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DC Batman: The Killing Joke is being reprinted in ultra-deluxe and ultra-rare limited edition, complete with camera case
Batman: The Killing Joke's Avant-Garde edition will feature both the original 1988 coloring and modern retouching, as well as a new forward by Brian Bolland. What's more - only 47 copies (!) will be produced
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When it came out in 1988, Batman: The Killing Joke left an indelible imprint on the history of not just Batman or DC Comics, but the comic book industry in general. And now, a specialty comics publisher is marking the Alan Moore-written, Brian Bolland-drawn icon with an all-new and tricked-out edition of the story, but don't expect to see this one lining shelves at your local comic book store.
For this new publication, only 47 copies will ever exist.
Argent Comics has announced Batman: The Killing Joke's Avant Garde edition, which the publisher touts as "the world’s first giclée-printed comic book." Giclée printing, as we recently learned from redditor u/urirahimi, is done using a specialty, high-quality inkjet developed for the purpose of printing fine art. Notably, the giclée printing of The Killing Joke will feature not just the original colors of the comic's first run, but also the recoloring published for its 20-year anniversary.
And the pages of the comic itself are just the tip of the iceberg. The comic will come in a hand-made camera case reflecting the infamous Joker cover for which the comic has become known, which brings together a fine leather structure and removable camera lens. The product also comes with a removable Joker card, a wearable strap, and a hand signature from Bolland himself.
If you're a fan of The Killing Joke, this might be a dream come true. But as you might've gathered from its extremely limited print run, getting your hands on a copy could be a kind of nightmare. "Each volume will be offered through a private acquisition and allocation process," reads the comic's official website, and the only way to even find out what that process is is by signing up for updates.
Now look - we're not going to claim to know what one of these is going to end up costing, but with so few copies being made, we expect that bill to be very, very high. And if I can quote a certain clown from a certain iconic DC work, I'd bet that in the paperwork for those bills - "There is no sanity clause."
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