Posted in: Batman, Comics, Comics Publishers, Current News, DC Comics, IDW, Image | Tagged: scott dunbier, skybound
Skybound, The New Home For Scott Dunbier's Act 4 Artist's Editions
Skybound, the new home for Scott Dunbier's Act 4 Artist’s Editions volumes for 2025, after leaving IDW last year.
Article Summary
- Skybound partners with Act 4 for Scott Dunbier’s Artist’s Editions from 2025.
- Scott Dunbier returns to Image Comics, continues original art publishing.
- New Connoisseur Editions promise immersive, deluxe comic experiences.
- Upcoming releases include Jim Aparo and Darwyn Cooke's classic works.
Today Skybound and Image Comics, in partnership with Scott Dunbier's Act 4 Publishing, announced a multi-year, worldwide distribution deal that names Skybound as Act 4's publishing partner, with launch titles arriving in in the autumn of 2025. It also marks an return for Scott Dunbier to a studio publishing through Image Comics, as he used to be the Editor In Chief of Jim Lee's Wildstorm Studios.
Earlier last year, I broke the news that IDW VP of Special Projects, and former EIC of Wildstorm, Scott Dunbier, would be stepping down from IDW after sixteen years. And that he had a new venture in mind. He launched his new publisher, Act 4, at San Diego Comic-Con, being the fourth act in Dunbier's career, as an art dealer, at Wildstorm/DC Comics, at IDW and now… this. He said "The goal of Act 4 will be to create books—comics, graphic novels, collections, Artist's Editions—that are bound together by the quality of their content. Making this move is exciting, and a bit scary, but I love the books that I do, and it's time to bet on myself." So he will be continuing the original art reproduction publishing line he pioneered at IDW, and that other publishers copied – until they realised how hard it was and outsourced to Scott. I understand that he has some contractual arrangements with such comics publishers and creators named him as a "key man" at IDW, and so without him at the publisher, they will be free to follow Scott to his new project. Walter Simonson is likely to be one.
Skybound and Act 4's publishing partnership will span products, including Artist's Edition hardcover books, single-issue comics and series collections, and Connoisseur Editions, a new deluxe hardcover format. The Connoisseur Edition is a brand-new format developed by Act 4 featuring a slipcase and premium finishing, collecting a complete comics series in an oversized, readable format. This format promises to transport the reader back to childhood, where they are completely immersed in the world on the page, reading a book in a larger-than-life format. The first releases in this distribution deal will be Jim Aparo's DC Classics Artist's Edition and Darwyn Cooke's The Complete Spirit Connoisseur Edition, coming in September and October 2025, respectively. Future releases within the publishing partnership include J. Scott Campbell's Danger Girl Artist Edition, Dave Stevens' Covers and Stories' Connoisseur Edition, Jason Pearson's Body Bags Artist's Edition, Paul Smith's Leave It to Chance Artist's Edition, and EC Comics Artist's Editions. Publishing details for these books will be announced in the coming months.
"Coming September 2025, experience the peak period of Jim Aparo's artistry from his runs featuring Batman (Brave and the Bold, Detective Comics) and The Spectre (Adventure Comics), with over 175 pages of original art in Jim Aparo's DC Classics Artist's Edition. This gorgeous hardcover presents classic Aparo art from what is regarded as his peak period and features eight stories, including four complete The Brave and the Bold stories, four complete Adventure Comics issues featuring The Spectre, as well as a selection of classic covers and pages. Then, in October 2025, leap into the crime-ridden, two-fisted tales of Darwyn Cooke's The Spirit, featuring Will Eisner's most famous creation, now collected in its entirety for the first time in this oversized collectible edition, presented within a beautiful slipcase. This edition is designed by Sean Phillips, who also oversaw the Eisner-winning Richard Stark's Parker: The Martini Edition – Last Call, to which this book is a companion in size and scope. J. Bone, Cooke's long-time collaborator, provides an introduction. Also included in this definitive version of Cooke's The Spirit is a gallery featuring all the covers, two variant covers from a Rocketeer/The Spirit crossover, and several never-before-seen drawings. Collects The Spirit #1-6, #8-12, and the Batman/The Spirit one-shot."
"I'm thrilled to be working with Skybound and to announce my first two books with them," said Scott Dunbier. "We are going to have some very exciting news in the coming months that I can't wait to share with you all. Looking forward to a bright future!"
"Scott Dunbier has innovated and redefined the comics industry at every stage of his career, and Skybound is proud to partner with Act 4 to bring his most ambitious endeavor to life," said Sean Mackiewicz, SVP, Publisher, Skybound. "This line of comics and books celebrates visionary creators, impeccable storytelling, and world-class original art, and will deliver them to a bigger audience than ever before."
Jim Aparo's DC Classics Artist's Edition (978-1-5343-3487-8 | SRP $150.00) will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday September 17, 2025 and at booksellers on Tuesday September 30, 2025. Darwyn Cooke's The Complete Spirit Connoisseur Edition (978-1-5343-3409-0 | SRP $100.00) will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday October 8, 2025, and at booksellers, on Tuesday October 21, 2025.
Other works include those from Wally Wood, Dave Stevens, Jason Pearson and Walter Simonson. Including oing new editions of two long out of print classic collections featuring the art of Dave Stevens…
The first three volumes of Walter Simonson's Ragnarok as an oversived collection and a brand new mini series…
Wally Wood's Expanded EC Stories Artist's Edition…
Jason Pearson's Body Bags Artist's Edition…
And more, much more. From Skybound, not from IDW.
