We all have trade paperback (TPB) collections we'd like to see. Here's one of mine:

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I chose the DC Comics Presents title for three reasons: 1) That's the title that gave me the idea to suggest this collection, 2) It preserves the title copyright for DC, to have it on a TPB that would (hopefully) stay in print, and 3) It's a little bit of nostalgia for me. However, on a new TPB, would the old style DC bullet change into the new DC emblem?

The Superman issue is DC's use of Captain Marvel without using Captain Marvel. "Captain Thunder" was Marvel's name way back when he first started, and in this story, Cap's other identity is "Willie Fawcett" - "Willie" being another nickname for "Bill" (like "Billy"), and "Fawcett" being the company that published Captain Marvel for so long. You'll notice that the lightning emblem is replaced by a sunburst on Cap's chest.

I'd put these issues in chronological order (as they are shown). I think it would be interesting to see how things changed over time. I left out an issue of Shazam where Supes and Cap battle, because it was from the time Shazam was a Saturday morning TV show. I think that story would have been out-of-continuity at the time, like Super Friends was, and even though various crises have retconned them, I only wanted to include in-continuity stories.

DCCP Annual #3 is one of my all-time favorite single issues, so I'd be tempted to go with that for the cover of the trade. However, I think that DCCP #49, All-New Collector's Edition #58, or All-Star Squadron #37 would be better choices, but without the word balloons. The best choice might be #49, the way Black Adam has been selling in recent years.

I didn't include any issues of Cap and Supes together from later years, because once I got them together, the DC Comics Presents issues were the cutoff between "then" and "now," as far as how Captain Marvel is portrayed (the other issues will be seen in a future Would U Buy It). The All-Star Squadron issues happened about the same time as the DCCP Annual.

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11/14/12: In the November 2012 Previews, DC has solicited the Superman vs. Shazam! TP, using the cover of All-New Collector's Edition #58 as the solicitation image (and presumably, the cover of the TPB). It is collecting: All-New Collector's Edition #C-58, DC Comics Presents #33-34, 49, and DC Comics Presents Annual #3!

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Now, if you check out the comments, you'll see that @Captainthunder: & @PowerHerc: were very helpful with this WUBI, suggesting some issues to add, and some issues to leave out. I didn't listen to all of the suggestions (some, but not all), but DC did. They left out Shazam #15, but Cap' points out that while Lex Luthor appears in that issue, Superman does not. I think Superman #276 would have been a cool inclusion, but it's not actually Captain Marvel that Superman's fighting there, so okay, that's understandable. They also didn't include All-Star Squadron #36-37. That's a little disappointing, but it's still okay. That Supes & Marvel aren't exactly the same two as in the DC Comics Presents stories - they're from another Earth, during World War II. So in that regard, it makes sense not to include them. For the purposes of this WUBI, I was gathering any Supes/Marvel fight or team-up I could find, regardless of Earth or era.

Very cool collection, and I am excited to see it coming out! It's being solicited as $19.99, and will be in glorious full color! Yay, DC! So NOW, the question is:

Will you buy it?

#4: Superman Vs. Shazam!.

Update 9/4/14: I moved this blog to the Superman Vs. Shazam! forum. :)

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