# Is "Stardust (illustrated, with Charles Vess)" by Neil Gaiman a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Stardust (illustrated, with Charles Vess) by Neil Gaiman (DC Comics / Vertigo, 1997) is identified by: First appeared as the four-issue prestige-format illustrated series (DC/Vertigo, 1997-1998), then as the illustrated hardcover Stardust: Being a Romance Within the Realms of Faerie (DC/Vertigo, 1998). The illustrated Vertigo edition (1997-1998) is the true first; the text-only 1999 novel editions follow.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First appeared as the four-issue prestige-format illustrated series (DC/Vertigo, 1997-1998), then as the illustrated hardcover Stardust: Being a Romance Within the Realms of Faerie (DC/Vertigo, 1998)
- The illustrated edition precedes the text-only novel (Avon in the US and Headline in the UK, 1999)
- Publisher imprint reads DC Comics / Vertigo
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Neil Gaiman |
| Publisher | DC Comics / Vertigo |
| Year | 1997 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First appeared as the four-issue prestige-format illustrated series (DC/Vertigo, 1997-1998), then as the illustrated hardcover Stardust… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First appeared as the four-issue prestige-format illustrated series (DC/Vertigo, 1997-1998), then as the illustrated hardcover Stardust: Being a Romance Within the Realms of Faerie (DC/Vertigo, 1998). The illustrated edition precedes the text-only novel (Avon in the US and Headline in the UK, 1999).

## Is this the true first?
The illustrated Vertigo edition (1997-1998) is the true first; the text-only 1999 novel editions follow. Note this unusual illustrated-first precedence.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Text-only trade editions and later illustrated reprints postdate the original prestige series and 1998 hardcover.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Stardust (illustrated, with Charles Vess)* by Neil Gaiman a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/stardust-illustrated-with-charles-vess
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.