Shouldn't we be getting a new Archives soon?

[Lantern2814.20850]

OK SO WTF IS THIS?!?


SUGAR AND SPIKE ARCHIVES VOL. 1
Written by SHELDON MAYER; Art and cover by SHELDON MAYER

DC's cult favorite comic about a pair of precocious babies is collected at last in this volume.

Hot-tempered Sugar Plumm and shy Cecil "Spike" Wilson may be toddlers, but they know more about getting into trouble than most grown-ups. And while they can understand each other perfectly, all their parents seem to hear when they speak is "Glx sptzl glaah!"

Now, DC Comics collects their classic series for the first time, starting with issues #1-10, in this hardcover showcasing stories and art by the talented Sheldon Mayer, inspired by the hijinks of his own children.
Archive Editions 240pg. Color Hardcover $59.99 US

SUGAR AND SPIKE GET AN ARCHIVES?!? When did sugar and Spike make the most wanted list?!? I mean Let's set aside the idea of finishing off Hal's Silver Age Run with only Three volumes logically remaining between Volume 6 and Hard Traveling Heroes 1 and lets look at some of the other deserving characters that could get the Archive treatment
Silver Age Flash. Barry Allen's a Hot Ticket in his own right nowadays between Flash Rebirth Flashpoint and the Upcoming Flash #1 as well as having only five volumes to Hal's six (And Barry debuted first!) I'd Say if not a volume 7 for Hal, at least a volume 6 for Barry's Archives Run
Golden Age Archives
All Star and wonder Woman might be the only Archive runs featuring our JSA heroes to be complete (unless Dr. Fates 1 book contains his entire solo adventures)
Green Lantern, Flash and Starman all have two each the Spectre, Sandman, Hawkman and Black Canary have one each I'm sure there are some others from this period that I've left out but suffice to say, when you tally up all the characters that have made DC what it is currently, no where will you find any reader who says................"I'm sick of all this superhero Crap! gimme some collected editions featuring a couple of toddlers who's biggest claim to fame is a spiritual inspiration for the "Look Who's Talking" movies!"

[Lantern2814.20850]

Aaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!! Much better
Written by JOHN BROOME and GARDNER FOX; Art by GIL KANE and SID GREENE; Cover by GIL KANE and MURPHY ANDERSON

In these high-flying tales from GREEN LANTERN #48-57, Green Lantern battles the evil of villains Sinestro, Major Disaster and many more!
DC Universe 256pg. Color Hardcover $59.99*US
On Sale August 22, 2012

[Mister.Weirdo]

Why did it take them so long to do the archives line again?

[Mister Ed]

Originally Posted by Mister.Weirdo

Why did it take them so long to do the archives line again?

My guess is that the Omnibuses sold well enough that they want to do a third, but they figure they can make more money if the sell those comics in Archive format FIRST, then just take all the work they did for those and use it to output the next Omnibus without having to spend any additional money restoring all the issue art.

I'm hoping this IS the case, because if SO it probably means we will get two more Archives after this one without TOO long of a wait.

In general they seem to have abandoned the Archive line, if you look at how FEW Archives have come out in the past few years compared to earlier in the line.

[Lantern2814.20850]

They were trying to fixate on the Showcase collections then they decided to run the chronicles. DC present Hierarchy hasn't exactly been known put the fans desires on a priority basis.

[Big Daddy Dave Skywalker]

I'm just glad DC hasn't abandoned the archive line completely. I got my Doom Patrol and All-Star Comics runs completed, now I'd like to see Green Lantern and Flash continue on for a bit. Metal Men would be nice too.

[Mister.Weirdo]

Originally Posted by Mister Ed

My guess is that the Omnibuses sold well enough that they want to do a third, but they figure they can make more money if the sell those comics in Archive format FIRST, then just take all the work they did for those and use it to output the next Omnibus without having to spend any additional money restoring all the issue art.

I'm hoping this IS the case, because if SO it probably means we will get two more Archives after this one without TOO long of a wait.

In general they seem to have abandoned the Archive line, if you look at how FEW Archives have come out in the past few years compared to earlier in the line.

The omnibuses didn't come out until many years after the last archive had come out. It's probably a completely different reason.

[Mister Ed]

Originally Posted by Mister.Weirdo

The omnibuses didn't come out until many years after the last archive had come out. It probably a completely different reason.

To my mind that makes my theory MORE plausible, not less. They do no GL Archives for YEARS, but now, coincidentally, when the Omnibuses catch up to the material they already prepared for past Archives, we suddenly get a new Archive? If they make another Omnibus without making more Archives first, they have the costs of processing all that color comics art rolled into the cost of that ONE Omnibus. If they crank out a few Archives first, that cost is spread over three books (which they charge MORE for per issue included than the Omnibuses), and then isn't a factor at ALL when they put out Omnibus 3 for $75 or whatever.

I could very well be wrong about that reasoning, but the large gap after the last Archives, and the short gap after the Omnibuses caught up to the material in the Archives seem suggestive to me.

[Mister.Weirdo]

Maybe, or maybe it's just a coincidence.

[Mister Ed]

Originally Posted by Mister.Weirdo

Maybe, or maybe it's just a coincidence.

Certainly very possible. But since I don't go in for the BIG conspiracy-theory type stuff (faked moon landings, 9-11 done by the gov't, etc.) these are the sort of sad little connections I'm left with drawing.

[Mister.Weirdo]

Whatever floats your boat.

[Big Daddy Dave Skywalker]

No WAY is this a coincidence. DC solicits more archives just as their omnibus counterparts are set to overtake them in umber of issues covered? I think Ed is right. The work is now done in reproducing them. At least now they have a chance to sell some units to customers who were already committed to the archive line. THEN they'll continue with the omnibus line so they don't outright kill one entire line.

The only thing against this idea is that the Flash archives are now continuing, and no omnibus line has been started for the silver age series. Just the chronicle line which is WAY behind.

Reminds me how nice it would be if DC would buckle down and commit to finishing a run in one format before beginning the next. Green Lantern currently has all of these formats for the silver age, volume 2 series:

Archives
Omnibuses
Chronicles
Showcase Presents (B+W)

Not to mention two different lines in softcover to collect the tail end of volume 2!

[Whitey]

Aren't the Flash Omnibus 1 and 2 the silver age Flashs? Or do they cover the time after the silver age?

[Lantern2814.20850]

Actually the Flash Omnibus' don't cover any archives at all. They are Hardcover collections of Geoff Johns Run on the Flash starring the now-abandoned Wally West as The Flash.

[Deadpool]

I brought the batman chronicles vloume 4 about a year ago now, and i've only read the first 2 issues worth so-far.

[Lantern2814.20850]

TA-DAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!













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ok that was good! So when do we get Volume 8?

[Andrew NDB]

So are the Archives like... dead dead?

[Big Daddy Dave Skywalker]

I'm pretty sure they are. I remember one coming out a few years ago and being shocked to see it but now I can't recall what it was specifically. DC apparently has moved on, which is fine with me. I like the omnibus format much better. I hope one day golden age comics come back into fashion and All-Star Comics 1-57 gets published again as omnibi. I'm glad DC finished them in archives and they look great, but I could be sucked into a double dip with an upgrade like that.

[Mister Ed]

I still have a gap in my GL collection between the last Archive and the beginning of GL/GA. Probably never be filled at this point. I can't afford the issues, the Archives are never going to happen, any new affordable reprint format will start over and never get to that point, and I can't bring myself to pay the pricetag on the Omnibus that covers those issues, given how much overlap it has with what I've already got.