# Is "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns #1 (comic)" by Frank Miller (with Klaus Janson & Lynn Varley) a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns #1 (comic) by Frank Miller (with Klaus Janson & Lynn Varley) (DC Comics, 1986) is identified by: Prestige format (squarebound, cardstock cover), cover-dated 1986, the printed price. First appearance of Carrie Kelley (the new Robin) and the aged Batman of this continuity.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Prestige format (squarebound, cardstock cover), cover-dated 1986, the printed price
- The first printing carries no printing notation; later printings (DC ran several) state 'Second Printing,' 'Third Printing,' and so on, on the cover or in the indicia
- First-print interior paper and cover gloss differ subtly from reprints
- Correct publisher/imprint: DC Comics

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Frank Miller (with Klaus Janson & Lynn Varley) |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| Year | 1986 |
| True first | world edition |
| Format | Comic / graphic novel |
| Key point | Prestige format (squarebound, cardstock cover), cover-dated 1986, the printed price |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Prestige format (squarebound, cardstock cover), cover-dated 1986, the printed price. The first printing carries no printing notation; later printings (DC ran several) state 'Second Printing,' 'Third Printing,' and so on, on the cover or in the indicia. First-print interior paper and cover gloss differ subtly from reprints.

## Is this the true first?
First appearance of Carrie Kelley (the new Robin) and the aged Batman of this continuity. First-print #1 is the key issue; firsts of #2-4 are also collected. The Prestige format means there is no newsstand/direct split.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition. The trap is later printings of #1 marked with a printing number; only the unmarked first printing carries first-print standing.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Batman: The Dark Knight Returns #1 (comic)* by Frank Miller (with Klaus Janson & Lynn Varley) a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/batman-the-dark-knight-returns-1-comic
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.