The points of issue
Collected one-volume edition of the 1986 four-issue Prestige-format series. The DC softcover trade (1986), adding new material (new introduction, endpapers, chapter headings, sketchbook), is the first collected trade; identified by stated first printing, the printed price, and ISBN 0-930289-21-8. A hardcover trade edition and a Graphitti Designs signed/numbered slipcased hardcover (limited, with additional material) followed.
Is this the true first?
Precedence: the four original Prestige-format comics (DKR #1-4, 1986) are the true first appearances and are themselves collectible, especially #1 in first print. For the BOOK, the DC trade is the first collected edition; the Graphitti signed slipcased hardcover is the premium limited state but later. The UK Titan edition follows the US.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No standard book club; distinguish the 1986 first trade from later DC reprints via stated first printing and the original ISBN. The Graphitti edition is identified by its slipcase, limitation page, and Miller/Janson signatures.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Collected one-volume edition of the 1986 four-issue Prestige-format series. The DC softcover trade (1986), adding new material (new introduction, endpapers, chapter headings, sketchbook), is the first collected trade; identified by stated first printing, the printed price, and ISBN 0-930289-21-8. A hardcover trade edition and a Graphitti Designs signed/numbered slipcased hardcover (limited, with additional material) followed.
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. Precedence: the four original Prestige-format comics (DKR #1-4, 1986) are the true first appearances and are themselves collectible, especially #1 in first print. For the BOOK, the DC trade is the first collected edition; the Graphitti signed slipcased hardcover is the premium limited state but late
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No standard book club; distinguish the 1986 first trade from later DC reprints via stated first printing and the original ISBN. The Graphitti edition is identified by its slipcase, limitation page, and Miller/Janson signatures.
I have a first edition of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns — 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.