Jiminy Christmas! | Absolute Mistake

DC solicitations for March 2011 went online yesterday and I was shocked, shocked, to see Absolute Promethea Volume 3 solicited.

The final Absolute edition of Alan Moore’s epic collects issues #24-32 with the spectacular artwork of J.H. Williams III!
ADVANCE SOLICITED • On sale AUGUST 17, 328 pg, 8.25” x 12.5”, FC, $99.99 US

Last week I looked at Absolute sales numbers and found Absolute Promethea Volume 2 to be the worst selling Absolute edition ever at 805 units its premiere month.  I know Alan Moore is a big name in comics and J.H. Williams III has struck it big time with Batwoman but who is buying these Absolute Promethea volumes?

This is a premium item priced at $100: why is material that received lukewarm sales at best during its initial production getting the “Absolute” treatment.  Based on production I’m sure modern works that DC already has large scans of is the easiest to remaster in any format.  But even then isn’t there better material to draw from in the last twenty years?

The oldest material to see an Absolute edition is Ronin, published in 1983, followed by Crisis On Infinite Earths in 1985 and The Watchmen and Batman: The Dark Knight Returns in 1986.  We need to see smaller works get the Absolute treatment, 200 pages for $50; skip the slipcase if need be.  This oversized work should focus on art: here’s what I’d like to see:

• Cosmic Odyssey.  A really nice work by a young Mignola using a lot of characters.  The 1992 trade was 204 pages and they could throw in some extras.
• DC Comics The Shadow.  I want to see Kaluta’s The Private Files Of The Shadow, Chaykin’s Blood & Judgement and the Sienkiewicz series which hasn’t been collected. About 300 pages of quality material.
• Batman Elseworlds, specifically Batman: Gotham by Gaslight and Batman/Houdini: The Devil’s Workshop.  I loved both of these because of the art: stunning work by Mignola and Chiarello.  Both 64 page prestige stories so DC could add in a few more to get this up to 200 pages.
• Superman For All Seasons.  Tim Sale’s artwork deserves the oversized format.  Trade was 208 pages.
• Superman: Red Son.  Another visual feast, this time courtesy of Dave Johnson.  160 pages of material so they should throw something in or discount it further.
• Batman Year 100.  Paul Pope drawing a crazy Batman of the future: it’s so strong visually you can forgive the lack of character development.  232 page trade from 2007.

Let me know what you’d like to see by posting a comment!