UK Definitive Comic collection from Hachette now in Australia

Just receiving the Target 2006 volume: This volume didn't censor Marvel appearances the way the black-covered IDW Classics Vol 2 did, so that's a good sign. The US stuff in this comes across better than in the IDW book. Whiter paper I think or slightly less dark printing makes the skin tones (for example) better. Like the IDW issues the work to make the colours solid robs some of the finer detail (compared to the originals and Titan reprints).

Comparing the UK issues in it to IDW Classics UK, the new book is superior. The IDW book is washed out and the pages reduced in size. The new version is much brighter and despite some minor loss as the top or bottom of some pages (where the original UK issues went right tot when edge). Quality or reproduction is on par with the Titan books.

I need to take some pics though to showcase the above thoughts.

Some pics to show the differences. In each the first image is the original Titan reprint, the second is the latest IDW reprint, and the last is the Hachette version.

(Some of the distorions are just from the way the pages fell as I was taking the photos.)

As noted above, the Hachette version is closer to the original reprints (including no "corrections" but working from the same files that IDW used) and brighter/more vibrant than the IDW books.

Click on any for larger view.


http://i.imgur.com/iHCYJ7rl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/zs8H0O3l.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/ks1sserl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/eZdwCbvl.jpg

UK issues

http://i.imgur.com/FaBNlPsl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/WcAiC2nl.jpg

I picked up one yesterday, and here are some photos of the inserts and poster...
(worth the $8... but I won't be subscribing, even though I love the idea of free gifts and that the $20 covers postage, so the books are really just costing about $16 -
cheaper than current TPBs that are half the size)

Good news for those in New Zealand though - one of the four contact addresses is in New Zealand (along with UK, Australia and South Africa), so these look to be intended for release in NZ and SA.

http://www.toycollectors.com.au/news/2017/082403.jpg
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http://www.toycollectors.com.au/news/2017/082404.jpg
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http://www.toycollectors.com.au/news/2017/082405.jpg
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http://www.toycollectors.com.au/news/2017/082406.jpg

For those like me who will only be wanting select issues, look for a big/high-traffic newsagent, who usually gets in all of the issues of these
part-release series. I found one that says they often get most or all issues... so hopefully that means they will get them long enough for me to get the UK recoloured issues.
(or hopefully the local distributor will be selling copies online like the UK source)

You're a legend, Paulbot, but damn you're tipping me over the edge!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by STL

You're a legend, Paulbot, but damn you're tipping me over the edge!

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I'm really starting to think about it too now.
Putting aside the total cost, it's really only $20 every 2 weeks for a hard-cover book of about 200 pages.
With bonus material in the back, and maybe $3-4 postage included in the $20 every 2 weeks... that's definitely cheaper than the Soft Cover TPBs that are smaller and more expensive. Plus there are a few freebie items at the start (and it would be great if they had a few extra freebie items later on in the subscription period).
I could then sell off the various IDW TPBs (I never bought Marvel TPBs, so I don't mind having a second set that I can read, and leave the original issues protected and untouched)... and even if I only get $10-15 for the IDW TPBs, that would make these ones practically free.

There are 18 volumes so far released in the UK (and Paulbot did up an estimation of other issues a couple months ago), and it's not like they have done up a "big" first volume, to then have regular volumes be half the size... the other volumes so far released also look to be about 200 pages as well. They must be printing a lot of these to get the cost down so cheaply to sell it for just $20 (including postage and freebies).
And since these look to be released in Europe, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, hopefully that means they will have enough subscriptions to make sure this goes all the way to the end, and not axe it early (especially since these are being done in random order - if they were going from 1 to 80, an early end wouldn't leave us with half stories all over the place).

I'll try to take some more comparision pics, I realised for example I didn't capture how some of the art that goes to the page edge in the original issues is cut off.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by griffin

I'm really starting to think about it too now.
Putting aside the total cost, it's really only $20 every 2 weeks for a hard-cover book of about 200 pages.
With bonus material in the back, and maybe $3-4 postage included in the $20 every 2 weeks... that's definitely cheaper than the Soft Cover TPBs that are smaller and more expensive. Plus there are a few freebie items at the start (and it would be great if they had a few extra freebie items later on in the subscription period).
I could then sell off the various IDW TPBs (I never bought Marvel TPBs, so I don't mind having a second set that I can read, and leave the original issues protected and untouched)... and even if I only get $10-15 for the IDW TPBs, that would make these ones practically free.

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My thinking has been similar. I've not subscribed yet but it's pretty much certain I will.

One thing to note though from reading the subscription paper work, for mail subscribers you get sent two volumes a month for $20 each, rather than getting them each fortnight.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by griffin

There are 18 volumes so far released in the UK (and Paulbot did up an estimation of other issues a couple months ago), and it's not like they have done up a "big" first volume, to then have regular volumes be half the size... the other volumes so far released also look to be about 200 pages as well.

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I've been working on an update to that post too that should be up in the next day or so.

If anyone is thinking of subscribing, consider doing it online (compared to calling in, mailing or emailing), as you get the free mug with your second delivery if you order online.
(it does note that the free gifts are "while stocks last" and may differ from the ones shown, but I would imagine that they would have received enough in Australia to cover a fair few early subscribers - they might not actually run out, but it covers them in case they get more subscribers than expected)

The direct link to the Transformers Comic page on the Australian distributor's site is here (the UK website just redirects you to it anyway). Click on "Subscribe" and it will take you to their cart/checkout screen, for you to fill out your details.

I think it will be interesting to see if we end up with the bad issues that needed to be reprinted and sent out to people in the UK, or if the reprints will be done in time for their later release here.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Paulbot

One thing to note though from reading the subscription paper work, for mail subscribers you get sent two volumes a month for $20 each, rather than getting them each fortnight.

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Which is worth noting, as if you're interested in just subscribing until you get all the 'free' gifts, you're not actually receiving them with each issue but with each delivery, so it'll cost $200 (10 issues) before you receive all 5 promotional gifts.

Ah yes... as I recall from the UK subscribers talking about it on TFW - it will be a monthly delivery (or every 4 weeks), of two issues with each delivery.

It saves them on postage, but I think it would still be a good deal, to get two HC TPBs delivered for $40 (which has as much content as about 3 SC TPBs), compared to individual SC TPBs costing $30-40.
For me, if I subscribe, the first half will be really worth it, but then the IDW half will only be worth it after I sell off my SC TPBs.

I can probably understand why they are doing this in a random order (to prevent a heap of people cancelling their subscription halfway who might just want the original series), but it means that people who are new, or never had any of the comics, can't sit down and read each volume as they come out... they will have to wait 3 years until the volumes are all released.
(I hope they chase you up when your credit card is about to expire, as most people will have a new credit card issued in the next 3 years.)

It's definitely a great Offer but like most I think I'd be doubling up on a lot of the content so will probably give it a miss.
One thing that worries me though if I was to subscribe is how the books will fair during transit. As a previous subscriber to the Marvel Chess Set with the same distributor (Bisset), The Chess pieces where always shipped in just a satchel bag with no bubble wrap and only the box the piece was packed in to protect it. Fortunately for me none ever arrived broken, but there were a few that the boxes were squashed and the booklets bent etc.
Not trying to rain on anyone's parade but it's something to consider. These books being big and heavy are likely to possibly ding and tear if they're shipped the same way.
If what I mentioned does become an issue, the good news is you can opt out of the subscription at anytime with 28 days notice