How should the back-ups be collected?

[Will.S]

Since the back up features are slowly becoming more integrated into the DCU books how do you guys think they should be collected? Separately or alongside the book that it's featured in?

Personally, unless it's really tied into the main feature I think separately is the way to go. A good example of this being done right is Archie Goodwin and Walter Simonson's Manhunter back ups from Detective Comics. When that was collected you got a dynamite story that was perhaps even better than the main features.

So far I'd definitely like to read the current Captain Atom, Metal Men, and The Question back ups in their entirety although less so for the Question since I already have those issues whereas the other two I only have scattered issues for or don't buy the main title features.

[Sean Walsh]

Both, I think.

For some - like METAL MEN and MANHUNTER - the backup has nothing to do with the main feature. So a seperate collection makes more sense.

Others - like CAPTAIN ATOM, RAVAGER and BLUE BEETLE - they're related to the main feature, and even tying into the main story.

Regarding those last 3, each is a bit different and should be handled as such...

- CAPTAIN ATOM will probably get its own trade, as it's being revealed that it's very much involved with the goings-on of the Superman books as a whole

- RAVAGER will probably get a trade, and I'd reckon she'd get to use the TEEN TITANS SPOTLIGHT label (much like the recent Cyborg and Raven minis got)

- BLUE BEETLE is interesting.....the last 2 or 3 issues of his cancelled series were not collected, and the first few of his backups are not related to the main BOOSTER GOLD series. So those could be put into their own BLUE BEETLE trade...

...however, the current BB backups are related to the main BG story. So for as long as that happens, the BB backups should probably be collected in the same book as its companion BG stories.

[Pól Rua]

The same way the Doctor 13 story (which ran as a back-up) did.

[DarkKnghtJared]

Didn't they confirm that the co-features would have their own trades?

[Will.S]

Didn't they confirm that the co-features would have their own trades?
They might have, although there's always the possibility that they might do different things with certain back ups.

[DonC]

At 8-10 pages an issue it's going to take some time for the back-ups to generate enough of a page count to warrant an individual trade. With that in mind, I have to agree with Sean. If the back-up ties into a storyline running in the main feature then the back-up should get thrown into that main feature's trade.

If the back-up is a seperate story, then it should be a seperate trade.

[Will.S]

At 8-10 pages an issue it's going to take some time for the back-ups to generate enough of a page count to warrant an individual trade. With that in mind, I have to agree with Sean. If the back-up ties into a storyline running in the main feature then the back-up should get thrown into that main feature's trade.

If the back-up is a seperate story, then it should be a seperate trade.
It's true that it's going to take a while for the books to add up to trades, but at the same time DC can also package them as whole double sized comics or smaller scale trades depending on how long the stories are within them.

So far the Captain Atom back up would come in at 40 pages if collected right now.

[Pixie_Solanas]

Right here:

http://www.fssd.com/images/Outreach/HometownGreen/Toilet1.jpg

[Raharu]

I believe you put waste in toilets, not good things.

I'll go with the crowd and say separately unless it ties into the story like Beetle and others. I'll totally buy the Metal Men trade in they collect it regardless that I am getting Doom Patrol:redface:

[odiin]

I don' know about the other co-features, but for things like Blue Beetle and Manhunter, I think it would actually be neat to collect them as actual issues of the cancelled series. For instance, the first few issues of the Blue Beetle co-feature would be released as Blue Beetle 37.

You could probably get away with doing the same for the other co-features, too. Only difference is that they would just be issues 1s. In fact that might be the only practical way other than having to wait for over a year for each co-feature to have enough pages to even reasonable put into trade format.

[DonC]

It's true that it's going to take a while for the books to add up to trades, but at the same time DC can also package them as whole double sized comics or smaller scale trades depending on how long the stories are within them.

So far the Captain Atom back up would come in at 40 pages if collected right now.


If you did them as double-sized comic books or 48- or 64-page graphic novels then the people who wait for the trades would start bitching that they don't buy those types of books. Maybe not all of them, but enough to give DC a headache.

[jackdaw53]

I'd say "don't put them into trade". Not because they are not good enough. But to give those heroes who pay $4 per issue (and thereby keep the circus on the road) a well deserved bonus... a story that can't be accessed elsewhere.

[Free-Man]

I'd say "don't put them into trade". Not because they are not good enough. But to give those heroes who pay $4 per issue (and thereby keep the circus on the road) a well deserved bonus... a story that can't be accessed elsewhere.

But as others have mentioned, there are cases like the Black Beetle storyline in the Blue Beetle backups that are integral to the main series.

[Propagandor]

I don;t think the Black Beetle story in the back up was integral to the main storyline, not much happened other than Jaime dropping the safeties on the armour for the first time

The last Blue Beetle trade covered up to issue 34, The next trade could easily include issue 35, 36, and the first 8 or back up features

[Will.S]

If you did them as double-sized comic books or 48- or 64-page graphic novels then the people who wait for the trades would start bitching that they don't buy those types of books. Maybe not all of them, but enough to give DC a headache.
I don't really see a huge difference between that and putting it all into a trade since but in that case then they should probably just stick them all into a trade so everything is all in one spot without having to do prestige volumes or something of that nature.

I'd say "don't put them into trade". Not because they are not good enough. But to give those heroes who pay $4 per issue (and thereby keep the circus on the road) a well deserved bonus... a story that can't be accessed elsewhere.
Part of me agrees with you in that it might result in people having to double dip but I think that they can just as easily decide not to get the back ups in a collected format and stick with their already bought co-featured issues.

But as others have mentioned, there are cases like the Black Beetle storyline in the Blue Beetle backups that are integral to the main series.
I wouldn't say that all the back ups should be collected the same.

The Blue Beetle material (which I don't read since I don't buy Booster Gold), can probably benefit more from being packaged with the regular Booster Gold content if they are in fact interlinked. But that type of thing is definitely going to increase the price of the trades by at least a couple more dollars.