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".[1]
At 8.5in x 5.5in, they are smaller than the traditional 10.2in x 6.6in size of a collected trade paperback comic.
The initial 10 titles released in 2024 included: 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.[2]
The announcement was largely greeted positively in the comics community with SKTCHD's David Harper saying about the line that, "It’s honestly the best thing to come from one of the Big Two in I don’t even know how long."[3] and Gordon Jackson at Gizmodo noting that, "DC’s Compact Comics Line Is the Smartest Thing It’s Done in Years."[4] In Comicsbeat, Joe Grunenwald stressed that " the size, price and content are all suitable for mass market."[5]
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’.
The line launched five months ahead of the DC Finest series, which was aimed at a similar market to the Marvel Epic Collection.
In late 2024, at the New York Comic Con, Marvel Comics announced the 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".[6]
List of volumes
American Vampire
| Title | Years covered | Issues collected | Writers | Artists | Genre | Pages | Pub. date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Book One | 2010–2011 |
|
Scott Snyder, Stephen King | Rafael Albuquerque | Horror | 320 | Template:DTS | Template:ISBNT |
The Authority
| Title | Years covered | Issues collected | Writers | Artists | Genre | Pages | Pub. date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Book One | 1999–2000, 2017 | Template:Collapsible list | Warren Ellis | Bryan Hitch | Adventure | 360 | Template:DTS | Template:ISBNT |
Batman
| Title | Years covered | Issues collected | Writers | Artists | Genre | Pages | Pub. date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Court of Owls Saga | 2011–2012 |
|
Scott Snyder | Greg Capullo | Thriller | 304 | Template:DTS | Template:ISBNT |
| Hush | 2002–2003 |
|
Jeph Loeb | Jim Lee | Mystery | 312 | Template:DTS | Template:ISBNT |
| Batman: The Long Halloween | 1996-1997 |
|
Jeph Loeb | Tim Sale | Mystery | TBC | Template:Dts | Template:ISBNT |
Batwoman
| Title | Years covered | Issues collected | Writers | Artists | Genre | Pages | Pub. date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elegy | 2009–2010 |
|
Greg Rucka | J. H. Williams III | Adventure | 240 | Template:DTS | Template:ISBNT |
Catwoman
| Title | Years covered | Issues collected | Writers | Artists | Genre | Pages | Pub. date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trail Of The Catwoman | 2001–2002 | Template:Collapsible list | Darwyn Cooke, Ed Brubaker | Darwyn Cooke | Adventure | 336 | Template:Dts | Template:Isbnt |
DC: The New Frontier
| Title | Years covered | Issues collected | Writers | Artists | Genre | Pages | Pub. date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DC: The New Frontier | 2004–2005 |
|
Darwyn Cooke | TBC | Science Fiction | TBC | Template:Dts | Template:ISBNT |
DCeased
| Title | Years covered | Issues collected | Writers | Artists | Genre | Pages | Pub. date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DCeased | 2019 |
|
Tom Taylor | Trevor Hairsine | Horror | 216 | Template:DTS | Template:ISBNT |
Death
| Title | Years covered | Issues collected | Writers | Artists | Genre | Pages | Pub. date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Death | 1993 |
|
Neil Gaiman | TBC | Fantasy | TBC | Template:Dts | Template:ISBNT |
Harley Quinn
| Title | Years covered | Issues collected | Writers | Artists | Genre | Pages | Pub. date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harley Quinn And The Gotham City Sirens | 2009–2010 |
|
Paul Dini, Guillem March | Guillem March | Adventure | 320 | Template:DTS | Template:ISBNT |
| Harley Quinn: Wild At Heart | TBC |
|
Amanda Conner | Jimmy Palmiotti | Adventure | TBC | Template:Dts | Template:ISBNT |
Joker
| Title | Years covered | Issues collected | Writers | Artists | Genre | Pages | Pub. date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joker | 2008 |
|
Brian Azzarello | Lee Bermejo | Thriller | 136 | Template:DTS | Template:ISBNT |
Static
| Title | Years covered | Issues collected | Writers | Artists | Genre | Pages | Pub. date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season One | 2021–2022 |
|
Vita Ayala, Reginald Hudlin | Adventure | 184 | Template:DTS | Template:ISBNT |
Superman
| Title | Years covered | Issues collected | Writers | Artists | Genre | Pages | Pub. date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All-Star Superman | 2005–2008 |
|
Grant Morrison | Frank Quitely | Fantasy | 296 | Template:DTS | Template:ISBNT |
| Birthright | 2003–2004 |
|
Mark Waid | Leinil Francis Yu, Gerry Alanguilan | Adventure | 312 | Template:DTS | Template:ISBNT |
Superman/Batman
| Title | Years covered | Issues collected | Writers | Artists | Genre | Pages | Pub. date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Book One | 2003–2004 |
|
Jeph Loeb | Ed McGuinness, Michael Turner | Adventure | 304 | Template:DTS | Template:ISBNT |
Wonder Woman
| Title | Years covered | Issues collected | Writers | Artists | Genre | Pages | Pub. date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earth One | 2016–2021 |
|
Grant Morrison | Yanick Paquette | Fantasy | 376 | Template:DTS | Template:Isbnt |
| Wonder Woman: Blood And Guts | 2011–2012 |
|
Brian Azzarello | Cliff Chiang, Tony Akins | Adventure | TBC | Template:Dts | Template:Isbnt |
Y: The Last Man
| Title | Years covered | Issues collected | Writers | Artists | Genre | Pages | Pub. date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Book One | 2002-TBC |
|
Brian K Vaughan | Pia Guerra, José Marzán | Science Fiction | TBC | Template:Dts | Template:Isbnt |
Miniseries
This section includes books that have self-contained miniseries and are unlikely to have a sequel
| Title | Years covered | Issues collected | Writers | Artists | Genre | Pages | Pub. date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Far Sector | 2019–2021 |
|
N. K. Jemisin | Jamal Campbell | Science Fiction | 296 | Template:Dts | Template:Isbnt |
| Kingdom Come | 1996 |
|
Mark Waid | Alex Ross | Fantasy | 208 | Template:DTS | Template:Isbnt |
| V For Vendetta | 1982-1989 |
|
Alan Moore | David Lloyd | Thriller | TBC | Template:Dts | Template:Isbnt |
| Watchmen | 1986–1987 |
|
Alan Moore | Dave Gibbons | Thriller | 416 | Template:DTS | Template:Isbnt |
| We3 | 2004 |
|
Grant Morrison | Frank Quitely | Science Fiction | TBC | Template:Dts | Template:Isbnt |
Upcoming releases
| Title | Pub. date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom Come | Template:DTS | Template:ISBNT |
| Static: Season One | Template:DTS | Template:ISBNT |
| DCeased | Template:DTS | Template:ISBNT |
| Batwoman: Elegy | Template:DTS | Template:ISBNT |
| Superman: Birthright | Template:DTS | Template:ISBNT |
| The Authority: Book One | Template:DTS | Template:ISBNT |
| Superman/Batman: Book One | Template:Dts | Template:ISBNT |
| DC: The New Frontier | Template:Dts | Template:Isbnt |
| Wonder Woman: Blood And Guts | Template:Dts | Template:Isbnt |
| Death | Template:Dts | Template:Isbnt |
| Harley Quinn: Wild At Heart | Template:Dts | Template:Isbnt |
| Batman: The Long Halloween | Template:Dts | Template:Isbnt |
| Y: The Last Man Book 1 | Template:Dts | Template:Isbnt |
| V For Vendetta | Template:Dts | Template:Isbnt |
| We3 | Template:Dts | Template:Isbnt |