DC Comics will release a new hardcover edition of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ Watchmen in October, the same month that Gibbons’ Watching the Watchmen hits shelves.
According to ICv2.com, the 436-page hardcover “will provide a deluxe presentation of the graphic novel” for $39.99 — almost half the price of the Absolute Edition.
The release of the new edition is timed to capitalize on the film adaptation of Watchmen, due out in March 2009. Movies like Hellboy, Sin City and 300 have spurred brisk sales of the source material, particularly in the book market. Back in June, ICv2 reported that the $30 hardcover of Frank Miller’s 300 brought in more than $1.5 million in retail sales from bookstores alone during the first quarter of 2007.
It seems probable that Watchmen, which the news and analysis site calls “likely at this point, the most popular graphic novel of all time,” will sell even better. DC Comics has estimated the $19.99 trade paperback sold 95,000 copies in 2007 alone.
April 10th, 2008 at 11:50 am
Charles Barkley says:
“Alan Moore must be rollin’ over in his grave.”
April 10th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
Why does everyone love the Watchmen?
April 10th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
Because it’s amazing!
April 10th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
Will it have the extras from the Absolute?
April 10th, 2008 at 2:43 pm
Even if it has no extras, this is a good move on DC’s part. The ABSOLUTE WATCHMEN is really only for the hardcore, as are all of their ABSOLUTE books, really. DC needs a good compromise between package/price, and this may fit the bill.
Now if they’d just do the same for THE NEW FRONTIER.
April 10th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
I’ll take The Death of Captain Marvel over Watchmen any day.
April 10th, 2008 at 6:33 pm
According the the DC website, the regular Watchmen TPB is 334 pages, and the Absolute Watchmen is 464 pages. Since the article mentions that the new hardcover is going to be 436 pages long, I’m guessing that most of the extras will be there.
April 16th, 2008 at 11:47 am
I wonder if this is gonna get new cover art than just the big yellow smiley. Heck if they even go the route they did of one version of the trade paer back (several years ago, you see the broken window and the smiley button hanging in mid-air, a smapshot foozen in time some time before the first panel of the comic) I would consider this.