kaipo Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 I've been catching up on reading Marvel Now digital issues, but I'm thinking of collecting print stuff. just wanna know, do you guys collect trades/collected editions or do you prefer single issues? I'm leaning toward singles since most of the Marvel Now series are less than a year old and it wouldn't be hard to get all the back issues. but I really like some of the trades and hardcovers like AvX and Marvel Masterworks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
groundhog7s Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 I only read Marvel and I only do trades. Of course, working for the company that distributes all of their trades doesn't influence me at all... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donny B Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 I love collecting trades because they look great on my shelf, and it's easy to read straight through one story arc or run (especially when one trade collects issues that may not be part of the main title. It just makes it easier to keep track). Plus, the price point tends to be better than buying single issues.However... The one big drawback (at least for me) to trades is that I'm always fearful of damaging the spine. You can't open up a page all the way, and that gets especially annoying when the artist chose to use both pages for a layout (whether as one big splash page, or when using both pages to share panels. That happens more often than I would have expected). Single issues don't have that problem... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warburger Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 I collect both, and I love both. Hardcovers and TPBs do look great in the shelves but key singles in protective cases or CGC graded comics have aesthetic value when being displayed either by itself or together with an action figure or a statue. I generally buy only hardcovers as it is more sturdy in the long run. I buy HCs/TPBs even if I have the single issues if I really love the story or if it's key, e.g. Sandman, New X-Men Omnibus (Morrison), We3, Preacher, Wolverine Origin, Dark Phoenix Saga...etc...I plan on completing Y The Last Man HCs as well. I vote singles for the reason that trades are derivatives of singles. No one would discover the joy of reading a comic story in trade format if no one else bought it in singles before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
groundhog7s Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 One of the big drawbacks I find is storing trades seems much harder. I finally sold off about 40-50 Marvel omnibus' a couple of weeks ago because they really are too big to casually read and they took up a huge chunk of my shelf space. Single issues do take up way less room and are easier to read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zexion_Armando Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 Single issues, all the way. I could never own a trade, cause I dislike them, and my boyfriend (who is a single issue freak, lol.) would beat me to death with the book if I ever got one, lol. I love the feel of comics, the smell of the old newspaper is nice, and its just nice feeling to get that missing key issue you need to fill in a blank (way better feeling than "Oh, I got the book...) The only thing I would give trades is the lack of tacky ad's in the pages. Ugh, such a pointless page waster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Harris Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 Trades. Just because it's harder and way more expensive to collect single issues over here. I want to read the English original, not the German translation which is what you usually get here in comic shops and other stores. But trades can be ordered at book stores or online retailers like amazon etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaipo Posted July 12, 2013 Author Share Posted July 12, 2013 One of the big drawbacks I find is storing trades seems much harder. I finally sold off about 40-50 Marvel omnibus' a couple of weeks ago because they really are too big to casually read and they took up a huge chunk of my shelf space. Single issues do take up way less room and are easier to read. This is pretty much one of the drawbacks I'm considering with trades...is that they take up more space. The one big drawback (at least for me) to trades is that I'm always fearful of damaging the spine. You can't open up a page all the way, and that gets especially annoying when the artist chose to use both pages for a layout (whether as one big splash page, or when using both pages to share panels. That happens more often than I would have expected). Single issues don't have that problem... I'm surprised to hear this. I would think I would be more careful with single issues, since they could rip easier. I generally buy only hardcovers as it is more sturdy in the long run. If I do go with collected editions, I would definitely get paperback over hardcover. Just based on the fact that I think they'd be cheaper, lighter, and easier to read/handle. I love the feel of comics, the smell of the old newspaper is nice, and its just nice feeling to get that missing key issue you need to fill in a blank (way better feeling than "Oh, I got the book...) The only thing I would give trades is the lack of tacky ad's in the pages. Ugh, such a pointless page waster. I definitely like the feel of comics as well. Very nostalgic. However, not having ads is actually a pretty big factor for me now that I think about it. I love reading my digital comics because they are ad-free! If I do go with the single issues, what I would probably do is read them once in print, redeem the code, then bag them and put them away and if I want to reread I can go to the digital. If I go with trades, though, I would definitely have them on a shelf and have no problem picking them up and rereading. Thoughts??? Thanks for all the responses so far! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donny B Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 I think everyone has presented great points/perspectives/opinions. The only point I would differ on is how much space trades take up vs single issues. Granted, my experience is solely with paperback trades (no hardcovers or omnibuses) but in that respect; a trade collects (on average) 6 issues in a single binding. 6 single issues, bagged and boarded, take up almost twice that amount of space. That's been my experience, at least. The one big drawback (at least for me) to trades is that I'm always fearful of damaging the spine. You can't open up a page all the way, and that gets especially annoying when the artist chose to use both pages for a layout (whether as one big splash page, or when using both pages to share panels. That happens more often than I would have expected). Single issues don't have that problem... I'm surprised to hear this. I would think I would be more careful with single issues, since they could rip easier. Yeah, it kinda surprised me at first, too. but the binding on the spine (this is specifically for paperbacks. I doubt hard covers have this problem) is subject to creasing if you pull the pages apart enough. Whereas a comic book has staples in the spine, so there's no way to create vertical creases. Ripping is easily avoidable if you're careful enough. With a single issue, there's no hard binding to keep the pages connected, so there's nothing to finagle when it comes to opening a page up. Trades tend to be more stubborn.Also, you make a good point about paperbacks vs hard covers, in that paperbacks are cheaper, lighter, and easier to read/handle.And I have to say, it's interesting seeing all the different perspectives. I have a good friend from high school who runs a comic shop and he constantly picks on me for liking trades (the issue with the spine is his main reason for avoiding them), and I totally see his perspective. There is definitely something to be said for single issues. I guess it really all depends on your personal preference... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hellpop Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 Personally, I don't think there's a good reason to keep buying monthly comics. It's a shoddy, overpriced product. That being said, I could accept that (and I did for many years, and still do via back issues) if today's creators had any idea about how to create for a monthly comic. But they don't. Comics are written to be read in a collection, so why read them a chapter at a time? When I finally made the switch to trades, it was liberating. The only reason to still buy monthly comics, IMHO, is if you're the type of person that simply can't wait to see what's going to happen, or hates having something spoiled. But I found that, once I made the switch, I was less concerned with plot twists then with craftsmanship. I enjoy what I read now much more then I would, in most cases, reading in installments. As far as modern comics go, trades are simply superior in every measurable way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UK Collector Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 Trades all the way. Two main reasons: 1. Cost - single issues out here in the UK are darn pricey, whereas trades are pretty cheap through amazon when you get free shipping etc. 2. Durability - I don't have room to display anything (yet) so cannot comment on spine breakage etc. but I do feel that I can chuck a trade in my bag and run for my train and it will survive better when compared to 2 or 3 single issues. That said I prefer oversized hardback editions above all else. I have most of the Absolute DC editions and they are beautiful. As soon as I have display space they will be out for the world to see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElGallo21 Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 I rarely find the time to take a trip to the comic shop so I opt for hardcovers and trades. I do have quite a few singles since some of the older stories didn't get collected in trade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaipo Posted July 12, 2013 Author Share Posted July 12, 2013 I think everyone has presented great points/perspectives/opinions. The only point I would differ on is how much space trades take up vs single issues. Granted, my experience is solely with paperback trades (no hardcovers or omnibuses) but in that respect; a trade collects (on average) 6 issues in a single binding. 6 single issues, bagged and boarded, take up almost twice that amount of space. That's been my experience, at least. Wow. So since I would probably be going with paperback trades over hardcovers, they would actually take up LESS space. The only thing is the spine that you mentioned. Although the ONE trade paperback I have (House of M) I've read it a few times and the spine is still holding up. I'm still deciding. I think I will pick one series that I like and just get the singles from that, and for everything else that interests me get the trades. Not sure yet. What I like about singles is that they're comics. So there's just some value in "collecting comic books" to me. Idk. I have a hand me down box of 70s comics from my dad. So being able to pass those down later is kinda cool to me. But the trades would stand up better over time, I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shogi Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 I enjoy Trades mostly. That said I have been burned by them at least twice in the fact that sometimes a trade doesn't include everything the single comic had. Case(s) in point: Marvel's (and I believe IDW's reissue) GI Joe Vol 1 doesn't include the side story "Hot Potato" that was in the first issue Also Johnny the Homicidal Maniac Trade ONLY has the stories that pertained to the title character, all of the "Meanwhile..." side stories that were in each individual issue are not in the trade But I believe those are more the exceptions and not the rule. Like others have mentioned, trades can be great for story arcs. I have the 3 Knightfall trades and the old Spiderman vs Venom trade. In both cases, the trades include comics and even single panels that add to the story, but were not in the main issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zexion_Armando Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 What I like about singles is that they're comics. So there's just some value in "collecting comic books" to me. Idk. I have a hand me down box of 70s comics from my dad. So being able to pass those down later is kinda cool to me. But the trades would stand up better over time, I think. Thats another reason. When my future child hits an appropriate age, he will have more Marvel comics than he can count, and I will just light up inside. As for modern comics... I don't know, I enjoy reading them chapter by chapter. It makes every single week fun and exciting since I get something to read, and makes the hype for the next issue titillating, like a TV show. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TM2 Dinobot Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 I'll do single issues if it's got Black Cat in it, but otherwise, if its something I love, it's a trade. if its just something to read, download it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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