I LOVE Double-Shipping!

[randomengine]

Why is everyone complaining about double-shipping? Presumably, you are buying a comic because you enjoy it, so twice the number of a given enjoyable comic is a GOOD thing. Yes, yes I understand we all have budgets, but for me the 1 issue a month thing is too slow. I want to know what happens next sooner than that. Another great thing about double-shipping is, you can have rotating art teams - two superstars you cannot keep up with a monthly taking turns with their arcs.

This is a concept I have been yelling at Marvel to do for YEARS. It keeps stories inside the main series and discourages them from releasing the many useless mini-series they used to produce like crazy. I don't understand why many readers are so damn butthurt over this.

[CyberHubbs]

I don't mind it. Yes, over time the art could suffer, but that's why I approve of art teams rotating on a title. I dig artists being used to compliment a story rather than to provide consistency.

[Expletive Deleted]

It doesn't really bother me either, but I think you're being a bit dismissive of the expense factor. It's a real problem for a lot of people.

[Will.S]

I don't mind it. Yes, over time the art could suffer, but that's why I approve of art teams rotating on a title. I dig artists being used to compliment a story rather than to provide consistency.

If the art teams are coordinated well enough to take over for each arc or have some sort of natural switch (which is really hard to pull off perfectly) then that's generally fine with me and it doesn't hurt if it's a $2.99 title.

But if a book is double shipped because the story isn't moving fast enough as a single issue, and the art is sub-standard/rushed, and is $3.99 on top of that then I'll have a problem with that. I think books like New Avengers/Avengers & Invincible Iron Man suffer from that sort of thing even though I like what Fraction/Bendis are doing. In the case of Hickman's Fantastic Four/FF though the double shipping and the art switches don't hurt the book as much if at all.

[gma2darescue]

Why is everyone complaining about double-shipping? Presumably, you are buying a comic because you enjoy it, so twice the number of a given enjoyable comic is a GOOD thing. Yes, yes I understand we all have budgets, but for me the 1 issue a month thing is too slow. I want to know what happens next sooner than that. Another great thing about double-shipping is, you can have rotating art teams - two superstars you cannot keep up with a monthly taking turns with their arcs.

This is a concept I have been yelling at Marvel to do for YEARS. It keeps stories inside the main series and discourages them from releasing the many useless mini-series they used to produce like crazy. I don't understand why many readers are so damn butthurt over this.

I don't like it too much.

Yes, I don't like waiting an entire month for the next issue to come out.

Yes, I do have a budget, and when i have 6 series double shipping, that adds up to $150 a year.

But also, I think it hurts the quality. Look at Bendis' Avengers/New Avengers. Not only does Bendis write multiple series, of which he should devote most of his time to, but they are double shipping. This gives him much less time to clearly think through the story.

Same applies with Aaron's Wolverine and the X-Men. The first few issues were great. As soon as they began double shipping (often), the quality began to dip. I understand that this may be in part due to the AvX banner, but still.

[CyberHubbs]

If the art teams are coordinated well enough to take over for each arc or have some sort of natural switch (which is really hard to pull off perfectly) then that's generally fine with me and it doesn't hurt if it's a $2.99 title.

But if a book is double shipped because the story isn't moving fast enough as a single issue, and the art is sub-standard/rushed, and is $3.99 on top of that then I'll have a problem with that. I think books like New Avengers/Avengers & Invincible Iron Man suffer from that sort of thing even though I like what Fraction/Bendis are doing. In the case of Hickman's Fantastic Four/FF though the double shipping and the art switches don't hurt the book as much if at all.

I imagine it's still being perfected as a practice. And since art tends to be more stylized these days, you have artists who can't do a month-to-month, but possibly could if they're being supported by another artist. It also helps to keep most arcs to 2-3 issues and adds the occasional one-shot for some extra breathing room.

[Magnum_Valentino]

Surely buying two issues of ASM a month equates to buying one of ASM and one of Spectacular back in the day? I can see why people might get annoyed over other titles but when I was growing up there were four Spider-titles every month with Unlimited shipping quarterly or so and countless one-shots. What's changed?

[Will.S]

I imagine it's still being perfected as a practice. And since art tends to be more stylized these days, you have artists who can't do a month-to-month, but possibly could if they're being supported by another artist. It also helps to keep most arcs to 2-3 issues and adds the occasional one-shot for some extra breathing room.

The whole 6 issue arc that's mainly done to package a trade paradigm just needs to change, it's less often used these days than say the Jemas/Quesada era and I don't have anything against traded stuff at all but I think it's become a bigger detriment to the monthly books when it comes to pricing and double shipping.

[CyberHubbs]

The whole 6 issue arc that's mainly done to package a trade paradigm just needs to change, it's less often used these days than say the Jemas/Quesada era and I don't have anything against traded stuff at all but I think it's become a bigger detriment to the monthly books when it comes to pricing and double shipping.

Yeah. I do think we're seeing a lot of books shift away from the 6-issue arc format. Noticed it just within the last two years or so. More done-in-ones, also.

[md62]

I don't like it. Between $4 cover prices & double shipping my Marvel pull list has been slashed from 12 titles down to 3. One month I had SIX titles DS. I can't adjust my budget that much. So Marvel gets cut & I add more DC/Image/Valiant to my list.

[aNamored]

It depends on the book, Winter Soldier has had nothing but excellent double ships. Daredevil too. Punisher has been very shaky under the double ship - the disappointing art and shift of story for a certain character made me drop this book like a stone last month. For books that are $3.99, I haven't hit that hurdle yet.

It is a big financial hit though and can often mean jarring fill-in art. While I love getting two issues of Winter Soldier in one month, if the quality of the book suffers there's no way I'd want this to continue. It seems like it's a strain on everyone involved from the creators right down the fans wallets.

[Paladin King]

Same questions I ask anybody who says they LOVE double-shipping:

1. How many ongoing Marvel series are on your pull-list?

2. Do you not give a toss about having consistent artwork or a single artistic vision in your comic?

3. Do you like co-writers?

4. Do you not care about how much money you spend on comics per month and do you not have a budget?


The loss of guys like Brubaker, the addition of co-writers, and, worst of all, having a different artist every bloody issue is awful to me. We even get situations of false advertising, like where Mike McKone was heavily advertised as being THE GUY for the Final Execution arc in Uncanny X-Force. He draws the first two issues, the title is double-shipped a bunch of times, and that's it, McKone is gone. Wonderful. I LOVE double-shipping almost as much as i LOVE false promises.

Also, it hurts hardcore fans like myself with larger pull-lists. I suppose if you read 4 Marvel books a month, you'll love it. If you have 18 series like I do (there are a number of writers and artists I love and will always follow), it's punishing. Worst of all, whether a title double-ships or not is seemingly random. At least if I had a ballpark for h ow much each series ships per year, I could plan and budget around that.

[Paladin King]

It depends on the book, Winter Soldier has had nothing but excellent double ships. Daredevil too. Punisher has been very shaky under the double ship - the disappointing art and shift of story for a certain character made me drop this book like a stone last month. For books that are $3.99, I haven't hit that hurdle yet.

It is a big financial hit though and can often mean jarring fill-in art. While I love getting two issues of Winter Soldier in one month, if the quality of the book suffers there's no way I'd want this to continue. It seems like it's a strain on everyone involved from the creators right down the fans wallets.

Imo, even Winter Soldier was not unharmed by double-shipping. The final issue of the first arc had some VERY spotty artwork - presumably because Butch Guice was struggling to finish it on time. They also had to toss on another inker, whose style did not mesh at all with Guice and Gaudiano's.

The only book that I feel has benefited from double-shipping is Invincible Iron Man - it's made Fraction's long story-arcs and decompression more pallatable and the art hasn't suffered due to Salvador Larroca not being human.

[Kid Montana]

OP, that is a pretty inane take of yours. I have a huge pull list, but it discourages me from trying new books, when I may have to buy 6 issues before I actually receive my first shipment. Case in point, heard how good Daredevil was, jumped on at 14, next month bought 15, before 14 arrived, 16,17 and the annual are out in the same month. Droped DD before I ever tried it. Now, if I really, really like DD, I have a ton of back issues to hunt down to catch up. Another case in point, was getting both Caps, well they both double shipped the same month, kept the one I likedd best, Captain America and.. and let the other go. I guess if I were only following a couple of books, but this actually discourages someone like me who buys a ton of books.

One last point, I really like Defenders. The book is a rip off at $3.99 though. If it ships once, I can splurge on it and fit it in, but double shipping that book, cant justify $8, even if it is a guilty pleasure.

[Hulk_Is]

Same questions I ask anybody who says they LOVE double-shipping:

1. How many ongoing Marvel series are on your pull-list?

2. Do you not give a toss about having consistent artwork or a single artistic vision in your comic?

3. Do you like co-writers?

4. Do you not care about how much money you spend on comics per month and do you not have a budget?

1. I'd say roundabout 9 titles, plus AvX and AvX Vs (which aren't ongoings).

2. Alot (if not most) of Marvel's artwork is crap, so this is all irrelevant to me.

3. The books I read somehow never involve co-writers.

4. I don't have a budget, but I'm also not pulling 50 books just because I don't have a budget. I buy what I like and what makes sense to me.