A question from me about comic consumption

There has been a move to TPBs by both publishers and fans - Marvel has become notorious over the past couple of years for actually pacing their story arcs so they can fit within a 6-issue length TPB, regardless of how padded or fluffed the arc might seem. (Key offenders in this decompression: Geoff Johns' Avengers, Greg Rucka's Wolverine, Bruce Jones' Hulk; people shove Bendis into this hole, but I don't think it's fair). Also, Marvel began an agressive TPB program, wherein just about everything they published was being collected soon after the final monthly issue hit the stands. As a result, fans started to "wait for the trade" at the expense of purchasing the monthly title - it's more convenient to grab the story in one collection, and it's probably cheaper than buying the individual issues. Not sure when DC jumped on this bandwagon, but they're on it to some degree.

Of course, when folks carry this "wait for the trade" mentality over to the small press publishers is when the fan starts to dispense the feces. But, then, I think more small publishers are ignoring the monthly market and simply publishing Graphic Novels.

Also, if the Dipshits That Be are basing the success of a new title on monthly sales, but make it clear that a TPB of the first six issues will be solicited two months prior to the completion of the title's first arc, but are dismayed when sales on the monthly issues are low because (surprise!) fannies are "waiting for the trade", and said dipshits cut bait on the new title as a result of the disappointing monthly sales before even seeing how the TPB sells, then they are truly worthy of their dipshittiness.

As for the people here - I was under the impression that most folks here buy single issues. As a long time geek, I can't see myself really getting over the glee I have on NEW COMIC DAY!

However...

For the comics I really like, I like having them in trades. They're so much easier to re-read and lend to friends, and they look nice on the bookshelf instead of hiding in stupid boxes. I would also like a definitive answer on the "YOU'RE KILLING COMICS BY CHOOSING NOT TO BUY ISSUES!" issue.

(x-post)

- not flood the market with new titles simply to see what sticks, but instead exercise some pre-emptive quality control in putting new product out in the marketplace

- when putting out new product, either HOLD OFF ON ANY TPBing (for at least a year) until monthly sales dictate that there might be interest in such collections, or just release the damn thing as a collection from the get-go and screw the monthly sales (SEE MANGA YOU TWERPS)

- exercise quality control in what's actually collected - you're going to have X-Men TPBs up the yin-yang, but there's no need to collect Hulk / Wolverine: Six Hours or Hulk: Nightmerica or Captain America: What Price Glory or Wolverine: Exile just because you can; if you're not going to reprint Street Poet Ray or The Life of Pope John Paul II, then you should extend this sense of pride and self-worth across the entire line and show some restraint

- cut the crap re: not allowing re-orders & forcing retailers to either A) put all their eggs in one basket and guestimate how many issues of The Eternal or Runaways they should purchase / eat or B) limit their purchases to the cash cows at the expense of the new stuff, thereby reinforcing the Spidey / X hegemony, thereby stultifying any sort of growth for the Marvel market outside of the direct market mores of Cornelius Q. Sweatyballz & his group of internet friends

I don't know if there's really a good answer to this, since I'm always really happy when I'm able to catch up on a new title that's been getting some buzz by getting a trade and jumping in with the issues (this happened with Y, Fables, Sleeper, etc.).

The collection-from-the-start thing would be cool if they were cheaper, otherwise I think many people are much less likely to take a chance on something new for $15-20, and they might not get the chance to build up that buzz.

Happy New Comic Day everyone!

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Reading comics is very frustrating.