# Is "Safe Area Goražde" by Joe Sacco a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Safe Area Goražde by Joe Sacco (Fantagraphics Books, 2000) is identified by: Deluxe hardcover, Fantagraphics Books, published June 2000 (ISBN 1-56097-392-7), with a foreword by Christopher Hitchens. The Fantagraphics deluxe hardcover (June 2000) is the true first edition and precedes the paperback.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Deluxe hardcover, Fantagraphics Books, published June 2000 (ISBN 1-56097-392-7), with a foreword by Christopher Hitchens
- The hardcover preceded the softcover issue (ISBN 1-56097-470-2)
- First-printing copies show no later-printing statement on the indicia/copyright page
- Correct publisher/imprint: Fantagraphics Books

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Joe Sacco |
| Publisher | Fantagraphics Books |
| Year | 2000 |
| True first | world edition |
| Format | Comic / graphic novel |
| Key point | Deluxe hardcover, Fantagraphics Books, published June 2000 (ISBN 1-56097-392-7), with a foreword by Christopher Hitchens |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Deluxe hardcover, Fantagraphics Books, published June 2000 (ISBN 1-56097-392-7), with a foreword by Christopher Hitchens. The hardcover preceded the softcover issue (ISBN 1-56097-470-2). First-printing copies show no later-printing statement on the indicia/copyright page.

## Is this the true first?
The Fantagraphics deluxe hardcover (June 2000) is the true first edition and precedes the paperback. The work was created for book publication and was not serialized.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition; the softcover and the later expanded 'Special Edition' (2011) are subsequent issues, not the first. Distinguish the 2000 hardcover from these by the original ISBN and the absence of the added Special Edition material.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Safe Area Goražde* by Joe Sacco a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/safe-area-gora-de
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.