Charley's War - Hardcover vs, Definitive Collections

[Colin YNWA]

Help 2000ad Message Forum your my only hope.

I've not bought the new Charley's War editions as I have a full set of the hardcovers that I do love and however good this series is I don't see a need to double dip... then Rebellion took 5 extra days to deliever my Prog and that all changed.

See I'm thinking with the half price offer I now have I can pick up the new editions for like £30. If I sell on my hardcovers for like £3 each I break even. So the question has anyone swapped out their hardcover for the new editions. As I see it the main advantages of doing so is the addtional colour, all the covers and better print quality. They are marginally smaller than the hardbacks but as I believe they are original comic size that's no biggie.

So to swap out or not, that is the question. Anyone got any thoughts or done this and have regrets?

[Jim_Campbell]

As I see it the main advantages of doing so is the addtional colour, all the covers and better print quality.

The repro droids have done an amazing job on some of these Charley's War pages for the new edition. I don't think any of the pages are lower quality, and a significant number are noticeably better, with a lot of detail restored that's been lost in the earlier versions. Someone may have done a more in-depth side-by-side comparison and can confirm or deny...

[The Amstor Computer]

I'd have no hesitation about exchanging the hardcovers for the new Rebellion editions (and in fact, that's exactly what I did). As Jim says, the repro droids did a great job and with his own work on re-lettering (modestly left out of his post ) I would say that these are currently the definitive reprint of this particular classic. Later Titan hardbacks were better reproduced and there may be occasions later in the series when the Rebellion and Titan editions won't have much between them, but as a whole package - and particularly for the early stories in the first volume - Rebellion's release is the one I'd plump for.

[broodblik]

See also this review of the 3 volume (the lettering is also mentioned in the first review): https://theslingsandarrows.com/charleys-war-the-definitive-collection-volume-1-boy-soldier/

and

https://theslingsandarrows.com/charleys-war-the-definitive-collection-volume-2-brothers-in-arms/

and

https://theslingsandarrows.com/charleys-war-the-definitive-collection-volume-3-remembrance/

[broodblik]

Another thing and I am not sure if this was in the original versions released by Titan, each episode has a commentary by Pat Mills. 

[Blue Cactus]

I've just finished book two of the Rebellion edition and they are lovely lovely things. They look and feel great.

I haven't read the Titan ones, but I am aware that one of the ten spines has the poppy missing from it, which should surely be reason enough to swap them for the Rebellion versions.

[Colin YNWA]

Well that certainly seems to be an open and shut case! I'm waiting for a couple of things to come out and I'll do this thing. Anyone want the Titan editions for like fiver each?

[Dark Jimbo]

I haven't read the Titan ones, but I am aware that one of the ten spines has the poppy missing from it, which should surely be reason enough to swap them for the Rebellion versions.

Oh man! That damn missing poppy did my head in!

[Hawkmumbler]

I haven't read the Titan ones, but I am aware that one of the ten spines has the poppy missing from it, which should surely be reason enough to swap them for the Rebellion versions.

Oh man! That damn missing poppy did my head in!

I believe I own said copy thanks to you Jimbo! And it does my wick in too!

I'm skipping the new editions, for now, too many other comics deserve my money but it's certainly on the cards for an upgrade further down the line.

[Colin YNWA]

Sorry while trawlling for the Phoenix Comic thread I spotted this one and realised I hadn't popped by to say thank you.

Picked these up, alongside some other bits and bats using my 50% voucher for the sub problem (still feel the response was a little disproptionate to the problem but that didn't stop me exploiting it!) and they are lovely and clearly superior, however much I love my hardbacks.


So thank you for kicking me into line.

[CalHab]

The lettering alone makes it worthwhile.

[Jim_Campbell]

The lettering alone makes it worthwhile.

You're much too kind. It's not true, but thank you for saying it! :-)

[Colin YNWA]

The lettering alone makes it worthwhile.

Have to say I agree. Not because of who did it. I'm sure any old chimp could have. No the hand lettering is just so much nicer on the eye and for me help the story flow so much better. That might be because I'm so use to hand lettering I find typed a bit jarring or otherwise - I don't understand such things. But its certainly much much better...

...and okay the specific job is okayyyy I guess if I was forced to say something nice!

... well yeah its pretty good...

... okay okay its actually astonishingly nice, given, I assume, pretty challenging restrictions?

[Hawkmumbler]

Aaahhh man, wasn't aware there had been a sale or would have double dipped on these bad boys too. The comic needs no words from me to sing it's praises. It's simply a masterpiece.

[Bad City Blue]

You can get all 3 on Amazon for under £40 brand new

Really nice books