Format Ongoing series Publisher DC Comics | Publication date 1972 – 1978 | |
Number of issues Limited Collectors' Edition: 32
Famous First Edition: 9
All-New Collectors' Edition: 7 Writer(s) List
John Albano, E. Nelson Bridwell, Gerry Conway, Leo Dorfman, Mark Evanier, Paul Levitz, Sheldon Mayer, Dennis O'Neil Penciller(s) List
Neal Adams, Rich Buckler, E.R. Cruz, Ric Estrada, José Luis García-López, Mike Grell, Sheldon Mayer, Bob Oksner, Frank Redondo, Nestor Redondo, Gerry Talaoc, Alex Toth Inker(s) List
Dan Adkins, Terry Austin, Vince Colletta, Dick Giordano, Tenny Henson, Bob Oksner, Nestor Redondo, Alex Toth, Wally Wood Similar Marvel Treasury Edition, Superman vs Muhamm, DC Special Series, DC Special, House of Mystery | ||
Limited Collectors' Edition is an American comic book series published by DC Comics from 1972 to 1978. It usually featured reprints of previously published stories but a few issues contained new material. The series was published in an oversized 10" x 14" tabloid (or "treasury") format.
Contents
Publication history
Limited Collectors' Edition was launched with a collection of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer stories which went on sale October 24, 1972. DC Comics vice president Sol Harrison had suggested the format stating that "We could create a tabloid size comic that would stand out on the newsstand." Limited Collectors' Edition shared its numbering with two other treasury format series, Famous First Edition and All-New Collectors' Edition. The final issues of the latter two series were tie-ins to the release of Superman: The Movie. DC later published treasuries as part of DC Special Series in 1981 and as a number of one-shots from 1999 to 2003 primarily produced by Paul Dini and Alex Ross.
The issues
Several planned features for Limited Collectors' Edition were never published. These include several projects by writer/artist Sheldon Mayer. Mayer had been working on an adaptation of The Wizard of Oz but DC's then-Publisher Carmine Infantino canceled the project upon learning of a similar adaptation by Marvel Comics. The two companies published the project jointly and the adaptation was crafted by Marvel's Roy Thomas and John Buscema instead. Mayer also worked on a followup to The Bible issue of Limited Collectors' Edition titled "The Story of Jesus" as well as "Rudolph's Easter Parade" an Easter-themed Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer issue. Neither project was published. "The Legend of King Arthur" by writer Gerry Conway and artist Nestor Redondo was a four issue storyline which was advertised as "Coming Soon" in DC comic books dated September 1975 but the series was never published. A second volume of "The Best of DC" would have included stories reprinted from The Brave and the Bold #42; All-Star Western #11; Superman #247; and Green Lantern #75 but was canceled as part of the DC Implosion.
Famous First Edition
Famous First Edition was a series of oversized reprints of original Golden Age comics. All but two (#F-7, All-Star Comics #3 and #F-8, Flash Comics #1) included full-size cover-stock reprints of the front and back covers in addition to the usual cardboard-like cover stock. Famous First Edition reprinted the comics in their entirety, including any paid advertising and other features that appeared in the original.
All-New Collectors' Edition
Three features originally intended for All-New Collectors' Edition were published elsewhere due to the title's cancellation as part of the DC Implosion. "Superman's Life Story" by Martin Pasko and Curt Swan was published in Action Comics #500 (October 1979). The planned 1978 Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer tabloid's material appeared in The Best of DC #4 (March–April 1980). A Justice League story by Gerry Conway and Rich Buckler saw print in Justice League of America #210-212 (January 1983-March 1983).