Do you read the IDW comics?

To get an idea of what level of priority I should be giving to Comic news and previews, what sort of proportion of people here even reads them.
(I don't want to be selfish and only prioritise things that I have an interest in, if there isn't anyone else wanting to do it.)

Since their print numbers are often under 10,000 copies globally, that would probably mean less than a thousand in Australia... and maybe 1 or 2 percent of those by members here (10-20?).
But that doesn't take into account the number of digital copies sold and TPBs/compilations bought by people who don't buy the individual issues. Neither of which are stats that are released (I don't think).

When I post up previews in the news section, we manage to get about 100 views, which isn't too good... and comments are usually between 0-5 posts. And the review topics aren't active enough to have separate topics for each issue.

So, do you....
- Buy the individual issues when it is released.
- Buy individual issues later or in bulk when it is convenient.
- Buy digital issues within the week of its release.
- Buy digital issues later when it is convenient.
- Buy digital and printed issues.
- Buy individual issues and TPBs or Compilations.
- Buy only digital and TPBs/Compilations.
- Only buy the TPBs/Compilations.
- Buy printed, digital and TPBs.
- Don't buy any IDW comics.

I bought some of the BW comics as individual series, but thought it worked much better as a single book. Started buying the TPBs after that.

I don't think there's a whole heap of need for threads for the previews of each issue. Or at least not a new thread each time. Those that want to see them can and know where to seek them out. Also the previews are really too long these days, five or six pages? Not necessary. I tend to avoid the threads because the preview leads to people making assumptions and reviewing the comic based on an truly incomplete picture of the actual issue.

But to the questions

- Buy the individual issues when it is released.
Yes (MTMTE)

- Buy digital issues within the week of its release.
Yes (also MTMTE and $1 books)

- Buy digital issues later when it is convenient.
Yes (because it's cheaper to wait like a month and get RID half price)

- Buy digital and printed issues.
Yes (for MTMTE only)

- Buy individual issues and TPBs or Compilations.
Yes (for MTMTE, only Hardcover collections for the other series)

- Buy printed, digital and TPBs.
Yes

And some things I only buy in physical TPB, like the complete Classics UK series. And some things I wish I'd never bought, like Movie tie-ins and ReGeneration One.

I buy the trades, I can't justify the cost of individual comics over the long run. I buy #1 issues here and there. I had a couple signed when I was at Botcon this year which was cool.

As a result I tend to skip previews of comic news either here, on other sites and on the podcasts I listen to. this is primarily to avoid too many spoilers before the next trade comes out. some times there is a trade and a half of material before the next trade in a series is released.


I really like the way trades look on a shelf as well.

I did buy the Monstrosity series electronically as they were not being released in paper. I am waiting for the 3 stories to be collected into a single massive volume together and then I'll get that collection.

I have also purchased the bulk amount of IDW electronic Transformers that was made available a few months ago through that fundraiser, though I'm yet to download any of them. so that hardly counts.

I agree I tend to skip the previews mostly but I do like looking at the solicitations and covers in advance.. Perhaps just having a "Previews and Solicitations" Thread as opposed to individual threads for every sneak peak and preview. It would be an easy post to update new content and any discussion if any is usually done before the next preview or solicitation is released.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sharky

I agree I tend to skip the previews mostly but I do like looking at the solicitations and covers in advance.. Perhaps just having a "Previews and Solicitations" Thread as opposed to individual threads for every sneak peak and preview. It would be an easy post to update new content and any discussion if any is usually done before the next preview or solicitation is released.

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That might be a good idea, as I often do that with Japanese releases - having a topic of what is being released in a particular month, and then later add posts of galleries of the less-popular items, as they don't attract much attention as a stand-alone news topic.

I collect Transformers comics the same way that I've been doing so since 1984 --- I buy the individual issues when they're released. Although comic stores have made it a LOT easier. It was tougher in the 80s when I hadn't discovered comic stores and had to try and make it to a newsagent every week/month to grab the latest issue, which weren't always in stock. :( And of course, you have times when I just couldn't make it to a newsagent in that week or even month. I love how comic stores just hold the comics for me until I have the time to go in there and pick stuff up. Having said that, I do try and visit my local comic store at least once a month. The manager there says that I'm actually one of the better customers who doesn't let my order just pile up massively. :) But yeah, so much easier than using newsagents. :o

I read them, but tend to have long spells in between. I didn't start MTMTE and RID until around when Overlord was discovered on the Lost Light and stopped at the end of Dark Cybertron. I will pick it up again but just don't have the time at the moment. So yeah, when it is convenient I read the digital issues :)

I'm lucky that my wife works a few blocks from Phantomzone and doesn't mind dropping in and getting me the individual issues when they arrive.

Then I buy the trades from cheaper online sources (mostly), while if there is a shipping delay or the missus is too busy I'll get the digital versions (or get when on sale- I'd buy all digitally, but an iPad only has so much space).

I voted single issues and trades as the digitals are only once in a while (MtMtE, or digital only stories).

I bought The Wreckers TPB from Target a couple of years ago, but prior to that I think it was somewhere in the 90's that I bought my last comic. I have a few of the Dreamwave comics but they were given to me (don't think I have even read them).

The DW comics start off fairly ordinarily, but do get better later on. One thing that they started doing and that I was really looking forward to reading more of, was attempting to answer the question as to why the hell Transformers have cockpits and windows even in their Cybertronian vehicular modes. ;) Unfortunately that never came to pass :(

I would say that everyone should be at least reading More Than Meets The Eye in some form or other. For me, it's digital on the day, then hardcovers when (eventually) released. Occasionally, I'll buy the hard copy of the comics if the cover is drawn by someone special.

I like to buy collections, as I read at an exponential rate and like to have something that isn't over in a couple of minutes.