# Is "Black Hole" by Charles Burns a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Black Hole by Charles Burns (Pantheon Books, 2005) is identified by: First collected hardcover edition, Pantheon Books, 2005, in dust jacket; stated first edition with a number line ending in 1. The 1995 to 2005 single-issue comic series is the serial true first appearance.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First collected hardcover edition, Pantheon Books, 2005, in dust jacket; stated first edition with a number line ending in 1
- Collects the twelve-issue Black Hole comic series originally published by Kitchen Sink and then Fantagraphics, 1995 to 2005
- Laminated boards with the original Burns jacket design; price present on the jacket flap
- Correct publisher/imprint: Pantheon Books

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Charles Burns |
| Publisher | Pantheon Books |
| Year | 2005 |
| True first | world edition |
| Format | Comic / graphic novel |
| Key point | First collected hardcover edition, Pantheon Books, 2005, in dust jacket; stated first edition with a number line ending in 1 |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First collected hardcover edition, Pantheon Books, 2005, in dust jacket; stated first edition with a number line ending in 1. Collects the twelve-issue Black Hole comic series originally published by Kitchen Sink and then Fantagraphics, 1995 to 2005. Laminated boards with the original Burns jacket design; price present on the jacket flap.

## Is this the true first?
The 1995 to 2005 single-issue comic series is the serial true first appearance. The 2005 Pantheon hardcover is the first collected book edition. Distinguish the collected first from the original serial run and from the later trade paperback.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No separate book-club edition is recorded. Later printings and the subsequent paperback differ in number line and binding. Confirm the stated first edition with a number line ending in 1, dated 2005.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Black Hole* by Charles Burns a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/black-hole
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.