Why Aren't There Any Vertigo Hardcovers?

[riftt]

besides Sandman of course...but this is ridiculous. No Preacher hardcovers? Transmetropolitan? Animal Man? Is DC that crappy? Wouldnt the Vertigo audience be more the type to invest in hardcovers anyway?

this just seems ridiculous

[Harry]

Well, it's my understanding that HCs are usually released before the papers, not to mention they're usually only released for big event books, so Sandman was probably the only one that garnered enough interest to justify releasing HCs when the trades originally came out. Most of the other Vertigo series seemed to drum up followings over time. Some of the titles that probably would have been Vertigo had it existed at the time have gotten commemerative HCs (Watchmen, V For Vendetta, etc) so I wouldn't be surprised if eventually we see or Hellblazer HCs or something along those lines.

[RawShark]

I, for one, would gladly dish out my hard earned cash for hardcovers of "Lucifer" and "Y, the Last Man", even though I've never read any of the regular issues or the trades.

I have and love my "Sandman" HCs

Other Vertigo Hard Covers I'd probably get even though I already own the issues...
"Preacher", Moore and/or Wrightson's "Swamp Thing", "Enigma" and, um, probably anything else they might bring out.

[AlterEgo]

i think some of you are grossly overestimating the 'demand' for vertigo hardcovers. sure, *some* of it might warrant a HC treatment but it's a very small percentage of titles and aisde from a run as uniformly excellent as sandman, it wouldn't make sense to release HC's for an entire title (if anyone was asking).

if dc is going to do a hardcover of something that was already issued in trade, they'd have to come up with extra material to 'justify' the cost. a la the hardcover specials they did for watchmen, crisis, etc. the hush hc being one exception.

[Ryan K]

Well there are some Vertigo hardcovers. The Originals, Sgt. Rock, The Mystery Play off the top of my head. None of the well known ongoings ither than Sandman though you're right.

And I'm glad too. I'd absolutely HATE it if they released hardcovers of new releases like Fables or Y The Last Man. Because that would mean 6 months to a year before softcovers would be released. And I'll be damned if I spend $10 extra dollars for a hardcover.

If they want to do hardcover releases down the line, that's fine. But I won't buy them.

I do seem to remember talk of a possibility of Preacher hardcovers in the future. I believe it was mentioned at one of the Wizard World events.

[riftt]

Marvel hardcovers are released after the soft trades (punisher, ult. spiderman etc). DC does plenty of hardcovers without bonus material in addition to their soft trades (Trinity, Green Lantern Rebirth, batman: long halloween and dark victory....hell, just about any batman trade) and again, it seems that the Vertigo reader is one who is a little older, has a little more money, and would enjoy seeing a nice hardcover on a bookshelf vs comics hidden away in a corner of a closet.

[azrapse]

I can agree with the "it's too late for hardcovers crowd" as they usually do preceed the softcovers; however since most of the runs we're discussing have already been completed I think some 'Absolute Editions' would be a great draw for me - Absolute Preacher, or Absolute Transmet, or Absolute Moore's Swamp Thing, printing the entire run in one shot would be great - expensive but well worth it and necessary for the diehard collector. How about an Absolute Edition of Delano's or Ennis's Hellblazer?

Wow, just think - all 66 issues of Preacher !!! How thick would that book be? ...plus the one-shots and minis? I'd add it to my library.

[Ryan K]

66 issues of Absolute Preacher would be about 1400 pages. Give or take a hundred.

If you figure Absolute Watchmen is 12 issues for $75.00, an Absolute Preacher book could cost $412.50!

EDIT: And that's not counting all the mini's and one shots. We could be talking a 1600 page $500 book.

Are there really a lot of people who would by that?

[AlterEgo]

it seems that the Vertigo reader is one who is a little older, has a little more money, and would enjoy seeing a nice hardcover on a bookshelf vs comics hidden away in a corner of a closet.

a set of soft trades can sit on a bookshelf quite nicely, too.

i just turned 40 a few months ago and i spend plenty of money on comics (approx $1100-1500) each year. mind you...that's on current stuff. i've probably spent over $150K on my back issue collection. i buy comics from 2 local stores, both owners whom i happen to know very well. the vertigo reader may be a little older and might have a little more money, but imo they're also a tough crowd. it's hard enough to get them to buy regular issues. soft trades sell well on a number of titles. hardcovers?! for vertigo books?!...it's a specialty market and a very small one at that.

comics is a business and like any business, economics is a major driving force. bottom line...you aren't going to see that many HC's because there isn't enough profit in it.

i'm not going to spend $10-15 more for a hc that has the same material that's in the trade. you might...i think most people wouldn't.

[edit] besides, you're not comparing apples to oranges. the HC's for the titles you quoted (trinity,etc) were self-contained mini-series or short series. if dc was going to commit to a HC release of say...Preacher, we're talking about an approx. $15 price difference between HC and trade. multiply that by 6x and that's $90. assuming the HC's didn't contain any bonus material, i think the *majority* of shoppers would buy the trades and pocket the money or spend it on additional books.

[Tadhg]

Marvel hardcovers are released after the soft trades (punisher, ult. spiderman etc).

Look at the books that Marvel puts in their "Deluxe Hardcovers." They're all fairly mainstream titles.

You wouldn't have the interest needed to sell Hardcovers of most Vertigo books.

And I know Preacher won't come out in Hardcover, Ennis said he felt the material didn't warrant it.

The problem with Absolute Editions is that there's too much material for each series. 66 issues of Preacher plus extras, 60 issues of Transmet, etc.

[riftt]

I guess we are just approaching this from different mindsets. You are deeply entrenched in the weekly comic book, single issues market and have been for a long time, so softcovers seem like a great thing and nothing more needed after that. I dont buy ANY single issues of comics and have not done so for a long time. Being outside the comic realm so to speak, wanting a softcover of a favorite series over a hardcover is as insane as saying theres no difference between or wanting a used paperback stephen king novel over a first edition hardcover w/ dustjacket in pristine condition. One you just read and toss, the other looks damn fine on a bookshelf and is something to be proud of for a book/series/whatever that you enjoy.

[Ryan K]

I guess we are just approaching this from different mindsets. You are deeply entrenched in the weekly comic book, single issues market and have been for a long time, so softcovers seem like a great thing and nothing more needed after that. I dont buy ANY single issues of comics and have not done so for a long time. Being outside the comic realm so to speak, wanting a softcover of a favorite series over a hardcover is as insane as saying theres no difference between or wanting a used paperback stephen king novel over a first edition hardcover w/ dustjacket in pristine condition. One you just read and toss, the other looks damn fine on a bookshelf and is something to be proud of for a book/series/whatever that you enjoy.

That's a tad condescending. Softcover's aren't trash now. They look "damn fine" on a bookshelf too.

[AlterEgo]

as saying theres no difference between or wanting a used paperback stephen king novel over a first edition hardcover w/ dustjacket in pristine condition. One you just read and toss, the other looks damn fine on a bookshelf and is something to be proud of for a book/series/whatever that you enjoy.

LOL...what an incredibly bad analogy you make. now you're equating a used paperback as the same as individual issues or the soft trade. read and toss? nobody reads and tosses anything anymore...not at $3 a book or $20 per trade. :rolleyes:

so i gather then that you don't buy monthlies and you avoid trades because of some weird snobbery issue, and that you strictly buy HC books only.

so...you're not reading fables, you're not reading Y the last man, etc. boy, are you sure missing out on a lot of good stuff. [shrug...your loss]

what about the non-vertigo stuff? reading anything of that in non-HC?

[Tadhg]

I guess we are just approaching this from different mindsets. You are deeply entrenched in the weekly comic book, single issues market and have been for a long time, so softcovers seem like a great thing and nothing more needed after that. I dont buy ANY single issues of comics and have not done so for a long time. Being outside the comic realm so to speak, wanting a softcover of a favorite series over a hardcover is as insane as saying theres no difference between or wanting a used paperback stephen king novel over a first edition hardcover w/ dustjacket in pristine condition. One you just read and toss, the other looks damn fine on a bookshelf and is something to be proud of for a book/series/whatever that you enjoy.

Wow. You're the perfect example of the Vertigo fan stereotype. Plus you make huge assumptions, but hey whatever floats your boat.

Not to mention, since you brought up the novel analogy, have you noticed that Mass Market and Trade Paperbacks sell quite a bit better than hardcovers?

Personally, I want to read my books and my 600+ trades look just fine on my bookshelf.

[RawShark]

What would the problem be with releasing the Harcover AND the Trade simultanously?
Only gives the people that additional option.

I for one, do not buy floppies anymore, and if I have to choose between spending my money on a nice hardcover of Promethea over a nice trade of Y the last Man, then my money will go towards the Promethea book.
I've heard great reviews of Y the Last man, and will probably be picking it up eventually even in trade. BUT... as long as there are equal choices out there between HC and trades of, what I consider equal stories, I'll get the HC.

Sadly, most of the time it does come down to the choice of either/or on my budget.

If that makes me a snob, then so be it, but my buying habits are my own to choose.

[stealthwise]

Darren Arofonosky's "The Fountain" is out in hardcover soon.

[MarkSullivan]

What would the problem be with releasing the Harcover AND the Trade simultanously?
Only gives the people that additional option....

I for one, do not buy floppies anymore, and if I have to choose between spending my money on a nice hardcover of Promethea over a nice trade of Y the last Man, then my money will go towards the Promethea book....

Sadly, most of the time it does come down to the choice of either/or on my budget.

I expect the problem with releasing both simultaneously is the same reason the book trade usually doesn't do it: DC is afraid many people who now buy the hardcover would buy the trade if they could do so without having to wait.

I'm with you on the budget issue. I never buy both monthlies and trade collections: I simply can't afford to buy stuff twice. I've bought hardcovers very rarely for the same reason: I don't like the format so much that it's worth a substantial price difference to me. You feel differently, but there may not be enough comic fans who agree with you. DC still seems to be exploring the question, so things could be different in the future.

[scyfli]

Hellblazer: All His Engines is a hardcover.

[sunsetdayglo]

Actually, I think some people are missing the point that Vertigo may have made this choice because it knows it's audience.

Just as most Vertigo fans value content(vertigo) over stylishness(any number of mainstream books), so to would they rather a relatively inexpensive, high-quality story in a semi-permanent package. The choice of content over look is apparent when you look at the art in most vertigo books.

Also IMO most Vertigo fans aren't in the collector/saver mylar baggy type,so we probably see our books as more replaceable and aren't worried if they get a little bent. Obviously vertigo fans aren't saving their books as any kind of investment.

Furthermore, I don't know about all of you, but I tend to lend out the best of my vertigo trades to friends to show them how good comics can be.

We're not all just putting them on a shelf so all our dinner guests can see how intelligent and cosmopolitan we are. Although, as many have said, trades DO look good on a shelf. If you have some anal image problem that you are embarassed to own comics-THEN BUY NOVELS.

At the end of the day, I don't CARE if my books are a little dogeared, I bought them for the story, not cause I needed a mint-condition collectable!

[Headhunter]

What would the problem be with releasing the Harcover AND the Trade simultanously?
Publishers generally sell hardcovers to people who can't wait for a trade/mass paperback release. Were hard and soft covers to release simultaneously, there would be a precipitous drop in hardcover sales.

You'll have a very, very hard time convincing most people to buy the same item with a better cover for nearly double the price, given a choice between the two.

[vazel]

And I'm glad too. I'd absolutely HATE it if they released hardcovers of new releases like Fables or Y The Last Man. Because that would mean 6 months to a year before softcovers would be released. And I'll be damned if I spend $10 extra dollars for a hardcover.
agreed, i don't want to pay too much for anything. as it is i utterly despise dc comics decision to release all their archive collections as hardcovers only. buying all those the spirit and shazam collections is really pinching my wallet. :evilangry but i love the spirit and shazam so much that i will fork over the cash.