Trades vs. Monthly Issues

[Kirk G]

A co-worker of mine, after learning or reading a fine first issue of a new series, will now no longer buy it... prefering instead to wait until the arc is collected in a trade paper back or in hard cover.

He claims he enjoys it MORE when it is all available for one sitting.
(Now, he also gets a hefty discount from his mother in law in a local bookstore, who can see which issues are being collected and he can effectively, buy the trade collection AT COST!)

But it brings up an interesting question or two.
If more people did this, would it tend to kill off the regular monthly series because so many wait for the trade to come out, or, might it prevent a trade from coming out... if the sales figures are down or dropping.

Second, I'm not sure that I get the same experience from reading a trade all in one swoop, instead of having monthly installments (assuming that the shipping schedule holds accurately) and enjoying it as it comes out. Certainly, reading monthly installments gives me the opportunity to discuss it here on CBR with other passionate fans, and that's a plus.

But I recall a handful of issues coming out that had me on the edge of my chair when I was younger.... X-men 174, with the revelation that Mastermind was behind it all. Alpha Flight #26-27 with the revelation that Courtney was a robot and guardian's return has all been a fake. Captain America #8 with the big unveil of Bucky and the soviet sub! (And Wanda behind Avengers Dissembled! in Avengers #503!)
Fantastic Four #62 with the saving of Reed Richards from the Negative Zone.

These regular monthly installments somehow made the story sweeter. The paper was more muted in the coloring, and the smell of the ink somehow better than the reprints. [I know the coloring of backgrounds in particular between the Inhumans/Frightful Four saga from FF #41-50 varried dramatically from the original to the World's Greatest Comic reprints...and thereby, changed my enjoyment of the stories, I feel.] (pale blue featureless backgrounds in the original, verses pale yellow backgrounds... and for that matter, redrawn covers by some hack instead of the original or modified Jack Kirby covers REALLY cheapened the story too!)

Anyway, I've been trying to think of some comparison of what the delayed gratification from a monthly installment of the regular series is like. I have come up with only one or two examples, and I wondered if some of you might agree.

First, there is a character in the movie "Diner" who is describing what married life is like to his buddies.... and he says sex is different when it's always there and you can have it whenever you like... instead of having to plan and wait for it when you're dating.

second, a person who is dieting delays their meal schedule and shrinks their portions, so that the food tastes even better to them when they actually get to eat dinner.

Third, going without sleep or staying up later,vs taking a cat nap.

Does any of this make sense to you?

How IS a regular monthly fix of a story arc that you are enjoying (like Ultimates) differ from reading the entire story in a trade (like Ultimates volume 2)? :confused:

[Kirk G]

A co-worker of mine, after learning or reading a fine first issue of a new series, will now no longer buy it... prefering instead to wait until the arc is collected in a trade paper back or in hard cover.

He claims he enjoys it MORE when it is all available for one sitting.
(Now, he also gets a hefty discount from his mother in law in a local bookstore, who can see which issues are being collected and he can effectively, buy the trade collection AT COST!)

Anyway, I've been trying to think of some comparison of what the delayed gratification from a monthly installment of the regular series is like. I have come up with only one or two examples, and I wondered if some of you might agree.

First, there is a character in the movie "Diner" who is describing what married life is like to his buddies.... and he says sex is different when it's always there and you can have it whenever you like... instead of having to plan and wait for it when you're dating.

second, a person who is dieting delays their meal schedule and shrinks their portions, so that the food tastes even better to them when they actually get to eat dinner.

Third, going without sleep or staying up later,vs taking a cat nap.

Does any of this make sense to you?

How IS a regular monthly fix of a story arc that you are enjoying (like Ultimates) differ from reading the entire story in a trade (like Ultimates volume 2)? :confused:

Wow, I'm surprised no one has commented on this yet? No opinions? No examples????

[Mo S.]

How about a tangent answer? None of your analogies seem quite right to me, at least for why I'd rather read a trade. What is pretty much comes down to is that I have a FAR longer attention span than 22 pages. That is not long enough to get a complete story in, IMO, only a slice of one - either something is rushed and a bunch of interesting smaller moments get left out, or there isn't actually a lot of story there. When the story is continued for more than an issue or two, I'd rather read the entire story without an interruption so that I can appreciate it as a whole.

Unfortunately, I lack the patience to tradewait it all out, plus a very large portion of my pull list is indie or lower-sales Big 2, and if I waited for the trade, instead of buying individual issues, there might not BE a trade.

(Case in point: read Winter Men on WildStorm and Strange Girl on Image, dammit!)

[GreatLakesAvengers]

I'm a hybrid of the two, you might say.

I buy the monthlies but, I wait until I have a complete storyline to read them.

This way I get a full storyline and don't forget what's happening in a book since it often takes up to half a year to get the whole story.

I also manage to get all the one-issue stories that sometimes aren't collected in trades. Good thing, too ... 'cause it turns out that I often enjoy those one-issue stories more. Theyre usually short and sweet .. while capturing the true essence of a character or book without being long and unnecessarily drawn out just to fill up a trade's worth of pages.

[Cassidy]

I recently got my brother interested in comics through Grant Morrison's run on X-Men. I bought him the 1st and 2nd trades as a birthday gift -- he absolutely loved the X-Men films but had never read any of the comics.

Well, he went bezerk for the trades -- really enjoyed them -- and wanted more. I lent him the rest of the original Morrison issues which he read and also enjoyed.

I hoped this might have opened the door to him buying comics but all it did was fan his desire to buy trade paperbacks! He said that the original comics were "full of ads every 3 or 4 pages" while the trades could be enjoyed uninterrupted.

Considering the price of monthly issues compared to trades and the overall quality of trade collections over the original comics -- it's really a no brainer. Trade paperbacks are a much better deal.

I wonder sometimes why I'm still spending the cash on monthly issues.

[Kirk G]

I recently got my brother interested in comics through Grant Morrison's run on X-Men. I bought him the 1st and 2nd trades as a birthday gift -- he absolutely loved the X-Men films but had never read any of the comics.

Well, he went bezerk for the trades -- really enjoyed them -- and wanted more. I lent him the rest of the original Morrison issues which he read and also enjoyed.

I hoped this might have opened the door to him buying comics but all it did was fan his desire to buy trade paperbacks! He said that the original comics were "full of ads every 3 or 4 pages" while the trades could be enjoyed uninterrupted.

Considering the price of monthly issues compared to trades and the overall quality of trade collections over the original comics -- it's really a no brainer. Trade paperbacks are a much better deal.

I wonder sometimes why I'm still spending the cash on monthly issues.

I would argue that it is because of the regular weekly or monthly endorphin fix that we get when we see the latest issue on the shelf or spinner rack, and the enjoyment that we get in delayed gratification by reading another installment in an ongoing storyline. Much like the same kick women (and some men) get from daily soap-opera stories. If they miss their daily fix, they don't feel right, and can't wait to discuss it with others to find out what has happened and what's likely to be next.

...wait a minute... am I not describing US here on CBR, too? :D

[Herald of Asgard]

The way I usually go about it is, one of the following ways:
1) I jump on late in the series, and don't wanna pay out the but for back issues that aint even 4 months old yet, I'll buy the Trade (did it for Son of Asgard, Loki, and Astonishing)
2) Lets say there's a particluar arc that I enjoy enough to read more than once (most likely a Thor arc), I'll but the Trade so as not to man-handle my precious comics.

But I do think it hurts the business to some degree, in the way that people will forgo buyin issues and just pick up the trade. But it also helps, I cant tell you how many people I've gotten to Subscribe to Astonishing, and these are ppl that havn't read comics in 10 years, all because they picked up the trade. So its give and take.

And to touch on the original question (damn i bad for that), It is different, I perfer to wait for my monthly titles, makes you want it more...like sex.

[Kirk G]

And to touch on the original question (damn i bad for that), It is different, I perfer to wait for my monthly titles, makes you want it more...like sex.

AH HA!
My point exactly!

Thank you, Herald...
(I suppose I made an incorrect assumption, that comic book readers might have already experienced sex...with another... :D But, comic book geek stereotypes asside, thank you for confirming my point!)

[Hombre]

The original, single issues hold a special fascination for me, somehow the trades are missing some of the magic of the experience, while I fully realize they are neater to store and to look at.

[Babylon23]

I find that it depends greatly on the writer. With the decompressed writers (Bendis, Ellis) I prefer to read the trades, because I find the individual issues aren't overly exciting. This style of writing suites the "whole story in one sitting" approach. Also, with delays on a lot of these books, I find that I've forgotten what happened in the previous issues if I buy the book monthly.

With the more traditional writers (Busiek, Johns, Waid, etc.) I prefer the single issues. These guys write more to the soap opera formula, with each issue ending with a cliffhanger designed to draw you into the next issue. Sometimes, I get a major buzz from these cliffhangers. Captain America 253, where Baron Blood is about to bite Cap. Every issue of the Under Siege Avengers story. The big revelation at the end is issue 1 of Thunderbolts. Every issue of the Blitz storyline in Flash.

[Kirk G]

Sometimes, I get a major buzz from these cliffhangers.


Gee, :D that's an interesting image you conjur up!

And here I was going for the more sexual orgasmic experience! :eek:

(just kidding! keep it up, guys... ;) )

[Kusanagi]

Due to several of my favorite titles never being traded (Deadpool, Black Panther for the most part) I prefer to just buy them monthly if only to be on the safe side. Also the suspensful cliffhangers lose something when you can find out what happens on the next page rather than waiting a month.

[Harold of the Rocks]

And to touch on the original question (damn i bad for that), It is different, I perfer to wait for my monthly titles, makes you want it more...like sex.

I prefer monthlies. Must be that anticipation 'high' that I crave. The sex analogy is on the money. Thrill of the chase, and all that. Nice call, Herald!

(I suppose I made an incorrect assumption, that comic book readers might have already experienced sex...with another... But, comic book geek stereotypes aside, thank you for confirming my point!)

Yeah, but stereotypes exist for a reason... because there often is some truth to them. Funny line, Kirk! I also prefer to have sex somewhat regularly, a little more often than 'monthly'; does that mean tpb exclusive readers don't have sex very often, but have like 5 marathon-orgies a year? ;)

[Bearpod91]

One time I was going to wait for the trade on a 5 issue story. I tried to find the date of when the trade came out. Couldnt find it so I had started thinking if there was going to be a trade for it. I hesitated and started getting the issues separatly once the 3rd issue came out on it. I still cant find online where the trades come out on the title I want to get. Thats when I just go crazy and start buying...I need a site that has the dates of the trades. Marvel doesnt have much of the trrades I want when I look at the trades there...Anyone kno a better site for trade dates?

[Mister Mets]

A co-worker of mine, after learning or reading a fine first issue of a new series, will now no longer buy it... prefering instead to wait until the arc is collected in a trade paper back or in hard cover.

He claims he enjoys it MORE when it is all available for one sitting.
(Now, he also gets a hefty discount from his mother in law in a local bookstore, who can see which issues are being collected and he can effectively, buy the trade collection AT COST!)

But it brings up an interesting question or two.
If more people did this, would it tend to kill off the regular monthly series because so many wait for the trade to come out, or, might it prevent a trade from coming out... if the sales figures are down or dropping.

Second, I'm not sure that I get the same experience from reading a trade all in one swoop, instead of having monthly installments (assuming that the shipping schedule holds accurately) and enjoying it as it comes out. Certainly, reading monthly installments gives me the opportunity to discuss it here on CBR with other passionate fans, and that's a plus.

But I recall a handful of issues coming out that had me on the edge of my chair when I was younger.... X-men 174, with the revelation that Mastermind was behind it all. Alpha Flight #26-27 with the revelation that Courtney was a robot and guardian's return has all been a fake. Captain America #8 with the big unveil of Bucky and the soviet sub! (And Wanda behind Avengers Dissembled! in Avengers #503!)
Fantastic Four #62 with the saving of Reed Richards from the Negative Zone.

These regular monthly installments somehow made the story sweeter. The paper was more muted in the coloring, and the smell of the ink somehow better than the reprints. [I know the coloring of backgrounds in particular between the Inhumans/Frightful Four saga from FF #41-50 varried dramatically from the original to the World's Greatest Comic reprints...and thereby, changed my enjoyment of the stories, I feel.] (pale blue featureless backgrounds in the original, verses pale yellow backgrounds... and for that matter, redrawn covers by some hack instead of the original or modified Jack Kirby covers REALLY cheapened the story too!)

Anyway, I've been trying to think of some comparison of what the delayed gratification from a monthly installment of the regular series is like. I have come up with only one or two examples, and I wondered if some of you might agree.

First, there is a character in the movie "Diner" who is describing what married life is like to his buddies.... and he says sex is different when it's always there and you can have it whenever you like... instead of having to plan and wait for it when you're dating.

second, a person who is dieting delays their meal schedule and shrinks their portions, so that the food tastes even better to them when they actually get to eat dinner.

Third, going without sleep or staying up later,vs taking a cat nap.

Does any of this make sense to you?

How IS a regular monthly fix of a story arc that you are enjoying (like Ultimates) differ from reading the entire story in a trade (like Ultimates volume 2)? :confused:

If more people bought trades instead of singles, Marvel would publish only trades. I'm personally switching to trades on several books (Ultimate Spider-Man, Amazing Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, All Star Batman & Robin, Captain America, Daredevil) because I believe they'll be more satisfying reads in trade form, and because dcbs offers a 50% discount on new trades as opposed to 35% for new comics. In addition, if Buzz is bad on a book, I'll save money, and not buy the trade, while I'd probably waste money on 2-3 issues otherwise. I'll still buy singles of my absolute favorite books (ie- The Ultimates)

Buying trades is also more convenient than buying singles, as you can make less trips to the store.

The analogies don't make much sense.

[Siddon]

Depends on the Title I will break down and buy single issues if I know something big is coming up.

Fables I collect in trades except this last arc with the big reveal of the Adversary because I DON"T want to be spoiled for the big stuff.

Ultimate Spider-man I buy the first issue and decide then if to collect the trade or not Warriors was going to be my first trade but Bendis had to go and make it awesome again

Marvel Team-Up, Rogue, Gambit, Last Hero Standing, Daredevil, Fantastic Four Spider-man Breakout is just good enough for trades (I made it to four Hardcovers for Daredevil and three for Fantastic Four!) If you think they are good reads in trade imagine in Hardcover format!

[Herald of Asgard]

AH HA!
My point exactly!

Thank you, Herald...
(I suppose I made an incorrect assumption, that comic book readers might have already experienced sex...with another... :D But, comic book geek stereotypes asside, thank you for confirming my point!)

Glad to make your day Kirk :D

[Seldes Katne]

I'm more of a novel reader (I read comics as a sideline), so in my case, the "delayed gratification" of reading a trade is similar to the experience of reading a novel.

I get the story all in one sitting, without having to wonder if the monthly is going to ship on time. (The only title I read in singles is The Ultimates, and the delays on that, especially during the first series, were legendary.)

There is no advertising. (Yes, I know, ad revenues pay the bills and everyone's salaries, but that doen't mean I have to like the interruptions.)

I work in a public library, and we are building a graphic novel collection for teens and older elementary school-age kids, so when I'm done reading a trade, it can be donated to the collection and made available to be checked out, thereby exposing more people to the title and to comics in general. It's much easier to catalog and keep track of a trade issue than the invididual monthly issues in this case. And trades tend to last longer, although I'm hoping someday that as GNs catch on they will start getting better bindings, as they tend to fall apart after a certain number of checkouts.

[Knightmare]

I do both.

Honestly I have to pick up books at least every couple of weeks. I just really enjoy sittign back and reading a small stack of comics--whther they have a great cliff hanger or are just well told. Books like Daredevil I can't wait for a trade.

And I don't really do the trade but the Hardcover. I bought all 12 issues of Astonishing--but I'll also be buying the Hardcover. Identity Crisis--the same. Daredevil--all 3.

Basically I read the issues monthly and if something is really good that I want on a book shelf so I don't have to dig for it--I buy the Hardcover ( or trade if that's the only option). And occasioanlly I go trade with an old story I missed--it's cheaper.

Which means I end up spending more money for stories I've already read--but I don't care.

And I'd liek to add that they are both needed. And there will never come a day that only Trades will be in circulation. There an option for those who other wise wouldn't read comic books--and that's a good thing.

[Avalanche]

I will admit that I do prefer TPB's over monthly issues. Just because you don't have to deal with the ads, they're more durable, higher quality, etc. But I get monthly issues just because for most of the comics I'm reading I can't wait that long.

[Lurker]

If I miss the boat on something good, I'll catch up and then continue with the book through tpbs. Of course I've broken this rule with Supreme Power and Y:The Last Man, but have managed to hold firm on Runaways and Ex Machina.

[Petertime]

Buying trades is also more convenient than buying singles, as you can make less trips to the store.


That's half the fun. I feel like Norm Peterson when I walk into my comic shop. They know who I am, and recommend stuff I sometimes miss.

And it's kinda cool having a regular spot. If I miss a week, I feel like something is off.

[Lurker]

That's half the fun. I feel like Norm Peterson when I walk into my comic shop. They know who I am, and recommend stuff I sometimes miss.

And it's kinda cool having a regular spot. If I miss a week, I feel like something is off.

Yea, I miss it myself. I get my stuff online now and it sucks. I used to head up the comics side of a card shop until the owner decided to stop ordering comics. A friend of mine offered me a job at the shop he's planning to open, but I make too much money where I'm at now to even consider it and that sucks too. I've already reassured him though that I'll be a fixture on the weekends once he opens up pimpin' books and whatnot.

[kloudsurfer]

I love reading the stories all in one sitting, but i dont have the willpower to wait for them to come out in trade.
Some stories, like HoM, i think would read better as a trade, but others read well both ways. I kinda like waiting a month for the next issue if its a good story. I like the fact that i have a whole month of suspense and speculation.

At the moment I buy the titles i couldn't possibly wait for monthy and get trades of the titles i dont care as much about. Plus i dont have enough money 2 get all the titles i want to monthly.

[Polavok]

I started with the monthlies but have gone to TpB now.

It is not easy getting all the comics I want and pay for having them shipped to Denmark. When I finally pay for shipping I want the hole story in my hands. Easier to collect TpBs when living in a country that does not sell the comics I want (in the original language)

[noodleboy]

I do both, mostly singles.

I usually do minis in TPB form, it really is a lot easier that way. There are a few titles that I collect via TPB (Hawkman, Punisher, Supreme Power, Losers, etc) but that's because I was late to the party. I like a good mix of both really, I just wish the production schedule would speed up for some of these titles.

[antithesis09]

i love my monthlies.. i go down to the shop right after i'm off work, and scan the rack several times for titles i normally pick up, and new and interesting books to add. i do admit that i'm often left wanting more, but that is what causes the excitement about going to the shop every week..

however, in the past 9 months, my trade collection has been growing steadily. Mostly made up of back issues that would be difficult to hunt down, i've purchased about 2 - 3 trades a month to catch up on stories that i didn't have the money to collect before.

My friends and I also buy different titles, and trade all our books back and forth, so i often get to read about 5 or 6 more titles a month. Although I wouldn't say that I like everything that they collect, it's still worth the free read. :P

[Kirk G]

i love my monthlies.. i go down to the shop right after i'm off work, and scan the rack several times for titles i normally pick up, and new and interesting books to add. i do admit that i'm often left wanting more, but that is what causes the excitement about going to the shop every week..


I have to agree. That's what got me back into comics in the 80s... the boom of the comic shop in Detroit suburbs... and being able to discuss your likes and iisklikes, plots and characters with your friends. ;)

I also like the comment about being Norm from Cheers in the comic shop. The clerks know your name and your tastes, and can recommend and tell you what you might like or want to be sure not to miss... :cool:

[shaolin_dolomite]

see its like battlestar (showing true colors here)

if you watch the episode, then you can think about the repercussions of it. and thats part of the fun, same with monthlys.

now, if you buy the season, you get all your answers at one time, which has it own rewards, such as getting the entire story, and letting it unfold for you.

trades are the lazy mans way out.

i dunno though, im just bored at work.

[Petertime]

I also like the comment about being Norm from Cheers in the comic shop. The clerks know your name and your tastes, and can recommend and tell you what you might like or want to be sure not to miss... :cool:

Never mind the comment, I like the feeling of being "Norm". So much so, that after I finished university and started pretending to be an adult, I spend a few minutes one day working out how much money I saved with the discount they give me. When I hit $1000 I stopped the math (and I wasn't close to being done) and went out and bought both owners a christmas present.

Not everyone is going to have that sort of relationship, and god knows not everyone is going to be in a position to do that (I've been real poor, but luckily I'm getting better) but anyone that treats you as well as those guys treat me deserve a reward.
(Red Nails II in Toronto BTW, if you're ever in town go check them out)

[Faust451]

I've been unlucky finding a job as a late, now that both my summer jobs are over. So, I've had to go from getting five books, to three, to now just one. So as you might have guessed, I'll be buying trades more often now. :(

[Kirk G]

I've been unlucky finding a job as a late, now that both my summer jobs are over. So, I've had to go from getting five books, to three, to now just one. So as you might have guessed, I'll be buying trades more often now. :(
Guys, we've got to get this lad some HELP!
Who's got extra copies of their books to offer?
Who's disappointed in the new book and is willing to part with it to help out a fellow, starved fan? ;)

I've got one copy of New Thunderbolts #9 (Namor vs Radioactive Man) that I can offer up.

Anyone else willing to help?

[Faust, What are the books you WERE following, and what is the ONE that you have clung to?] :eek: