The points of issue
Originally serialized by Frank Miller in Dark Horse Presents, beginning with episode one in the Dark Horse Presents Fifth Anniversary Special, April 1991, and continuing in Dark Horse Presents issues fifty-one through sixty-two, June 1991 to June 1992. First collected edition titled simply Sin City, Dark Horse, softcover, black and white with spot red, around 208 pages; sources date the first collected printing to 1992, with the subtitle The Hard Goodbye added in January 1993. Stated first printing.
Is this the true first?
The Dark Horse Presents Fifth Anniversary Special, April 1991, is the serial true first appearance of the story and of the character Marv, with the continuation running through Dark Horse Presents fifty-one to sixty-two. The first collected book was titled Sin City; later editions retitled it The Hard Goodbye and are first thus under the new title, not the original first collected printing.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition is recorded. The retitled The Hard Goodbye printings and the film tie-in editions are later. Confirm the original Sin City title on the first collected printing; sources disagree on whether that printing is dated 1992 or 1993, so verify the date on the copy in hand rather than assuming.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Sin City (The Hard Goodbye) a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Originally serialized by Frank Miller in Dark Horse Presents, beginning with episode one in the Dark Horse Presents Fifth Anniversary Special, April 1991, and continuing in Dark Horse Presents issues fifty-one through sixty-two, June 1991 to June 1992. First collected edition titled simply Sin City, Dark Horse, softcover, black and white with spot red, around 208 pages; sources date the first collected printing to 1992, with the subtitle The Hard Goodbye added in January 1993. Stated 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 Dark Horse Presents Fifth Anniversary Special, April 1991, is the serial true first appearance of the story and of the character Marv, with the continuation running through Dark Horse Presents fifty-one to sixty-two. The first collected book was titled Sin City; later editions retitled it The Ha
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book-club edition is recorded. The retitled The Hard Goodbye printings and the film tie-in editions are later. Confirm the original Sin City title on the first collected printing; sources disagree on whether that printing is dated 1992 or 1993, so verify the date on the copy in hand rather than assuming.
I have a first edition of Sin City (The Hard Goodbye) — 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.