# Is "Batman: Captured by the Engines" by Joe R. Lansdale a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Batman: Captured by the Engines by Joe R. Lansdale (Warner Books, 1991) is identified by: US Warner Books (Warner Paperback Library) mass-market paperback original, New York, 1991, with a number line ending in 1. The 1991 Warner paperback original is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Warner Books (Warner Paperback Library) mass-market paperback original, New York, 1991, with a number line ending in 1
- The first hardcover, from Borderlands Press (Baltimore) in 1992, was published in somewhat revised form, limited to 500 numbered copies signed by Lansdale on a tipped-in leaf and issued in a dust jacket and slipcase
- Publisher imprint reads Warner Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Joe R. Lansdale |
| Publisher | Warner Books |
| Year | 1991 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Warner Books (Warner Paperback Library) mass-market paperback original, New York, 1991, with a number line ending in 1 |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
US Warner Books (Warner Paperback Library) mass-market paperback original, New York, 1991, with a number line ending in 1. The first hardcover, from Borderlands Press (Baltimore) in 1992, was published in somewhat revised form, limited to 500 numbered copies signed by Lansdale on a tipped-in leaf and issued in a dust jacket and slipcase.

## Is this the true first?
The 1991 Warner paperback original is the true first. The 1992 Borderlands Press signed, numbered limited hardcover is a later collectible issue in slightly altered text, not the first edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Not applicable; the first edition is a paperback original.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Batman: Captured by the Engines* by Joe R. Lansdale a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/batman-captured-by-the-engines
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.