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Topic:
Trade Paperbacks . . . again
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Mastadge
Title:
Manager Emeritus
Registered:
Jun '99
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Date Posted:
1/30 5:05am
Subject:
Trade Paperbacks . . . again
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Once again I find myself considering TPBs and comics. As some know, I read comics mostly in TPBs. A few I buy monthly because I love the creator and want to do my bit to support the title, but even then I generally collect for months and then read a whole bunch of monthlies at a go -- especially with so many comics being "written to the collection" as they are.
It has come to my attention that while I used to enjoy both DC and Marvel, I now read almost solely Marvel comics, and this is in large part due to their TPB program. It's very aggressive -- the collected story is usually available very quickly after a story is done in monthlies. They also make sequencing very easy, with nice numbers on the spines of their books in most cases.
DC, on the other hand, makes sequencing nigh impossible. Superman has three monthly solo books (or is it down to two now?), often tying together and being mingled in the trades, but there's no numbers on the spines, no timeline inside. The only way to figure out what goes when is to open up the TPBs and see what issues are collected in there, which, when there're tons of 'em, is very time consuming. (By the way, I've got a list of such in case anyone's interested). Plus they often take much longer to collect their stories than Marvel, meaning at any given time, the trade reader is way behind. Even their "adult" imprint, Vertigo, which has a more aggressive TPB policy, is still frequently frustratingly slow.
Both companies are being pretty good right now about presenting trade collections of old material.
One thing that frustrates me is trade hardcovers. I've mentioned this in another thread. I love Marvel's Omnibus and DC's Absolute lines. Oversized, high-quality, bells-and-whistles editions of great or classic stuff. I also like Marvel's normal hardcover line, frequently collecting a whole year, two or three trades, of stories in one oversized cover. I like the way these volumes look and feel and don't mind waiting for them. But Marvel's "premiere hardcover" thing drives me up the wall. The same contents as a TPB in a standard sized hardcover. To me, not worth it. I hate having to wait extra months for X-Factor, New Avengers and Moon Knight, but I'm unwilling to pay the few dollars extra for this nonsense -- and I'm still waiting for ANY of the Zombies stuff, which I definitely don't care enough about to get the hardcover, but which they seem to have decided not to issue in paperback. Maybe they'll eventually do a hardcover collecting ZOMBIES, Ash Vs, and Zombies 2. Then I might go for that.
Image also seems to have jumped on board with the giant Omnibus format, which is nice, or would be if I cared about most of their lines. And they also, at least with top-sellers like Kirkman, release oversized hardcovers, which I like. I've also been very impressed with IDW's TPB line, and, mostly, with Dark Horse's, though I'm of mixed feelings about the digest-sized omnibus business. And Dynamite needs to get their act together with the TPBs. They take FOREVER to come out, and frequently have nasty errors: lousy binding, sometimes a page missing all dialogue, questionable decisions about which comics to include in a trade. . .
Meh. I'm sick of my own yammering. I love comics. I usually wait for trades. Cater to me, business people.
-----signature-----
"This will be our reply to violence:
To make music more intensely,
More beautifully,
More devotedly than ever before."
- Leonard Bernstein
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Darth-Lando
Registered:
Aug '02
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Date Posted:
1/30 9:04am
Subject:
RE: Trade Paperbacks . . . again
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I totally agree with your hatred for hardcovers. Long ago in the before times I decided to tradewait on Planet Hulk. Fast-forward about a year to when World War Hulk is starting. Wouldn't it make sense for Marvel to release Planet Hulk in Tpb form so more people will jump on the Hulk bandwagon? Nope! Let's make a big $50 hardcover! Fast-forward ANOTHER year and I still haven't read Planet Hulk, something I've been dying to sink my teeth into, even though I already know how it turns out.
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"A delayed game is eventually good, a rushed game is bad forever." - Shigeru Miyamoto
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TiniTinyTony
Registered:
Mar '03
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Date Posted:
1/30 8:13pm
Subject:
RE: Trade Paperbacks . . . again
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If you like TPB's, check this one out:
[link=http://www.amazon.com/Gargoyles-Clan-Building-1/dp/1593620969/ref=pd_bbs_sr_9?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201752605&sr=8-9]
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"My strength has never depended on brute force, but on true friends."
-- Goliath (Gargoyles, "The Mirror")
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FlareStorm
Registered:
Nov '00
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Date Posted:
1/30 8:45pm
Subject:
RE: Trade Paperbacks . . . again
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The libraries around here carry boatloads of them, to my surprise.
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moosemousse
Title: CR - FF:UK South
Registered:
Oct '04
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Date Posted:
1/31 12:25am
Subject:
RE: Trade Paperbacks . . . again
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I'd like the Dark Tower to come out in TPB, I've only seen it in hardback.
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Vader's Mousedroid Society Fanfic links in my bio My fan art: http://boards.theforce.net/fan_art/b10020/26961879/ when infected with Small Child the victim continues to swell for nine months before the infection can be safely removed
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NYCitygurl
Title: Railroad Baroness of SFFBC, C&G, and NSWFF
Registered:
Jul '02
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Date Posted:
1/31 7:08am
Subject:
RE: Trade Paperbacks . . . again
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I don't read comics, but I'm not a big fan of trade paperbacks for books. I prefer mass market; smaller (and when you have as many books as I do, small is good) and less expensive. I hate hardcover; I only buy them rarely.
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"We Earth Men have a talent for ruining big, beautiful things." ~ Master of padawanlost, Ultima_1 and Jedimaster_JainaSolo 
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TiniTinyTony
Registered:
Mar '03
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Date Posted:
2/3 11:51am
Subject:
RE: Trade Paperbacks . . . again
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Good news! The Gargoyles Clan Building Vol 1 Trade Paper Back and been lowered from $19.95 to $13.57! That's a steal!
http://www.amazon.com/Gargoyles-Clan-Building-1/dp/1593620969/ref=pd_bbs_sr_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1202067444&sr=8-6
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"My strength has never depended on brute force, but on true friends."
-- Goliath (Gargoyles, "The Mirror")
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Mastadge
Title:
Manager Emeritus
Registered:
Jun '99
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Date Posted:
2/8 6:25am
Subject:
RE: Trade Paperbacks . . . again
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Two trade questions:
1) Anyone know how they're planning on collecting Spider-Man in its new format? Skinny TPBs every month or two? Hardcovers ever 3 or 4 months?
2) What about the zombies business? They seem to have canceled the TPB of Marvel Zombies. Are they waiting until after Zombies II, and then doing a hardcover with Zombies, AoD vs, and Zombies II?
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"This will be our reply to violence:
To make music more intensely,
More beautifully,
More devotedly than ever before."
- Leonard Bernstein
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darth-sinister
Title: Manager Emeritus
Registered:
Jun '01
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Date Posted:
2/10 11:23am
Subject:
RE: Trade Paperbacks . . . again
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I'm not sure about the Marvel Zombies line, but I can safely say that I'm not going to be picking up Spider-Man. Not since "One More Day". I'm guessing that Marvel will collect the first two or three arcs together. Enough to have a proper TPB without relying on filler like reprints.
In regards to how DC puts their trade system together, it's not that difficult. I admit that numbers probably make it easier, but it's not too difficult to figure out. Take Superman for instance. "Up, Up & Away" leads to "Back In Action" which then continues in the upcoming trade for "Last Son". After that is "Redemption", "Camelot Falls", "Escape From Bizarro's World" and "3-2-1 Action". Batman starts with "Face The Face" which goes into "Detective", "Grotesk, "Death In The City", "Batman & Son", "The League Of Batmen" and "The Resurrection Of Ra's al Ghul".
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came up with the formula for great Star Wars dialouge."
Palpatine: "Something, something, something. Dark side.
Something, something, something complete."
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Darth-Lando
Registered:
Aug '02
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Date Posted:
2/10 11:45am
Subject:
RE: Trade Paperbacks . . . again
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I think the Marvel Zombies trade keeps getting pushed back because the hardbacks keep selling. I know they've reprinted the hardcover at least twice. Each time with a new cover of course.
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"A delayed game is eventually good, a rushed game is bad forever." - Shigeru Miyamoto
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Mastadge
Title:
Manager Emeritus
Registered:
Jun '99
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Date Posted:
2/10 6:26pm
Subject:
RE: Trade Paperbacks . . . again
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darth-sinister posted:
In regards to how DC puts their trade system together, it's not that difficult. I admit that numbers probably make it easier, but it's not too difficult to figure out. Take Superman for instance. "Up, Up & Away" leads to "Back In Action" which then continues in the upcoming trade for "Last Son". After that is "Redemption", "Camelot Falls", "Escape From Bizarro's World" and "3-2-1 Action". Batman starts with "Face The Face" which goes into "Detective", "Grotesk, "Death In The City", "Batman & Son", "The League Of Batmen" and "The Resurrection Of Ra's al Ghul".
It is that difficult. There's no numbers, no list. If I walk into a bookstore without knowing in advance how the stories go, and I see 10 different Superman trades with no indication of which order they go in, I'll probably not buy any of them. It's just silly.
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"This will be our reply to violence:
To make music more intensely,
More beautifully,
More devotedly than ever before."
- Leonard Bernstein
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darth-sinister
Title: Manager Emeritus
Registered:
Jun '01
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Date Posted:
2/11 10:45am
Subject:
RE: Trade Paperbacks . . . again
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Yeah, because it's not like you cannot just buy and read the stories and then go from there. You don't need numbers to figure out which story goes where and when. And it's not like you cannot change the order in which you put them, after you get caught up.
-----signature-----
Stewie: "Oh, this is an even bigger jackpot than when the Emperor
came up with the formula for great Star Wars dialouge."
Palpatine: "Something, something, something. Dark side.
Something, something, something complete."
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Darth-Lando
Registered:
Aug '02
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Date Posted:
2/11 12:46pm
Subject:
RE: Trade Paperbacks . . . again
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darth-sinister posted:
Yeah, because it's not like you cannot just buy and read the stories and then go from there. You don't need numbers to figure out which story goes where and when. And it's not like you cannot change the order in which you put them, after you get caught up.
Yes but when I read a story I tend to like to start at the beginning. If there are 10 trades in front of me why would I want to read the one that comes sixth first? It's NOT hard to put a little "Vol. 1" on the spine of the book.
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"A delayed game is eventually good, a rushed game is bad forever." - Shigeru Miyamoto
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darth-sinister
Title: Manager Emeritus
Registered:
Jun '01
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Date Posted:
2/14 11:04am
Subject:
RE: Trade Paperbacks . . . again
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Books like Superman and Batman run at their own paces and take place during different points in time, especially with the lateness factor. Thus the use of volume numbers is rendered useless right now. The other DC books don't have that problem. The Superman books will be fixing as it is rumored that they'll be going back to the interconnected style of the late 80's and all of the 90's.
Anyway, I just gave you the master list for both books. Though we need to alter Superman a bit as I messed up a bit. Up, Up & Away" leads to "Back In Action" which then continues in the upcoming trade for "Last Son". After that is "Camelot Falls" Vol. 1, "Redemption", "Camelot Falls" Vol. 2, "Escape From Bizarro's World" and "3-2-1 Action".
-----signature-----
Stewie: "Oh, this is an even bigger jackpot than when the Emperor
came up with the formula for great Star Wars dialouge."
Palpatine: "Something, something, something. Dark side.
Something, something, something complete."
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Mastadge
Title:
Manager Emeritus
Registered:
Jun '99
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Date Posted:
2/17 7:10am
Subject:
RE: Trade Paperbacks . . . again
- Date Edited:
2/17 7:11am (1 edits total)
Edited By:
Mastadge
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As far as Spider-Man, looks like they're doing the Premiere Hardcover business. The first one collects issues 546-551, the second 552-558. First coming in June, second in July.
Anyone have any idea if they're ever going to release a fourth Planetary trade? It's only been four years since the last one.
-----signature-----
"This will be our reply to violence:
To make music more intensely,
More beautifully,
More devotedly than ever before."
- Leonard Bernstein
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The_Face
Title: Fan Fic Manager, now with more real butter flavor
Registered:
Feb '03
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Date Posted:
2/17 9:20pm
Subject:
RE: Trade Paperbacks . . . again
- Date Edited:
2/17 9:21pm (1 edits total)
Edited By:
The_Face
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I'm pretty sure they're waiting to release the next Planetary trade until the series is finished with the... uh, long-foretold... Issue #27. Not sure how long after that it'll be until the TPB.
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