Why do you guys read Trades over individual Issues?

I am really, really, really considering starting getting into TPB instead buying the issues individually, mostly due to a money point of view but seeing as some trades cost more than the individual issues bought separately I was wondering if anyone could tell me any other benefits.

As always thanks for any replies.

P.S. This thread is meant to be you guys trying your best to convince me to go with trades over individual comics.

I read individual issues, the only time I read trades is when I'm trying to get caught up on a series.

Indvidual comics are like £2 for 20 pages but you can get trades with like 200 pages for £5...

No ads, possibly extra content (intros, sketches/additional artwork), more durable and you can store them better on shelves.

Trades usually are cheaper than individual issues.

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In addition to these reasons, I simply can't buy them individually, as I have no comic shop anywhere near me. There are a few comics that I buy digitally, but others that I hold off on, even if I am interested in them, purely so that I can have the trade on my shelf.

It seems to me that single issues very quickly take up a *lot* of space, far more than trades ever would. Plus, they're far more flimsy; you have to get protection sleeves and special boxes for them; it's more clunky to read a whole story arc as you have to take each comic out of a sleeve, read, put it back etc., and that's assuming that you keep them all in order. I doubt I'd buy many of them even if I did have a LCS. But the very long wait is a huge downside. Also why I have started buying digitally, even though I prefer paper.

You two have convinced me tomorrow I am going straight down to my LCS and canceling my pull list to start getting trades.

A bit of both. Mostly issues, though.

It's honestly better. You wait longer for the newer issues, but you can read them all at once rather than one by one. It's like owning a show on DVD and just watching it whenever you want instead of watching one episode, then waiting an entire week to find out what happens next.

i have thought about going digital as a space saver, but i would never want to wait all that time for something to go to trade. I'd rather wait on individual issues digital or paper.

Because you get an entire story arc in a single book, more content and more value for cost.

If you don't mind ordering online, you can find great deals. http://www.instocktrades.com/ and http://www.dcbservice.com/ for instance have stuff for 20-50% off.

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I'm really wanting to switch to. I'll miss all the covers though...

Heres to change (Pretending I am old enough for beer.)

@tikhunt: "clink"that's the sound of both are imaginary beers cheers.

Man....Im even thinking about making the switch now. That way I could read more Image and dark horse

All the covers are in the trades without the texts.

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It depends for me. If I see something really obscure come out that I want to give a shot I'll get the monthlies for fear it won't come out in trade. Series with a ton of back issues I'll usually get trades for to catch up and then continue with trades. I prefer trades, I don't get all OCD about there condition.

@doomdoomdoom: Good point about the condition. Howver the only Trade I have ever bought is the Uncanny X-men trade and it's hardcover, man I'd chuck my Rocket Raccoon: Tales from Half World into a fireplace to stop the Uncanny X-men getting a crease.

Independent comics today survive because of the trades or do you mean obscure big two titles?

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Pretty much every issue others have brought up in favor. The only drawback to trades is the length if takes for them to come out. Some don't come out for a full year after the original issues come out. Also not everything gets a trade.

Both but more so the big two, I made a point of picking up My Greatest Adventure because I had the feeling it wouldn't have a trade. Every now and then with the smaller companies too though, most recently The Fall of the House of Usher.

I only read Trades when I have to get caught up on some series.

Dark Horse does collect their stuff, even in bigger collections later and with (old) series that they didn't publish themselves. Someone like Corben especially.

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I only buy trades to conveniently read older stories, because its cheaper than buying all the back issues and then having to search for all those issues.

If I'm starting a series after it's been going for a year or so, I'll get the trades that have been made and then read the individual issues.

They are cheap. Read both.

Well now I know. Just wondering, I ask because it seems like you might know the answer, when a series comes out if the monthlies don't sell a certain amount will the company that put it out just assume there was not enough interest in it for it to be worth making a trade of it?

I read issues.

I get some issues and some trades. Depends on whether I want to collect that series or not.

That depends on the publisher. The big two nowadays fully collect their series even if they're cancelled early on (I'm remembering that something like Giffen's Doom Patrol wasn't fully collected for some reason). Some old series are just now being collected, though. Smaller publishers do well with trades even if a series isn't a top-seller.

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No... we've lost another. Imagine this scenario:

The new issue of Justice League comes out, the end of Trinity War.

Your friend: Hey, I just read the last issue of Trinity War! Wasn't that amazing?

Your other friend: Yeah, I can't believe that *spoiler spoiler spoiler* happened, what do you think [your name]?

You: I just buy trades... >.>

Or the real scenario

Me: Omg Infinity just started

Every friend ever: Get the f*** out the way GTA 5 just came out.

@tikhunt: I'm convinced as well. I'm switching to tpb's now until I graduate

@billy_batson: Still pisses me off to this day that they haven't printed the rest of Giffen's Doom Patrol, same thing with his Booster Gold, too.

I read both, but if the upsides to reading trades aren't yet obvious let me explain some reasons why:

1. **Cheaper**

2. Chance to read a full arc in one sitting

3. No month long waiting between issues

4. Good indicator of how you like a character/storyline/creator. An arc, or collection of issues, is a much better way to make that judgement as opposed to just one issue.

5. It's packaged nicely and neatly contained in book form. It also looks good with a collection on a bookshelf.

6. No bagging and boarding

Personally I still love collecting monthlies for titles/characters/runs I particularly favor. For me nothing compares to the joy of reading my issues, caring for them and keeping them archived together to pull out whenever I want to read them again. Single issues display that quintessential element of comic book storytelling in being able to tell short, impactful stories. I think that type of storytelling can go unnoticed in trades as the goal is always to read and finish the arc (oftentimes in one sitting) rather than soaking in each issue and having a month to ponder and discuss it.

Because when I buy a trade I put it on a book shelf and read it when the mood strikes. When I buy a floppy it goes in a plastic sleeve, in a white longbox, in a closet, and I never read it ever again.

Well those are two awesome sites I've never heard of before. Do they usually have complete series of "old" stuff (from like the past 10-20 years)? That might be a little too much to ask...

Yeah, most of Giffen's work hasn't been collected and neither other Doom Patrol runs as well.

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Not sure what you're asking. If some series' trades aren't out of print, they should have them. Out of print trades most likely aren't there. But the sites have search bars so you can check that out for yourself.

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@billy_batson: Which is a damn shame. He's great. His Perforated Man arc in Booster Gold is one of my favorite BG stories.

My mind is for ever changed...

I read trade, its just simply better.

MUCH rather have issues unless their extremely expensive. But if u buy issues they have the chance to be worth alot someday

I read both. Trades mainly to read older arcs etc and also other series that I don't buy the individual issues for. I try to stay in control of my spending on monthly issues, it's so easy to spend too much lol