Crisis on Infinite Earths Companion Deluxe Edition Vol. 1

This volume is fantastic! The early to mid-80s was my peak time reading and collecting comics, so I remember these issues well. I anxiously awaited all of the Crisis Crossover issues each month, many of which were titles I didn't normally read (which was the point, I'm sure). So many great memories associated with these issues.This hardcover collects 19 issues across four different series, grouped by title. The original description (still showing as of now) seemed to be more chronological (by cover date) in nature featuring one or two issues from 11 different titles. I'm actually glad that DC changed its approach on this because this method allows the reader to focus on all the Crisis-related issues series-by-series instead of spreading them across multiple volumes. That, IMO, makes for better reading since the story lines were still very much self-contained despite their connections to the larger event.The actual issues contained in this collection are:DC COMICS PRESENTS #78 (This does not have a "Crisis Crossover" banner on the cover and actually came out two months prior to COIE #1. The Monitor and Lyla make an appearance on a few panels on the last page, but they did in over three dozen other issues prior to COIE #1 as well. I'm not totally sure why this particular one was included.)ALL-STAR SQUADRON #50-60THE FURY OF FIRESTORM #41-42GREEN LANTERN (Vol. 2) #194-198It also contains several nice essays: an introduction by Marv Wolfman, one on All-Star Squadron by Roy Thomas, and one each on The Fury of Firestorm and Green Lantern both by Robert Greenberger. There is also an excellent "Crisis Timeline" (by Greenberger) which shows all the Crisis crossover issues (as well as the main series) in chronological order. This is hopefully indicative of the contents of the remaining volumes. I'm very much looking forward to them.

the great stuff: the recoloring and paper quality are top notch. beautiful book. the essay content is also insightful. bob greenberger also provided a great issue timeline on the last few pages.the not-so-great stuff: the dust jacket is lovely artwork in full color, but the actual hardcover is matte black with blind debossed logo and type. meaning, if you're the kind of person who finds dust jackets an annoyance (and i'm not the only one), then this book will sit on your shelf looking as nondescript and forbidding as the monolith from 2001. and once volume 2 and 3 come out, provided they are designed the same way, you'll have three such onyx slabs with no way to tell the difference between them. DC, c'mon, you're artists and designers! it's your business. if you're going to go all black, give us some white type, at least on the spine, ok?the reason it only gets a four star review stuff: oh my DC. why can you not collect issues in their proper reading order? i mean, you even hired bob to provide one in the freakin' book! and DC, you're guilty of this before... many of the earlier john byrne man of steel TPB collections don't even follow the logical order established in the issues themselves. i had to google around to find someone who'd obsessively listed the correct issue order, then flip back and forth as i read each trade volume.which, sadly, i now have to do for crisis. but thanks, DC, this time i don't have to google. i only have to follow the timeline YOU YOURSELVES PROVIDED in the back of the collection. oh, and wait for volumes 2 and 3 to come out. and then do the ol' flip-back-and-forth DC reading order shuffle. you would think the company which provided the infamous "triangle numbers" across four (then five) superman titles for just over a decade could at least collect issues in omnibus format in the right order. sigh.

What's here is good, and I could let this pass after the next two volumes are released. Unfortunately if you were anticipating many of the specific issues listed, you're just going to have to make due with only:DC COMICS PRESENTS #78, ALL-STAR SQUADRON #50-60, THE FURY OF THE FIRESTORM #41-42, GREEN LANTERN #194-198So it's not quite an 'all corners of the DC universe' experience as the original crossover. Might have worked better as two omnibus volumes rather than three deluxe editions.

Finalmente, na comemoração dos 35 anos de Crise nas Infinitas Terras, a DC resolve publicar as histórias que andaram em paralelo com a saga. Mais ainda (e melhor ainda), estão publicando essas histórias com outras anteriores de forma que cada história fica com sentido. Não é simplesmente publicar o número 35 de uma revista sem qualquer contexto sobre o que houve nas edições anteriores. Se fosse uma série de TV (ou Netflix), eu diria que a DC está mostrando todos os capítulos sem qualquer pressa. Essas histórias estão saindo nas edições Crisis on Infinite Earths Companion. Duas edições já saíram com uma terceira para o segundo semestre deste ano. O volume 1 tem 576 páginas e o 2 tem 560. A edição 2 é mais diversificada; enquanto a 1 é bem focada no All-Star Squadron. O volume 1 tem DC Presents 78, All-Star Squadron 50 até 60, Firestorm 41 e 42 e Green Lantern 194 a 198 (essas foram publicadas pela Abril na revista Superamigos 23 a 28 em 1987). Muita coisa nunca publicada no Brasil. Destaque ai nas imagens para a primeira aparição da Precursora em DC Presents 78 no traço de Curt Swan; bem diferente da versão final...