The points of issue
Serial: four-issue painted prestige limited series (issues 0 through 4), Marvel, 1994, with no printing notation on first-print issues. First collected book, Marvel, 1994. A signed and numbered slipcased hardcover with foldout dust jacket was published by Graphitti Designs in 1994, limited to about 8,500 copies, ISBN 0-936211-47-4, signed by Busiek and Ross. The collected first print states the first printing.
Is this the true first?
The 1994 four-issue series is the serial first appearance of this painted milestone; the 1994 Marvel collected edition is the first book; the Graphitti Designs signed and numbered slipcased hardcover is the premium limited state. Distinguish serial, collected, and limited.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition. Later collected printings and the 2014 Platinum Edition slipcase are later. Verify the 1994 first printing.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Marvels a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Serial: four-issue painted prestige limited series (issues 0 through 4), Marvel, 1994, with no printing notation on first-print issues. First collected book, Marvel, 1994. A signed and numbered slipcased hardcover with foldout dust jacket was published by Graphitti Designs in 1994, limited to about 8,500 copies, ISBN 0-936211-47-4, signed by Busiek and Ross. The collected first print states the first printing.
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 1994 four-issue series is the serial first appearance of this painted milestone; the 1994 Marvel collected edition is the first book; the Graphitti Designs signed and numbered slipcased hardcover is the premium limited state. Distinguish serial, collected, and limited.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book-club edition. Later collected printings and the 2014 Platinum Edition slipcase are later. Verify the 1994 first printing.
I have a first edition of Marvels — 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.