This beautiful glossy oversized slipcase (8.5 x 12.8 inches, 21.5 x 32.5 cm) designed by Robin Brosterman was published in July 2014 by DC Comics (ISBN: 978-1-4012-4763-8, cover price $99.99, my copy is a first print).
The main book inside has no dust jacket and features a black bookmark ribbon. It contains the collected (but unfinished) All-star Batman And Robin The Boy Wonder originally published in 10 parts from September 2005 to August 2008, printed on glossy quality paper (almost 310 pages). One of the picture below is for size comparison with issue #3 of the original series.
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| back cover of the inner book |
Second and third of cover display the same illustration. After the credits pages, there is 3 pages introduction written by Bob Schreck and dated March 2008, so it probably originates from the 2008 first collected hardcover edition. Paradoxically, this introduction salutes the liability of everyone involves in the series...
Note that this absolute edition collects all ten issues of the published series (so far) which was not the case for the 2008 Hardcover. All covers and variant covers are included in their virgin form as well as the wraparound opening pages of issue #4 (in its wraparound form indeed). The redacted F* words of issue 10 are still redacted (with a much deeper black) and the art is still revised from what have been seen of Jim Lee's pencils.
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| one of my favourite part (yellow is the new black) |
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| absolute edition version of issue #10 page 14 |
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| enhanced excerpt from original comic with transparent redacted f* word |
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| penciled page that were visible here (notice the hands of Batgirl) |
Then comes a comprehensive bonus section of 60 pages, with the complete script and penciled art for issue #1 (including its cover) as the morceau de choix.
Notice also character designs, promotional images, thumbnails, penciled art and to put the knife deeper into the wound, cover art from the still-to-be completed issue #11.
The book ends with a short bio of the authors.
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| a feast for the eye |
Do you think it's worth it to pick this up if I've already got the paperback version? Do you know what extras this edition has compared to the paperback? Thanks a lot in advance! Great review BTW!
ReplyDeleteHi. and thanks for the kind words. Thing is I don't own the paperback(s), only the original comics and this absolute. But with 60 pages of extra material this edition probably features more bonus content than the paperback.
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