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The site seems to be pretty stable, so I’m taking some time to work on the next big database update.

As part of this update, I’m trying to compile a complete list of DC Deluxe Editions – there’s a lot of info out there on Absolutes, but less on these. Let me know if I’ve missed any and I’ll add them to the post. I don’t actually own any of these yet myself, but people have asked about them on my site so I’m doing some research.

These are the books I’ve found so far:

And these ones are not DC Universe, but seem to share the format? Or are marked as such?

Know any others? Some don’t seem to come up when you search for deluxe books on amazon – even though they might be marked as such in the release info.

And about the format – is it much different from the regular hardcovers? Why is one thing Deluxe and another an Omnibus? Absolute is huge compared to these, right? I’m so confused about the way DC does hardcovers.

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10 Comments Post New »

  1. Marc wrote on at June 18, 2010 2:34 am:

    Funny you should mention this, because I literally just started reading the first Preacher Deluxe Edition. (I read the introduction, then decided to go online for a few minutes before getting back to it.) There are at least two released so far for Preacher, probably with more on the way.

    It’s also kinda funny because I just reviewed the Deluxe Edition of Superman: Red Son on my blog. I think the only difference between the Deluxe Edition and the regular trade paperback (aside from it being a hardcover, obviously) were eight pages of sketches in the Deluxe Edition.

    The “Deluxe” label is kind of confusing, and I think DC is just slapping it on any and all hardcovers it’s releasing these days. Some of them are oversized (like Batman RIP) and others are standard-sized (Preacher). It’s all extremely inconsistent at this point.

    [Reply]

    Ian replied on June 18th, 2010 at 2:36 am:

    Frustrating! Maybe I should mark which ones are oversize as well. It’s definitely something I’d want to know as a collector.

    [Reply]

    Daniel replied on June 18th, 2010 at 12:46 pm:

    Here’s what I know about the hardcovers…

    First, as you stated — the Absolute Editions are huge compared to any other HCs. They come in slipcases and are considerably taller/thicker. A completely different beast. They usually feature a lot of extra content as well. (For example CoIE apparently comes with a big annotated guide to the crisis)

    When it comes to Deluxe, I think DC uses the term in two different ways, confusingly. One for the imprints and one for the DCU.

    In the case of DCU books, there is a standard size for “Deluxe Editions.” The deluxe hardcovers stand approximately one inch taller than a standard collection. This size difference is reflected in oversized artwork. From what I can tell by browsing the various hardcovers in my collection, this is the only thing that distinguishes all Deluxe Editions from “standard” hardcovers (standard hardcovers: e.g. Final Crisis, New Krypton, etc.)

    However, in the case of the Vertigo/Wildstorm books, Deluxe Editions are also usually omnibus editions. I have the Fables Vol. 1 Deluxe Edition and it reprints the first two trades. I have confirmed the same pattern for the Y the Last Man, Preacher, and Ex Machina Deluxe Editions.

    I don’t know why the Deluxe size is inconsistent across the Vertigo line — My Fables DE has identical dimensions to my DCU DE’s, but as Marc points out, that size was not used for Preacher. Go figure.

    Hope that helps…

    [Reply]

    Ian replied on June 18th, 2010 at 6:10 pm:

    Yeah, it does – at least in my understanding.

    Do you think they’re worth getting? I’ve been really trying to avoid hardcovers in my post crisis section, but with those starman omnibus volumes…. it’s really hard to resist breaking to that, and I bet that will just be the start of it.

    [Reply]

    Daniel replied on June 18th, 2010 at 6:40 pm:

    Well, with respect to whether they’re worth the money:

    I think in the case of the Vertigo/Wildstorm stuff the answer is definitely, especially for the series you particularly like. The cover price for the deluxe edition is very little more than the combined cover price for the 2 trades they each collect and they do look really nice. (for example, with the Fables edition I have, buying new from amazon it only cost $1 more to buy the deluxe than it would have cost to buy the two trades with the same material.) I actually like the format enough that I’ve contemplated getting rid of my Y the Last Man trades and replacing them with the Deluxe HC’s.

    As far as the DCU stuff like Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow or Batman R.I.P. I would say probably not — especially not for people who collect the way you do. Something like Batman R.I.P. there is literally a $10 difference in the cover price between the two editions and no difference in the issues collected. So unless its an artist you love, you’re probably not gonna see that much of a difference from oversized artwork to justify the price. That’s my opinion, anyway.

    [Reply]

    Ian replied on June 18th, 2010 at 8:56 pm:

    yeah, I’ve also been thinking about replacing my Y: The Last Man trades and Ex Machina trades. Especially if there’s some extra stuff in Ex Machina. I really love that series, though I’ve been holding out till it’s ended and completely collected to finish it – its one I want to read in one sitting on a weekend off or something.

    Sounds like you’re probably right on the DCU stuff. They really aren’t including anything extra to push the price point?

    [Reply]

    Daniel replied on June 18th, 2010 at 10:47 pm:

    I’ve got four of the DCU deluxe editions: two have nothing extra beyond the collected issues and two have a handful of pages of preliminary artwork. Those latter two aren’t in tpb yet, so I don’t know if that material is exclusive, but that kind of thing shows up in trade all the time so I’m assuming not.

    [Reply]

    Ian replied on June 19th, 2010 at 12:01 am:

    kind of feels like the normal hardcover releases then. Wonder why the big treatment on some of these. Worth marking, I guess, for those who feel it’s worth the price point.

    [Reply]

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