First Print vs. Second Print vs. Facsimile Edition: What's the Difference?
How to tell a first print from a second print, a facsimile edition or a reissue, and why the edition matters before you compare prices.
Two comics can share a title, an issue number and even a cover image and still be different collectibles. A first print is the original print run. A second print is a later run of the same issue. A facsimile edition is a modern reprint of a classic comic. Knowing which one you are looking at is one of the most important checks before you buy.
First print
The first print is the copy that went on sale on the original release date. For most collectors, "the" copy of an issue means the first print. When an issue is a key, such as a first appearance, the first print usually carries most of the demand and the highest prices.
Second print and later printings
When an issue sells out, the publisher can print more copies. These later runs are called second, third or later printings. They are usually marked in one of two ways:
- A new or changed cover. Many modern second prints use different cover art or a different color treatment, and the cover often says "Second Printing."
- The indicia. The small publishing text inside the comic usually records the printing.
A later printing is not a fake or a lesser copy. It is a separate collectible. Some second prints are scarcer than the first print because fewer copies were made, and popular second print covers can sell well above cover price. Ratio covers can also exist for later printings. A 1:25 second print is its own book, separate from the first print 1:25. Our guide to ratio variants explains how those covers work.
Facsimile edition
A facsimile edition reprints a classic issue so that it looks like the original, often including the original ads and letters pages. Facsimiles are sold new at a modern cover price. They let readers own a famous issue without paying for the original.
A facsimile is not the original comic, and it is not worth what the original is worth. Some facsimiles have their own variant covers and their own collector demand, but they should always be compared with other facsimiles, not with original copies.
Reprints, reissues and other editions
Publishers also release reprints under other names, such as reissues, anniversary editions and special editions. Platform exclusives, such as Whatnot editions, can apply to new comics, reissues and facsimiles. The rule is the same in every case: read the full title of the listing and the label, and compare a book only with copies of the same edition.
How to check the edition on a graded comic
CGC records the edition on the label. A second print, a facsimile or a reissue is identified there, and you can confirm the recorded details with the certification number lookup. Before you buy:
- Read the full listing title, not only the issue number.
- Check the label for the printing or edition.
- Compare the cover art with the label description.
- Compare prices only with sales of the same edition, cover and grade.
Our comic glossary covers these terms and more.
Printings and editions at ComicBookPlug
Current examples in the shop include an Absolute Batman #1 1:25 second print sketch cover and an Absolute Batman #2 1:25 second print, both signed by Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta, a DC K.O. #1 second printing with a Dan Mora cover, a Secret Wars #1 Facsimile Whatnot Edition signed by Tom DeFalco, Drew Zucker and John Beatty, and a Daredevil Reissue #38 Whatnot edition from Marvel (2025) signed by John Giang. Each listing names its edition in the title. Browse the Absolute Batman, Secret Wars and Daredevil collections, or all graded comics.