
A comic book omnibus is a first-time collection of comics and tie-in issues, usually by the same writer and artist. This is a trade that collects comics and series that were never in a collection before. So, you may get the first 40 issues of the series, two annuals, and five tie-in issues, and the origin issue of the character from decades ago in a 900-page trade, for example.
Many modern and casual readers are intimidated by the decades of canon and backstory of certain comics. An omnibus collects vital stories and issues, and stories going back years or decades. You could learn the most important stories and moments of a specific character with the right omnibus. So, if you want an omnibus for yourself or as a gift for someone else, here are 10 that I highly recommend.
1. Star Wars: Darth Vader by Charles Soule Omnibus (2017)

This series is canon to the Star Wars saga. It takes place moments after the events of 2005’s Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. The opening pages of this series pick up where that film left off: Anakin Skywalker dies and is reborn as Darth Vader.
Vader almost goes insane upon learning that his love, Padmé Amidala, is dead. He attacks the droids who are placing his burned and mauled body into a life-preserving cybernetic armor. Vader also attacks Emperor Palpatine, who is present. The Emperor calms Vader and convinces him that he has a grand purpose now that he has chosen the dark side.
I own this omnibus and highly recommend it. It makes Vader sympathetic while also making him the most dangerous man in the galaxy. Charles Soule is an amazing writer, but the art by Giuseppe Camuncoli and others is incredible too.
This 568-page trade collects all 25 issues of the series and an Annual. Buy it for $34.99 on Kindle now.
2. Hellboy Omnibus Volume 1: Seed of Destruction (1994)

This 368-page trade features the earliest Hellboy comics by creator and artist Mike Mignola and John Byrne. Hellboy is a demon born from the union of a demon and a human woman. His very existence on Earth will destroy it sometime in the future. Brought to Earth via a WWII seance, Hellboy is raised by a human father and grows up to become an occult investigator.
This trade collects the first Hellboy comics from 1994 through 1997 in chronological order for the first time. Buy the paperback now for $18 on Amazon.
3. The Authority (1999)

This is a groundbreaking action, adventure, and sci-fi comic from 1999. Gritty comic book heroes who don’t listen to authority and unilaterally save the world, with attitudes, were mindblowing back then.
The Authority is led by Jeny Sparks, an Englishwoman who controls electricity. The team features Jack Hawksmoor, who can physically communicate with cities. Apollo, a genetically powered Superman-type, and Midnighter, an ultra-violent Batman-type, were lovers.
Swift is a Hawkgirl type. The Doctor is a Dutch shaman, a drug-consuming Doctor Strange. Lastly, there is the Engineer, whose blood has been entirely replaced with nanobots. The Engineer made her DCU debut in the recent Superman film.
This 984-page hardcover collects the entire run and several tie-in issues. Buy it for $60 at Amazon now.
4. Wonder Woman by Greg Rucka (2003)

Wonder Woman is grappling with her newfound responsibilities as an ambassador for Themyscira. She writes a book outlining her beliefs, which causes controversy in the U.S. and Themyscira. Diana also deals with threats from Silver Swan, Dr. Psycho, and Veronica Cale.
This 1,040-page trade collects Rucka’s initial run on the title and several tie-in issues. Also, this trade features The Hiketeia, a great comic about Wonder Woman protecting a young Amazonian from Batman.
Buy the hardcover now for $60.
5. Red Lanterns: The New 52 (2011)

The Green Lantern Corps is powered by willpower. However, there are now almost a dozen other spectrum Lanterns. The Sinestro Corps derive their power from fear, the Indigo Lanterns derive their power from hope, and so on. So, the Red Lanterns power their constructs through rage.
Red Lanterns must always be consumed by rage to power their constructs. Their blood is replaced with an acid-like rage plasma that they can vomit as a weapon. Red Lanterns are mostly villains and sometimes anti-heroes.
This 1,456-page hardcover collects the first 40 issues of the 2011 series, several annuals, and some tie-in issues. Buy it now at Amazon for $72.
6. Suicide Squad by John Ostrander (1987)

The Suicide Squad goes back to The Brave and The Bold #25 in 1959. WWII soldiers go on suicide missions led by Rick Flagg, Sr. The 1987 relaunch features Rick Flagg, Jr., leading dangerous supervillains on suicide missions, but if they don’t listen to orders, an explosive device surgically implanted in their heads will explode.
Deadshot, Bronze Tiger, and Captain Boomerang, very obscure and unknown characters at the time, are on the team. Barbara Gordon makes her debut as Oracle in this series. She was shot and paralyzed by the Joker in The Killing Joke before this series.
This 1,064-page paperback collects the first 18 issues of the series and numerous tie-in issues. Buy it now at Amazon for $33.
7. Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen: Who Killed Jimmy Olsen? (2020)

Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen ran from 1954 to 1974. (Even Lois Lane had her own long-running solo series in the mid-20th century, too.) Darkseid made his debut in Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 in 1970. Jimmy Olsen comics are often humorous and character-driven stories about what it is like to be good friends with Superman.
In the 2020 relaunch, Olsen finds out that dangerous people want him dead. So, he fakes his own death to find out what is going on. I own this series; it is hilarious, creative, and full of action. I highly recommend it.
This 320-page paperback collects all 12 issues of the series. Buy it now for $29 at Amazon.
8. The Sandman Mystery Theatre Compendium One (1993)

Wesley Dodds is a Golden Age vigilante who made his debut in Adventure Comics #51 in 1940. He had no powers. Dodds, who has the power oc claivoyance, can sometimes perceive a crime about to happen. So, he wore a suit, fedora, gas mask, and used a sedative gas gun to fight crime. The character was forgotten for a long time.
1993’s Sandman Mystery Theatre under the Vertigo imprint made the character popular for a new generation. Dodds is a vigilante in 1938 post-Depression New York City. The rich and powerful commit brazen and cruel crimes, the poor and powerless suffer, and this is the norm. The Sandman changes that paradigm.
This groundbreaking series was violent, featured suspenseful noir influences, and intense, character-driven narratives.
This 984-page paperback collects the first 26 issues of the series and the first annual. Buy it now from Amazon for $45.
9. Starman Compendium One (1994)

The Golden Age Starman, Ted Knight, had no powers. He uses a cosmic rod that allows him to fly, shoot energy blasts, and absorb energy. Ted Knight made his debut in Adventure Comics #61 in 1941. His son, David, becomes the new Starman, but dies in battle against the Mist, his father’s enemy. Ted’s rebellious younger son, Jack, next takes up the mantle.
Starman, written by James Robinson, is really more about family bonds, human tragedy, and revenge than superheroics. It is deftly and cleverly written by Robinson with distinctive art stylings by Tony Harris.
This 1,448-page paperback collects the first 43 issues of the series and numerous tie-in issues. Buy for $47 now at Amazon.
10. The Planetary Omnibus (1999)

This is one of the most underrated sci-fi and action comics ever. Many people who love comics have never read it. Elijah Snow leads Planetary, a trio of superhero archeologists who investigate the unknown and lost superhero and paranormal history of the world. Snow has amnesia, unknown adversaries who want him dead, and he must stop a threat that will destroy the world.
I don’t want to spoil this comic, but it is incredible. It is written by Warren Ellis with great artwork by the late John Cassaday. Buy the 864-page paperback, which collects all 27 issues, for $56 now at Amazon.
Are Omnibuses Worth Your Dollars?
Only buy an omnibus if you have nostalgia for a series you read long ago. Or, if you are a casual reader with an interest in a certain era of a comic book series. Or, if you want to gift it to a friend.
Omnibuses are hundreds of pages long, sometimes a thousand pages long, and require a lot of time investment to read and enjoy. If you don’t research and buy the right one, according to your needs, then you may end up buying an expensive paperweight. An omnibus is a treasure to the right reader, so choose wisely.
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