To TPB or not to TPB?
I have been reading a lot of trades recently and I have to admit I love most of them but it has me pondering why even bother with the floppies?
Since I have come back to comics from my time out over a year and a bit a go I have noticed a change in comic books from when I first started to collect and read them and that is most story arcs are geared and written it feels to be released as a trade or HC.
Now I understand that of course they need to do this as a lot of people don’t bother with comics and only collect trades and its an excellent way of readers like myself being able to catch up on back stories we have made but now I am getting a bit of a collection and I am thinking with the prices of comic books and with previews coming weeks and months in advance on line why not wait for the trade?
The trade’s have pretty much everything that was in the original issues, except for the letter section, the trades are more sturdy, easier to carry around than the comics and you get the whole entire arc most of the time.
Out with sentimental value there is no real reason any more to collect comics as the comic book bubble burst years ago and its very rarely you will make anything and most times you will take a pretty big loss.
I am finding I enjoy the stories more in a trade when I have the full arc, sometimes with a comic as I get so much I need to go back and re read an issue or two before so I can recap my old forgetful memory.
I am in for AvX plus tie ins and I don’t mind telling you its getting annoying as I get my comics sometimes every week or two and sometimes every three weeks so having to find the order to read them I think the trade would be a lot easier to read.
Now don’t get me wrong I love my comics and there is no better feeling than sitting down with a new batch to read but in the end trades work out cheaper as well I think.
I like collecting and reading my comics and staying up to date with what’s happening but am enjoying reading the trades and it’s not like they are out that long after the initial comic and with the internet now as well its not like many comics are shocking me or having a huge twist I don’t know before I start to read.
I know this is a hot debate in comic book fandom already with a lot of people think its going the way of the TPB replacing the comic with digital coming out monthly instead of the floppy.
With the price of comics increasing all the time and more on my pull list at £2.65 than £2 I could get like four or five trades a month easy and still probably have change but in a strange, bizarre way I would feel bad. That’s right I love comic books and I would feel bad that I would not be helping the industry by not having a pull list.
I know I am only one person but it seems its happening already across the comic book world with trade only fans, I get you can’t replace that feeling of getting the latest comic book the week its out but do I really need to be this up to date?
I would be interested to see what comic book creators think of people who only read the trades and I may need to do some investigation.
As it stands i will see out AvX and then reivaluate the situation.
I love my comics and trades so whatever happens i will be keeping the local comic book store in business (love you Rob).
Regards
About the Author
Alex Giles Family man but quite possibly more childish than his two kids, loves Sci-Fi and is a renowned Whovian of over twenty years, collects comics (OCD about having first prints), poet and writer or randomness.
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I mostly only buy TPBs now, I tend to borrow current issues from @Fish4comics. Strangely, I’m more likely to pick up indy floppies, I feel I need to show stronger support for them over the big guys.
Also I’m pretty sure I recognize the shop the photo is from
Hahaha it’s the best comic store around in that picture
I agree and am totally contemplating getting trades from Marvel, DC and the ones I am catching up like Walking Dead and other Image stuff but stick with the independent like you do.
It’s a big decision though.
I’m solely a trade reader now for many reasons, it’s cheaper, better durability, looks cooler on a bookcase etc.
Trades also makes catching up on things amazingly easy. After being a Marvel Zombie for a few decades I’ve decided to try out some DC. I’ve already bought and read the Johns GL/GLC stuff up to Sinestro Corps War and have the first 3 Morrison Batman HC’s coming in the mail. IF I was sticking to floppies I’d have no hope of reading this stuff.
Though the best thing I like about trades/HCs? Giving them to non-comic people to try and get them hooked. My Joss Whedon Astonishing X-Men Omnibus has done the rounds with a few friends now….