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The lowly comic book, which used to be "all in color for a dime," has hit the high-end with deluxe editions costing $100 or more.
Hardcover collections, aimed for the coffee tables of the rich and nostalgic, reprint some of the genre's strongest work:
*Absolute Sandman. The oversized collection showcases the first 20 issues of Neil Gaiman's master of dreams character, with new coloring and 50 pages of bonus features. DC/Vertigo, $99.
*New X-Men Omnibus. More than 40 issues written by Grant Morrison in more than 1,096 pages. Marvel, $100.
*Madman Gargantua (due in February). More than 850 pages of Mike Allred's zany superhero. Image Comics, $125.
"We're coming into a time, not limited to comics, where people are willing to pay more for really beautiful collections of things that are important to them -- the complete New Yorker, Calvin & Hobbes," says DC Comics publisher Paul Levitz. "A niche has opened up for almost an objet d'art kind of book."
Matt Gagnon, purchasing manager for Meltdown, a comic-book store on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood, says the books are selling well. "More people are coming around to the idea of comics as legitimate. They're more likely to purchase some of these high-ticket items."
But in Sacramento, customers at No Boundaries Comics "so far are pretty price-resistant," says owner Neal Ramirez. "They like the package, but $100 is a little bit too high for them."
For those wondering, a single issue of Superman or Spider-Man these days costs $2.99.
In color, too.
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