A couple of weeks ago Tom Bondurant shared his thoughts on ten DC Comics-related comics/events coming up in 2008. I liked the idea, so I threw it out to the rest of the Blog@ team to see if they wanted to tackle 2008-oriented “top ten” lists related to other areas in the comics world, i.e. manga, alt-comix, Marvel, etc.

You’ll see these lists pop up on the blog over the next week or so. We know they aren’t exhaustive and just represent what we’re looking forward to, so we invite you to let us know what you’re looking forward to. For today, I present Chris Mautner’s list of ten reprint collections to look forward to in 2008. While some of the lists were put together by more than one person, this one is all Chris:

1. Humbug and Trump collections (Fantagraphics). Perhaps it’s cheating to put these two projects together, but I tend to group them together in my mind. I’ve heard so much about Harvey Kurtzman’s ambitious, cancelled before their time magazine projects that I’m overjoyed (and honestly, a little shocked) to realize they’ll both be coming out this year in handsome packages.

2. Little Orphan Annie Vol. 1 (IDW). Like Dick Tracy, this is a strip that took a couple of years before truly finding its strengths. I’ve never quite warmed to Harold Gray’s work, but that’s likely due to the fact that I’ve only been able to read it in dribs and drabs. Perhaps this definitive collection will change my mind.

3. Floyd Gottfredson Library: The Best of Mickey Mouse — Daily Strips 1930-1933 (Gemstone). I honestly didn’t know this was coming out until I blundered across it on Amazon. Now all we need is a Carl Barks Library and all will be right with the world.

4. Jack Kirby’s OMAC (DC) — Hot on the heels of the impressive Fourth World set of hardcovers comes this reasonably priced collection of yet another Kirby project that failed to pass the DC muster. Can’t wait.

5. Willie and Joe: The WWII Years by Bill Mauldin (Fantagraphics) — Quite possibly one of the most impressive packages of the new year, this two volume slipcased set collects over 600 pages of war-themed gag cartoons. Expect to see this on a lot of best-of lists come December.

6. Feiffer’s The Explainers (Fantagraphics). After attempting to sandwich everything Jules Feiffer did into a series of slim softcover volumes, it seems they’ve had the better idea of publishing his stuff in individual volumes that better reflect the original works. This 10-year collection of his Village Voice strips may well be the best of the bunch yet.

7. So That’s Where the Demented Wented: The Comics of Rory Hayes (Fantagraphics). Underground comics oddest and most idiosyncratic creator at long last gets his own book.

8. The massive Tintin boxed set (Little, Brown). I may be terribly wrong about this, but I recall Little, Brown planning on releasing a slipcovered, hardcover collection of all of the boy reporter’s adventures. Minus, of course, Tintin in the Congo. It’s absence will be noticeable, but this will still be a tempting package nonetheless.

9. Pogo vol. 1 by Walt Kelly (Fantagraphics). The other big strip reprint debut of the year. Pogo is another strip I remain woefully uneducated on. Hopefully this first volume will get me up to speed quickly.

10. The Near Complete Essential Hembeck Archives Omnibus (Image). It’s Fred Hembeck. Do I honestly need to say more?

This entry was posted on Friday, January 18th, 2008 at 7:15 am and is filed under DC Comics, Fantagraphics, Graphic Novels, IDW, Image, News & Views. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.