Watchmen Collectors Edition Box Set

There's nothing new I can say about Watchmen worth saying, if I'm honest. I hope you don't mind if I presume that if you're looking at this product, you know this story and you know what it means.If you've seen this pop up while browsing about the place but were unsure of what it actually is, browse no further. This boxset comprises the twelve individual issues of Watchmen that were published in 1986 and 1987 before being collected into the more widely recognized graphic novel format. Each issue is presented as a single oversized hardcover in an overall slipcase. In terms of size, it's the same trim as DC's Deluxe Edition line of books, so taller than a standard hardcover but not as tall as an Absolute.Speaking of Absolutes, Absolute Watchmen is still the best presentation of this story, but I'd like to focus on reproduction quantity here rather than quality. The amount of available versions of this story is bordering on ridiculous. If you so desire, you can buy this story in its original  yellow-covered paperback printing , movie tie-in reprints in either  paperback  or  hardcover , the oversize-trim  Deluxe Edition hardcover , the  paperback version of the Deluxe editoin  (no, really), the  Absolute edition , the pencil-and-ink-only Noir Edition (due for release next week) or this boxset, in addition to an assortment of digital versions of those just mentioned.Beyond the original issues, there's nothing extra here, no incentive to spend again on a story you're likely buying for at least the second time. Personally, it'd be my fourth copy of the story. Unlike the recent Dark Knight Returns boxset, the exterior artwork for this one isn't even nice. In fact, it's quite horrible looking. Obviously that's a matter of opinion, but it's a matter of fact that there's nothing new here and the slipcase itself is slightly too tall for the books, presumably to help with removal but with the added downside that they slide out too easily when you don't want them to.As a former dedicated (obsessed?) collector, I feel for those who are going to feel compelled to shell out for this latest presentation of these admittedly classic stories, but what it boils down to is this: DC doesn't need the money and I doubt you need another copy of this on your shelf. With most of the other formats listed, I can see the appeal, be it an assortment of supplemental material, an increase in size or the removal of colour altogether, but this seems TOO cynical, too OBVIOUS a cash grab for me to recommend, and you just know DC's going to run this into the ground, with Dark Knight Returns having been released earlier this year and Dark Knight III already being published in this style in (almost) monthly installments.No.Admittedly, it's subjective, and I just don't know how many times is too many times to pay for a good thing, but products like this are helping me figure it out.Three stars is a compromise between story quality (five) and reprint validity (one).