I love me some Absolute Editions. I think they are wonderful ways to represent comic books as high art and I have my collection of Absolutes displayed front and center in my apartment. They’re gorgeous.
So it’s with great joy that I saw on DC Comics’ blog The Source that next year, DC Comics will be releasing at least two new somewhat unwieldy titled Absolute Editions: Absolute Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps War and Absolute Batman & Robin: Batman Reborn!
Absolute Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps War will collect Green Lantern #21-25, Green Lantern Corps #14-19 and Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps Special #1. It is written by Geoff Johns, Dave Gibbons and Peter Tomasi, and has art by Ethan Van Sciver, Ivan Reis, Patrick Gleason and Angel Unzueta.
It will collect Batman & Robin #1-16 and Batman: The Return, written by Grant Morrison and with art by Frank Quitely, Philip Tan, David Finch, Cameron Stewart, Andy Clarke and Frazier Irving.
These collections are somewhat unusual because, aside from the Absolute Sandman series, Absolute Editions have usually been about showcasing one creative team, especially on the art side.
Not that I’m complaining. The story of Dick Grayson stepping into become Batman while Bruce Wayne was lost in time, and training Bruce’s… precocious son Damian as the new Robin featured some of the best superhero comics of the last few years. And Sinestro Corps War is one of the best mini-events of the last decade and is probably the whole reason why Green Lantern is so popular these days (and why there was a movie).
Look for Absolute Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps War in September 2012 and Absolute Batman & Robin: Batman Reborn in November 2012.
I might as well write DC a check now because they’ve already got my money.
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MINE
PS Where has Andy Clarke been? First time I saw him was on this and I even bought the first few issues of R.E.B.E.L.S. he did just to get some more.
Fan-tastic! Bought.
The only one I wished we’d get more than this one would be Darwin’s Spirit.
Completely agree. A hugely under-appreciated run.
Never bought an Absolute edition yet, might as well start with that one, I loved those issues, a freaking lot!
Seeing as I have all these in the Deluxe Editions I don’t think there’s a huge benefit in upgrading to the Absolute.
I think that GL needs to collect Tales of the Sinestro Corps. Those were some god comics and fit in well with the overall storyline.
Just bought the second trade of Batman and Robin and they do a good job of replicating the Quietly art, but it ain’t Quietly. I am gonna forget the third trade as the art looked terrible and is just another Joker story. It’s a sad thing that Quietly can’t do an ongoing as he is one of my top five favourite artists. That’s why All Star Superman has to be cherished
Just another Joker story? Oh wow, buy it man, you’ll be in for a treat if that’s what you were expecting. The end of B&R is stunning. Shame this doesn’t have Return of Bruce Wayne in it too, that’s half the story, especially in Andy Clarke’s arc.
You’ve convinced me. Will pick it up, was going to anyway to be honest as I wanted to finish the run. Just wish the art wasn’t all over the map
Never got an Absolute Edition before – this will change with Batman and Robin. WANT.
Broken record time –
The Dick & Damian show was the best thing in comics in the last few years. The new Nightwing series is a little off and the Bruce/Damian dynamic isn’t. Dynamic, that is…
Agreed. I really wish we’d get some Dick/Damian interactions going in the DCnU.
While these are great books to get the absolute treatment, I feel there is still alot of older material that DC is neglecting to put out in this format. While not mentioned here, is there really a large vocal fanbase out there that demanded a FInal Crisis Absolute?
Some stories I would love to see in the absolute format:
Alan Moore’s TOP TEN. 12 issues is the perfect size and Gene Ha’s art would be prefect in this large format.
SLEEPER By Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. Although this team is quite popular over at Marvel I know Sleeper as an absolute would be a ling shot.
GREEN LANTERN/GREEN ARROW by Denny O’neil and Neal Adams. I’m actually surprised this hasn’t already happened. Yes, there was that slipcase from over 10 years ago. But it’s long out of print. DC has put out several hardcover editions of Adam’s work in recent years. This one seems like a no-brainer.
GRREN ARROW: THE LONGBOW HUNTERS. Maybe too short for an absolute. But a deluxe hardcover with Grell’s painted artwork would look beautiful.
That The Longbow Hunters hasn’t received an oversized HC is a travesty.
To quote Ron – “I’m gonna buy the shit out of these!” 🙂
Sign me up for the Batman & Robin collection.
BATMAN AND ROBIN! YAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!
Dark Victory, yes. Final Crisis, yes. Batman & Robin, yes. Sinestro Corps War, maybe not.
Since we are on the topic of collections, how about that huge Infinite Crisis Omnibus? I hope it would mean that one day we can get a 52 Omnibus.
Absolute Batman RIP? Everything Morrison did on Batman up to and including RIP. Shouldn’t this be out first? I guess they want to sell Batman vrs. the Black Glove Deluxe HC for a year first.
I need to set up a direct deposit account with DC.
What’s the difference between a Omnibus and an Absolute Edition?
Branding. One is Marvel, One is DC. Also i’ve found that the DC Absolute’s have wonderful book design and an overall nicer presentation, while the Marvel Absolutes are a bit more…”utilitarian” and kinda template designed.
It’s sort of just branding. DC also has Omnibus Editions (New Teen Titans, The Flash, Starman, etc.)
An Omnibus tends to be just a giant hardcover collection. An Absolute Edition is more of an art book. It has a slipcase, it’s way oversized, it’s on nice paper, it’s got extras, sometimes there’s a ribbon for marking your place.
The ribbon makes or breaks the entire deal.
I don’t see the point. yes as much as i love absolutes i wont purchase theese i have em in floppies and or trades i dont need another copy . I wish they would do some classic DC series instead of focus on current events from the last 10yrs i would love to see Absolute for somthing like the Keith Giffen JLA or Grant Morrison’s JLA run.
I would love the Sinestro Corps War volume, such a great GL story. I much prefer it to Blackest Night.
I didn’t realize Batman: Dark Victory was coming out next year. Nice! I already have Long Halloween so I guess I’m hooked in for the sequel – even though I already own them in trade format.
I use to buy every Absolute I could get my hands on (I have 12 in total), but I’ve fallen behind the last few years. Still need both Planetary volumes, V for Vendetta, & All-Star Superman. It would be nice if they put both Authority volumes back in print too. It’s just so hard to justify spending a heavy amount of $ on things I already own in other formats. Make that doubly hard when your list of things you don’t own and haven’t read at all, keeps growing and growing – – I see you Bone 20th anniversary full color one volume edition. Soon….
Richard Stark’s Parker: The Martini Edition?!? Oh great……*shakes fist in air*
So it is safe to assume Absolute Blackest Night is right around the corner?
I would think so, but then I thought Infinite Crisis was going to get an Absolute treatment like Identity Crisis and Final Crisis. Who knows, it could end up in this new omnibus format of over 1100 pages that DC are trying out.
I would love a Solo and a Cooke Spirit done in Absolute. Also, I would throw money at DC for a complete Absolute Rucka Batwoman with the uncollected 3 issue Jock run being included.
Absolute Batwoman. You heard that DC! Make it happen!
Yeah DC what he said. AND can you please re-release Absolute PLANETARY, cuz I ca’t pay 200$ for that chit!
@NoK DC Comics may as well reprint Absolute Authority (Warren Ellis).
OOPS, that’s what I meant. I have Absolute Planetary and it”s awesome, but I want to read Authority the way it was meant to, Absolutely.
I’m in for this, as it’s one of my favourite Batman stories. Will need to sell my hardcovers or floppies to justify spending even more on the same story though. I think DC should do an Absolute edition for Batman & Son/Black Glove/RIP first though.
@jackietam- if you wanna showcase some damn good art, an absolute Batwoman is the way to go!
Absolute Sinestro Corps War? Yes, totally yes! It was definately what got me into Green Lantern, haven’t looked back since.
Absolute JLA Year One
Year One is NOT a great looking book…
Def. getting the B&R book, although feel a bit dumb having bought all the deluxe HCs.
Sinestro, not for me really.
I’ll buy both if (and only if) Sinestro Corps comes with the Sinestro Tales and if Batman & Robin comes with Return of Bruce Wayne.
Otherwise I don’t see myself spending money for something I already have.
Greetings from the future. I am reading the absolute Batman & Robin right now. Its a really great absolute and I don’t regret double dipping, even if I already have the deluxe editions of this run. Its a great book. I love those absolutes.