Sin City The Frank Miller Library Edition Set I

Script and art by Frank Miller. All material is ©Frank Miller (set II is described here).

This set is the first edition published in November 2005 by Dark Horse (ISBN: 978-1-59307-421-0, 12 x 9 inches or 32 x 21 cm, cover price $150, 840 pages for the all set). It came with 4 faux leather hardcovers in a black slipcase. The thickness of the paper is impressive (quite like bristol paper).

All four hardcovers shares the same second and third of cover (different from set II). There is no introduction, nor extra section in that first set. Also below, and to give a sense of the size of this set, there is a picture where the first volume of this set has been put alongside the original paperback for the first Sin City story (to the right). This set was designed by Gary Grazzini, and edited by Diana Schutz.

this set was printed and bound in China

In this article I will only try to pinpoint differences between the original publication in comic form and this library edition. I don't own all of the many trade reprints, or special edition of each story that got extra material on their own.


Now let's begin with volume one.  It collects the Marv story originally published in Dark Horse Presents anthology, subsequently referred as The Hard Goodbye, with the covers (on cardboard quality paper) related to Sin City.

back cover is plain black

right, cover for DHP #62

In volume two, again all the covers have been reprinted on cardboard quality paper. It displays the story A Dame to Kill For serialized in its own comic book.

Volume 3 collects The Big Fat Kill with the same specifications as the previous volume.

yes, the Big Fat Kill is another take on the Thermopyles Battle (see also 300)

And finally volume 4 displays the story That Yellow Bastard including both covers and back covers of the original comics.

the false ending is a stroke of genius

two of the six back covers

Set II is described here.