Coming soon to a bookshelf near you (assuming you can spring for the hundred bucks) is this nifty book.  We’ll let the press release tell you most of what you need to know…

IDW proudly presents SERGIO ARAGONÉS’ GROO THE WANDERER: ARTIST’S EDITION, collecting a classic four-part story in its entirety by the Mad, Manic, and Marvellous SERGIO ARAGONÉS! Sergio began his career at Mad Magazine in the early 1960s and has been drawing comics ever since.

In 1982 Sergio, with his frequent collaborator Mark Evanier, launched Groo the Wanderer. Groo has since become one of the most memorable and loveable characters of the last 30 years. This Artist’s Edition measures 12 x 17 inches and features four oversized issues, including extras. Added bonus: the very first Groo story by Sergio (in redrawn form) will also be in this book. This Artist’s Edition is shipped in a custom cardboard box for maximum protection. Available in July.

Brought to you by the same team responsible for the Eisner Award-winning Dave Stevens’ The Rocketeer: The Artist’s Edition, as well as Wally Wood’s EC Stories: Artist’s Edition.

WHAT IS AN ARTIST’S EDITION?

AN ARTIST’S EDITION PRESENTS COMPLETE STORIES WITH EACH PAGE SCANNED FROM THE ACTUAL ORIGINAL ART.

While appearing to be in black and white, each page was scanned in color to mimic as closely as possible the experience of viewing the actual original art—for instance, corrections, blue pencils, paste-overs, all the little nuances that make original art unique. Each page is printed the same size as drawn, and the paper selected is as close as possible to the original art board.

And we’ll just add that the volume will reprint the four-part Groo tale, “The Wager of the Gods,” which ran in Epic Groo #96-99, plus there will be covers, odd pages from other stories, sketches, a foreword by Evanier and other goodies.  Start saving your kopins!

After a dry spell, Sergio and Mark are working on new Groo stories, including a 25th Anniversary Special which will be out in August and a new mini-series which will follow that. The reprint books will also be resuming, though in a slightly different format. Mark has more details over on his weblog.