The points of issue
Serial: five-issue oversized limited series, Dark Horse, with the first issue dated May 1998 and the series running monthly through September 1998. First collected edition: oversized landscape hardcover, Dark Horse, 1999, ISBN 1-56971-402-8 (9781569714027), with each original two-page spread presented as a single page. The first-print collected edition states the first printing.
Is this the true first?
The 1998 five-issue series is the serial first appearance; the 1999 oversized landscape hardcover is the first collected book. Distinguish serial from collected; later film tie-in printings from about 2006 to 2007 carry movie art.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition. Film tie-in and later printings are later. Verify the 1998 and 1999 first printings and the original non-film cover and oversized landscape format.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of 300 a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Serial: five-issue oversized limited series, Dark Horse, with the first issue dated May 1998 and the series running monthly through September 1998. First collected edition: oversized landscape hardcover, Dark Horse, 1999, ISBN 1-56971-402-8 (9781569714027), with each original two-page spread presented as a single page. The first-print collected edition states the first printing.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. The 1998 five-issue series is the serial first appearance; the 1999 oversized landscape hardcover is the first collected book. Distinguish serial from collected; later film tie-in printings from about 2006 to 2007 carry movie art.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book-club edition. Film tie-in and later printings are later. Verify the 1998 and 1999 first printings and the original non-film cover and oversized landscape format.
I have a first edition of 300 — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.