Having your work altered by your publisher might be at the top of things that would piss off any creator, so when BATMAN: YEAR ONE artist David Mazzuchelli received his personal copy of the recently reprinted BATMAN: YEAR ONE deluxe edition, the artist was not at all pleased.
According to Mazzucchelli, all the work the artist completed for the publisher in preparation for the release of the deluxe edition was, quote, "tossed in the garbage" by DC's editorial.
DC just sent me this book last week, and I really hope people don't buy it. I didn't even know they were making it, and I don't understand why they thought it was necessary - several years ago, DC asked me if I'd help put together a deluxe edition of Batman: Year One, and Dale Crain and I worked for months to try to make a definitive version. Now whoever's in charge has thrown all that work in the garbage.
Mazzuchelli revealed to The Comics Journal that DC not only changed his cover, but that they also re-colored the artist's artwork -- evidently without his knowledge.
== TEASER ==First, they redesigned the cover, and recolored my artwork - probably to look more like their little DVD that came out last year; second, they printed the book on shiny paper, which was never a part of the original design, all the way back to the first hardcover in 1988; third - and worst - they printed the color from corrupted, out-of-focus digital files, completely obscuring all of Richmond's hand-painted work. Anybody who's already paid for this should send it back to DC and demand a refund.
Those are certainly some fighting words from Mazzucchelli. If you had worked on a graphic novel and the publisher changed your work how would you feel? DC previously released BATMAN: YEAR ONE deluxe edition in 2005, and although that version is no longer in print, copies of the previous deluxe edition publication are still available. What do you think of the changes made to the book? Would you still buy this version? BATMAN: YEAR ONE Deluxe Edition hits stores on March 14th, 2012.
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