I hope comics art fans are sitting down because this is pretty awesome: IDW’s much loved Artist’s Editions line is teaming up with DC for a series of books spotlighting legendary creators. And first two couldn’t be any more impressive: David Mazzucchelli and Neal Adams, with DAVID MAZZUCCHELLI’S BATMAN: YEAR ONE ARTIST’S EDITION and NEAL ADAMS’ DC CLASSICS ARTIST’S EDITION.
These two will launch the line in mid-2024, with more announcements to come.
The Artist’s Editions format was pioneered by IDW editor Scott Dunbier: oversized editions that reprint the original art as art – with white out, notes and painstaking details included from high resolution scans. It’s an archival format that both Batman: Year One (designed by Chip Kidd!) and Neal Adams’ classic DC tales deserve to be seen in.
“The books in this new initiative with DC are near and dear to my heart,” said Dunbier in a statement. “Many of the volumes announced, and the ones that have yet to be announced, showcase some of the finest art ever published in the comic book form.”
Mazzucchelli, an artist who prefers to stay out of the spotlight, worked closely with Dunbier on the book, personally scanning all the art and adding “This is a book you were never meant to see.” The volume will include covers, interiors and layouts.
Neal Adams’ DC Classics Artist’s Edition will feature classic Adam’s stories from the late 1960s to the mid-1970s, with five complete stories, and various covers including Green Lantern/Green Arrow #76, the first issue of the Denny O’Neil and Adams run, and Batman #232, the first appearance of Ra’s al Ghul.
“My family and I could not be happier to have this book happen,” said Kristine Adams-Stone in a statement. “We’ve had so many of my dad’s fans literally begging us to do an Artist’s Edition. We have every confidence that they—and the Adams family—will love the results.”
Who else would you like to see from DC’s legendary art line-up in the Artist’s Edition format?
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