CBR: One Fan's Opinion - Jan 7, 2010

[CBR News]

Erik Larsen's ONE FAN'S OPINION makes its return to CBR this week as the writer/artist discusses the power of the individual issues of comic books and what they offer fans that television, movies and even graphic novels can't.


Full article here.

[sociald1077]

Bravo! Bravo!

"You're a bunch of crybabies, and those of you wishing for the demise of the monthly comic book and the rise of a trade only really are the biggest babies of the lot."

This is one of the best statements I have read in a while. We are hear to enjoy an ongoing serialized story. Why would someone keep reading if all they want is the end of the story? I'm not completely aginst trades. I used them to catch up on some series that I missed out on. But to sit there and trade wait is just ridiculous IMO.

[shanealt]

Why is it ridiculous?

I've done both. I've enjoyed the anticipation of the month-to-month storytelling, frantically going to the comic shop each week because I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. I was buying the vast bulk of what DC and Marvel put out, during Infinite Crisis and Civil War, and aside from the tears that came from my bank account, I don't regret it. Those were fun times, fun stories.

But now, I look at those piles of comics that I have, and I realize that I'm not returning to them. On rare occasions, maybe--for a series that stood out among the rest as something truly spectacular. But realistically, those many comics are sitting in boxes that haven't been opened for months--sometimes years. Not because I want to keep them pristine--I don't really care about that--but because many of the comics aren't worth the effort of going into the boxes, finding the series, and reading them.

On the other hand, consider trades. I can place them on the bookshelf and scan it, seeing the spines and finding something that I want to read. Because of that convenience, I'm so much more likely to reread the trades than I am the monthly comics.

As a reader, maybe there are times when I do want to buy the month-to-month comics, to enjoy that special part of the medium. And for the fans that continue to do so, I applaud you--it's a great thing to do. But as a consumer, I can't justify it. I can't justify buying the individual issues when a collection will come out, often cheaper than the issues themselves, that I can place on my bookshelf for incredibly easy access. After all, why would I pay for something I'd read just once, when I can pay for something I'm more likely to read multiple times?

I've been told that waiting for the trade is not the same as supporting a comic, and although I can understand the school of thought behind that, I ask creators to consider my viewpoint, as well.

Erik Larsen has tweeted about these issues on more than one occasion, and I've taken the opportunity to voice my comments there as well. But--with all due respect to Erik Larsen, because I have consistently enjoyed his comics, his attitude and his openness towards fans--I feel that, on several matters, he is stuck in the past, refusing to acknowledge a world that has, perhaps unfortunately, changed around him.

He's done incredible things for Image, especially during his time as publisher, and I applaud him for that. So many of the comics I've come to love today began during his tenure there. But on this matter, I don't think that he's right. As I said, I understand his point of view, but I don't think that it's a practical one. It's a simple fact of the industry that comic stores are closing and that the direct market is not nearly as strong as it once was, while the graphic novel sections in bookstores continue to thrive. From a business perspective, it makes sense--at least to me--to cater to the growing audience instead of the shrinking one. At the very least, consider both viewpoints when making a decision.

[sociald1077]

I guess the thing for me is how I like to be told a story. I like being told a story over the (consistant) course of an arc. I don't really like waiting for something to be collected and then reading it all in one shot. I do understand that a lot of books are written for trades now, having 4-5 book arcs so it can be collected.

To compair it to a TV show, I love watching Lost from week to week and seeing what is going to happen next. Waiting for it to be collected only increases the chance for it to be spoiled.

Once agian, IMO.

[saidestroyer]

Glad to have Erik back! I missed his columns a big lot

[Beto_Machado]

If you trade-wait Amazing Spider-man, it's probably no big deal. But if you trade-wait a title from Image, Dark Horse, IDW, etc... Even some smaller Marvel and DC titles...

You may very well be guaranteeing it's cancelled. In a lot of cases, not only guarenteeing it's cancelled, but also that it'll never get a trade. Compare the number of independent comics that have monthlies to the number of trades. Grab a dozen random titles and check how many are on trades.

Trade money coming six, ten, twelve months down the line (if they sell enough monthlies to get a trade) is not what a independent creator needs.

[Pól Rua]

If you trade-wait Amazing Spider-man, it's probably no big deal. But if you trade-wait a title from Image, Dark Horse, IDW, etc... Even some smaller Marvel and DC titles...

You may very well be guaranteeing it's cancelled. In a lot of cases, not only guarenteeing it's cancelled, but also that it'll never get a trade. Compare the number of independent comics that have monthlies to the number of trades. Grab a dozen random titles and check how many are on trades.

Trade money coming six, ten, twelve months down the line (if they sell enough monthlies to get a trade) is not what a independent creator needs.

I refuse to be blackmailed by a corporation into buying something I don't want.

[Chris N]

Glad this column's back. Reading it was always a joy.

Especially enjoyable are the columns I disagree with.

Like this one, as I'm a pretty big booster of trades/graphic novels as the future, precisely because I've grown to find issues dissatisfying. Haven't read a single issue in a while now.

[Chris N]

If you trade-wait Amazing Spider-man, it's probably no big deal. But if you trade-wait a title from Image, Dark Horse, IDW, etc... Even some smaller Marvel and DC titles...

You may very well be guaranteeing it's cancelled. In a lot of cases, not only guarenteeing it's cancelled, but also that it'll never get a trade. Compare the number of independent comics that have monthlies to the number of trades. Grab a dozen random titles and check how many are on trades.

Trade money coming six, ten, twelve months down the line (if they sell enough monthlies to get a trade) is not what a independent creator needs.

Instead of yelling at the customer for companies making poor decisions, why not yell at the companies?

[IamBATFAN]

Here are my thoughts on trade waiting: hell no.
Main reason: $$$$
If i buy a story by getting the single issues i can bail on a crappy story at any time. If i buy a tpb and hate the story, i just plunked down 15-20 bucks on a book ill probably never read again. Wasted money.

[skaldicpoet9]

I was actually thinking about this same thing recently. Within the last month or so I have been getting back into buying comics. I quit for awhile after being burnt out on Civil War and superhero comics in general for awhile.

Recently I have been picking up some indie stuff. I was trying to figure out if I just wanted to wait for trades (which there isn't anything I need to wait for seeing as how there is a lot of stuff I am behind on) or get things on an issue to issue basis.

Ultimately I opted to get all of my books in issue form instead of just grabbing trades. I decided that the thing that I love most about comic books is their compartmentalized nature. I love being able to pick up a comic and get a nice, short story to read through and the thrill of having to wait for that next issue to find out how the story twists next. Plus after reviewing some trades and comparing prices your only really saving yourself no more then three or four less bucks then you would have buying the issues individually.

I started an account on tfaw.com and am going to start getting stuff in the mail and I can't wait. It really brings back the magic of the comic for me.

In my honest opinion I think the "death" of the direct market stems more from the fact that comics have become a very insular, niche medium for the most part and new readers are mostly attracted through other mediums (movies, television). I think that comics really need to make their way back onto the racks of supermarkets and department stores again.

I really love what Dark Horse has been doing with their line of One-Shots, I think comics needs more efforts to do stories that give a good beginning for new readers to jump on. I have bought everyone of these one-shots so far and have found a few new favorites amongst them.

I will say this though, I believe that trades have their place. I usually get anything in trade that I know that I will read repeatedly or look at to gain inspiration. However, I think that serialized, monthly comics are a tradition that is best kept alive an well. It would sadden me if comics were only released as trades and that the thrill of the cliffhanger issue and the personal nature of the editor's and monthly letter's columns would be lost.

It reminds me of how I feel about the dying of the arcades here in the U.S. and how gaming has moved more to the living room and online. An arcade has a special magic about it that can't be duplicated anywhere else.

Now a great arcade with an excellent comic book to read in between bouts of Street Fighter, that my friend is a magic greater than either alone :D

[Erik Larsen]

Erik Larsen has tweeted about these issues on more than one occasion, and I've taken the opportunity to voice my comments there as well. But--with all due respect to Erik Larsen, because I have consistently enjoyed his comics, his attitude and his openness towards fans--I feel that, on several matters, he is stuck in the past, refusing to acknowledge a world that has, perhaps unfortunately, changed around him.

He's done incredible things for Image, especially during his time as publisher, and I applaud him for that. So many of the comics I've come to love today began during his tenure there. But on this matter, I don't think that he's right. As I said, I understand his point of view, but I don't think that it's a practical one. It's a simple fact of the industry that comic stores are closing and that the direct market is not nearly as strong as it once was, while the graphic novel sections in bookstores continue to thrive. From a business perspective, it makes sense--at least to me--to cater to the growing audience instead of the shrinking one. At the very least, consider both viewpoints when making a decision.

Chill dude.

I'm just being dramatic.

It can be both--it is both--and in a few years from now we're likely to see comics released as singles on computers, collected in trades but there's something else to think about. Book stores don't want everything. They just want books they know they can sell--they're not interested in monkeying around with a lot of product and they're not going to get into the non-returnable game. That makes things--well, a lot more complicated. Maybe we'll be looking at Amazon taking over the world--or just maybe--singles will be there--on your computer--and fewer and fewer books will see print and make it onto any of our shelves.

Just a thought.

The point of my columns is not to be the final word on any discussion--but rather to start a conversation. I'm a guy running to the comic book store and buying books just like everybody else.

The world that's coming is likely to be different--and I can't wait to see where it takes us.

[Chris N]

The point of my columns is not to be the final word on any discussion--but rather to start a conversation. I'm a guy running to the comic book store and buying books just like everybody else.

So you're saying your column is just one fan's opinion?

[NoCheesecake]

I have nothing against the serialized monthly comics per say. The main problem is that there is so much crap being put out there (especially for the big names). I think many of those poor content story writers are very nervous about TPB, because it's really the best way to realize a serie isn't worth a dime.
The thing with many monthly, is that people buy them out of habit... not all of them of course, as they're really great monthly titles out there. But honestly, give me a break with your cliffhangers! Damn, I mean 90% of the time its about as thrilling as the cliffhanger of soap opera garbage like Dallas, or any crap your mom used to watch. I don't want a cheap thrill of wondering if Savage Dragon is dead (he's not) at the end of the monthly, I want a good satisfying story for the 20 pages. If it can provide this, I'll be more than glad to put down my money and buy the monthly...if not, I won't even give a glance to the TPB.

As for TPB killing the indy publisher, its crap again. Several small publisher (I have in mind RED 5, with the great Atomic Robo) praise, and even prefer the TPB than the monthly. Why? They're tired and exhausted of fighting with Diamond and fed up of getting screw over by the printers.

I love the medium of comic books, but a crappy story is a crappy story end of the line.

[Paradox]

Erik Larsen should know better:

Chill dude.

I'm just being dramatic.

But...but...

The interwebz is serious biznesses!!!