A Mini-Review of the 20th Anniversary Edition of the Alan Moore ClassicI finally stopped procrastinating and availed of the Secret Invasion promo at the comic book shop I frequent. All 8-issues bagged and boarded for the bargain price of 1,180Php (roughly about $24.00USD for our international friends). It's quite a good deal since it costs $3.99 per issue if bought individually and it eliminates the possibility of being sold-out on. So if you're planning on reading SI, I suggest you do the same (Promo available at Comic Quest)Some of you are now probably wondering why the heck I'm talking about Secret Invasion when the title clearly reads differently... So let's get on with the program. During my trip to the shop (mainly because of the promo), I was also luckily able to snag their last remaining copy of the recently released Deluxe edition of Alan Moore and Brian Bolland's The Killing Joke. I guess the geek gods were smiling down on me yesterday, so I decided to pay my respects to them by blogging about it.  Front & Back views of the book with the Dust Jacket on. (Yes, those are coins at the bottom part of the photos. Don't ask)
 What makes it a Deluxe Edition?Two of the most noticeable differences with regular comic books and/or TPB's are of course the Hardcover and the slightly larger size of pages. Books in this format typically also use higher quality paper and printing than stapled comics. In other words, It's kind of weird.. but awesome nonetheless. The pages do seem of better quality and the art looks much more crisp. The only problem is, if you don't have a lot of books in this format(like yours truly), you're gonna have a couple of oddly shaped books on your TPB shelf (You'll get what I'm talking about in a while). 
Front & Back views of the book sans the Dust Jacket."Ooohh preeeetty" were the first two words out of my mouth when I removed the jacket. The Front (as well as the back) cover art is slightly embosed, which gives off a subtle touch of elegance while at the same time recreating one of the many memorable moments in The Killing Joke. The Deluxe Edition will include an introduction by Tim Sale, an afterword by Brian Bolland, and a nice little featurette entitled " From the files of Brian Bolland". Also as a bonus, the story "An Innocent Guy", previously featured in Batman: Black and White, will be included in the book.  For some of our friends who are hearing about The Killing Joke just now, here's a short synopsis from DC comics:
Writer: Alan Moore Artist: Brian Bolland
For the first time the Joker's origin is revealed in this tale of insanity and human perseverance. Looking to prove that any man can be pushed past his breaking point and go mad, the Joker attempts to drive Commissioner Gordon insane. After shooting and permanently paralyzing his daughter Barbara (a.k.a. Batgirl), the Joker kidnaps the commissioner and attacks his mind in hopes of breaking the man. But refusing to give up, Gordon maintains his sanity with the help of Batman in an effort to best the madman.
RECOLOURED PAGES
I was initially torn by DC's decision to re-color the pages. A part of me wished that they stuck to the original coloring. But as I turned page after page, I realized that they've made the right choice. The art looks absolutely stunning and seems to pop out from the pages. Here's an excerpt from Tim Sale's Introduction: "What you hold in your hands, though, is not the book that I own, that so inflamed(!) me and thousands of others back in 1988, because of one crucial element: the coloring.This time around, you lucky buggers, you have the fantastic treat to see the book colored by the artist himself, and see his more complete vision of how the story should look. Side by side, the comparison is amazing." The recoloured version of the turning point in The Joker's life when he chose to accept the role of The Red Hood... dooming himself to a miserable albeit iconic existence, and on a permanent head-on collision with BatmanThe biggest changes in the recolouring of the comic are the flashbacks (As seen above). Bolland washed away the colors showing The Joker's origins, emphasizing one object per panel.. eventually climaxing in the reveal of The Red Hood's Mask. This was beautifully done, and the desired effects were immediately felt.  Even if you already own the original, this is still a good buy for any Batman/Alan Moore fan. Beautifully recoloured pages bound in an equally stunning hardcover for the meager price of 900Php (or $18.00USD), this book redefines the meaning of a bargain purchase. Get one for your self now before it's too late.   SIZE DIFFERENCEBefore we end, I'd just like to go back about the little thing I mentioned earlier about how this edition differs in size from regular comics and/or TPB's. Here are some images that'll hopefully give you a better idea: 
Hope you enjoyed reading! Comments and/or Suggestions are encouraged as always!
NOTE: I made the silly mistake of confusing this with a Prestige Format edition. I have since edited the entry to have a more accurate description of the book. Sorry! Check out one of the reader's comments below for a more detailed description of Prestige Format and it's differences with other formats. Under username: addison RELATED POSTS: Barbara Gordon's Paralysis || The Dark Knight Trailer || Batman's Gonna Get Shot in the Face
 | WTF. Alan Moore in Batman?
Oh my, oh my. I need to get myself really updated. How much? How much? And where? |
 | ohh.. i where can i get this??? birthday gift for my S.O. *begs* please tell me where |
 | All i have is the Alan Moore DCU Stories TBP. I'm just curious... can you show us more pics of the recolored pages? I remember reading about Bolland being unsatisfied with the original coloring of the project and I'm glad he's finally got around to coloring it himself. |
 | I'm quite not a fan of the branch in Festival Mall Alabang of Comic Quest. One time the sales lady there dropped a copy of the comic I was looking for, then still gave it to me. And then when I asked it to be changed, she returned the comicbook that fell to the shelf. WITHOUT cleaning it.
Anyway, 900 bucks? Quite expensive for a thin trade.
And yeah, different sized HCs and TPBs are pain to arrange in the shelf... |
 | @shadygnarlyguy: Yes way. Get one now! ^_^
@wonderb: OK, I'll try to show some extra pages when I can. The quality won't be good though, since it's just photographs. At best, it's just gonna look like the photo in the article about the recoloured pages.
@jepster: I almost bought a comic with torn pages from them (CQ Festival Mall). Luckily, I scanned the book first before purchasing it. But overall, I haven't had any bad experiences with them. And on the price, I still think it's a good buy even if it's just 64-pages. I like these kinds of editions. ^_^
@caffeineinfused: It is hardbound... as you can see in the second photo. Your S.O. will love it. ^_^
@uinfluence: You're in for a treat. I hope they don't sell-out though.. As I've said, the copy I got was the last one. |
 | Clarification, the Prestige Format generally meant it wasnt a saddle stitched floppy (meaning stapled) but with a cradstock cover (doesnt mean HC as that is a different classification alltogether) similar to trades. As oppose to being a trade (who normally are smythe sewn but Marvel botched this up by publishing them glued like normal trade paperbacks are). Cardstock covers means it's more like a TPB, HCs are the ones normally with dust covers. Being Prestige format doesnt also necessarily mean being oversized, those are normally reserved to hardcovers.
What a prestige format really is, it means it's just a regular comic with cardstock (meaning softcover, a few people get's confused with this because normal book publication terms are being applied to serial magazines) bigger in page count and not print size due to the needed width for it to not fall apart when glued.
The current edition of the Killing Joke is not Prestige Format but a special Oversized Hard Cover. All printings of the Prestige Format has been stopped long ago. I once managed to snag a 3rd printing copy and last I saw available in the late 90s was an 8th edition printing. I dont know if any suceeding printings were released but I do know they stopped printing those. Why? The answer is simple, so that they could release this more expensive collectors version :D |
 | woah! nakita ko nga yan dito sa sydney tas hindi ko binili kasi baka cheaper sa pinas! $25 Aud = Php925!!! OMG! balikan ko nga! hawhaw
*psst, comicbookguy! magbusiness tayo nyaha |
| @addison: Thank you for clearing that up addison! My apologies for the inaccurate description. All you geeks would do well to read his comment and get a more detailed description of what a prestige format is. ^_^
@badbokbad: Game! I'll start stockpiling books! Kailan balik mo? He he. |
| oh. mas mura nga jan sa pinas. harhar
|
| anyway, if you wanna, i can buy you stuff from here, PM mo nalang ako, i have friends na nagpapabili din ng stuff dito kasi yung iba mas mura or unavailable jan :)
i'll be in manila april12-19 yar! |
 | He also did some Superman stories in the mid-80s, especially the classic "What Happened to the Man of Tomorrow" issue. |
| Speaking of which, I do have the same problem when it come to sizes in my bookshelf. The only 2 oversized HC I have are that of Shazam: Monster Society of Evil and Bernie Wrightson's Freak Show. More uniformity would probably appear after I get my Eternals Omnibus (The classic KIrby Collection one and not Gaiman's series), and the day I finally get that Absolute New Frontier I so crave.
Now imagine that I also have those weirdly shape and oddly sized books like Epileptic (published by Pantheon) and Monkey vs. Robot (Top Shelf Production) and you'll understand why I just decided to hell with arranging my shelf by size. :D |
 | One of my favorite Batman stories of all-time. Ranks right up there with Dark Knight Returns. |
| @addison: Haha. You have no idea how much your comment amused me. It felt like hearing my own thoughts while I'm trying to arrange my shelf... constantly thinking how to arrange it optimally while dreaming up of new books to get (and then wondering where I'd insert those books in the shelf). But my problem is not so much in the length/height of the book, but in the width.. The shelf ends up having a bit of space in the back just so I can accommodate the differences in width. I just couldn't sleep well at night when I know some books are oddly sticking out. lol |
| Actually that is a problem with me too. Like I said, oddly shaped books. I have square books sticking out and some really short but rectangularly long books. Try picking some ACME Novelty Library comics by Chris Ware and you'll even scratch your head where to put it on your way home alone. 12 pages but more than 2 feet high and about 17 inches wide. Seriously what is that guy thinking? |
| I guess he wanted his books to stand out.. or at least get obsessive people to feel forced to buy other volumes to match their freakishly sized book. Well, mission accomplished... jackass.
Edit: I read up a bit on ACME Novelty Library comics. As it turns out, each of the installments are differently sized. Haha.. I gotta admit, it's really clever and I'm intrigued enough to check it out. Yun lang, it's a pain in the shelf (pun intended. Heh) |
 | Wow...didn't know this has now been made into a Deluxe Edition...
Gotta go find where's my first-print copy man... |
 | Isn't there a deluxe edition packaged with action figures? |
 | i think everyone will agree The Killing Joke is one of the best there is out there. |
 | Whoa, I first saw this when I was like 3 years old from my bro. First graphic novel that I read, come to think of it. Ahhh, memories!  |
 | wow you can't go wrong with Allan Moore...
this will be a nice addition to my Batman collection...already got Frank Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns |
| Hi Tosh. Yeah, I lurk around.
I still have the Prestige Format version. At that time, I was just into collecting comics so I wondered what happened to the characters I knew when I was a kid. Then I saw Barbara's scene...Sou~ desu ka! |
 | A must have for cool Bolland art collectors. |
 | Lovely review. Do they still have copies of this at Comic Quest (SM Megamall branch)? |
 | Its a wonder how DC could kill the New Gods and have the Anti-Monitor giving a hand in the creation of the Sinestro Corps or even resurrecting Donna Troy and Jason Todd but having a hard time having Barbara Gordon walk again after the events of "The Killing Joke". |
| Oh wait I remember... Babs stood up from her wheelchair during the JLA's attack on Maggedon... That was priceless! Cheers... |
 | This is the bad thing about being in India. No new comics release here at all. The TPB's take a hell of a long time getting here. Absolute sandman just released here last week |
| @incoldmirrors: I'm not sure whether CQ Megamall still have copies.. I do have their phone number though: 634-1291. If it so happens that they ran out, do know that this edition will be coming to Powerbooks outlets as well ^_^
@armorkaizer & addison: I'm actually OK with Babs walking again.. as long as it's done well and not by a lame retcon (wall-punching, anyone?). For me, It's all in the execution.. Bucky's ascent to being Captain America is a somewhat good and rather recent example. If anyone other than Brubaker was the one who did it, it may not have the same awesomeness and realism that it has now. If a writer is able to craft a story that revolves around Barbara Gordon being able to walk again, while giving us a compelling and believable premise as to why (it needs) and how it happened, then I'm all for it. I don't think that it will necessarily bastardize the events of The Killing Joke, as long as it is done with ingenuity and due respect to the storyline.
That being said, I think Babs' role as an information broker for the heroes of the DCU has been awesome.. and if they're planning to un-cripple her in the future, I hope it's not anytime soon. ^_^
@karthikcg: Ahhhh no comics!! The Horror!! The Pain!! (Hmm were you talking about Absolute Sandman Vol. 1?) |
| Guys, to those worried na baka maubusan ng stock. Dont worry, it's a hardcover, like with the TPBs, it's under the STAR system ng Diamond Distribution (we're only speaking of the direct market here ha), unlike regular floppies Comic Quest will be more than glad to re-order for you. Di basta mauubusan ng stock yan for quite some time. If you really want a copy, CQ will be more than happy to provide you one. Trust me on this, ilan beses nako naubusan ng mga gusto ko pero the SM North Edsa branch immediately made phone calls while I was there and didnt stop until they were absolutely certain if I could get a copy or not. Reordering from the supplier will take a month at the most, pero pag meron stock from the other branches I get what I want in 1 - 2 days only.
...and yes, there's always Fully Booked and Powerbooks to pick up the slack. When it comes to comics we have it better than any other countries outside of the US. Friends from Canada even confirmed we have it better than them even in the pricing department (which is weird since most comics are printed from Quebecor which is Canada based). Yes they know kasi nilibot ko sila sa mga comics shops dito. |
| Addison can we make a sweeping generalization that Comic Quest is better than Comic Planet? Whatchuthink? |
| Oh and because the book is pricey, im pretty sure that you really wont have a hard time getting a copy. I was in Comic Quest Festival last night and they still have about two copies of this format. |
| I've only visited a Comic Planet branch once. Not very indie friendly, heck I think Comic Odyssey is better. Once upon a time Filbars was better than most but after the speculator bust of the 90s they decided to concentrate on magazines more na lang.
My problem with Comic Planet is their selection is too safe, halos puro best sellers lang which is useless for me kasi nga I like comics outside of DC and Marvel. When both Fully Booked and Powerbooks has better selections than you, I dont know why they ever decided to be a Direct Market shop then. Plus the fact that I needed to force them to call their main office pa just to check lang if they have something I want, eh? Sorry, sometimes masungit tao sa Comic Quest pero the fact that pwede ako tumambay to read comics there (without buying said comics even!) and them willing to accommodate hour long conversations and make phone calls just to make sure na nakuha nila pera ko, well that's good business. |
| BTW, I do hope Comic Planet does good and flourish. More comic shops means a better industry. It's just that I wish for a specialty shop they'd learn to cater to customers' more eclectic tastes. Not everything has to be readily available, but at least prepare a list where customers can special order stuff if you think that it's too big a gamble to order titles like Captain Carrot and the Zoo Crew and not be able to sell it. |
| Ya, Vol.1. DC has no direct selling here in India. The franchisee route is 2 years late, Identity Crisis is currently being sold here in 1st print along with GL: Rebirth |
 | I got my own copy of this at Fully Booked for Php756.00 only!!!! I even traveled from Tarlac to Farmers and back - just to get this beautiful bugger that we both have right now - it's really amazing I really love it! You'd see the big difference from the original release - the coloring and the elimination of the yellow circle on Batman's insignia. :) This is such a cool comic book - I'm just wondering though where could I get a copy of the original Killing Joke? Any ideas my friend? Do you have a pdf file of it? Should I pay you to have a copy of it, hehe, I hope you don't mind buddy. ;) |
 | I'm at a dilemma though, get the killing joke action figure set or the deluxe edition. |
| @stevenmedalle: Just get both! lol. But if I really had to choose between the two... I'd go for the deluxe edition first, then save up for the action figures for later ^_^ |
| |
How much? How much? And where? 
