# Is "Asterios Polyp" by David Mazzucchelli a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Asterios Polyp by David Mazzucchelli (Pantheon Books, 2009) is identified by: Hardcover with printed paper-covered boards and French flaps (issued without a separate dust jacket), Pantheon, 2009 (July 2009), ISBN 0-307-37732-9. An original graphic novel and Mazzucchelli's first; the US Pantheon edition is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Hardcover with printed paper-covered boards and French flaps (issued without a separate dust jacket), Pantheon, 2009 (July 2009), ISBN 0-307-37732-9
- A first printing carries the full number line ending in 1
- Correct publisher/imprint: Pantheon Books

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | David Mazzucchelli |
| Publisher | Pantheon Books |
| Year | 2009 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Comic / graphic novel |
| Key point | Hardcover with printed paper-covered boards and French flaps (issued without a separate dust jacket), Pantheon, 2009 (July 2009), ISBN… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Hardcover with printed paper-covered boards and French flaps (issued without a separate dust jacket), Pantheon, 2009 (July 2009), ISBN 0-307-37732-9. A first printing carries the full number line ending in 1.

## Is this the true first?
An original graphic novel and Mazzucchelli's first; the US Pantheon edition is the true first. The UK Jonathan Cape edition followed.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Asterios Polyp* by David Mazzucchelli a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/asterios-polyp
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.