Absolute Kingdom Come

Someone should really slap me on the back of my head for wasting so much money. :O

SRP is $75?! That's enough for a cranial CT scan. That's enough for half the needs for a major operation. That's a lot of meals for that child begging on the street. Wasn't it just months before, that I found it hard giving that much money to patients even when they have better use for that amount of money?

What the heck... What's done is done. I do feel happy with my purchase. And i guess it's okay to indulge on selfish pleasures once in a while. For the past few years, I have always put the welfare of others on the forefront. :)

I've succumbed to temptation. Just 2 weeks after buying an Absolute edition of a graphic novel... I bought another one. One that's even more expensive. The Absolute Edition of Kingdom Come.

The story is told through the eyes of Pastor Norman McCay. It takes place years in the future, when the old superheroes have retired, replaced by a new reckless generation. The Spectre chose the pastor to watch the conflict between superhuman and humankind and decide who is at fault for the impending apocalypse. The mixture of religion and fiction blends perfectly. The story, although a bit short, is revolutionary. It's way up there with Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns. I won't be doing a review of Kingdom Come here. Reviews are already scattered on the internet. Unanimous praise was given, and I agree 100%. Instead, i'd like to focus on the packaging.


The Slipcase: I'm not really fond of it. I remember seeing this a year ago, and I thought "what an tacky looking cover". It really looks cheesy and unappealing, at least for me. The other graphic novels in Absolute editions look elegant. A plain black or white background with silhouettes would be more appropriate. Or if they wanted something with more color, they could've picked any of the artworks included in the book, like the ones shown below.



The graphic novel itself looks great. Covered in leather, it really looks like something of great value. One could mistake it as sort sort of religious book. The artwork by Alex Ross is indeed exceptional. The realistic approach fits the apocalyptic story well. The great artwork alone justifies the purchase. Every frame and panel looks like a freakin' painting!




There are tons of extras too. Early sketches, interviews, character profiles, and easter eggs are all here. This is a definitive prestige format. The epic story deserves to be read in an absolute edition. Even with the cheap looking slipcase, it is still worth the purchase. I can see where the $75 went. :)

Absolute Editions

DC comics has been publishing over sized editions of their best selling graphic novels for two years now, i think. I have seen those being sold in book stores and comic book shops, but I never considered purchasing them. First reason: those books seem to be created out of greed. Another attempt to get the fans to buy books that they already have, by creating even better editions. Just like those movie companies initially releasing dvd titles with little extras, then months later releasing the same movie with more extras... then after a year or so, you'll see another release saying it's the directors cut, or the ultimate edition, or the absolutely final and most complete edition.

Another reason: I ignored those titles out of preference. Sure, they'd look good in any bookshelf... an over sized hard bound graphic novel that comes with a slipcase--- the ultimate packaging. How can a comic book be even more special than that? But I knew I wouldn't prefer reading a huge comic book. That's a lot of weight to carry around. Besides being overweight, those things are also ridiculously overpriced. They range anywhere from 50 to 100 dollars. Why spend that much money just to read a story that you'll finish in one sitting? And besides, I already own the "normal" editions of those comic books. i wouldn't waste my money for the same comic books, no matter how many extras they pack in those new editions.

Two days ago, I went to a comic book shop to have a gift exchanged. A friend gave me a volume of Sandman, not knowing I already have all volumes. lol. Anyway, I was looking for a replacement, when I saw Batman: Hush volume 1. I've been looking for that book last year, but I could not find a copy. I chose that to replace the gift, and then I told the saleslady that I'm going to buy the second volume. Then she said that it was out of stock. Bummer. Then she said they have the absolute edition, which contains both volumes--- i could buy that instead. I laughed at first. I thought, you'd never get me to buy an absolute edition. Then I saw it. It really looked... nice... elegant. A black slipcase with the word HUSH in bold letters, containing both volumes of the softcover I wanted to buy. I didn't know what got into me... some sort of over excitement, as the child within me suddenly woke up from hibernation when he saw something he liked... I felt that I NEEDED to buy it. I WANTED it immediately. It was ridiculous to spend all that money for a graphic novel... but I was also ridiculously happy. I was down in the dumps for days, and just like that I was inexplicably happy. I guess that alone is enough to validate my action. :) I couldn't wait to tear open the packaging and savor my new purchase.

The story was great. Not over hyped as some fans were saying... I guess it's hard to live up to the hype when the writer is Jeph Loeb, and the illustrator is Jim Lee--- both well renowned, their collaboration was highly anticipated. The story is not as good as the Batman Classics like The Dark Knight Returns, or Batman: Year One, but it's up to par with Loeb's previous works (The Long Halloween and Dark Victory). I even think it's a bit better... though Jim Lee's artwork may be credited for that impression, because I've always loved his artwork. And the visuals in Batman: Hush are one of his best efforts! Sure, it's less mystery and more action, but that doesn't make it any worse. It may be less "intelligent", but that doesn't make it less fun to read. Some fans complain that there were drastic changes in the Batman Universe resulting from events presented here... I say change is inevitable. The series can't possibly grow if they remained complacent and chose to remain in the status quo.

Now that I've finished reading it, i still don't think of it as a wasteful purchase. Even if I don't open it again, it would still make a really nice display in my bookshelf. Lol. as for the other absolute editions? I'm still not going to purchase absolute versions of those graphic novels that I've already read... but I have my eyes on the Absolute edition of Kingdom Come. :)