I was a card-carrying trade-waiter for about two years. It’s still a viable way to enjoy comics, if you ask me, especially since most publishers are pretty good about getting collections out in a timely fashion. For me, getting a Kindle changed everything. Digital comics are insanely convenient.
Even though I’m back reading single issues, I’m still interested in collecting trades and collected editions, particularly classic or iconic runs. That’s why omnibuses are great. Want a creator’s full run of a book in a single volume? Boom! Done.
There are a lot of great omnibuses and collections coming down the pike, but there are a few more that I really want to see at some future date.
1. The New Mutants (Volume 1)
The New Mutants were the first new students to enroll at the School for Gifted Youngsters after the original five X-Men. Since the first hundred-issue series ended, Cannonball and Sunspot have joined the Avengers, Wolfsbane has served on several different X-Factor teams, Magik is a member of Cyclops’ X-Men team, and Dani Moonstar has recently appeared in Fearless Defenders. I think it’s time to celebrate where these characters came from .
2. Excalibur
Nightcrawler, Kitty Pryde, and Rachel Summers (Grey/Grey-Summers/Summers-Grey/whatever) all have–or, in Nightcrawler’s case, will have–very prominent roles in the mutant corner of the Marvel Universe. What better reason to collect Excalibur? Equal parts bizarre and brilliant, this series has a hardcore cult following that would love to see the early Claremont and Alan Davis issues collected. I wouldn’t say no to seeing Lobdell’s issues collected, as well. And, maybe give Warren Ellis’ run its own omnibus treatment.
3. Mark Waid’s Flash and Impulse
Waid’s Flash run is the first I had ever read starring the Scarlet Speedster. I love how Waid found a way to expand the world of the Flash to include older speedsters, like Max Mercury and Jay Garrick, as well as younger ones, like Jesse Quick and Bart Allen. Collect all of Waid’s early* Flash and Impulse issues in as many volumes as it takes. I want them all! (*I liked Waid’s second run on the character, but I know the West twins are something of a sore subject among Flash fans, so let’s not include that here.)
4. Peter David’s first X-Factor run
Marvel has announced an omnibus collection of David’s second, noir-inspired run on X-Factor, but his first time with the characters remains mostly out-of-print. I, for one, prefer the old government-sponsored team and would love to see it given the respect it deserves.
5. Bryan Q. Miller’s Batgirl
Fan favorite Stephanie Brown was seemingly wiped from existence during DC’s New 52 reboot. Now with news that Stephanie will be making her New 52 debut, it seems like a perfect time to reprint Miller’s critically acclaimed run on Batgirl.
6. John Byrne’s Alpha Flight
Byrne’s Fantastic Four run has been getting the omnibus treatment (Volume 1 has done well, from what I’ve seen, and Volume 2 is due later this year). Does his run on Alpha Flight deserve to be collected? Maybe not. But, I love this team and want to see it sitting on my bookshelf next to the FF, X-Men, and Avengers.
7. Young Justice
I think DC kinda dropped the ball on releasing a Young Justice collection to coincide with the awesome (yet cancelled) Young Justice cartoon. (I feel like there were plans to release some kind of YJ collection, maybe just a simple trade paperback of a particular arc, at some point, but it was scrapped, like Impulse: Runs in the Family.)
8. Captain Britain and MI:13
In January 2014, Marvel Comics will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Marvel UK imprint with an event called “Revolutionary War.” Captain Britain, Peter Wisdom, and MI:13 will all play a role in this event. It seems like the perfect time to reissue Paul Cornell’s amazing Captain Britain and MI:13 in a fancy, new hardcover edition.
Faust's Fantastic Forum 