Gargoyles comics can look confusing on a shop shelf because the publisher on a book and the era of its story are not always the same. Dynamite publishes new adventures, but its catalog also includes collections of earlier material.
The useful question is therefore not simply who printed the book. Ask which original series it contains.
Marvel: the original comic run
The 1995 Gargoyles series ran for eleven issues. The Classic Years collection brings that material together, with creators including Martin Pasko, Mort Todd and Amanda Conner credited in the publisher listing.
For a reader, this is a chance to explore how the property first appeared in a regular comic series. Approach it as its own run. Do not assume its issue numbering continues into the later SLG or Dynamite books.
SLG: Clan Building and Bad Guys
The SLG era brought Greg Weisman to the scripts of Clan Building, with Bad Guys as a companion title. The complete Clan Building story contains twelve chapters. These books are central to the continuation Weisman describes when explaining the relationship between television and comics.
When comparing editions, look for the full contents statement. An individual volume and a collected edition of the entire story can share prominent words on their covers while containing different amounts of material.
Dynamite: continuation and collected history
Here in Manhattan, written by Weisman and illustrated by George Kambadais, is part of the newer continuation. Dynamite also publishes related projects such as Quest, whose collected edition contains five issues and credits artist Pasquale Qualano.
At the same time, Dynamite editions can collect the older Marvel and SLG stories. A recent publication date on a retailer page therefore does not establish that the story itself is new.
Build a reading shelf, not a duplicate shelf
Record three things before choosing an edition: its story subtitle, the issues it collects and whether you already own those issues elsewhere. Then compare format and condition according to how you plan to use the book.
A reader who wants a comfortable complete story may value a collected edition. Someone interested in original publication history may prefer individual issues. Neither goal requires chasing every cover variation. The best purchase is the edition that supplies the story or object you actually want.