Posted in: Batman, Comics, Comics Publishers, Current News, DC Comics, Justice League, Superman | Tagged: DC Finest, killing joke

More DC Finest Volumes, From Gorilla World To Killing Joke, Into 2025

More DC Finest Volumes, from Gorilla World to Jo Duffy Catwoman to The Killing Joke, going into 2025

Last year, DC Comics announced DC Finest, a new series of collected comics intended to be "affordably priced and comprehensive" collections of their main characters. 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 if someone expresses an interest. All around 600 pages for $40 each, in full colour paperback. And a better price point than Marvel's Epic line. We now have some confirmed titles, courtesy of Edelweiss and Amazon, going into 2025. Including The Gorilla World, The Killing Joke and Jo Duffy Catwoman.

DC Finest: Science Fiction: The Gorilla World  
On Sale Date: 15 July 2025 632 pages
Enter one of the wildest corners of the DC Universe! On Gorilla World, sentient apes rule and humans are kept in zoos! Follow heroes like Adam Strange as they navigate this bizarre reality and meet its colorful cast of characters. DC Finest continues, a major publishing initiative presenting comprehensive collections of the most in-demand and celebrated periods in DC Comics history, spanning genres, characters, and eras! Things got a little bit hairy in the DC Universe during the 1950s and 60s! Experience Gorilla World, an alternate reality where great apes reign supreme in the pages of Action Comics, Strange Adventures, and Mystery in Space, collecting up the sci-fi saga as part of the DC Finest line for the first time! This volume collects Action Comics #183-196; Strange Adventures #35-48; Mystery in Space #16-22.

DC Finest: Justice Society of America: The Plunder of the Psycho-Pirate  
On Sale Date: 08 July 2025 600 pages
A Golden Age classic starring the Justice Society of America, collected for today's readers! Experience a pivotal story arc in JSA history featuring the Psycho-Pirate! DC Finest continues, a major publishing initiative presenting comprehensive collections of the most in-demand and celebrated periods in DC Comics history, spanning genres, characters, and eras! Written by Golden Age all-star, Gardner Fox, the Justice Society encounters a powerful new foe with the ability to manipulate their emotions! Will the Psycho-Pirate prove too much for the team to handle? This volume collects All-Star Comics #13-24.

DC Finest: Wonder Woman: The Legend of Wonder Woman
On Sale Date: 01 July 2025 632 pages
Compelling Wonder Woman stories from the 1980s, long out of print, return in the latest volume of the fan-focused DC Finest series! DC Finest presents comprehensive collections of the most in-demand and celebrated periods in DC Comics history, spanning genres, characters, and eras!  In DC Finest: Wonder Woman: The Legend of Wonder Woman, readers can experience long out-of-print adventures starring the Amazon Warrior, taking place in the year before the game-changing Crisis on Infinite Earths event. In these tales, written by Dan Mishkin with art by luminaries including Don Heck, Diana faces signature foes including Circe, Cheetah, Dr. Cyber, and more!   Plus, this collection includes The Legend of Wonder Woman by writer Kurt Busiek and artist Trina Robbins, presenting a then-contemporary 1980s take on the iconic hero filtered through a Golden Age aesthetic. This volume collects stories from Wonder Woman #306-329; DC Comics Presents #76; Blue Devil #10; The Legend of Wonder Woman #1-4.

DC Finest: Metamorpho: The Element Man  
On Sale Date: 17 June 2025 600 pages
Meet Rex Mason, AKA Metamorpho: The Element Man! Transformed by an unlikely accident, Metamorpho now has the incredible ability to transmute his body into any natural compound at will, be it solid, liquid, or gas! Read his thrilling origin story and experience his first ever solo series, collected as part of DC Finest for the first time! DC Finest continues, a major publishing initiative presenting comprehensive collections of the most in-demand and celebrated periods in DC Comics history, spanning genres, characters, and eras!Follow Metamorpho's earliest days, from the origin story of Rex Mason to his solo adventures in his first ever ongoing series, the perfect place to get in on the ground floor of this Silver Age hero! This volume collects Justice League of America #42; The Brave and the Bold #57-58, #66, #68, #88, #101; Metamorpho #1-17.

DC Finest: Catwoman: Vengeance and Vindication 
On Sale Date: 10 June 2025 624 pages
Catwoman's solo stories continue in this collection of her ferocious and stylish 1990s adventures! DC Finest presents comprehensive collections of the most in-demand and celebrated periods in DC Comics history, spanning genres, characters, and eras!  Following directly from previous volume DC Finest: Catwoman: Life Lines, which collected the earliest Catwoman solo stories from the late 1980s and early 1990s, DC Finest: Catwoman: Vengeance and Vindication continues to propel Selina Kyle forward in her own ongoing series with art by Jim Balent, joined by writers Jo Duffy and later, Chuck Dixon. In these quintessential stories, Catwoman is blackmailed into committing international robbery on behalf of a shadowy organization, utilizing her natural talents as a globetrotting thief! Plus, Selina crosses paths with major DC Universe events including Zero Hour, Contagion, and Underworld Unleashed.  This volume collects Catwoman #0, #13-32; and Catwoman Annual #2-3.

DC Finest: Superman: Kryptonite Nevermore  
On Sale Date: 03 June 2025 572 pages
Kryptonite is gone, but the Man of Steel's troubles have just begun in this collection of pivotal Superman stories from the 1970s! DC Finest presents comprehensive collections of the most in-demand and celebrated periods in DC Comics history, spanning genres, characters, and eras!  Everyone knows Superman's major weakness: Kryptonite. But what happens when that's taken off the board, as a scientific experiment turns all the kryptonite on Earth to iron? Originally published in 1971, "Kryptonite Nevermore" turned the Man of Steel's status quo on its head, as his powers slowly begin to fade and a doppelgänger Superman arrives on the scene with strange powers of its own—and any contact between the two might result in the destruction of the planet!   Along with "Kryptonite Nevermore," DC Finest: Superman: Kryptonite Nevermore includes further Bronze Age adventures by comics legends including Dennis O'Neil, Curt Swan, Cary Bates, and Len Wein!    This volume collects stories from Action Comics #393-406; Superman #233-238, #240-246.

DC Finest: Batman: The Killing Joke and Other Stories
May 20, 2025 600 pages
Following directly after DC Finest: Batman: Year One and Two, the 1980s adventures of the Dark Knight continue, including the seminal The Killing Joke! DC Finest presents comprehensive collections of the most in-demand and celebrated periods in DC Comics history, spanning genres, characters, and eras!
DC Finest: Batman: Year One and Two, one of the first DC Finest volumes, collected the initial years of the post-Crisis on Infinite Earths exploits of the Dark Knight. DC Finest: Batman: The Killing Joke and Other Stories picks up right where that volume left off, including the titular Batman: The Killing Joke by writer Alan Moore and artist Brian Bolland–one of the most influential Batman stories of all time, and a defining moment in the lives of both The Joker and Barbara Gordon.
This volume also includes Batman: Son of the Demon by Mike W. Barr and Jerry Bingham, which detailed the relationship between Batman and Talia al Ghul and directly inspired Grant Morrison and Andy Kubert's "Batman and Son," the story that introduced Damian Wayne. Plus, more major Bat-stories including "Ten Nights of the Beast" by Jim Starlin and Jim Aparo!
Collects Batman: The Killing Joke #1; Batman #413-422; Detective Comics #580-589; and Batman: Son of the Demon #1.

DC Finest: Doom Patrol: The World's Strangest Heroes  
On Sale Date: 11 February 2025 624 pages
The original Doom Patrol comic book stories return in this tome-sized collection, featuring the earliest appearances of the unconventional super-team! DC Finest presents comprehensive collections of the most in-demand and celebrated periods in DC Comics history, spanning genres, characters, and eras!  Fans of Doom Patrol won't want to miss the installment of DC Finest, as the earliest days of the endearingly bizarre team—reinvented by Grant Morrison in the late 1980s and adapted in the acclaimed Max original series Doom Patrol—are collected, starting with their debut in 1963's My Greatest Adventure #80 by Arnold Drake, Bob Haney, and Bruno Premiani.   Find out how the Chief, Elasti-Girl, Negative Man, and Robotman first became the World's Strangest Heroes in this DC Finest volume of some of the Silver Age's most offbeat superhero adventures! This volume collects The Brave and the Bold #65; Doom Patrol #86-102; Challengers of the Unknown #48; My Greatest Adventure #80-85; Teen Titans #6.

DC Finest: Teen Titans: The Judas Contract  
On Sale Date: 04 February 2025 560 pages
The story that defined the Teen Titans for decades to come, now collected as part of the DC Finest line! Experience the gut-wrenching tale of Terra in its original form as she infiltrates the team and attempts to unmake them for good! DC Finest continues, a major publishing initiative presenting comprehensive collections of the most in-demand and celebrated periods in DC Comics history, spanning genres, characters, and eras! One of the most influential Teen Titans stories of all time, "The Judas Contract" sets the stage for decades of Titans drama across the DC Universe! Featuring watershed moments for characters like Dick Grayson, Wally West, and Deathstroke, the Teen Titans greatest enemy, this can't-miss story is a must-read for any and all Titans fans! This volume collects stories from Action Comics #546; World's Finest Comics #300; The New Teen Titans #33-40; The New Teen Titans Annual #2; Tales of the Teen Titans #41-47; Tales of the Teen Titans Annual #3; The Vigilante #3; and more.

DC Finest: Harley Quinn: Birth of the Mirth
624 pages February 18, 2025
Harley Quinn's earliest comic book appearances are collected in a massive collection, showcasing the now-iconic antihero's evolution!
DC Finest presents comprehensive collections of the most in-demand and celebrated periods in DC Comics history, spanning genres, characters, and eras! Harley Quinn was created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm for the Batman: The Animated Series cartoon in the early 1990s, but her popularity among Batman fans soon led her to being introduced into comic books—which helped propel her to the worldwide multimedia stardom the character enjoys today. DC Finest: Harley Quinn: Birth of the Mirth collects Harley's earliest comics adventures, including her very first comic book appearance in The Batman Adventures #12, the Batman: Harley Quinn one-shot that introduced the character into mainline DC Universe continuity, the Eisner Award-winning The Batman Adventures: Mad Love, and the first eight issues of her debut ongoing series. This volume collects Action Comics #765; Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #126; The Batman Adventures #12; Azrael: Agent of the Bat #60; Batman #570, #573-574; Batman: Shadow of the Bat #93; Detective Comics #737, #740-741; Catwoman #82-84, #89; The Batman Adventures: Mad Love #1; The Batgirl Adventures #1; Batman: Harley Quinn #1; Batman: Gotham Knights #14; Harley Quinn #1-8.

DC Finest: Plastic Man: The Origin of Plastic Man
584 pages March 4, 2025
Patrick "Eel" O'Brian's life of crime just became a whole lot stranger! After an unfortunate accident leaves Eel's body transformed to have the properties of rubber, Plastic Man is born! But can Eel overcome his worst impulses and use his new abilities for good? DC Finest continues, a major publishing initiative presenting comprehensive collections of the most in-demand and celebrated periods in DC Comics history, spanning genres, characters, and eras! Uncover the origin of one of DC's wackiest heroes in this collection spanning the early days of Plastic Man! He can bounce, stretch, and crack wise, but can he save the day? And, more importantly, does he even want to? What business does a petty crook have playing superhero anyway? This volume collects Police Comics #1-36; Plastic Man #1-2.

DC Finest: Suicide Squad: Trial by Fire Paperback
560 pages March 11, 2025
They're putting their lives on the line for the safety of the world…but they're anything but heroes! Experience the thrilling first incarnation of The Suicide Squad, reprinted here as part of the DC Finest line for the first time! DC Finest continues, a major publishing initiative presenting comprehensive collections of the most in-demand and celebrated periods in DC Comics history, spanning genres, characters, and eras!8 villains, 1 ultimatum. The Suicide Squad offers criminals a chance at "redemption," if they're willing to put it all on the line – play by the rules of the devious Amanda Waller and accomplish near-impossible missions or pay the ultimate price: Their own lives! Read the stories that started the phenomena and changed the DC Universe forever. This volume collects Suicide Squad #1-10; Secret Origins #14; Detective Comics #582; The Fury of Firestorm #62-64; Firestorm: The Nuclear Man Annual #5; Legends #1-6; Millennium #4.

DC Finest: Team-Ups: Chase to the End of Time Paperback
560 pages March 18, 2025
It's Superman and his greatest allies, facing impossible odds! Kicking off with an iconic race between the Man of Steel and the Fastest Man Alive, The Flash, this new volume in the DC Finest line catalogs some of the best and most memorable team-ups across the DC Universe!DC Finest continues, a major publishing initiative presenting comprehensive collections of the most in-demand and celebrated periods in DC Comics history, spanning genres, characters, and eras!
Experience the best and most exciting team-up stories of the 1970s with this new volume of DC Finest! Join Superman as he joins forces with his friends like the Flash, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman in unforgettable stories that have informed the DC Universe for generations!
This volume collects stories from DC Comics Presents #1-14; The Brave and the Bold #141-155.

DC Finest: Peacemaker: Kill for Peace
April 1, 2025 600 pages
Decades before he had his own break-out TV show starring John Cena, Peacemaker got his start in the pages of comic books! Experience the earliest days of Christopher Smith, a man who loves peace so much he's willing to kill for it in this brand-new collection! DC Finest continues, a major publishing initiative presenting comprehensive collections of the most in-demand and celebrated periods in DC Comics history, spanning genres, characters, and eras! Enter the wild world of Peacemaker, a man who will go to any length to protect peace on Earth – even if that means reigning down violence and mayhem on anyone who dare oppose him! Meet the man who would evolve into the star of a hit TV show from his very first appearance to his earliest mini-series! This volume collects Fightin' Five #40-41; Suicide Squad #27-30; Checkmate #16-26, #28, #32-33; Eclipso #11-13; Showcase '93 #6-11; Peacemaker #1-4; The Vigilante #36-38, #41-43; The Peacemaker #1-5.

DC Finest: Batgirl: Nobody Dies Tonight
April 8, 2025 552 pages
Cassandra Cain, the fan-favorite Batgirl introduced at the turn of the millennium, shines in this collection of her early 2000s adventures and team-ups!  DC Finest presents comprehensive collections of the most in-demand and celebrated periods in DC Comics history, spanning genres, characters, and eras!
DC Finest: Batgirl: Nobody Dies Tonight collects key early appearances of Cassandra Cain, the fan-favorite Batgirl who first appeared in 1999! The daughter of assassins, Cassandra Cain used her unique skills and martial arts prowess to become a hero–and a vastly different Batgirl than fans had seen before.In these tales, from comics talents including writer Kelley Puckett and artist Damion Scott, Cass faces Lady Shiva in a battle to the death, steps up her training with Batman, and teams with fellow teen heroes Superboy and Supergirl! This volume collects stories from Batgirl #7-27, Superboy #85, and Supergirl #63.

DC Finest: Superman Family: The Giant Turtle Man
April 15, 2025 600 pages
Superman's best pal, Jimmy Olsen, has certainly been through a lot over the years but nothing quite compares to this! This brand new volume of DC Finest compiles some of Superman, Lois, and Jimmy's wackiest and wildest Silver Age adventures, including the debut of the infamous Giant Turtle Man! DC Finest continues, a major publishing initiative presenting comprehensive collections of the most in-demand and celebrated periods in DC Comics history, spanning genres, characters, and eras! Superman takes on Jimmy Olsen as the Giant Turtle Man! An experiment with a growth ray goes awry and leaves Jimmy transformed, now Superman has no choice but to "remove" him from the Earth! Yikes! All that and more Silver Age adventures in this brand new volume of DC Finest, collecting up some of the most memorable (and bizarre) chunks of Superman history! This volume collects stories from Action Comics #266, #277; Superman #142-143, #147; Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #19-28; Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #47-56.

DC Finest: Events: Zero Hour Part Two 
May 6, 2025 600 pages
On the heels of DC Finest: Events: Zero Hour Part One, the time-bending 1990s story concludes in this can't-miss volume!  DC Finest presents comprehensive collections of the most in-demand and celebrated periods in DC Comics history, spanning genres, characters, and eras! In 1985, DC Comics dramatically altered comics' original universe with Crisis on Infinite Earths–an unforgettable, defining event in comics history that streamlined the DC Universe continuity. Nine years later, the heroes of the DC Universe found the temporal fabric of their new reality unraveling, and the biggest threat since the Crisis was about to be revealed in Zero Hour: Crisis in Time.With the first half of the Zero Hour epic collected in DC Finest: Events: Zero Hour Part One, this volume concludes the timeline-shifting saga, from comics legends Dan Jurgens and Jerry Ordway, which resulted in major status quo changes for heroes and villains across the DC Universe, including legendary Green Lantern, Hal Jordan! Collects The Flash #0; Green Arrow #90; Adventures of Superman #516; Justice League America #92; Action Comics #703; Justice League International #68; Legion of Super-Heroes #61; Green Lantern #0; Superman: The Man of Steel #0; Guy Gardner: Warrior #24; Justice League Task Force #16; Catwoman #14; Robin #10; Showcase '94 #10; Damage #0, #6; Zero Hour: Crisis in Time #0-2; Anima #7.

And those previously announced…

• DC Finest: Green Arrow – 21st of January, 2025
  A major new line of DC collected editions begins with the most iconic stories starring Green Arrow!
• DC Finest: Supergirl: The Girl of Steel – 14th of January, 2025
  A major new line of DC collected editions begins with the earliest stories starring Supergirl!
• DC Finest: Aquaman: The King of Atlantis – 7th of January, 2025
  A major new line of DC collected editions begins with the earliest stories starring the King of the Seas: Aquaman!
• DC Finest: Catwoman: Life Lines –  Dec 17, 2024 | 600 Pages
  Catwoman's first solo stories are back in print as part of DC's major new line of collected editions! DC Finest: Catwoman: Life Lines collects the early history of Catwoman solo stories, establishing Selina Kyle as a protagonist in her own right, separate from Batman's rogues gallery. This collection including character-defining tales such as her 1989 solo debut by Mindy Newell and J.J. Birch exploring the feline fatale's origins; Peter Milligan and Tom Grindberg's Catwoman Defiant, which was released concurrent to the character's big-screen debut in 1992's Batman Return; and the first year of the Catwoman ongoing series from writer Jo Duffy and artist Jim Balent. This volume collects stories from Action Comics #611-614; Catwoman Defiant #1; Showcase '93 #1-4; Catwoman (1989) #1-4; Catwoman (1993) #1-12, and Catwoman Annual #1.
• DC Finest: Events: Zero Hour Part 1 – Dec 10, 2024 | 496 Pages
  Don't miss the incredible ZERO HOUR event back in print as part of DC's major new line of collected editions!
• DC Finest: Legion of Super-Heroes – Dec 10, 2024 | 505 Pages
  A major new line of DC collected editions begins with the earliest stories starring the Legion of Super-Heroes! DC Finest: The Legion of Super-Heroes collects all the tales that make it the perfect fit for any fan or new reader!
• DC Finest: Green Lantern: The Defeat of Green Lantern – Dec 03, 2024 | 600 Pages
  A major new line of DC collected editions begins with the story of GREEN LANTERN: THE DEFEAT OF GREEN LANTERN! The Green Lantern makes a vow—that no evil will escape his sight. Will that be an oath he can keep? Find out in DC Finest: Green Lantern: The Defeat of Green Lantern!
•  DC Finest: Justice Society of America: For America and Democracy – Dec 03, 2024 | 600 Pages
  A major new line of DC collected editions begins with the earliest stories starring the Justice Society of America! DC Finest: Justice Society of America: For America and Democracy is a must-have for any superhero fan!
• DC Finest: The Flash: The Human Thunderbolt- Nov 26, 2024 | 600 Pages
  The earliest adventures of Barry Allen return in a new comprehensive collection, part of DC's major new line of collected editions! DC Finest: The Flash: The Human Thunderbolt collects the adventures of Barry Allen, the second and most iconic Flash, from the very beginning—starting with his debut in 1956's Showcase #4 by John Broome and Carmine Infantino! This collection also includes the first appearances of famous Flash rogues including Captain Cold, Mirror Master, and Gorilla Grodd! This volume collects Silver Age Flash stories from The Flash #105-123, and Showcase #4, #8, #13-14.
• DC Finest: Justice League of America: The Bridge Between Earths – Nov 19, 2024 | 568 Pages
  A major new line of DC collected editions begins with the earliest stories starring the Justice League! DC Finest: Justice League of America: The Bridge Between Earths collects tales of the Justice Leage: the earth's first line of defense against threats too large for humanity to face alone. And every time, they have overcome the odds and saved the human race.
• DC Finest: Wonder Woman: Origins & Omens  – Nov 12, 2024 | 584 Pages
  Fan-favorite Wonder Woman stories written by Gail Simone are back in print as part of DC's major new line of collected editions!  This collection spotlights writer Gail Simone's beloved run on Wonder Woman starting in 2007 with "The Circle" storyline drawn by Terry Dodson, and continuing with "Ends of the Earth," "Rise of the Olympian," and "Warkiller," drawn by Aaron Lopresti! This volume collects Wonder Woman (2006) #14-35; Outsiders: Five of a Kind – Wonder Woman/Grace #1, and Brave & Bold #7.
• DC Finest: Batman: Year One & Two – Nov 05, 2024 | 592 Pages
  A major new line of DC collected editions starts with one of the most revered eras of Batman history, including the all-time classic Batman: Year One! DC Finest: Batman: Year One & Two collects the Dark Knight's adventures following the game-changing crossover Crisis on Infinite Earths, starting with the seminal Batman: Year One story from Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli. This collection also includes Batman: Year Two by Mike W. Barr, Alan Davis, and Todd McFarlane, along with further mid-to-late '80s adventures from Barr, Max Allan Collins, Norm Breyfogle, and more! Collects Batman #404-414, Batman Annual #11, and Detective Comics #571-581.
• DC Finest: Superman: The Coming of Superman – Nov 05, 2024 | 584 Pages
  A major new line of DC collected editions begins with the earliest stories starring the first and greatest superhero: Superman! What better place to start then with the hero who started it all: Superman! This collection features the Man of Steel's earliest stories, starting with 1938's legendary Action Comics #1 from Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. DC Finest: Superman: The Coming of Superman collects the first two years of Superman adventures in Action Comics #1-25, Superman #1-5, and New York World's Fair #1.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!