Throughout the 30s, 40s, and 50s, adventure strips dominated the Sunday newspaper comics pages. Oversized, full color pages featured the thrilling tales of Prince Valiant, Tarzan, Flash Gordon, and countless others. Under the guidance of DC art director Mark Chiarello, Wednesday Comics successfully re-captured this lost era with a series of oversized weeklies à la the Sunday funnies (dubbed Wednesday rather than Sunday in honor of the day new comics arrive in stores). This beautiful 11"x17" 200-page hardcover volume collects all the tales from the incredible 12-week run. While each featured A-list talent, some stories work better than others. Jack Kirby's creation Kamandi: The Last Boy on Earth (expertly rendered by writer [a:Dave Gibbons|13285|Dave Gibbons|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66.jpg] and artist [a:Ryan Sook|12427|Ryan Sook|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66.jpg]); [a:Paul Pope|61230|Paul Pope|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-M-50x66.jpg]'s unique take on Adam Strange; and especially Hawkman as delightfully envisioned by [a:Kyle Baker|119646|Kyle Baker|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66.jpg] lovingly embrace the format and lessons of their antecedents. Other excellent tales include writer [a:Brian Azzarello|17029|Brian Azzarello|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-M-50x66.jpg]'s and artist [a:Eduardo Risso|54360|Eduardo Risso|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66.jpg]'s noir-infused Batman; the charming Silver Age style science fiction adventure of the Green Lantern ([a:Kurt Busiek|7338|Kurt Busiek|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-M-50x66.jpg], writer and [a:Joe Quiñones|3174232|Joe Quinones|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66.jpg], art); the Karl Kerschi/[a:Brenden Fletcher|3174231|Brenden Fletcher|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66.jpg] unique time travel take on The Flash; and an unusual team-up of The Demon and Catwoman (imagined by writer [a:Walter Simonson|44724|Walter Simonson|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1211852153p2/44724.jpg] and artist [a:Brian Stelfreeze|611842|Brian Stelfreeze|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66.jpg]). Regardless of the story, one mood permeates the entire volume: fun. Combine all this with previously unpublished strips starring Plastic Man and Creeper, original sketches, and Chiarello's impressive book design, and Wednesday Comics quickly emerges as must-experience for all classic comic book fans. ( )

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Complete set of the comics issued weekly in the year 2009 by DC Comics.