In preparing for this year’s categories, we wondered what it would be like to include something like this. It seems that, for a growing number of publishers, the reprinted edition is becoming a larger and larger part of their product line. Between DC’s wholehearted commitment to their Deluxe Edition initiative and Marvel’s enthusiasm for the Omnibus, all the way to Fantagraphics and IDW’s restoration of classic comic strips, there is an undeniable interest in the high-end, book-as-an-art-object presentation of material.
We figured that, in order to do this category right, we’d need to lay some ground rules. This isn’t something we really have to do very often. I mean, categories like ‘Best Writer’ or ‘Best Anthology’ are pretty self explanatory, right? So here are a few of the guidelines we put in place here:
– No trade paper backs or standard hardcover collections of recently concluded or still running series. The example I gave was no “Southern Bastards” vol. 2 TPB, but the “Southern Bastards” deluxe hardcover edition counts.
– The nominated work must have been previously published in another form. Newspaper, comic series, web comic, etc.
– Consider the intent of publication. Is this meant to elevate the work, or simply introduce it to a new corner of the market? Sure, this last one can feel a little slippery, but it really helped determine where a couple of books fell.
So, with all that out of the way, let’s talk about our top 3 vote earners!
2. (TIE) Fantagraphics’ Duck Books
(Matt Garcia) The Carl Barks Duck books are some of the most significant, important, influential, and still just generally great comics ever released. Many years later, Don Rosa followed up with his own classic Duck tales (whoo-ooh) that were not only worthy successors to the Barks masterworks, but just as assured and engaging adventures in their own right. Fantagraphics have been doing everything in their power to put out handsome and beautiful editions celebrating the legacies of these books.
Much has been written about how majorly significant the Ducks have been to culture (yo, these things have been in large and small ways responsible for everything from Raiders of the Lost Ark to modern manga), and there’s certainly a wide breadth of material Fantagraphics includes in these editions. The commentaries are insightful and funny with introductions that offer an engaging look into the books’ context and history. The Rosa books are annotated by Rosa himself, with plenty of interesting tidbits about his process and what he was hoping for. Oddly, Rosa’s major work, “The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck” is divided between two volumes, but that’s an almost insignificant detail when you’re given such fantastic material. In their oversized volumes, these things are essential for any library.
2. (TIE) Jack Kirby’s Kamandi Artists’ Edition
(Mike Romeo) I’m lucky enough to possess a few IDW Artist’s Editions, and I can say with certainty that the “Kamandi” volume is one of the most exciting books on my shelves. Sure, previous Artist’s Editions have had more bells and whistles, like Mazzucchelli’s “Daredevil,” with all of its vellum-y deliciousness. And others, like Mignola’s “Hellboy In Hell” provided monumental new insights into the growth and techniques of a beloved artist. So what did “Kamadi” do for me? It taught me to finally understand why the debate on who the best Kirby inker matters so much. And, as a by product of that, I learned that anyone who doesn’t say Mike Royer is wrong.
A few months back I went in depth on this volume, and I hope you’ll check that out at some point. IDW is doing really important work with these Artist’s Editions, and I think the industry is better for having them around.
1. IDW’s Corto Maltese Reprints
(Vince Ostrowski) If it hasn’t been said already, I think we ought to crown IDW the master of reprinted comics material. Not only are they responsible for some of the most important archival releases in comics through their artist editions, they can often be credited with digging out material that’s been forgotten or unfortunately left by the wayside. Well, “No longer!” said IDW, regarding Hugo Pratt’s “Corto Maltese” stories – the first two of which were released in gorgeous, new English translations in 2015 (“Under the Sign of Capricorn” and “Beyond the Windy Isles”). Pratt’s Corto stories are said to be the first examples of modern “graphic novels” as we know them – individual longform tales told in single volumes. IDW provides an expert translation, presenting the sprawling stories clearly – as if the crystal clear, stark black & white art needed it. The pages themselves are oversized when compared to your average comic issue, said to be presented in the same size that Pratt originally produced them. The stories themselves? Well, 50 years later, they’re still some of the best travelogue adventure fiction you’ll ever want to read. Based on Pratt’s personal experiences combined with dedicated research, there isn’t much about these books that feels dated or obviously inaccurate. In fact, the racism of the time period is touched on in these stories (and throughout Pratt’s complete works in general) and acknowledgements are made that injustices existed at the time. There’s nothing here to be retroactively embarrassed about, which is not always something that can be said of stories like this. If you like sea-faring adventure that also might teach you something, look no further than the new “Corto Maltese” volumes, finally being given the release they deserve.
Continued belowEditor’s Notes:
Mike Romeo – I’ll admit, adding a few of these new categories was to serve my own interests, and I’m glad to see that they resonated with our staff. I think that what is happening with comics reprints has transcended being a trend and has become something more of a staple. Over the years I’ve watched shops go from turning their noses up at these big-ticket items to fully embracing them. Big, chunky spines and larger-than-average trim sizes now occupy a significant place in all of my local haunts.
Brian Salvatore – I think one of the reasons for the influx of truly quality reprints has to do with the industry dipping more and more into digital waters. If folks can read all their comics on their tablet, you have to give them a reason to pick up a physical product. Having excellent reissues is a way of ensuring that print comics have a long life ahead of them.
