DC released their October solicitations yesterday and this one jumps right out at you:
[quote]DC COMICS: THE NEW 52 HC
Written by VARIOUS
Art by VARIOUS
Cover by JIM LEE
On sale DECEMBER 7 • 1,216 pg, FC, $150.00 US
In September, DC Comic will launch 52 new #1 issues starring the World’s Greatest Super-Heroes! In December, to commemorate this incredible event, DC is collecting every one of these debut issues in a once-in-a-lifetime massive hardcover that includes:
- JUSTICE LEAGUE #1 by Geoff Johns and Jim Lee
- ACTION COMICS #1 by Grant Morrison and Rags Morales
- BATMAN #1 by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo
- GREEN LANTERN #1 by Geoff Johns and Doug Mahnke
- SWAMP THING #1 by Scott Snyder and Yanick Paquette
- STORMWATCH #1 by Paul Cornell and Miguel Sepulveda
- TEEN TITANS #1 by Scott Lobdell and Brett Booth
- And 45 more![/quote]
What? Three months after the big relaunch you can get all 52 titles collected for only $150. There is a slight savings going on here buying the hardcover but for the life of me I can’t see why you’d want to. Deals around the web right now are offering all 52 “floppies” for 50% off so you can read the entire jumping off point. Is DC going to release another $150 hardcover every month so people can follow along? What good is a collection of first issues to anyone reading collected editions? I can’t imagine this book having any shelf life in a comic shop, let alone a brick and mortar book store.
DC Comics: The New 52 HC reeks of a cash grab.
I think it is a great idea. I would buy that book.
Yes I will buy the book. I planned on picking up most of the major players #1’s (Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, JLA, GL, etc). But if I can grab all 52 #1’s, why not?
The #1’s are going to sell well. Many will sell out at the local shop. Now I don’t have to try to grab a copy before it’s gone.
Plus if the book is going to be ready for retail in December, Christmas shopping just got easier for my wife.
Sure it sounds like a nice way to capture the memory of the relaunch, and I’m sure lots of people are going to have warm thoughts about the project. Talk is cheap but money buys the beer: are you going to actually buy it when released in December?
I don’t need them all, but it would something to have.
Plus if I purchased online, like at bookdepository.com, I could find it cheaper than $150. Which I don’t like doing, because I like to support the local comic shop. But saving money is saving money.
If you bought all 52 issues at $2.99 USD, the total would come to $155.48. But DC isn’t going to draw the line at $2.99 on all the titles. So if you want all 52 #1’s, hardcover is the way to go.
Do you really need all 52 though Ed? Do you like the look of all 52? There are some real dogs in the pile. All 52 would be great if they all were good, or if they all tied into the same story. It just seems like $150 is a lot to pay to say to your friend “remember when DC did that crazy 52 #1 issue thing?”
As a person who prefers collected editions, this holds no interest for me at all. I’ll pass.