Detective Comics #373 Exclusive Edition Comic (Warner) - How many different copies do exist ? 0

[archivist]

Hello everybody !
 
For over fifteen years now I try to create a list of all of DC Comics' giveaways, custom comics, previews, promotional books, inserts, etc., meaning comics which were not released through normal distribution channels.
 
Some collectors have been kind enough to share their data with me so I have been able to cross-check and verify their data with mine.  However, a few mysteries remain since I do not have enough data, or have conflicting data.  One such example of this is the Warner Edition Mini Comic of Detective Comics #373.

I have this mini comic listed as being published in 1997 together with a VHS tape.
 
Another collector, who is an expert on promotional books, has a copy listed in his notes as being published in 1995. Unfortunately he sold all of his books a few years ago and is not collecting anymore, so he can no longer verify that information.
 
Yet another collector, who is very meticulous with dates, puts the published year for this mini comic at 2000. I have emailed him twice asking if he could tell me more but so far he has not responded. So here I am going public with my quest for answers, hoping that some collectors out there know more about this (and future) issue(s).
 
My question here is: Was this Warner Edition Mini Comic of Detective Comics #373 released in different years or are there different printings that exist? This wouldn't be the first time that DC released the same promotional comic in different years. So far, the examples I have seen show nothing in the indicias.

What do you know ?
 
Best regards,
 
Archi

 

[Qalyar]

There is unquestionably a 1997 version of this book. It was a pack-in with The Ultimate Batman Collection, a shrinkwrapped, slipcased, fat stack of three VHS tapes that included Batman, Batman Returns, and Batman Forever (but not Batman & Robin, despite what a naive reading of the advertising sticker might suggest). This box set absolutely released in 1997.

That... doesn't mean that there's not a 2000 something that also included this book, or some version of it. Knowing how weird these DC promos are, I certainly can't confirm a negative. But the 1997 date for the 1997 version is legit.

[archivist]

 

Hi Qalyar !

 

Thank you for your response. Your answer matches with what I have found out about the 1997 edition. Always good to get some kind of confirmation about ones own work.

 

So let's see if someone else has information about a possible 1995 version or can tell me if the available information about the 2000 version on the internet can be confirmed ?

 

Best regards to all !

 

Archi

 

[archivist]

Does no one have any information about a 1995 or a 2000 copy ?