Comic Books VS. Graphic Novels/Collections

[FenrisUlf]

Which do you buy, and why?

For myself, I've gone to almost exclusively to graphic novels for my superhero fix. They're cheaper than buying every issue of the original series/story-line, and you can read the whole story through at once.

Right now I'm enjoying Essential Thor Volume 1, for instance.

[Sketchpad]

I'd say buy whatcha like :) There's some great Essential and Showcase volumes out there, as well as some great stories that have been collected in trade format.

[RDU Neil]

I was buying all Marvels in GN format... but I've honestly run out of shelf space. I actually have more space in my 75 long boxes for comics.

Actually, I've begun to really stop buying comics, really, but when I do, GN format is appealing.

[Captain Emu]

Personally,

I buy individual issues for ongoing series and more obscure limited series. The big "event" limited series I wait for the compilations to come out.

[OddHat]

I only buy graphic novels these days, and then only if I know and like the writer or hear very good things about the story arc. I got out of comics almost completely in the early 1990s (continued to buy the Sandman TPBs and a few others), and really only started picking up TPBs again two or three years ago based on reccomendations on these boards.

[keithcurtis]

Seeing as the nearest comic shop is either two and a half hours or another country away (ferry trip either way), I get my comic fix through GN's borrowed from the public library. There are lots, check it out if you never have.

Keith "sigh. So remote." Curtis

[secretID]

All GNs - especially as many things these days seem to be written with that format in mind.

I never thought of trying the library - thanks for the idea.

[transmetahuman]

I'm another TPB-through-libraries reader. Stopped buying comics years ago, but you'd be amazed how many graphic novels & collections you can get through interlibrary loan these days. I was also pretty suprised at the mature content in some of what's available, since I assumed it was mostly kids checking them out - but now that I think about it, all of the titles from Superman to the rustiest iron age stuff *are* in the adult section.

It's a bit tough to read a series in order and without gaps sometimes, but you can't beat the price. And I don't have to get mad at myself for wasting my money when the writers do something reeeeeally stupid.

[Teflon Billy]

I would completely go over to TPB if I knew for a fact that Marvel would produce TPBs for all of their stuff.

As it is it's a crap shoot as to whether everything that I want to read will come out as a TPB (or if it'll come out in any reasonable timeline) so I get single issues for stuff that I like now.

If I was TPB only, I'd be more than a year behind on The Ultimates 2 and a few other series that I really enjoy.

I do however only get TPB for Ultimate Spiderman and Ultimate X-Men. And have only kept up with the Decimation of House of M by TPB as well.

TB

[Spidey88]

I have to say, Teflon Billy, I often wish I could read Ultimate Spider-Man (as well as many other books) in TPB format (I'm too much of a Spidey fanboy in general to wait, and buy the issues each month) - Bendis seems to pace stories veeeerrrrrrryyyy sssslllloooowwwwlllyyy. Then again, it may not be his fault a single conversation can take up half a stinkin' issue.

On that note, is it just me, or has pacing slowed down across the board comic-wise? Am I just getting more impatient as I get older, or is everything really taking that much longer to resolve? Perhaps I'm used to more overall action? Maybe I'm just getting a little too jaded with the medium...

Anyway, back on topic: I have to say, as an absolutely voracious reader, I really do like TPB's. Last week, I read the first six volumes of "Fables" in about three hours (while watching TV). Very satisfying to get all that at once! Ditto for "Invincible" a few weeks before.

The problem is, in addition to being too fast a reader for my own good sometimes, I'm also kind of a cheapskate when it comes to TPBs. I tend not to buy many, as most of the comics I'm interested in, I buy issue by issue - despite the fact that it's less cost-effective that way. I plan on expanding my classic Spidey collection via TPBs, though - those Essentials are probably a little cheaper than getting Amazing Spider-Man #21-40 individually. Of course, if I finish the time machine, I could save a bundle...

Wha - oh! Ummm, forget you read that. Yeah. Nothing to see here, move along...:ugly:

[Bloodstone]

I buy both, though I buy way more comics then I do TPB's.

[wrestlinggeek]

All TPB/Graphic Novels for me. I can't afford to buy comics every week. And I also get them from the library whenever I can. Which has actually gotten me to read a few things I otherwise wouldn't have.

[teh bunneh]

I've been slowly buying fewer and fewer monthly titles and more and more trade paperbacks. I like getting the whole story at once, but I don't like waiting months and months to get it. Trade-offs, I suppose. :)

[FenrisUlf]

Seeing as the nearest comic shop is either two and a half hours or another country away (ferry trip either way), I get my comic fix through GN's borrowed from the public library. There are lots, check it out if you never have.

Keith "sigh. So remote." Curtis

I read what I can find in local libraries too, though they don't have quite as much superhero/action-adventure as I like. Locally, one is overflowing with Dragonball Z and Ranma; but then, they have some of the Busiek Astro City and Marvels. They also have something titled Spyboy, which I like more than I thought I would.

But thanks for the recommendation.

[bigdamnhero]

More TPBs than actual comics. I don't read a lot of comics these days, generally only those recommended by friends. As a result, by the time I'm ready to check out a series it's usually out in TPB anyway. Once I get "caught up" I sometimes switch to picking up individual issues, depending on how much I'm into the story.

[Vondy]

I stopped reading comics for the most part, so I have nothing relevant to say, but that won't stop me from saying it anyways... :D

I think comics suffer from the open-ended format. I think they would do better to have planned arcs with beginnings, middles, and ends. Popular characters can be recurrent, as can themes, and minor threads from before could grow into a coming arcs major plot, but comic authors today have little sense of the art of storytelling. Its about skimpier costumes, bigger fights, and pushing sales for 300 issues. I don't think that's a realistic artistic, literary, or quality-focused model. As a result, I think graphic novels, and comics that have actual story structure are preferable. I know it wasn't intentional from a planning point of view, but Ruse had a strong beginning, middle, and satisfying end because, when they found out the company was going under, they started thinking about structure and plot and a good finale. And Planetary was saved, and remained good through its run, by the fact that it was never intended to go on forever. I think the iconics and popular teams would be well served by such a model as well: a planned arc of 6-18 issues; followed by a brief planning period and another planned arc. Time to think, and time to keep the structure and story clean.

[bigdamnhero]

I think comics suffer from the open-ended format. I think they would do better to have planned arcs with beginnings, middles, and ends. Popular characters can be recurrent, as can themes, and minor threads from before could grow into a coming arcs major plot, but comic authors today have little sense of the art of storytelling. Its about skimpier costumes, bigger fights, and pushing sales for 300 issues. I don't think that's a realistic artistic, literary, or quality-focused model. As a result, I think graphic novels, and comics that have actual story structure are preferable. I know it wasn't intentional from a planning point of view, but Ruse had a strong beginning, middle, and satisfying end because, when they found out the company was going under, they started thinking about structure and plot and a good finale. And Planetary was saved, and remained good through its run, by the fact that it was never intended to go on forever. I think the iconics and popular teams would be well served by such a model as well: a planned arc of 6-18 issues; followed by a brief planning period and another planned arc. Time to think, and time to keep the structure and story clean.
In general, I agree. Tho ironically, the industry seems to be already going that direction to a degree. The popularity of TPBs has led to many (if not most) series being plotted out in 6-issue arcs that can subsequently be neatly bundled into a TPB. Of course, that incurs its own set of problems: some storylines wind up being rushed to meet the arbitrary 6-issue limit, while other that could've/should've been wrapped up in 3 or 4 issues get stretched out longer than they need to be. But overall it seems to lead to tighter writing. (At least in the titles I read, which may not be a representative sampling.)

[FenrisUlf]

I think comics suffer from the open-ended format. I think they would do better to have planned arcs with beginnings, middles, and ends. Popular characters can be recurrent, as can themes, and minor threads from before could grow into a coming arcs major plot, but comic authors today have little sense of the art of storytelling. Its about skimpier costumes, bigger fights, and pushing sales for 300 issues. I don't think that's a realistic artistic, literary, or quality-focused model. As a result, I think graphic novels, and comics that have actual story structure are preferable. I know it wasn't intentional from a planning point of view, but Ruse had a strong beginning, middle, and satisfying end because, when they found out the company was going under, they started thinking about structure and plot and a good finale. And Planetary was saved, and remained good through its run, by the fact that it was never intended to go on forever. I think the iconics and popular teams would be well served by such a model as well: a planned arc of 6-18 issues; followed by a brief planning period and another planned arc. Time to think, and time to keep the structure and story clean.

I agree with this myself.