DC COMICS: October 2005 Collected Editions and Reprints Solicits HARDCOVERS CATWOMAN: WHEN IN ROME HC The team of Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale returns to further the exciting adventures they began in Batman: The Long Halloween and followed in Batman: Dark Victory. Collecting the 6-part series that guest-starred Batman and a host of Gotham's most colorful and dangerous villains, When in Rome chronicles Catwoman's mysterious trip to Italy and her dealings with the deadly Falcone crime family. It's an incredible tale of Gotham's sexiest cat burglar! (160 pages, $19.99.) * * * PLASTIC MAN ARCHIVES VOL. 7 HC Another amazing volume of peak-period Plastic Man stories by Cole at his zany best! This volume collects Plastic Man #7-8 and Plastic Man's adventures from Police Comics #66-71. Plas and Woozy travel way out West, meet Stretcho the India Rubber Man, visit Hollywood, tail a homicidal hat and more! (240 pages, $49.99.) * * * ELFQUEST ARCHIVES VOL. 3 HC This third volume collects Elfquest #11-15! The Wolfriders are taken as slaves into the towering and mysterious Blue Mountain, stronghold of the ancient elves called the Gliders. Featuring all-new lettering, a new cover by Wendy Pini and an introduction by David Wise & Audry Taylor! (224 page, $24.99.) * * * THE FOUNTAIN HC Darren Aronofsky proved himself a filmmaker to watch with his provocative debut, Pi. His follow-up, Requiem for a Dream, continued the accolades, receiving Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations. His latest accomplishment, however, comes straight to comics in the form of The Fountain, a gorgeously painted, oversized original graphic novel about the timeless truths of life, love and death. Working with painter Kent Williams (Blood: A Tale, Destiny: A Chronicle of Deaths Foretold), The Fountain crisscrosses through three distinct time periods: 1535, during an ancient Mayan war; the present day, following one doctor's desperate search for the cure for cancer; and the far future through the vast exotic reaches of space. Interweaving these three periods, The Fountain follows Tomas ‹ warrior, doctor, explorer ‹ as he feverishly tries to beat death and prolong the life of the woman he loves. A story so grand, one medium couldn't contain it, Aronofsky's feature film version of Fountain will be released by New Regency and Warner Bros. Pictures, starring Tony-award winning actor Hugh Jackman (X-Men, Van Helsing,The Boy from Oz) and acclaimed actress Rachel Weisz (Constantine, The Mummy, the upcoming The Constant Gardener). But before he did, the filmmaker wanted The Fountain to be realized in the unique storytelling power and artistic beauty of the graphic novel. Together, Aronofsky and Williams deliver what might be considered the ultimate director's cut. This volume also features an afterword by Aronofsky. (176 pages, $29.99.) TRADE PAPERBACKS VERTIGO: FIRST OFFENSES TP Vertigo: First Offenses is a special volume created to introduce new readers to comics' most provocative imprint. Collecting the premiere issues of five of Vertigo's signature series, this 168-page trade paperback is priced at a mere $4.99 US, allowing thrill-seeking ordinary civilians the chance to do hard time with some of comics' heaviest hitters. Included are The Invisible #1 (written by Grant Morrison and illustrated by Steve Yeowell), Fables #1 (written by Bill Willingham and illustrated by Lan Medina & Steve Leialoha), Preacher #1 (written by Garth Ennis and illustrated by Steve Dillon), Sandman Mystery Theatre #1 (written by Matt Wagner and illustrated by Guy Davis) and The Sandman Presents: Lucifer #1 (written by Mike Carey and illustrated by Scott Hampton). (168 pages, $4.99.) * * * ARKHAM ASYLUM ANNIVERSARY EDITION SC In celebration of the 16th anniversary of the Batman story that helped launch the U.S. careers of Grant Morrison and Dave McKean, DC Comics presents a softcover edition of the Arkham Asylum Anniverary Edition, reprinting the now-classic confrontation between the Dark Knight and his archnemeses the Joker, Two-Face, Scarecrow, Poison Ivy, and more in the black heart of Gotham City's house for the criminally insane. This graphic novel is well known for its psychological intensity and probing portraits of Batman and the Joker, as well as groundbreaking art that influenced scores of artists by introducing a new school of storytelling and technique to comics. This special edition also includes Morrison's complete original script annotated by both himself and editor Karen Berger, many of his original thumbnail breakdowns, step-by-step samples of how the story and art came together and much more! (212 pages, $17.99.) * * * BATMAN: UNDER THE HOOD TP Shocking revelations and age-old foes make this new collection -- featuring Batman #635-641 -- a must-have. Batman is confronted with a hidden face from the past- it's the return of the Red Hood! With Black Mask controlling the Gotham underworld, what role will Red Hood have when all is said and done? (176 pages, $9.99.) * * * SUPERMAN IN THE FORTIES TP The latest in DC's decade-by-decade celebration of the best stories featuring the Man of Steel collects stories from Action Comics #1, 2, 14, 23, 64, 93, 107, Superman #1, 23, 40, 53, 58, 61, Superboy #5, the Superman daily newspaper strip, Look magazine and World's Finest Comics #37, covering his 1938 debut through the 1940s. (192 pages, $19.99.) SHOWCASE PRESENTS SHOWCASE PRESENTS: METAMORPHO VOL. 1 TP This massive black-and-white volume collects all Metamorpho's Silver Age adventures, from The Brave and The Bold #57-58, 66, 68, Metamorpho #1-17, and Justice League of America #42. Guest-starring Batman, the Justice League of America, the Metal Men and more. (560 pages, $16.99.)