LOS ANGELES 02/25/2025 — Today Skybound and Image Comics, in partnership with Scott Dunbier’s Act 4 Publishing, revealed an extended preview of art from Jim Aparo’s DC Classics Artist’s Edition, available everywhere books are sold in September.
With over 200 pages of original art in Jim Aparo’s DC Classics Artist’s Edition, fans can fully immerse themselves in Aparo’s legendary runs featuring Batman (Brave and the Bold, Detective Comics) and The Spectre (Adventure Comics).
Truly honoring one of DC’s most prolific artists through the 1970s and 1980s, this gorgeous hardcover presents classic Aparo art from what is regarded as his peak period and features nine stories, including four complete The Brave and the Bold stories, five complete Adventure Comics issues featuring The Spectre, as well as a selection of classic covers and pages.
“Jim Aparo’s ability to convey both action and mood set a tone that numerous artists and storytellers draw from to this day,” said Nachie Marsham, Senior Editor at Skybound. “It’s fantastic to see so many stunning examples of his storytelling prowess across many of DC’s most iconic characters.”
Although appearing to be in black and white, all the art is scanned in color, enabling the reader to see the work as close to the original as possible – ink gradients, blue pencil, and all the unique nuances that make original art so special – are all clearly visible and printed at the same size as drawn.
The Artist’s Edition of Jim Aparo’s work is an art book disguised as a comic collection. The only better way to see these pages is by looking over Aparo’s shoulder at his drawing board!
“Jim Aparo was a mainstay of DC Comics for decades. His work, especially on The Spectre, rocked my young brain,” said Scott Dunbier. “I’m honored to curate this Artist’s Edition, and for it to be the first in a wave of new releases that will hopefully captivate aficionados of the artform, and maybe even some young brains uncovering comics history today.”
Jim Aparo’s DC Classics Artist’s Edition is the first book in the publishing partnership between Skybound and Act 4 Publishing, with Darwyn Cooke’s The Complete Spirit Connoisseur Edition quickly following in October.
Future releases within the publishing partnership include J. Scott Campbell’s Danger Girl Artist Edition, Dave Stevens’ Covers and Stories’ Connoisseur Edition, Jason Pearson’s Body Bags Artist’s Edition, Paul Smith’s Leave It to Chance Artist’s Edition, and EC Comics Artist’s Editions. Publishing details for these books will be announced in the coming months.
Jim Aparo’s DC Classics Artist’s Edition (978-1-5343-3487-8 | SRP $150.00) will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday September 17 and at booksellers on Tuesday September 30.
For updates and to join the mailing list, please visit https://www.skybound.com/act-4-skybound-entertainment.
ABOUT ACT 4 PUBLISHING
Act 4 celebrates the art of storytelling and the seminal creators who have shaped the comics industry. Dedicated to producing exceptional collections and comics that honor the history, craft, and innovation of the sequential art form, Act 4 will bring together timeless classics and bold new projects that foster a connection between artists, stories, and readers.
Scott Dunbier, the visionary behind the industry-changing Artist’s Edition format, has spent decades redefining what comics publishing can be. From his early days as an art dealer, to his role in shaping iconic publishers like WildStorm and DC Comics, to producing award-winning archival collections, Dunbier’s career is synonymous with innovation and excellence. With Act 4, he embarks on a new chapter, continuing to champion the creators and works that define and elevate the medium.
ABOUT SKYBOUND ENTERTAINMENT
We do things differently here. Skybound is the creator-driven, fan-focused company behind landmark global franchises like The Walking Dead, Invincible, Impact Winter and hundreds more IPs that are redefining entertainment through our Wheel of Awesome business model. Skybound unlocks the unique opportunity to cultivate all aspects of a franchise from development through distribution; our IP connects with audiences through groundbreaking stories told on a grand scale. We empower our creators to directly expand their IP and turn their ideas into movies, TV shows, tabletop games, comics, podcasts, collectibles, video games, or all of the above and then some.
Skybound publishes award-winning and bestselling comics series such as Invincible, The Walking Dead, Stillwater and Ultramega, among others. Skybound's commitment to partnering with top industry talent and giving an elevated platform to diverse and unique voices has resulted in a record-breaking run on Kickstarter, where we launched mega-successful campaigns for Ava’s Demon, Extra Fabulous, and G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero — the most funded comic book campaign in Kickstarter’s history. Skybound Comet, our young readers graphic novel imprint, released the Clementine (set in The Walking Dead universe) series to great critical and commercial success. Skybound is also a savvy and sought-after licensing partner, working with companies including LEGO, Universal Products & Experiences and Hasbro to publish comics for their most coveted properties. Skybound’s Energon Universe series is Hasbro’s biggest comics launch of all time, with TRANSFORMERS #1 becoming the bestselling comic of 2023.
Skybound doesn’t just make global franchises, we change the way that global franchises can be made.
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