' time! I knew I was right to hold out for an Absolute Edition!
I have to admit, it was touch and go there for a while, I was just about months away from breaking down and buying the trades.
Why am I so excited? Quite simply, All-Star Superman was a revelation. Writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely created a Superman tale that was at once completely modern and steeped in the Silver Age. This 12-issue maxi-series (which, one assumes, will be collected in Absolute All-Star Superman — it's 320 pages) set about to examine just what it is that makes Superman so great. Morrison has quite an affinity for Superman — he wrote him fantastically in JLA, and he made a much publicized attempt to take over the entire Superman line with Mark Waid, Mark Millar, and Tom Peyer. And if you've read the first three issues of Batman and Robin or We3 or Flex Mentallo knows that when Frank Quitely draws what Grant Morrison writes, a little bit of magic happens.
Hell, they even found a way to make Bizarro interesting in All-Star Superman.
All-Star Superman earned both Pick of the Week and Book of the Month honors and remains one of iFanboy's favorite books. I've already pre-ordered my Absolute Edition.
Now that my number one most hoped for Absolute Edition is in the works, I will now sit and patiently wait for my second most wanted Absolute Edition: Absolute The Spirit by Darwyn Cooke. C'mon, DC. You know you want to.
*Release dates this far in advance are subject to change and are often pushed back, for various reasons.
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I totally linked this yesterday on the twitterverse! Very excited for it. I pre-ordered it already.
OH HAPPY DAY!
I’m always excited to see another book get the Absolute treatment. Nothing but awesome for fans.
Awesome news!
Finally! I had almot given up hope of ever finding the Volume 1 hardcover. Now I don’t have to. Pre-ordering now (using the iFanboy link).
And there was much rejoicing:
yay!
Fantastic.
I can’t wait to sniff those pages!!! …I mean read it.
While the story was pretty cool, I really really didn’t like the art. I know I’m alone on this, but it’s my particular brand of crazy. I haven’t liked Quitely outside of We3.
It was easy to stay away from those 2 hardcovers. There were in standard comicbook size. The problem is when DC put out something in the "deluxe edition" format (Marvel oversized/omnibus size). Do you spend money on that? Or do you pray that it get the Absolute treatment? Batwoman, I’m looking at you.
Looking forward to this. I’m actually just now getting around to reading the series for the first time (finally).
So the Absolute will be $68 or so after discounts?
Divide by 12 and that’s almost $6 an oversized issue.
So I’ll see how good the extras are.
Love this book, but because I have all the issues I don’t know if I can justify dropping the $$$ on this one. Would love to have it though in oversized format, it’s a beautiful book.
This raises the question…? What is the single greatest story from the big 2 this decade? If All Star Superman is it for DC…then what’s Marvel’s?
I’d say it’s Astonishing X-Men or Ultimates. Astonishing X-Men page for page is of the best comics ever told. I think it rates higher than All Star Superman for me.
i have the issues and i’m not insane or sad. why would i want to buy them again?
^
Because the Absolute experience is like none other. Its like owning you own personal IMAX theatre. Plus, they are fantastic for murderin’.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!! YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!! 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀
ahh! murdering people, of course
If only Marvel had something like this. Absolute Inhumans (Jenkins/Jae Lee) has a nice ring to it.
Awwwww maaaan! I just bought the trades 🙁
I’ve been waiting for Darwyn Cooke’s Absolute Spirit since I read Absolute New Frontier. As cool as this Absolute All-Star Superman, I have the issues and unlike the Watchmen paperback and Absolute, I don’t think I’ll double dip.
One of my favorite series in years, i’ll be getting this.
So… anyone want 1 vol. 1 tpb and 1 vol. 2 hardcover? Anyone?
I’m getting this one AND I’m crossing my fingers for The Spirit…2 absolutely worth it Absolutes.
Now why couldn’t I have been as patient as Conor? I did give in and buy the first trade the other week because, despite having the issues, I wanted this masterpiece on my shelf. Still, I’m not proud, I’m weak enough to buy it one more time in the ultimate format!
I wish I had this kind of money.
how is this different from the original 12 issue series, better art, story?
somethings missing.
Took them long enough. Very very awesome.
Crap, I was just starting to get used to not being broke.
Well I already have the two hardcover trades… Damn it! I’ll probably still buy it… maybe.
Any word on the Absolute Batman and Robin, The Boy Wonder?
What’s that? It’s not done?
But that was almost 5 years ago, really? Not done?
2 issues came out last year? Huh…
Nevermind…
Glad I held off buying any trades and waited for the single volume edition:)
Oh thank god I held off buying trades.
Wow, I’m stoked. First Zatanna news and now this! Sweet!
That is a lot of money. Now I have to figure out who I’m going to con into buying this for me.
Just in time for next x-mas! wooo!
Just need Godland Celestial vol 2 and a Fear Agent omnibus and my insane special volume waiting will be over!
Very excited. I loaned out the first hardcover to a friend and haven’t gotten it back yet (he can keep it now), and I’d avoided getting the second one in the hopes of an Absolute. Pre-ordering now.
I didn’t enjoy volume two much at all so I’ll pass. If I ever buy an Absolute edition of anything, it’d probably be Watchmen or Batman HUSH. Maybe even Long Halloween, but not All Star Superman…
sunova-! I just pre-ordered the second trade.
hahaha I have the first two volumes that I still haven’t read. Oh well. If I like it I will splurge for the Absolute.
And I will definetly splurge for the first Absolute Green Lantern!
I knew this would happen and I have no problem flipping my current All-Star hardcovers on ebay and grabbing this. It’ll look nice next to my Absolute New Frontier & Kingdom Come.
Finally. I was holding off for this, then after reading Josh’s article STOP READING AND JUST READ THE BOOK, I decided I’d grab the two hardcovers (I just want to note I already HAD read it in singles). To my dismay, Volume 1 was nowhere to be found in HC. When I heard that DC wasn’t going to reprint it, I figured they had the Absolute on the back burner. Yay!
I’m usually pretty hesitant to buy trades of stuff I already have in singles, but this may be the rare exception.
I’m a pretty big Superman fan, but I feel like great Superman stories are few and far between. That said, All-Star Superman was easily the best take on the character I’ve read since Alan Moore’s Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow and For the Man Who Has Everything.
@robbydzwonar: I have all of those Absolutes you just named and they are are good. The only other one I have is the Dark Knight one. I’m probably going to buy this even though I have it in HCs. I did pass on the GL Rebirth Absolute.
Wow, damn I gotta buy this, its 9 days before my birthday, but Starman Omnibus 5 and Y the last man HC 4 are also apparently released on that day :/ its gonna be expensive but worth it!
Don’t know where else to put this, but the iFanboys and maybe others here have given thought to getting the Absolute Sandman volumes. I recall hearing this on one of the shows. Well, you might want to hold off for awhile. Volume 2 is OOP and selling double on the secondary markets. I’m sure it’ll get a reprint sometime.
If this were a Marvel book, it would like $23.00 on Amazon . . . without the slip case and slightly reduced in size.
The Absolute prices drive me insane.
I did just preorder Absolute Planetary Volume 2, which will be my only Absolute that is not one of Alan Moore’s.
I might have to pick this up when it comes out. I’ve flipped through the trade and it looked amazing.
At long last, all of the people who have been waiting can finally read this magical series. I second The Spirit by Darwyn Cooke Absolute, by the way.
@ScorpionMasada – One more reason to make yours Marvel baby!
If this were a Marvel book, it would lack in quality and craftmanship. Seriously, everything from the paper to the binding is treated as if this are going to last longer than you are. I have heard horror stories of some omnibus falling apart.
Now they just need to get to Absolute Seven Soldiers of Victory.
Aww damn! The price has gone up and the release date has been pushed back, looks like a late birthday present for me! Hopefully it will be reasonably priced here in England, hahaha! god i make myself laugh
@zedilonL Where has the price gone up? It’s still $99.99. Or do you mean Amazon lowered their discount? That’s not really the price going up.
My first Absolute purchase has been decided.
@conor oh sorry, I just refer to it as the price going up, must be a british thing lol. Hopefully it will be about £45 off amazon.co.uk like most of the other absolutes are, shame about the release date though, the same has happened to Y: The last man HC 4 and Starman Omnibus 5
@Zedilon: Release dates getting pushed back are common, especially so far in advance. So common, in fact, that I predicted it might happen in the article. Of course now it means that this will come out very soon after my birthday.
@conor Yeah, your birthday is a day after mine I think, wow that sounded creepy. Yeah, I know it’s common but I still wish it was coming out earlier tbh, I hope my book one day see’s publication, although I’m only 16 and don’t have a clue about the world of publication.
Hurm, I wonder if this absolute will be book of the month?
Super excited for this. Absolutes are well worth the money when the content is this good.
One of the great series to come out from DC. Absolutely worth every dollar in this size. Now let’s hope for Darwyn Cooke’s Absolute Spirit.
Is this going to feature a new cover by Frank Quietly, since most (if not all) absolutes seem to have this.
I’ll make a lot of enemies because of this, but anyway…
I HATED ALL STAR SUPERMAN!!!
I definably won’t buy it in Absolute Format.
Why I write then?. Because I hate All Star Superman, and I want to say "DC… RELEASE ABSOLUTE SINESTRO CORPS WAR!!!!!!!!"
Just purchased at dcbservice for $49.99. Definitely looking forward to reading again…
HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!. Oh my god!!!!!. Have any of you checked the fact that this Absolute All Star Superman comes with 320 pages??. Yes?. Did you notice also that is the exact number of pages that have the TPB of Vol. 1 and Vol.2?!. All Star Superman Vol. 1 have 160 pages and Volume 2 also have 160 pages. That adds… ahh, err… 320 pages!!!.
This Absolute Edition will come with NO EXTRAS!!!!. And at $99.99 I call it a rip-off all over again.
There is your "boutique Product" your buying =).
Please let me know if I’m wrong.
@Lexavi80: I don’t buy Absolutes for the extras, so in that sense you’re wrong.
@conor: Good, I’m worng on the sense that you don’t buy Absolutes for the extras. Now, can somebody tell me if it’s true that DC is launching am Absolute Edition of All Star Superman at $75 with no extras?.
DC site say "Also includes a bonus sketchbook section and more!", but I don’t think that’s true. 320 pages is what adds Volume 1 and 2 of All Star Superman, so where they put sketches… on the slipcase?.
Is like buying a 2-disc "special edition" DVD of your favorite movie at full price with the movie divided on the two cd’s and no featuretes, no enterviews, no behind the scenes, no nothing.
So my question remains: Am I wrong about this?. Is the published number of pages wrong?. Does the extras come included but they didn’t count the number of pages?. Does it comes with an extra book like Absolute Crisis on Infinite Earth where they put the extra material?
Who knows, I guess we’ll find out when it comes out. Were there extras in Vols 1 & 2? They could have pulled those out and put new ones in for the Absolute.
Either way, I want it. Big beautiful Quitely art in a format well suited to showcasing it.
@Lexavi80: what’s it to ya? It’s not like these are your tax dollars at work or something.
@Jimski: I need to know exactly what they sell before I buy. When I found out All Star Superman was going to be converted in Absolute I thought in giving it another shot. Maybe the big pages, extras and scripts help me open my eyes and see the beauty of the story. I buy Absolute Editions because of the extras mainly.
So yes, I wanted to know if any of you have more info about it to have a better perspective and decide wether I spend my money on it or not.
Uh huh.