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DC Comics Creates Its Own Version Of Marvel's Epic Line, DC Finest

DC Comics creates its own version of Marvel's Epic Line, DC Finest, a new way to collect classic character comics for new and old readers

Published Thu, 22 Feb 2024 16:28:08 -0600

by Rich Johnston

Last updated Thu, 22 Feb 2024 18:55:36 -0600

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Article Summary

DC Comics unveils DC Finest, a collection mirroring Marvel's Epic line.
DC Finest to offer complete, affordable character storylines for fans.
The series bypasses creator-focused collections for character continuity.
Initial releases include iconic titles like Batman: Year One and Superman: The Coming of Superman.

At the ComicsPro retailer summit, DC Comics announced DC Finest, a new series of collected comics intended to be "affordably priced and comprehensive" collections of their main characters.

Marvel Comics' only real bookstore success of late has been with the Epic line. Well, it looks like DC are trying to do that, but a bit different.

DC Finest titles are aimed at "giving full character continuities and important stories, for giving casual fans full continuities for their favourite characters while also providing completionist collectors an affordable option for stories of their favourite heroes."

It means that retailers will be able to point to Vol 1, Vol 2, Vol 3 for a character is someone expresses an interest. Almost as if they are manga. This is something that has been a major bone of contention for American comics, compared to Japanese comics, and it is something that Marvel's Epic line had seemed to sidestep. This line, however, seems to attempt to be more selective in what it collects without sacrificing continuity, and providing the best bits. If it was me, I might have called it DC Comics, The Director's Cut. But DC Finest will do, I suppose.

Recently, DC Comics has concentrated on creator-themed runs on books, and this won't be a consideration for DC Finest. But as well as characters, there will be books that focus on specific genres and DC promises that DC Finest volumes will also contain material reprinted for the very first time. Well, they do have around 90 years worth to cover.

The first of the DC Finest books will be named as follows:

DC Finest – The Flash: The Human Thunderbolt: Collects classic adventures of Barry Allen, the Silver Age Flash, by John Broome and Carmine Infantino, including 1956's iconic Showcase #4. Also includes Silver Age Flash stories that include the first appearances of famous Flash rogues, including Captain Cold, Mirror Master, and Gorilla Grodd.
DC Finest – Batman: Year One & Two: Collects the Dark Knight's adventures following the game-changing crossover Crisis on Infinite Earths, including Batman: Year One by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli and Batman: Year Two by Mike W. Barr and Todd McFarlane, plus more mid-to-late-'80s Batman stories from Barr, Max Allan Collins, Norm Breyfogle, and others.
DC Finest – Wonder Woman: Origins & Omens: This collection spotlights fan-favorite writer Gail Simone's run on Wonder Woman, starting with 2007's "The Circle," with artist Terry Dodson, plus celebrated story arcs "Ends of the Earth," "Rise of the Olympian," and "Warkiller," featuring art by Aaron Lopresti.
DC Finest – Catwoman: Life Lines: Selina Kyle steps out of Batman's shadow and becomes a protagonist in her own right in this collection featuring Catwoman's 1989 solo debut by Mindy Newell and J.J. Birch, Peter Milligan and Tom Grindberg's Catwoman Defiant from 1992, and the first year of DC's Catwoman ongoing series, by writer Jo Duffy and artist Jim Balent.
DC Finest – Superman: The Coming of Superman: Features the Man of Steel's earliest and most iconic adventures, starting with Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster's groundbreaking Action Comics #1. This collection includes Action Comics #1-25, Superman #1-5, and New York World's Fair Comics #1.