DC Comicshas struck gold with its new Compact Comics initiative.These budget-minded, digest-sized collections have been a runaway hit with fans, and every offering in the initial wave has gone back for at least a second printing.DC’s Compact Comics line reprints some of the publisher’s biggest stories, such asAll-Star SupermanorBatman: Hush. Priced at 9.99 each, DC’s Compact Comics are targeted towards new readers.
Marvel Comics has announced a similar publishing initiative, calledMarvel Essentials.
The success of the initial batch of Compact Comics has inspired DC to expand the line further,and they will add 15 new titles in 2025. What follows are five of the best DC Compact Comics currently in print, as well as five exciting titles on the horizon.
Science Fiction/Fantasy
On Sale Now
One of the first offerings in DC’s Compact Comics line, Grant Morrison and Frank Quietly’sAll-Star Supermanstill thrills fans nearly 20 years after its initial publication.DC’sAll-Starline gave creators free rein over the publisher’s biggest icons, allowing them to tell fresh, out-of-continuity stories. Morrison and Quietly took full advantage of this freedom, creating a Superman story for the ages.All-Star Supermanwas a joyous celebration of all things Man of Steel.
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This alone should meritAll-Star Superman’sinclusion in DC’s Compact Comics line, but its influence upon James Gunn’s burgeoning DC Universe further solidifies the publisher adding it to the collection. Gunn’s announcement thatAll-Star Supermaninfluenced the upcomingSupermanmovie led to the trade selling out on Amazon. This was no doubt also an influence on DC’s decision to include it in the Compact Comics initiative.
Fantasy
May 6, 205
Kingdom Comewill join the DC Compact Comics line in 2025, almost 30 years after its first publication.Written by Mark Waid and featuring fully painted art by Alex Ross,Kingdom Comewas a dark vision of the DC Universe’s future, one where Superman turned his back on humanity and a generation of lawless “heroes” ran rampant.Kingdom Comewas a response toMarvels: rather than looking back at the past, it looked forward to the future–and it was not a pretty picture.
A documentary about Alex Ross andKingdom Comeis currently in production.
Kingdom Comewas both a critical and commercial success at a time when the industry desperately needed one. It remains a highlight of both Waid and Ross’ careers, and would exert a major influence over comics in the latter half of the 1990s.
Science Fiction
Over the course of 12 issues, Jemisin and Campbell took fans on a mind-bending thrill ride that stretched the Green Lantern concept to its extreme.
Award-winning speculative fiction author NK Jemisin made her comics debut with the superlative and challengingGreen Lantern: Far Sector, and it was a part of DC’s first Compact Comics’ offerings.Rather than use an existing Lantern, Jemisin and artist Jamal Campbell created Jo Mullein, and gave her one of the most unique missions in Green Lantern history: solving a murder in a city where no one feels emotion. Over the course of 12 issues, Jemisin and Campbell took fans on a mind-bending thrill ride that stretched the Green Lantern concept to its extreme.
Far Sectoris one of the definitive Green Lantern stories of the past 15 years, and another triumph for NK Jemisin. Jemisin has won numerous awards, including the Hugo and Nebulas, for books such asThe City We Became.Green Lantern: Far Sector’s crossover appeal makes it ideal for DC’s Compact Comics line.
Adventure
July 04, 2025
One of DC’s upcoming Compact Comics offerings,Static: Season Onerejuvenated the popular DC Animated character,making him relevant once again. Created in the early 1990s as part of the Milestone Comics line, Static would find a second life in the early 2000s thanks to an animated series set in DC’s Animated Universe. The series was popular with fans and critics, and ensured Static would not slide into obscurity.
DC has attempted revivals of the Milestone line a few times since the 1990s, andStatic: Season Oneis the most recent, and the most successful.Static: Season Onewas a hit with old fans and helped create a generation of new ones as well. While DC is not currently publishing any Milestone titles, hopefully the success ofStatic: Season Onein the Compact Comics line would inspire the publisher to make more.
Thriller
The first story arc of Batman’s New 52 era,The Court of Owls Saga,is still a tense and engaging read, over a decade after its initial publication.The storyintroduced the Court of Owlsto the DC Universe. Seemingly based in Gotham, the Court of Owls was a secret society manipulating events in their favor. Batman runs afoul of the Court and their undead assassins, which inspires them to launch a massive attack on Gotham.
Rumors fly that the Court of Owls will make the leap to live-action, most likely inThe Batman 2.
DC’s New 52 period was controversial, butBatman: The Court of Owls Sagais almost universally acknowledged as a masterpiece. While the Court has made appearances since, none of them have managed to duplicate the menace and terror of their first appearance.
July 22, 2025
The gloriously retroDC: The New Frontierwill join the Compact Comics line in 2025.The brainchild of the late Darwyn Cooke,The New Frontierproved true the maxim that sometimes to go forward, you must go back. Cooke takes fans back to a more innocent time in comics history, giving this period new depth and layers. Cooke situates the action against the backdrop of 1950s America, referencing the Korean War, the Red Scare and other decade-defining events.
Many of the titles included in DC’s Compact Comics line will play large roles in James Gunn’s upcoming slate of DC Studios films, andThe New Frontieris no exception. In a recent interview, Gunn statedThe New Frontierwas an influence upon the DCU’s direction–which fans should take as a good sign.
4Harley Quinn and the Gotham City SirensWas a Harbinger of Things to Come
The Series Solidified Harley Quinn’s Relationship with Poison Ivy
Harley Quinn and the Gotham City Sirens: DC Compact Comics Edition
While the stories inHarley Quinn and the Gotham City Sirensmay not be as instantly recognizable as other entries in DC’s Compact Comics line, they are nevertheless some of the most influential.Written by Harley co-creator Paul Dini, the series followed the Maid of Mischief as she broke free of the Joker’s influence. Throwing her lot in with Catwoman and Poison Ivy, Harley was able to shake the Joker, and found true love with Poison Ivy.
WhileHarley Quinn and the Gotham City Sirenswas not the duo’s first time together, it is where they truly found each other, leading to their growth as characters.
Ivy and Harley’s relationship persists to this day, and it has become integral to both of their characters. Furthermore,Harley and Ivy’s romance has carried overinto other takes on the character, such as theHarley Quinnanimated series. WhileHarley Quinn and the Gotham City Sirenswas not the duo’s first time together, it is where they truly found each other, leading to their growth as characters.
Science Fiction/Adventure
June 20, 2025
DC’s Compact Comics line is not only presenting superhero stories, but also titles from the publisher’s other imprints, such as Wildstorm, Milestone and Vertigo–-including the epicY: The Last Man,the first book of which sees print in 2025.Y’scentral concept, of a man alone in a world of women, may sound appealing to a few, but in reality it depicts the horrors that come in such situations.Y: The Last Manwas ambitious, cinematic–and one of the best comics of the 2000s.
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So far, only the first book ofY: The Last Manhas been announced for the Compact Comics line. The series ran for 60 issues, telling a vast, sprawling story stretching across several volumes. IfY: The Last Man: Book Oneis as successful as other titles in DC’s Compact Comics line, it could lead to a budget-friendly reprinting of the entire series.
Watchmenalmost immediately altered the comic book landscape upon its publication in the mid-1980s, and it is only fitting that it was one of the first titles in DC’s Compact Comics line.Dense, and packed with layers and layers of meaning,Watchmen, at its core, took a long and hard look at what superheroes might look like in the “real world.” Writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons created some of the most unforgettable characters in comics history, such as Doctor Manhattanand the violent vigilante Rorschach.
Fittingly,Watchmenhas been the biggest seller in the opening salvo of DC’s Compact Comics.
Fittingly,Watchmenhas been the biggest seller in the opening salvo of DC’s Compact Comics. While all the other initial books are going back for second printings,Watchmenis heading for a third. Given the popularity of bothWatchmenand DC’s Compact Comics line, it is only a matter of time before a fourth printing arrives.
1We3Is a Gut-Wrenching, Mind-Bending Read
We3Is Not for the Faint of Heart
We3’s mind-blowing central concept, of bionically augmented animals, might seem silly, but Morrison and Quietly pull it off in the most spectacular fashion possible.
Shortly beforeGrant Morrison and Frank Quietly blew apart the Man of Steel’s mythos inAll-Star Superman, the duo released the three issueWe3through DC’s Vertigo line, and it will join the Compact Comics line in 2025–just in time for its 20th anniversary. Morrison and Quietly intended, according to legend, to create “American manga” withWe3, and they succeeded.We3’s mind-blowing central concept, of bionically augmented animals, might seem silly, but Morrison and Quietly pull it off in the most spectacular fashion possible.
There is something for everyone inDC’sCompact Comics line, be it superheroes such asAll-Star Supermanor horror, likeAmerican Vampire, and the inclusion ofWe3reinforces this commitment to diversity.
