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Hey guys,
Has the Alan Moore run (with or without issue #20) been collected in a nice edition similar to the Abdolute Sandman books. If not, is my only option the paperbacks?

Thanks!

Josh-da-man

It was reprinted in a series of hardcovers, but they were just regular hardcovers, and, IIRC, they were reprinted on the same paper stock as the paperbacks. Six hardcovers with the same contents as the TPBs, with the exception of the first one, which also includes Swamp Thing #20.* Nothing fancy.

I'd love to have these recolored and done as an Absolute Edition.

*This is a bit of an oddity. Even though it was Moore's first issue on the title, #20 had never been reprinted in the TPBs before. It was condidered to be a transition issue where Moore wrapped up the previous writer's storyline before taking off in his own direction in#21.

PhantomStranger

I've always been surprised we never got a Swamp Thing omnibus. I wonder if it has to do with Alan Moore's shaky relationship with DC.

Josh-da-man

I think that the reason we haven't gotten omnibus or absolute editions is because of the coloring. They would have to recolor it because the old colors would look to bright on the higher quality paper and spoil the dark moodiness of the series. It's not an issue with stuff like Morrison's Doom Patrol/Animal Man that were printed with more modern coloring techniques and better paper stock, or the older super hero comics that were printed on newsprint and were supposed to look garish.

At least that's what I heard several years ago.

I have the old Essential Swamp Thing reprints that were done in black and white (for the reason they were printed on glossy Vertigo stock, and colored for newsprint) and they looked amazing. Beautiful linework from Bissette and Totleben. Unfortunately they cancelled it about halfway through the run. This stuff would be gorgeous in the Absolute format.

Josh-da-man

John Pannozzi

I figure it's only a matter of time before this gets the Absolute/Omnibus treatment.

Not many other big name Vertigo titles I can think of that also lack nice, big oversized hardcovers. Well, there's Morrison's Doom Patrol, the Dreaming... I dunno what else. Maybe Fables and Lucifer will get Absolute editions someday?

Josh-da-man

Grant Morrison's Animal Man, Doom Patrol, and The Invsibles all got omnibuses. Don't know if they'll ever do Absolutes with the omnibuses out there.

Transmetropolitan and Preacher are currently tetting the Absolute treatment.

I could see Milligan's Shade the Changing Man get either Absolute editions or an omnibus. The whole thing is 70 issues, but most folks would be content to only do the first fifty. That would make a nice omnibus.

I could also see Delano and Ennis' Hellblazer runs get omnibuses. Maybe one doing 1-40 (and Annual 1), and another doing 41-83 (and Special 1).

Throw in Moore's Swamp Thing, and you'd have all of the formative Vertigo comics in deluxe format. (Sandman, Animal Man, Doom Patrol, Shade, Swamp Thing, Hellblazer)