A rare collector’s edition of a Batman comic weighing 4.4kg and designed to resemble a camera with a detachable lens has gone on display at the Sharjah Animation and Comics Conference. The unique piece is priced at Dh60,000.

Only 47 copies of Batman: The Killing Joke Avant-Garde Edition will be produced worldwide. The handcrafted collector’s edition is on display at the Argent Comics stand during the event, which runs until Sunday, October 25, in Aljada, Sharjah.

The book’s design was inspired by the camera featured on the iconic cover of Batman: The Killing Joke, published in 1988. Its cover is made from aluminium plates wrapped in goatskin leather and includes a detachable lens and viewfinder. The book is housed in a custom case finished in calfskin leather with a suede lining.

The special edition was designed and produced by Croatian publisher Argent Comics under the direction of its creative director, Marko Matijašević.

According to the publisher, it is the world’s first comic book produced using giclée fine-art printing technology. Its pages are printed on special Hahnemühle metallic paper using a process for which a patent application is pending.

Vibor Krča, Argent Comics’ Croatian representative at the Sharjah conference, said producing the book involved highly precise and time-consuming craftsmanship.

“Each side of the pages must be printed separately before they are joined together by hand,” he said.

کتاب بتمن

Why Are Only 47 Copies of This Book Being Produced?

According to Karcha, the decision to produce 47 copies was carefully calculated. Silver has an atomic number of 47, linking the figure to the Argent brand, whose name is associated with the metal.

This collector’s edition features two different versions of the artwork from the acclaimed story “Batman: The Killing Joke,” written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Brian Bolland.

Fans can view both John Higgins’ original colouring and the version recoloured by Brian Bolland in 2008.

According to Karcha, Bolland was dissatisfied with the book’s original colouring and revisited it years later. Karcha compared this edition to a director’s cut in the film industry.

The book also includes a transparent film negative, Brian Bolland’s signature, a new introduction by the artist and supplementary material.

کتاب بتمن۲

Black-and-White Edition of Batman Comic on Display

Visitors to the Argent Comics stand can also view the black-and-white “Noir” edition of “The Killing Joke.”

The edition’s design was inspired by the Joker’s prison cell and features aluminium doors, a two-tone goatskin cover and cotton-paper pages produced using traditional letterpress printing.

Krecha said of the edition: “This cotton paper was produced using letterpress printing, so you can feel all its details and texture by touch.”

The fourth Sharjah Animation and Comics Conference, organised by the Sharjah Book Authority, features more than 150 activities and over 75 speakers from more than 30 countries.

The event’s programme includes workshops, panel discussions, film screenings, live performances and exhibitions dedicated to animation and comics.