tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10945794.post134462158282809070..comments2024-03-15T07:12:40.918-05:00Comments on Collected Editions: Trade Perspectives: The Hidden Cost of DC Comics Hardcoverscollectededitionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14698269790653953645noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10945794.post-78159765017800547882007-07-07T19:18:00.000-05:002007-07-07T19:18:00.000-05:00tightsandcapes -- I would agree with you entirely,...tightsandcapes -- I would agree with you entirely, only short of how tough it sometimes is to get hardcovers into protective sleeves, and how the dust jackets scuff at the bottom when shifting my comics around on the bookshelf. But otherwise, I do like the permanency of hardcovers, too, and paperbacks can get just as scuffed. And humidity with a paperback? Whew!<BR/><BR/>DJK -- Very true on the libraries. See our recent <A HREF="http://collectededitions.blogspot.com/2007/07/trade-perspectives-libraries-bookstores.html" REL="nofollow">post</A> on graphic novels in libraries and bookstores for more on that very topic.collectededitionshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14698269790653953645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10945794.post-91811902937586542792007-07-06T20:47:00.000-05:002007-07-06T20:47:00.000-05:00I may be the odd one out but I love hardcovers and...I may be the odd one out but I love hardcovers and actually would prefer to buy everything in hardcover. I love the look of them on the bookshelf and the feeling of permanency that I get with a hardcover. I have spent substantial dollars in the secondary market getting hardcovers I have missed out on. Paperbacks are subject to spine and other construction problems which I hate. I know, I am odd.Tightsandcapesforeverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01070932504540174168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10945794.post-78677763239874644402007-06-27T02:25:00.000-05:002007-06-27T02:25:00.000-05:00Another factor may be Library sales. My library h...Another factor may be Library sales. My library has gotten onto the graphic novel bandwagon in a big way. If you know that every book you put out is going to have a certain minimum of library sales, you might decide to make those the more profitable hardbacks.<BR/><BR/>--DJKAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10945794.post-1638552780596113412007-06-26T19:45:00.000-05:002007-06-26T19:45:00.000-05:00I can't find it now, but I'm sure I read somewhere...I can't find it now, but I'm sure I read somewhere that the Shazam: Monster Society hardcover contained a sketchbook, notes, or <I>something</I>. But I'm all for extras in the trades and hardcovers, absolutely; it's like a director's cut DVD.collectededitionshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14698269790653953645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10945794.post-71832243396620987052007-06-24T23:42:00.000-05:002007-06-24T23:42:00.000-05:00Reading this I just had a thought(that may validat...Reading this I just had a thought(that may validate David Blais' comments to some extent). I notice that a lot of the DC HC solicitations don't have any specifics of "extras". Take for example the (so far excellent,imo) Jeff Smith "Shazam and the Monster Society of Evil" mini. Each of the first 3 issues is roughly 44 pages or so including covers. The HC solicit says the book will be 240 pgs I believe. After adding it all up and if issue # 4 is the same page count, that leaves something like 70 pages in the HC unaccounted for. Unless I missed it somewhere in the math. What's on these pages? If you wanted to encourage people to buy a different copy of something they probably already own, wouldn't you emphasize the extras? That's what they do with "Super Limited Collector's Edition" dvds right? Especially when they've already released a "Limited Collector's Edition" before. Maybe David is right. Just a thought.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10945794.post-26230153538673067772007-06-18T21:57:00.000-05:002007-06-18T21:57:00.000-05:00Good points all, and David, that's a fascinating i...Good points all, and David, that's a fascinating idea. Slowing the trade sales to push people back to monthlies ... very interesting. I'll have to think about that one.<BR/><BR/>Devin, you're absolutely right. I don't have any examples handy; can you think of some? I'll have to look around, but I think that's worth looking in to.collectededitionshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14698269790653953645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10945794.post-49995615454540459572007-06-17T19:46:00.000-05:002007-06-17T19:46:00.000-05:00DC's just making all my buying decisions easier, i...DC's just making all my buying decisions easier, is all. Marvel's putting so much great stuff out these days that I barely even notice that I'm buying almost no DC trades on account of everything coming out in hardcover. My lone voice of dissent doesn't do much to their sales overall, but I can't be the only one who finds themselves drifting away from DC rather than ponying up for the HCs.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10945794.post-28538617266282048992007-06-17T18:51:00.000-05:002007-06-17T18:51:00.000-05:00Great article. You brought up some very interesti...Great article. You brought up some very interesting points but I think there's another possible explanation behind DC's publishing strategy. What if DC was trying to slow the whole "wait-for-the-trade" trend? You said it yourself, the main reason many readers are willing to wait for the collected editions instead of buying the monthlies is because the trades are way cheaper. By first putting out HCs, DC may be trying to push those "cheap" readers towards the less expensive monthly books, while still satisfying those who want collected editions for their added production value.<BR/><BR/>BTW, I don't mean "cheap" in a bad way. After all, the lower price per issue is the main reason why I'm buying trades instead of monthlies.David Blaishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00126394100488319205noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10945794.post-6322815613899236112007-06-17T13:42:00.000-05:002007-06-17T13:42:00.000-05:00I believe there are also a couple of cases in the ...I believe there are also a couple of cases in the recent solicitations where same-priced trades have radically different page counts. Just what sets the price point if it's not the number of issues collected?Devinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12064767131161875941noreply@blogger.com