Daredevil by Frank Miller & Klaus Janson Omnibus

Script by Frank Miller, Roger McKenzie, David Micheline and Mike W. Barr, and art by Frank Miller and Klaus Janson. Full credits are detailed further in this article. All illustrations are ©Marvel Comics. For a complete list of  all books reviewed in this blog, please visit the index page.

Originally published in 2007 by Marvel (same cover price), my copy is from the second print published in October 2013 (ISBN: 978-0-7851-8568-0, 11 x 7.5 inches or 28 x 19 cm, 830 pages, cover price $99,99). This massive book, edited by Mark D. Beazley and designed by Tom Marvelli & Patrick McGrath, is printed on glossy quality paper and features a fully illustrated jacket. Notice that a variant dust jacket cover has been produced for the first print. Here are pictures from this edition found on ebay listings.

different spine

A third print has been released in 2016, and has probably a smaller paper thickness, and perhaps some additional bits.

third print ISBN and cover price

The inner book (identical for all versions?) comes with an illustrated hardcover. Second and third of covers are not illustrated. There is also a picture below for size comparison with volume 1 of the Graphitti Designs Visionaries collection, and another picture showing the binding quality (printed in China).

After the detailed credits pages, we find the 2000 Frank Miller's introduction, followed by the 2001 Klaus Janson's introduction, both from the Graphitti Designs Visionaries collection.

Note that some additional reconstruction work has been done for this edition on selected art (Pacific Rim Graphics). Recoloring and separations originating from works done in the 2000-2001 Graphitti Designs Visionaries collection,  with the addition in this edition of Jerron quality color & Tom Smith. Indeed, both editions show equivalent paper thickness and printing quality, but small differences in color rendering can be observed. There is nothing I can say to assess that one is better than the other, mostly because firstly I am very slightly Daltonian ;), and secondly I don't own the original material to compare with. I will let you judge for yourself with the three examples below:

left hand side excerpt of Volume 1 of the Visionaries collection, right hand side, this omnibus edition

original cover are reproduced in their entirety in the Omnibus edition (left hand side)

with volume 3 of the Visionaries collection (right hand side), color differences are harder to spot

This edition collects Daredevil #158-161, #163-191 and What If...? #28. Each original issue cover is displayed. I have chosen excerpts displaying in my opinion Frank Miller's visual art of storytelling.

Frank Miller's vertical pannels

TDKR is not far ..

.. very not far

The end of this book features a comprehensive bonus section (65 pages). All material is referenced:

• Sketch from opening page of Daredevil #185 by Frank Miller
• What If...? #34 (August 1982) opening page by Frank Miller
• Daredevil Chronicles wraparound cover (February 1982) by Frank Miller & Klaus Janson
• The Frank Miller/Klaus Janson Interview (published in 1982, 18 pages with B&W illustrations)
• The Marvel Comics Index Vol. 1, No. 9B wraparound cover (Avril 1982) by Frank Miller, Joe Rubinstein and Steve Oliff
• Daredevil B&W covers scanned from the original art (Artists' Edition style) by Frank Miller & Klaus Janson (#160, 161, 163, 168, 175, 176, 177, 181, 182, 184, 185, 188 and 189)
• Daredevil #190 complete thumbnails by Frank Miller, color guides by Klaus Janson (22 pages)
• Characters from the Handbook of The Marvel Universe (1983) by Frank Miller and Joe Rubinstein
• Back cover for Marvel Fanfare #1 (March 1982)
• Fantastic Four Roast #1, page 18 (May 1982), art by Frank Miller & Klaus Janson
• Daredevil: Marked For Death TPB (March 1990) wraparound cover by John Romita Jr. & Al Williamson
• Daredevil: Gang War TPB (March 1982) wraparound cover by Klaus Janson
• Daredevil: Gang War TPB (second printing, August 1999) cover by Klaus Janson
• Daredevil and The Punisher: Child's Play (1988) cover by Frank Miller & Geoff Darrow
• Marvel Super-Heroes Megazine #2 (November 1994, cover by Frank Miller), #4 (January 1995, cover by Lee Weeks), and #6 (March 1995, cover by Scott McDaniel)
• Daredevil Visionaries: Frank Miller Vol. 1 TPB (2000) cover by Frank Miller
• Daredevil Visionaries: Frank Miller Vol. 2 TPB (2000) cover by Frank Miller
• Daredevil Visionaries: Frank Miller Vol. 3 TPB (2000) cover by Frank Miller
• Daredevil poster by Frank Miller & Klaus Janson

this illustration opens the Miller/Janson interview

Artists' Edition style!

thumbnails from DD #190

visionaries