The points of issue
Serial: ten-issue Vertigo limited series published February to November 2010. First collected edition: trade paperback, Vertigo/DC Comics, February 2011, 256 pages, ISBN 978-1-4012-2969-6. First printings of the individual issues carry no later-printing line; the first trade printing is identified by its first-printing indicia.
Is this the true first?
The 2010 ten-issue miniseries is the serial first appearance; the February 2011 Vertigo trade paperback is the first collected book. A later deluxe hardcover edition is a separate 'first thus.' Distinguish serial issues, the first trade, and the deluxe edition.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition. Later printings of the trade are marked in the indicia. Verify the 2010 serial run and the 2011 first trade printing.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Daytripper a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Serial: ten-issue Vertigo limited series published February to November 2010. First collected edition: trade paperback, Vertigo/DC Comics, February 2011, 256 pages, ISBN 978-1-4012-2969-6. First printings of the individual issues carry no later-printing line; the first trade printing is identified by its first-printing indicia.
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 2010 ten-issue miniseries is the serial first appearance; the February 2011 Vertigo trade paperback is the first collected book. A later deluxe hardcover edition is a separate 'first thus.' Distinguish serial issues, the first trade, and the deluxe edition.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book-club edition. Later printings of the trade are marked in the indicia. Verify the 2010 serial run and the 2011 first trade printing.
I have a first edition of Daytripper — 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.