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DC Compact Comics

{{Short description|A list of DC's Compact Comics books}}

File:Dccompact.jpeg

DC Compact Comics is a line of full-color paperbacks from DC Comics. Announced in November 2023, ahead of a June 2024 launch, they were described as "perfect for readers of prose and manga looking to pick up a new-reader-friendly storyline in a self-contained full color graphic novel".{{Cite web |title=DC Announces 'DC Compact Comics' |url=https://www.dc.com/blog/2023/11/02/dc-announces-dc-compact-comics |access-date=2024-09-25 |website=DC |language=en-us}}

At 8.5in x 5.5in, they are smaller than the traditional 10.2in x 6.6in of a collected trade paperback comic.

The initial 10 titles released in 2024 were: Batman: The Court of Owls, Watchmen, All-Star Superman, Far Sector, Batman: Hush, Wonder Woman: Earth One, Harley Quinn & The Gotham City Sirens, Joker, American Vampire Book One, and Catwoman: Trail of the Catwoman – with a further 15 books announced for 2025.{{cite web |author1=David Brooke |title=New 'DC Compact Comics' coming in 2025 with 2nd printings on the way too |url=https://aiptcomics.com/2024/11/12/dc-compact-comics-2025/ |website=AIPT comics |access-date=12 November 2024 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241112174427/https://aiptcomics.com/2024/11/12/dc-compact-comics-2025/ |archive-date=12 November 2024 |date=12 November 2024}}

One of those 15, Death, a spin-off from the Sandman series, was cancelled following sexual assault allegations against writer, Neil Gaiman.{{cite web |last1=Johnston |first1=Rich |title=DC Comics Has Pulled Neil Gaiman's Death Compact Edition For Now |url=https://bleedingcool.com/comics/dc-comics-neil-gaiman-death-compact-edition-sandman/ |website=Bleeding Cool |access-date=6 February 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250205212240/https://bleedingcool.com/comics/dc-comics-neil-gaiman-death-compact-edition-sandman/ |archive-date=5 February 2025 |date=5 February 2025}}

As well as being dedicated to a specific character or series, each release is also designated by genre via a tag in the top right of the cover. These genres include science fiction, thriller, horror, fantasy, adventure, and mystery.

Reception

The announcement was largely greeted positively in the comics community with SKTCHD's David Harper saying the line was, "...honestly the best thing to come from one of the Big Two in I don't even know how long".{{Cite web |last=Says |first=Linus |date=2023-11-03 |title=Comics Disassembled: Nine Things of Note from the Past Week in Comics, Led by DC Going Compact |url=https://sktchd.com/column/comics-disassembled-nine-things-of-note-from-the-past-week-in-comics-led-by-dc-going-compact/ |access-date=2024-09-25 |website=SKTCHD |language=en-US}} Gordon Jackson at Gizmodo noted that "DC's Compact Comics Line Is the Smartest Thing It's Done in Years".{{Cite web |last=Jackson |first=Gordon |date=2024-08-16 |title=DC's Compact Comics Line Is the Smartest Thing It's Done in Years |url=https://gizmodo.com/dcs-compact-comics-line-is-the-smartest-thing-its-done-in-years-2000488025 |access-date=2024-09-25 |website=Gizmodo |language=en-US}} In Comicsbeat, Joe Grunenwald stressed that "the size, price and content are all suitable for mass market".{{Cite web |last=Grunenwald |first=Joe |date=2023-11-02 |title=Syndicated Comics |url=https://www.comicsbeat.com/dc-announces-compact-comics-graphic-novel-line/ |access-date=2024-09-25 |website=The Beat |language=en-US}}

Sales

Four of 2024's overall top-10 bestselling graphic novels came from DC's Compact Comic line. Batman: The Court of Owls ranked fourth, with All-Star Superman fifth, Batman: Hush sixth, and Watchmen seventh.{{cite web |title=TOP 20 GRAPHIC NOVELS - FULL YEAR 2024 |url=https://icv2.com/articles/markets/view/58681/top-20-graphic-novels-full-year-2024 |website=ICv2 |access-date=24 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250124222449/https://icv2.com/articles/markets/view/58681/top-20-graphic-novels-full-year-2024 |archive-date=24 January 2025 |date=23 January 2025}} By February 2025, up to eight months after release, all four books remained in the monthly top-ten graphic novel chart.{{cite web |title=TOP 20 GRAPHIC NOVELS - FEBRUARY 2025 |url=https://icv2.com/articles/markets/view/58991/top-20-graphic-novels-february-2025 |website=ICv2 |access-date=5 March 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250306033918/https://icv2.com/articles/markets/view/58991/top-20-graphic-novels-february-2025 |archive-date=6 March 2025 |date=5 March 2025}}

Impact

The line launched five months ahead of the DC Finest series, which was aimed at a similar market to the Marvel Epic Collection.

In 2025, Marvel Comics released Premier Collection, a similar line of digest-sized 9in x 6in releases "featuring Marvel's most celebrated and prestigious storylines and creators from its entire comic book legacy".{{cite web |author1=Nico Marjolin |title=Marvel Comics Unveils All-New ‘Marvel Premier Collection’ |url=https://prhcomics.com/2024/10/17/marvel-comics-unveils-all-new-marvel-premier-collection/ |website=Penguin Random House |access-date=23 October 2024 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241023171525/https://prhcomics.com/2024/10/17/marvel-comics-unveils-all-new-marvel-premier-collection/ |archive-date=23 October 2024 |date=17 October 2024}}

List of volumes

=American Vampire=

class="wikitable sortable" width=90%
Title

! style="width: 5em;" |Years covered

! class="unsortable" |Issues collected

! class="unsortable" |Writers

! class="unsortable" |Artists

!Genre

!Pages

!Pub. date

! class="unsortable" |ISBN

Book One

|2010–2011

|

|Scott Snyder, Stephen King

|Rafael Albuquerque

|Horror

|320

|{{DTS|1 Oct 2024}}

|{{nowrap|{{ISBNT|978-1779527349}}}}

=The Authority=

class="wikitable sortable" width=90%
Title

! style="width: 5em;" |Years covered

! class="unsortable" |Issues collected

! class="unsortable" |Writers

! class="unsortable" |Artists

!Genre

!Pages

!Pub. date

! class="unsortable" |ISBN

Relentless

|1999–2000, 2017

|

  • The Authority (vol. 1) #1–12
  • Planetary/The Authority: Ruling the World #1
  • "Requiem" from WildStorm: A Celebration of 25 Years

|Warren Ellis

|Bryan Hitch

|Adventure

|360

|{{DTS|1 Jul 2025}}

|{{nowrap|{{ISBNT|978-1799501992}}}}

=Batman=

class="wikitable sortable" width=90%
Title

!style="width: 5em;"|Years covered

!class="unsortable"|Issues collected

!class="unsortable"|Writers

!class="unsortable"|Artists

!Genre

!Pages

!Pub. date

! class="unsortable" |ISBN

Arkham Asylum

|1989

|

  • Batman: Arkham Asylum OGN

|Grant Morrison

|Dave McKean

|Thriller

|248

|{{dts|2 Sep 2025}}

|{{nowrap|{{ISBNT|978-1799506997}}}}

Gotham By Gaslight

|1989

|

  • Batman: Gotham By Gaslight OGN

|Brian Augustyn

|Mike Mignola

|Thriller

|120

|{{dts|20 Jan 2026}}

|{{nowrap|{{ISBNT|978-1799506652}}}}

The Long Halloween

|1996–1997

|

  • Batman: The Long Halloween #1–13

|Jeph Loeb

|Tim Sale

|Mystery

|376

|{{dts|7 Oct 2025}}

|{{nowrap|{{ISBNT|978-1799502883}}}}

Hush

|2002–2003

|

|Jeph Loeb

|Jim Lee

|Mystery

|312

|{{DTS|6 Aug 2024}}

|{{nowrap|{{ISBNT|978-1779527264}}}}

The Court of Owls Saga

|2011–2012

|

  • Batman (vol. 2) #1–11

|Scott Snyder

|Greg Capullo

|Thriller

|304

|{{DTS|4 Jun 2024}}

|{{nowrap|{{ISBNT|978-1779527271}}}}

=Batwoman=

class="wikitable sortable" width=90%
Title

! style="width: 5em;" |Years covered

! class="unsortable" |Issues collected

! class="unsortable" |Writers

! class="unsortable" |Artists

!Genre

!Pages

!Pub. date

! class="unsortable" |ISBN

Elegy

|2009–2010

|

|Greg Rucka

|J. H. Williams III

|Adventure

|240

|{{DTS|17 Jun 2025}}

|{{nowrap|{{ISBNT|978-1799501824}}}}

=Catwoman=

class="wikitable sortable" width=90%
Title

! style="width: 5em;" |Years covered

! class="unsortable" |Issues collected

! class="unsortable" |Writers

! class="unsortable" |Artists

!Genre

!Pages

!Pub. date

! class="unsortable" |ISBN

Trail Of The Catwoman

|2001–2002

|

|Darwyn Cooke, Ed Brubaker

|Darwyn Cooke

|Adventure

|336

|{{dts|1 Oct 2024}}

|{{nowrap|{{isbnt|978-1779527288}}}}

=DCeased=

class="wikitable sortable" width=90%
Title

! style="width: 5em;" |Years covered

! class="unsortable" |Issues collected

! class="unsortable" |Writers

! class="unsortable" |Artists

!Genre

!Pages

!Pub. date

! class="unsortable" |ISBN

DCeased

|2019

|

  • DCeased #1–6

|Tom Taylor

|Trevor Hairsine

|Horror

|216

|{{DTS|3 Jun 2025}}

|{{nowrap|{{ISBNT|978-1799501633}}}}

=Harley Quinn=

class="wikitable sortable" width=90%
Title

! style="width: 5em;" |Years covered

! class="unsortable" |Issues collected

! class="unsortable" |Writers

! class="unsortable" |Artists

!Genre

!Pages

!Pub. date

! class="unsortable" |ISBN

Harley Quinn and the Gotham City Sirens

|2009–2010

|

|Paul Dini, Guillem March

|Guillem March

|Adventure

|320

|{{DTS|3 Sep 2024}}

|{{nowrap|{{ISBNT|978-1779527301}}}}

Wild at Heart

|2013-2014

|

|Amanda Conner

|Jimmy Palmiotti

|Adventure

|392

|{{dts|16 Sep 2025}}

|{{nowrap|{{ISBNT|978-1799503033}}}}

=Joker=

class="wikitable sortable" width=90%

!Title

! style="width: 5em;" |Years covered

! class="unsortable" |Issues collected

! class="unsortable" |Writers

! class="unsortable" |Artists

!Genre

!Pages

!Pub. date

! class="unsortable" |ISBN

Joker

|2008

|

  • Joker

|Brian Azzarello

|Lee Bermejo

|Thriller

|136

|{{DTS|3 Sep 2024}}

|{{nowrap|{{ISBNT|978-1779527318}}}}

=Static=

class="wikitable sortable" width=90%
Title

! style="width: 5em;" |Years covered

! class="unsortable" |Issues collected

! class="unsortable" |Writers

! class="unsortable" |Artists

!Genre

!Pages

!Pub. date

! class="unsortable" |ISBN

Season One

|2021–2022

|

  • Static: Season One #1–6

|Vita Ayala, Reginald Hudlin

|

|Adventure

|184

|{{DTS|27 May 2025}}

|{{nowrap|{{ISBNT|978-1799501541}}}}

=Supergirl=

class="wikitable sortable" width=90%
Title

!style="width: 5em;"|Years covered

!class="unsortable"|Issues collected

!class="unsortable"|Writers

!class="unsortable"|Artists

!Genre

!Pages

!Pub. date

! class="unsortable"|ISBN

Woman Of Tomorrow

|2021–2022

|

  • Supergirl: Woman of Tomorow #1−8

|Tom King

|Bilquis Evely

|Adventure

|296

|{{dts|6 Jan 2026}}

|{{nowrap|{{ISBNT|978-1799506904}}}}

=Superman=

class="wikitable sortable" width=90%
Title

! style="width: 5em;" |Years covered

! class="unsortable" |Issues collected

! class="unsortable" |Writers

! class="unsortable" |Artists

!Genre

!Pages

!Pub. date

! class="unsortable" |ISBN

All-Star Superman

|2005–2008

|

  • All-Star Superman #1–12

|Grant Morrison

|Frank Quitely

|Fantasy

|296

|{{DTS|2 Jul 2024}}

|{{nowrap|{{ISBNT|978-1779527257}}}}

Birthright

|2003–2004

|

  • Superman: Birthright #1–12

|Mark Waid

|Leinil Francis Yu, Gerry Alanguilan

|Adventure

|312

|{{DTS|24 Jun 2025}}

|{{nowrap|{{ISBNT|978-1799501916}}}}

= Superman/Batman =

class="wikitable sortable" width=90%
Title

! style="width: 5em;" |Years covered

! class="unsortable" |Issues collected

! class="unsortable" |Writers

! class="unsortable" |Artists

!Genre

!Pages

!Pub. date

! class="unsortable" |ISBN

Book One

|2003–2004

|

  • Superman/Batman (vol. 1) #1–13
  • "When Clark Met Bruce" from Superman/Batman Secret Files & Origins 2003

|Jeph Loeb

|Ed McGuinness, Michael Turner

|Adventure

|304

|{{DTS|15 Jul 2025}}

|{{nowrap|{{ISBNT|978-1799502135}}}}

=Wonder Woman=

class="wikitable sortable" width=90%
Title

! style="width: 5em;" |Years covered

! class="unsortable" |Issues collected

! class="unsortable" |Writers

! class="unsortable" |Artists

!Genre

!Pages

!Pub. date

! class="unsortable" |ISBN

Blood And Guts

|{{nowrap|2011–2012}}

|

|Brian Azzarello

|Cliff Chiang, Tony Akins

|Adventure

|280

|{{dts|19 Aug 2025}}

|{{nowrap|{{isbnt|978-1799502494}}}}

Earth One

|{{nowrap|2016–2021}}

|

  • Wonder Woman: Earth One Vol. 1–3

|Grant Morrison

|Yanick Paquette

|Fantasy

|376

|{{DTS|6 Aug 2024}}

|{{nowrap|{{isbnt|978-1779527332}}}}

=Y: The Last Man=

class="wikitable sortable" width=90%
Title

! style="width: 5em;" |Years covered

! class="unsortable" |Issues collected

! class="unsortable" |Writers

! class="unsortable" |Artists

!Genre

!Pages

!Pub. date

! class="unsortable" |ISBN

Book One

|2002–2003

|

  • Y: The Last Man #1-10

|Brian K. Vaughan

|Pia Guerra, José Marzan Jr.

|Science fiction

|248

|{{dts|21 Oct 2025}}

|{{nowrap|{{isbnt|978-1799502890}}}}

=Miniseries=

This section includes books that have self-contained miniseries and are unlikely to have a sequel.

class="wikitable sortable" width=90%
Title

!Years covered

!class="unsortable"|Issues collected

!class="unsortable"|Writers

!class="unsortable"|Artists

!Genre

!Pages

!Pub. date

!class="unsortable"|ISBN

DC: The New Frontier

|2004–2005

|

  • DC: The New Frontier #1-6
  • Justice League: The New Frontier Special

|Darwyn Cooke

|Dave Stewart

|Science fiction

|style="text-align: center;"|416

|{{dts|5 Aug 2025}}

|{{nowrap|{{ISBNT|978-1799502340}}}}

Far Sector

|2019–2021

|

  • Far Sector #1–12

|Nora Keita Jemisin

|Jamal Campbell

|Science fiction

|style="text-align: center;"|296

|{{dts|2 Jul 2024}}

|{{nowrap|{{isbnt|978-1779527295}}}}

Kingdom Come

|1996

|

  • Kingdom Come #1–4

|Mark Waid

|Alex Ross

|Fantasy

|style="text-align: center;"|208

|{{DTS|6 May 2025}}

|{{nowrap|{{isbnt|978-1799501299}}}}

V For Vendetta

|1982–1989

|

  • TBC

|Alan Moore

|David Lloyd

|Thriller

|style="text-align: center;"|368

|{{dts|4 Nov 2025}}

|{{nowrap|{{isbnt|978-1799503132}}}}

Watchmen

|1986–1987

|

  • Watchmen #1–12

|Alan Moore

|Dave Gibbons

|Thriller

|style="text-align: center;"|416

|{{dts|4 Jun 2024}}

|{{nowrap|{{isbnt|978-1779527325}}}}

We3

|2004

|

  • We3 #1–3

|Grant Morrison

|Frank Quitely

|Science fiction / Adventure

|style="text-align: center;"|144

|{{dts|18 Nov 2025}}

|{{nowrap|{{isbnt|978-1799503255}}}}

Upcoming releases

class="wikitable sortable"
Title

!Pub. date

! class="unsortable" |ISBN

Kingdom Come

|{{DTS|6 May 2025}}

|{{ISBNT|978-1799501299}}

Static: Season One

|{{DTS|27 May 2025}}

|{{ISBNT|978-1799501541}}

DCeased

|{{DTS|3 Jun 2025}}

|{{ISBNT|978-1799501633}}

Batwoman: Elegy

|{{DTS|17 Jun 2025}}

|{{ISBNT|978-1799501824}}

Superman: Birthright

|{{DTS|24 Jun 2025}}

|{{ISBNT|978-1799501916}}

The Authority: Book One

|{{DTS|1 Jul 2025}}

|{{ISBNT|978-1799501992}}

Superman/Batman: Book One

|{{dts|15 Jul 2025}}

|{{nowrap|{{ISBNT|978-1799502135}}}}

DC: The New Frontier

|{{dts|5 Aug 2025}}

|{{nowrap|{{isbnt|978-1799502340}}}}

Wonder Woman: Blood and Guts

|{{dts|19 Aug 2025}}

|{{nowrap|{{isbnt|978-1799502494}}}}

Batman: Arkham Asylum

|{{dts|2 Sep 2025}}

|{{nowrap|{{isbnt|978-1799506997}}}}

Harley Quinn: Wild at Heart

|{{dts|16 Sep 2025}}

|{{nowrap|{{isbnt|978-1799503033}}}}

Batman: The Long Halloween

|{{dts|7 Oct 2025}}

|{{nowrap|{{isbnt|978-1799502883}}}}

Y: The Last Man Book 1

|{{dts|21 Oct 2025}}

|{{nowrap|{{isbnt|978-1799502890}}}}

V For Vendetta

|{{dts|4 Nov 2025}}

|{{nowrap|{{isbnt|978-1799503132}}}}

We3

|{{dts|18 Nov 2025}}

|{{nowrap|{{isbnt|978-1799503255}}}}

Supergirl: Woman Of Tomorrow

|{{dts|6 Jan 2026}}

|{{nowrap|{{isbnt|978-1799506904}}}}

Batman: Gotham By Gaslight

|{{dts|20 Jan 2026}}

|{{nowrap|{{isbnt|978-1799506652}}}}

Cancelled

class="wikitable sortable"
Title

! class="unsortable" |ISBN

Death

|{{nowrap|{{isbnt|978-1799502647}}}}

See also

References

{{Reflist}}

{{DC Comics}}

Category:DC Comics lines