single comics vs trade paperbacks thread

hey guys, im here with a serious and painful delima

a few days ago i made an aquisition which featured the following

transformers bumblebee, part duo
transformers ongoing, issue trio
all hail megatron coda

anyhoo i was planning on doing something orather but i found out im outta dough so ive come to the realisation that imagunna need to lower down my buying, and go only for the ongoing and get the trade paperbacks

but heres when the power level goes WAY over 9000 for me.

all the issues of the comic book have to come out first

then you have to wait another few months after teh last issue for the trade paperback to be out.

i did it with ahm, but it almost killed me lol, i had to wait for like 1 1/2 years to get all of it. so what do you guys think?

That's the very reason I've started to buy the singles, I'm sick of waiting so long to read the bloody story, I'll probably get the trades later for collection purposes, its hardly a monetary issue for me.

I buy Transformer comics monthly because I want to help support them as ongoing books.

However for every other comic book series I read (and it's a lot of Marvel books) I only buy the trades. Yes there's a wait but I've filled it in by buying more series now than I used to when I was just buying a few comics monthly.

With the TF comics you may have to wait a while to read the story but you often would get the whole story at once, and in fact many of the IDW stories read better in the trade format as the individual comics don't have much plot as standalone issues.

Not so much a recommendation, but this is what I do...

I only buy the trades because I don't like reading them as single issues, and to be honest, single issues cost way too much here in AU. It's also cheaper buying the trade (say it collects 6 issues - a trade would cost $30 but buying 6 single issues would cost $7 x 6 = $42).

I also don't like collecting single issues because I gotta do so much to protect them (plastic sleeve, backing board, storage, etc). Don't get me wrong, I probably have about 5000+ comics as single issues, mostly late 80s to mid 90s stuff, but I've come to the realisation that single issues just don't do it if I just want to read the story. And goodness, the work I have to go through just to keep them mint.

I run into the same problem as you - a long wait before reading the whole story. This means that in terms of comic knowlege, I only know things that were current 1 to 1.5 years ago. Downside is that I won't be able to participate in comic canon discussions that are current on the Boards.

Transformers is fine. But it's such a pain to wait for DC trades in TPB as compare to HC format. They must have taken 2 years between the issues of "Search fo Kryptonite" and the TBP. I think I'm going to have to wait another 2 years to read Blackest Night in its entirety...

I used to be single issues, but am switching to trades, mainly due to:

- cost factor
- space (trades don't take up as much space)

I prefer trades. If you dont start on a new series yet it doesnt feel like your missing anything that way. With the ongoing trend of IDW, they'll surely do a TPB anyways.

I prefer Trades, if i really want the single issue i borrow a friends or download them.

Trades are the way to go for re-reading. They are cheaper and more convenient.

However I used to buy the IDW comics in singles as well as trades, to support the company and because I really enjoyed the comics and didnt want to wait for 6-12 months for a trade. But since the abomination of AHM, I have changed my stance, and will only get the trades.

Buy trades if you can wait. I can't cos I'm an impatient sod, and also cos I've been collecting single issues of Transformers since 1984 (old habits die hard :p). But if you have the patience then TPBs are better IMO. As others have said, single comics here are expensive, and Transformer comics these days just don't give you as much bang for your buck per single issue like they used to back in the old Marvel days. An entire issue where the Autobots are hiding out in caves?? Faaaaaaaaaar out.

kuzzy, if you ever want to read the sooner you can always come over and read mine. :)

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Originally Posted by Starscream212

or download them.

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Legally of course. Such as the first few pages which are often displayed online as a preview. <nodlies> ;)

I'll buy single issues and sometimes the trade paperbacks too (particularly hardcovers) if I think it's something that deserves supporting. I'm fairly sure I'll buy The Last Stand Of The Wreckers in every shape and form because I love Nick Roche and think James Roberts is great. If it sells well, hopefully they'll give those guys a greater role in the franchise. On the other hand, the rest of IDW doesn't mean that much to me. My heart literally skipped a beat when issue 79 of the US Marvel G1 comic came out and told me there was only one more issue. If IDW folded, I wouldn't care.

just got AHM "volume 4" today and read it in one go. Awesome to read in one go. heh.

I buy the trades for pretty much the same reasons others have said. They store better and they're cheaper, as well as not needing to go on the comic hunt as often as I would otherwise.

:)TPB all the way, take up less room and less likely to get damaged. :D

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Originally Posted by Seraphim Prime

as well as not needing to go on the comic hunt as often as I would otherwise.

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I realise that this is a completely moot point for you since you collect TPBs (:p) -- but for anyone else considering collecting individual issues I'd recommend setting up a standing order at a comic store rather than hunting.

For Transformers i usually get Trades although i ended up getting all the single issues of AHM just for the different covers and the other comic series that i collect is all single issues as i find it easier to keep on top of them and i usually wouldnt be able to wait the year it takes for some of the TPBs' to come out

I prefer single issues. It's something to do with the way they feel, but also to do with context. It's less of an issue with modern comics, but especially with older comics you don't get the ads -- you don't get the letters pages -- you don't get all the things that places the story in a time and place.

Trade Paperbacks are very pratical.

But I'd miss seeing what other IDW comics are out that month, or the letters page, or the other little things that give the whole comic context. It was neat reading through some of the Infiltration (I think, or one of those lines of comics) stuff years later and seeing an ad for the Alternators Optimus Prime toy.

--Jhiaxus.

I say depending on the quality of the comic run.

IDW has a tendency to be inconsistent in the quality of single issues. Some issues may be very good but several are not and due to this its hard to get a clear picture on the quality of the overall story. At the end of the single issue run, you may realize that the story is not very good at all.

If you have doubts on a comic series wait till the paperback as single issues may not be worth it.