The points of issue
True first is the DC softcover trade (collecting the 1986–87 twelve-issue maxi-series), with the printed cover price, ISBN 0-930289-23-4, the 'bloody smiley / broken window' cover, and a stated first printing with a number line ending in 1. Early printings carry no UPC barcode block. 448 pages, full color.
Is this the true first?
The DC US trade is the recognized true first edition of the collected work. The individual comic Watchmen #1 (DC, Sept. 1986) is the true first appearance in serial form. A UK Titan Books edition and later DC printings follow the DC first.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition per se; distinguish the first printing from the many later DC/Titan reprints by the clean number line ending in 1 and the absence of any 'second printing' or later notation. 'Absolute Watchmen' (2005 oversized slipcase) and recolored editions are not the first.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Watchmen a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: True first is the DC softcover trade (collecting the 1986–87 twelve-issue maxi-series), with the printed cover price, ISBN 0-930289-23-4, the 'bloody smiley / broken window' cover, and a stated first printing with a number line ending in 1. Early printings carry no UPC barcode block. 448 pages, full color.
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 DC US trade is the recognized true first edition of the collected work. The individual comic Watchmen #1 (DC, Sept. 1986) is the true first appearance in serial form. A UK Titan Books edition and later DC printings follow the DC first.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book-club edition per se; distinguish the first printing from the many later DC/Titan reprints by the clean number line ending in 1 and the absence of any 'second printing' or later notation. 'Absolute Watchmen' (2005 oversized slipcase) and recolored editions are not the first.
I have a first edition of Watchmen — 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.