Trades vs. Individual Issues

[PhotoJones]

i've been trying to track down bendis' entire run on daredevil as well as kirkman's invincible from the begining; all in single issue form. it's the completionist/collector in me.

it got me wondering if i'm in the majority among fans or not when it comes to back issues.

do you guys prefer tracking down the individual issues, or buying things in trade form?

also, what if anything are you hunting for?

 

[Darthphere]

I'd rather just buy the trades. Cheaper, easier ot handle, plus all the extras in hardcover editions and such.

 

[LibrarianThorne]

For big events, I love getting the single issues. As far as I'm concerned, event comics have very little to do with the comic itself, as I derive a lot of entertainment from getting on various message boards and talking about them.

For normal series or miniseries, I usually get trades. I've got almost all of Transmetropolitan and Sandman in trade, and I'm working on Invincible. After I finish those, I'll probably pick up the Waid/Kitson Legion of Superheroes, as what I've read of it is pretty good. Oh yeah, and Manhunter. Issues 27-29 have really sold me on that book, and I'll pick up the issues I don't have as they come out in trades.

For really long ongoings like Superman and Batman, I think it's a better idea to get the singles. A TON of really great stories never get reprinted in trade format, whereas a lot of really subpar ones do.

 

[PhotoJones]

For big events, I love getting the single issues. As far as I'm concerned, event comics have very little to do with the comic itself, as I derive a lot of entertainment from getting on various message boards and talking about them.

For normal series or miniseries, I usually get trades. I've got almost all of Transmetropolitan and Sandman in trade, and I'm working on Invincible. After I finish those, I'll probably pick up the Waid/Kitson Legion of Superheroes, as what I've read of it is pretty good. Oh yeah, and Manhunter. Issues 27-29 have really sold me on that book, and I'll pick up the issues I don't have as they come out in trades.

For really long ongoings like Superman and Batman, I think it's a better idea to get the singles. A TON of really great stories never get reprinted in trade format, whereas a lot of really subpar ones do.

that's for damn sure.

 

[Roughneck]

I used to be all about the singl issues. When I wanted to read Secret Wars I could have bought the trade, but instead I went and tracked down all of the individual issues. I did it for X-tinction Agenda, Avengers Forever, Mutant Massacre. I tracked down individual issues for a lot of stories.

Then one day I bought a TPB....Contest of Champions actually, then Watchmen, Contest of Champions II....at leas these were all older, then Superman Red Son came out and I missed the first issue. The guy at the store told to to just wait for the trade....I did, that was the first story I bought the trade for right when it came out.....It was something.

Now I buy trades for a lot of book I like to re-read like Exiles, Alpha Flight and She Hulk as well as the individual issues. And there are some books I started reaing exclusively in TPB form like Captain America, Supreme Power. And of course trades got me into many great books I have been missing out on like Invincible and Y the last man and Walkign Dead, I love these books but I'm not going to start on Single issues for them.. I will continue on the trades.

Through Trades I have found old stories that are great, Crisis on Infinite Earths, Earth X, Avegers: Under Seige. I can catch up on titles that I have let slip like Fantastic Four and Superman/Batman. Or I can just get some stories I want to read like Batman: Under the hood or Secret Six. Through trades I discovered the awesomeness of the Super Buddies.

Sure the wait is longer, but you get extras and they are cheaper than single issues. And the way Marvel and DC are operating now almost every book is being collected in Trades.

The one sad element in this whole world of TPBs is that Marvel's TPBs are about $5 more (On average) than DC's TPBs and Marvel's don't have the Extras....even the Image ones cost less and have way more extras.....So i kind of hope Marvel Catches up on that wave.

But yeah to recap I used to prefer single issues but that was because I didn't have my eyes open. Trade Paperbacks are really really awesome.

 

[Anubis]

I prefer trades, but most of the time I can't wait for them to come out and end up buying the single issues. Never been much of a back issue collector though. I'm lazy and I hate searching for s**t. If it ain't at Milehigh for a reasonable price then I don't need to read it.

 

[PhotoJones]

I prefer trades, but most of the time I can't wait for them to come out and end up buying the single issues. Never been much of a back issue collector though. I'm lazy and I hate searching for s**t. If it ain't at Milehigh for a reasonable price then I don't need to read it.

milehigh is such a scam.

 

[Anubis]

I know, that's why I don't buy too many back issues. If somebody can show me an online site with cheap back issues it'd be much appreciated.

 

[AndThePickles]

If I've missed a lot of the series, I prefer to just buy the trades.

 

[Darthphere]

With DC books, sometimes you dont have a choice.

 

[Eddie Brock]

i prefer trades, however, if an event is going on (let's use Planet Hulk as an example), i will not wait for the TPB to come out, i will buy the individual issues

 

[Kraven]

I'd rather get trades instead of hunting everywhere for back issues. I'm looking to get Bendis' entire Daredevil run in trade form, eventually.

 

[Eddie Brock]

also, when i look for older issues, i like to get the individuals, for instance, i am trying to collect Maximum Carnage in individual issues as opposed to the TPB

 

[PhotoJones]

With DC books, sometimes you dont have a choice.

how so?

 

[Darthphere]

how so?

Though they've gotten better, DC is notoriously slow with getting trades out.

 

[Elijya]

I do both, depends on the title. My favorite titles I do both for

 

[Darthphere]

Yup, I bought the Alias Omnibus even though I had bought all the issues after downloading them. I own that comic in 3 different forms.

And I just bought Annihilation Book 1 online.

 

[PhotoJones]

Yup, I bought the Alias Omnibus even though I had bought all the issues after downloading them. I own that comic in 3 different forms.

And I just bought Annihilation Book 1 online.

alias was amazing. what's gaydos doing these days?

 

[Darthphere]

alias was amazing. what's gaydos doing these days?

Snakewoman for Virgin Comics.

 

[ibsisomis]

Yeah I like trades better they are cheaper, easier to keep up with and if you loan them to your friends yo only have to get back one book instead of a bunch of them.

 

[BrianWilly]

Trades, if at all possible.

 

[A.J.Rimmer(BSC)]

Trades easily for me.

The conveinience (sp) is the best factor, as is a direct continuity.

Individual comics don't last 2 minutes with me. I'd like something more meaty to get into.

Although you do have to be extremely patient especially when you visit sites like here and all the debate and spoilers are about 'current' events.

I'm still waiting for

Planet Hulk
Annihaltation
Civil War

for example.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

I prefer trades to back issues, but I prefer individual issues to trades if I'm actively reading the comic at that moment. It's kind of weird--you look at the trades on my bookshelf and you'd swear I'm a huge fan of all these characters, but the truth is, if I were really a fan of the character, I'd have been buying their comics' individual issues instead. I have no Spider-Man trades and only the Simonson Thor trades, for example.

 

[bulok]

Trades, i only get to the store once every few months, i miss way too many out on individual issues.

 

[Galact-Gal]

I prefer individual issues for the series I'm currently reading/collecting. I like a monthly fix (when they're on time, that is).

Also, I've been collecting for many, many years, so I have most of the back issues I want. The ones I don't have are waaay too expensive for me to buy individually, so I'm saving up for Marvel Masterworks. Yeah, I know about the Essentials volumes; I just prefer color.

I do buy a few trades, but mostly individual issues.