Year One art doesn't look right

[cmcok68]

I am not a huge comic book reader, but I have Batman: Year One, it's the currently available 2007 paperback, which I bought some years ago. I've always felt the art in it doesn't look quite right. I can't put my finger on what it is. At the back of the book there is some scans of the original coloring, and I find the general print of those pages looks better.

Does this make sense or I am nuts?

[JBatmanFan05]

It makes sense. Plenty of recolorings I don't like. I hate The Killing Joke recoloring and Neal Adams Illustrateds recolorings.

Yes, I would like to see Year One's original coloring from the single issues see TPB someday. That being said, I am fine with the 1988 (?) recoloring (whichever one I have, which was the first TPB version recoloring).

David Mazzucchelli has disavowed every coloring except for the 1988 first HC/SC recoloring (I think it was the only TPB coloring you could get until 2005 when it was recolored again).

[cmcok68]

I don't really mean the coloring as being the issue though. It's more something else to do with how the general print looks, it too clean & flat, and the the lines appear thicker or something. I'll see if I can find an example comparison.

[JBatmanFan05]

I don't really mean the coloring as being the issue though. It's more something else to do with how the general print looks, it too clean & flat, and the the lines appear thicker or something. I'll see if I can find an example comparison.

Yea, I don't know what you mean, but I'm sure you're on to something. Mazzucchelli disavowed both the 2012 and 2005 touch ups/recolorings DC did I think.

All in all, I have found it best to just own pre-2005 tpb versions of Year One.

[TheNewFiftyForum]

I don't really mean the coloring as being the issue though. It's more something else to do with how the general print looks, it too clean & flat, and the the lines appear thicker or something. I'll see if I can find an example comparison.

It might have something to do with the quality of the paper. Modern, high end glossy paper sometimes has the effects that you mention on a lot of stuff that was originally drawn for older, newspaper style comic book paper.

[masahikotahara]

The 1988 recoloring for the collected edition (HC/TPB) was indeed the only coloring available for every collected edition since then, until 2005.

David Mazzucchelli has disavowed every coloring except for the 1988 first HC/SC recoloring (I think it was the only TPB coloring you could get until 2005 when it was recolored again).

How do you mean every coloring?

I know he wasn't happy with the 2012 recoloring, but he put a lot of work in the 2005 edition.

http://www.tcj.com/david-mazzucchell...atman-reprint/

On my website you can find some comparisons between the original art/coloring in the issues (Batman #404-407) and the collected editions:

http://ultimatebatmancomicswebsite.w...-coloring.html

To be clear:

2005 TPB

Batman_Year_One.jpg

2005 HC

600881.jpg

2012 HC

Batman_Year-One_Deluxe-Edition_HC-684x1024.jpg

[JBatmanFan05]

I know he wasn't happy with the 2012 recoloring, but he put a lot of work in the 2005 edition.

Yea, that sounds right. I get all the editions and beefs all mixed up. 1988 coloring and 2005 coloring seem to be the more approved versions for Mazz.

I understand it basically goes like this:
-the single issue coloring: Not in any TPB
-1988 first collected edition coloring: good, because...
-2005 recoloring: pretty similar to 1988 coloring
-2012 recoloring: Mazz hates it & wants no one to buy it

[prismablue]

Yea, I don't know what you mean, but I'm sure you're on to something. Mazzucchelli disavowed both the 2012 and 2005 touch ups/recolorings DC did I think.

All in all, I have found it best to just own pre-2005 tpb versions of Year One.

The older tpb didn't collect any of the covers or have any additional material but i'm glad i held onto it

[JBatmanFan05]

The older tpb didn't collect any of the covers or have any additional material but i'm glad i held onto it

The 2005 one might be just fine, I might have been confused some. But I don't think anyone has compared the 1988 version vs the 2005 version much. I'm not sure I even have this 2005 version, I might just have a bunch of 1988 versions. I have that leatherbound Complete Frank Miller one and an old single tpb of Year One.

[masahikotahara]

-the single issue coloring: Not in any TPB
-1988 first collected edition coloring: good, because...
-2005 recoloring: pretty similar to 1988 coloring
-2012 recoloring: Mazz hates it & wants no one to buy it

Exactly.

I have the first printing hardcover (DC):

Batman_-_Year_One_cover_A.jpg

The first printing softcover (DC):

064ee9c7b1d8179b19b0ae50d19bdf86_xl.jpg

A first printing softcover (Warner Books):

861801.jpg

+ The 2005 ''remaster'' in soft- and hardcover (see photos in my previous post).

NOTE: I see these 2005 editions in both soft- and hardcover being called Deluxe Editions, but I don't think they are; Deluxe Editions are hardcovers, larger in size than standard hardcovers and they have the text ''Deluxe Edition'' on the cover.

[masahikotahara]

A fourth printing (DC):

1091921.jpg

And, of course, the single issues:

the-four-covers-of-batman-year-one.jpg

And ''The Complete Frank Miller Batman'':

91eKDqruf9L.jpg

[masahikotahara]

But I don't think anyone has compared the 1988 version vs the 2005 version much.

I tried hard to notice any differences, but flipping through both books and comparing art and coloring, I just don't see ANY difference...I still want to pick up the 2012 Deluxe Edition, just to see what is noticeably different, knowing what Mazzucchelli said:

First, they redesigned the cover, and recolored my artwork — probably to look more like their little DVD that came out last year; second, they printed the book on shiny paper, which was never a part of the original design, all the way back to the first hardcover in 1988; third — and worst — they printed the color from corrupted, out-of-focus digital files, completely obscuring all of Richmond’s hand-painted work.

[banky]

A fourth printing (DC):

1091921.jpg

And, of course, the single issues:

the-four-covers-of-batman-year-one.jpg

And ''The Complete Frank Miller Batman'':

91eKDqruf9L.jpg

Very cool site, btw. You're forgetting the recent hardcover release with Blu-ray set: http://www.dccomics.com/graphic-nove...dvdblu-ray-set.

I got a chance to look through it at my LCS. It's identical to the 2005 TPB release but with one important difference; matte surface paper. I noticed the matte paper has overall less saturated colors than the glossy paper in the tpb. For those fans wanting to get the closest printing to the original floppies, I'd say this version is the best option. I haven't seen the 1988 tpb version but since it is long since oop, this recent hardcover may be the closest approximation.

[cmcok68]

It might have something to do with the quality of the paper. Modern, high end glossy paper sometimes has the effects that you mention on a lot of stuff that was originally drawn for older, newspaper style comic book paper.

Yea this could be it. I think printing on newspaper didn't bring out the blacks so much which made it look a little less "thick", which I guess I prefer.

[bonbon]

I have a question, I own Batman: Year One which has extras for like 40 pages. It is the 2012 which you said is bad because of the recoloring? or is it something else? thanks