DC Comics has announced via their blog, where all their news comes from, two new Absolute editions for next year.
[quote]Coming in September 2012, ABSOLUTE GREEN LANTERN: SINESTRO CORPS WAR will collect the story of Sinestro’s bid for totalitarian control of the galaxy – giving the arc the Absolute treatment with a gorgeous, over-sized hardcover presentation.
Collecting GREEN LANTERN 21-25, GREEN LANTERN CORPS 14-19 and GREEN LANTERN: SINESTRO CORPS SPECIAL 1, ABSOLUTE GREEN LANTERN: SINESTRO CORPS WAR features the writing of critically acclaimed, fan favorite authors Geoff Johns, Dave Gibbons and Peter Tomasi, with art by Ethan Van Sciver, Ivan Reis, Patrick Gleason and Angel Unzueta.
In November 2012, DC Comics will release ABSOLUTE BATMAN & ROBIN: BATMAN REBORN – collecting the landmark story of an all-new Dynamic Duo, written by Grant Morrison and illustrated by Frank Quitely, Philip Tan, David Finch, Cameron Stewart, Andy Clarke and Frazier Irving.
Bruce Wayne has fallen, and former Robin Dick Grayson has taken up the mantle of the Dark Knight. He is joined by a new Robin – Damian Wayne, the assassin-raised son of the original Batman. Together, the unlikely pair fights against a brutal menace that threatens Gotham City, as well as a pair of rival vigilantes out to fill the void left by Bruce’s disappearance.
Presented in the signature style of DC Comics’ Absolute editions, ABSOLUTE BATMAN & ROBIN: BATMAN REBORN collects BATMAN & ROBIN 1-16 and BATMAN THE RETURN 1.[/quote]
Let me start off with the fact I love the Absolute format and have many a DC Absolute slipcased hardcover on my groaning bookshelf. My concern here is that both books are compilations of various creators from disparate sources, at least in the case of Green Lantern.
One of the wonders of DC Absolutes are its presentation of a cohesive material in a deluxe format. These two additions have a revolving door of creators. These are two fairly new works and I can see striking while the iron is hot; it’s a move that can be judged when the books are published and we see the sales numbers.
I don’t really care that it’s different artists.. as far as B&R all of them are basically (with the exception of the last issue of Tan’s run) all on their A-Game.
Green Lantern seems a bit odd. As it’s really not that good or deserving of any large format re-publication. The worst absolute thus far has been GL: Rebirth which was small and over priced and seeing as the only thing of actual quality was the Darwyn Cooke drawn back up they shoehorned in there for extra content.
Actually, the one that strikes me as odd is the Batman & Robin one.
Sinestro Corps War was a huge event that moved, not only the GL lore but a bunch of DC characters. It deserved to be Absoluted, however I agree the book should be recolored by ONE artist so it can have a sense of straightnes.
I gree that Absolute Rebirth is one of the most awful Absolutes out there.
I liked Grant Morrison run on Batman, but I think that collection would be better on several Omnibuses. I mean, it all started already with Batman & Son vs The Black Glove. That’s Volume 1. The rest could be:
Vol. 2 ==> Batman RIP Omnibus (with all RIP tie-ins and Batman #700 – 701)
Vol. 3 ==> Batman & Robin Omnibus (1-16 plus extras)
Vol. 4 ==> Batman INC. Omnibus (Batman: The Return + Batman INC + Leviathan)