Okay- I’d told myself I wasn’t going to do it again. The DC Absolute Editions are both a delight and a pain for me – a delight because they’re gorgeous, slipcased hardcover editions of comics which, when they’re chosen right (Watchmen, DC: The New Frontier) are things of beauty, a pain because they’re both bloody expensive and incredibly large and heavy (meaning most of mine are currently in storage thanks to my present lack of room). I gave in a few weeks ago and treated myself to the 2nd of the Absolute Sandman editions – it’s a gorgeous book, and I got it for a relatively decent price – and aside from knowing that at some point, I’d have to pick up Volume 4 of the series, that was it for Absolute Editions. They are, after all, luxury items, and there is a small part of me that really doesn’t want to amass too much stuff – especially if, after everything, I’m just going to have to pack it away in boxes again and not actually get to see it or enjoy it.

And then, they go and schedule an Absolute Edition of V for Vendetta. . One of my very favourite Alan Moore comics – it may not be as well-crafted as Watchmen, but it had a much greater emotional impact on me, and it’s one of the few comics I always wanted to have in a big, nice edition, especially since my copy is now rather battered and aged.

The swines. Well, at least I’ve got until August to save up…

(While I’d love them to go the whole hog and actually present the thing with the dividing full-page pieces of art between the chapters – the form it took during its DC comic run, which is where I originally read it – I suspect it’ll simply be an over-size printing of the previous plush hardback. Doesn’t stop me wishing, though. Also doesn’t stop me being vexxed that the upcoming hardback version of Moore’s seminal run on Swamp Thing means the chance of it getting the absolute treatment for the forseeable future is pretty much zero. Hey ho…)