As you’ve all heard by now Dave Sim and Aardvark-Vanaheim have moved Cerebus Archive from the Lebonfon printing company and Diamond Distributor to a print on demand publisher: ComiXpress. Dave speaks about why he made the switch in his annoucement on CerebusTV’s episode one.

I originally ordered Cerebus Archive #4 on Oct 26 and then Cerebus Archive #1 – 3 on Oct 27.  Even though both orders weren’t ready until Nov 12, the site gave me no option to combine shipping on the two orders (both going to the same address). And just today I got the first four issues of Cerebus Archive from ComiXpress (in the two different shipments). Issue #4 is brand new, not having been offered by Diamond at all, while issue #1 – 3 had been offered by Diamond.

So I got my Diamond distributed Lebonfon printed #3 and compared it to the ComiXpress #3.

The most noticible difference is the price tag: $4 for the print on demand version and $3 for the copy I got in a store.  In the number block, instead of the month (AUG in the Lebonfon printing), the ComiXpress version has POD. Looking at the cover, the Lebonfon printed copy has a glossy black and a slightly different hue to the colors. The Lebonfon printed copy is approximately .125″ shorter then the ComiXpress version; so you can see more of the bottom of the cover artwork.

Though the Lebonfon printed copy is approximately .125″ wider then the ComiXpress version.

The inside pages feel glossier on the ComiXpress version and it shows in the blacks. The ComiXpress blacks are darker and fuller then the Lebonfon blacks.

The only other difference is in the small text on the inside front cover that is the “Print in…” text.

ComiXpress is also offering back issues of glamourpuss, right now issues #1 – 7. Which I suspect, will have only the same minor changes as the Cerebus Archive back issues.