Missing from the collections

I just recovered a few posts from before the crash. This one will probably still be of interest to people. Original posted: 19 June 2004

I’ve just noticed something odd about the descriptions for Rules of Engagement and Trial By Fire. According to DCs September listings Rules collects JLA #77-82 while Trial collects JLA #84-89. This means that JLA #83 has been dropped from the collection schedule. This was the issue that featured a “What-If” dream story where Lex Luthor flipped out and started acting like a cartoon version of President Bush. Is DC finding JLA #83 too hot to handle or is it part of a larger problem that DC is about to face?

JLA trades have collected almost every issue so far plus the odd Secret Files and crossover. There is a new phrase that has been making its way around a number of the message boards, “writing for the trade” is where a writer is asked to construct his stories in approximately 6 issue chunks that can be easily collected into trade collections. However, Joe Kelly’s tail end run on JLA has featured a number of single issues that fall between the gaps in the larger story arcs. Specifically JLA #83, 90, and the forthcoming JLA #100.

The next trade after Trial is The 10th Circle which collects the six-part Byrne/Claremont story in JLA #94-99. Given the pattern so far I think it’s a good bet that the next trade after Circle will be Chuck Austen’s six-part arc which starts in JLA #101. Therefore, completests beware, collecting the trades does not necessarily mean you’ll get the entire story. The single issue stories are missing and so is Denny O’Neil’s three part story (JLA #91-93). Whether we’ll get a “bits and pieces” trade in the future remains debatable.