V For Vendetta Italian B&W Warrior Absolute Edition

Script Alan Moore, art by David Lloyd (additional art by Tony Weare). The translation is from Leonardo Rizzi. All illustrations are © DC Comics.

This article is dedicated to the only Absolute edition of V For Vendetta (that I am aware of) to publish the story in B&W as it was originally intended and done by the authors in Warrior magazine.

This oversized hardcover book (8.5 x 12.8 inches, 21.5 x 32.5 cm) was published in Italy in March 2013 by RW Edizioni in its Lion line (ISBN: 9788866914679, cover price 34.95€, 396 pages). Except the slipcase, second and third of cover illustrations, and the fact that the main material is published in B&W, it features the exact same content as the Absolute US DC edition, and it is also printed on mat thick white quality paper. Below there is also a picture for size comparison purpose with one of the original Warrior magazine were V was first partially published, issue 6 of the DC colorized series and the US DC absolute edition inner book.

Italian edition plain black second of cover

As it's mainly the translation of the US Absolute Edition, I will focus on the differences between the two editions. For details of the content and contextual insights don't hesitate to go to the US article.

Let's start with an additional 2 pages introduction written by Luigi Bernardi to introduce this Italian "Warrior" edition.

the new introduction

Moore and Lloyd's introductions

So all the main material from the US edition is present here, but in its original B&W form as it appears in Warrior, including the end of the story only published in colored comics by DC, and the additional transition material produce for the US Absolute (printed in shades of Grey for the latter, except the first opening page published in colour). I haven't spotted any differences between the printing quality of this edition and what has been published in Warrior.

comparison between this edition (left) and original Warrior material

left: one of the Absolute transition page printed in shades of Grey

another comparison latter in the run

I have taken the next picture during an exhibition dedicated to Alan Moore and it represents original David Lloyd art before the printing process. It is followed by the same page in this Italian edition, and you can see that the printing precision is pretty faithful to the original.

this is one of the last pages that have never been printing in B&W before

The extra section is also identical to its US counterpart, and the Italian editorial team have used the colored illustrations for all DC related material (including the covers) which is an excellent idea.

back covers of the DC 10 issues series

authors small bibliography