Collected Editions

In this post I'm going to highlight a couple of collected editions that I've been waiting for: one very recently published and another scheduled for release in a couple of months time.

G.I. Joe Volume 1
When I blogged recently about the titles I picked up on Free Comic Book Day I mentioned how much I enjoyed G.I. Joe from IDW Publishing. The budgetary reasons I decided against picking up the monthlies and wait for the collected edition.

Now published in a softcover trade, G.I. Joe Volume 1 runs to 160 pages:

Destro, the twisted-yet-honorable arms dealer from Scotland is planning something big - a new weapon called the Mass Device that can - and will - change the face of warfare forever! Meanwhile, G.I. Joe is under attack in their own secret base of operations! But who could have found - much less attack - them! Where has Snake Eyes gone and what is his mysterious connection to G.I. Joe member Scarlett? And under the shadows, whispers of a terrible and powerful organization grow louder. Whispers that say one word over and over ... COBRA.

Written by: Chuck Dixon
Art by Robert Atkins & Clayton Brown

[Solicitation Source: IDW]

I thought the G.I Joe Free Comic Book Day issue was incredibly well written and very nicely illustrated and I'm look forward to reading this volume.

X-Men Origins
When I reviewedg the recently released X-Men Origins: Wolverine title I mentioned how much I'd enjoyed the series of origins one-shots and that I looked forward to the series being published in a collected edition.

Well, courtesy of the release schedule published over at the Collected Comics Library I see we now have a date for publication: 23 September 2009.

The hardcover X-Men Origins collected edition runs to 144 pages and features the origin stories of Colossus, Jean Grey, Beast, Wolverine, Sabretooth and Gambit:

Witness the very first adventures of your favorite mutants! From the moment Professor Xavier arrived on her doorstep, young Jean Grey knew things would change forever. But she was never prepared for how strange life at the Xavier Institute could be - or just how dangerous she truly was. Will she be able to harness her budding powers in time to prove herself a hero? Or will the ghosts of her past haunt her forever? Then, Hank McCoy never wanted to be different - and for a young mutant with a genius-level brain, camouflage comes easy. But only until a psychopathic terrorist with a god delusion kidnaps his father, and his life is brought into irrevocable confrontation with Charles Xavier and the X-Men. Also, the origin of fan-favorite X-Man Colossus is finally revealed. Deep in the wastes of Siberia, young Piotr Rasputin discovers his mutant abilities -- and becomes the newest target of the ruthless KGB! Plus, from the first time he popped his claws, to the moment he joined the X-Men, Wolverine has had a rough life. See every gruesome detail here!

Written by Sean Mckeever, Mike Carey, Christopher Yost, Craig Kyle, Kieron Gillen
Pencils by Mark Texeira, Mike Mayhew, J.K. Woodward, Trevor Hairsine, David Yardin, Dan Panosian

[Solicitation Source: Marvel]

As I say, I really enjoyed the X-Men Origins series and I'll certainly be picking up the hardcover edition.