They Said it Better: The Chopping Block

By -

James Robinson, via Twitter, says that sales of DC's "The Shade" miniseries are low enough that there might not be a collected edition, or even a conclusion. Todd Allen at The Beat has written a spirited defense of the series.

I'm not suggesting that those of you who prefer to wait for trades should switch back to individual issues in most cases -- I do a lot of trade-waiting myself now -- but be aware that the weak economy has finally hit the publishers enough that those collections are no longer guaranteed. DC recently cancelled the last trades of "Doom Patrol" and "R.E.B.E.L.S.", for example, and Marvel just stopped the "All-Winners Squad" miniseries in the middle. You're almost certainly safe waiting for titles like "Avengers" and "Justice League", but if you want to keep some of the lower-tier titles in business you may want to consider adding them to a pull list at your local shop or buying them digitally.

Comments

  1. ShaneDecember 1, 2011 at 9:54 AM

    This surprises me, given that--with (presumably) enough demand for the Starman Omnibi--I thought DC might feel this series would sell well in collected format too.

    ReplyDelete
  2. pghheadDecember 1, 2011 at 3:11 PM

    Thanks for the link to the Allen article - - good to see a reviewer getting behind a title in an effort to save it. I also appreciate Allen's link to the ICV2 site that reveals actual sales numbers. (You can be the #100 book of the month with just 25,000 copies!)
    I also have been leaning towards waiting for trades - - but not as much as some of us because what I like is more "alternative", "indie", or "lesser known" and doesn't always generate enough sales to warrant the later trade edition. But if the economy doesn't improve, more and more books will never get printed in trades. Heads up, comic fans!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Robert Kirkman: Invincible, Walking Dead, Wolf-Man

By -
Image
I wasn't actually a huge fan of Robert Kirkman when I first started reading his books.  He was competent, sure, but I didn't see the appeal-- The Irredeemable Ant-Man was a boring side story in the middle of  Civil War and  The Initiative (although I've since changed my mind about this), and his  Ultimate X-Men run was, in many places, a mixed bag (although I did very much enjoy his "Phoenix?" storyline).  And  Marvel Zombies  just seemed like a ridiculous idea--not that I bothered to try it at the time. Now, though?  I've completely reevaluated my opinion on his work, and when his name is attached to a project, I'm far more likely to give it a look.  I don't know if I'd classify him as a master storyteller or a comics icon--but he's very skilled, he has an incredible knack for dialog, and he writes stories that, no matter how ridiculous, seem real .  In a medium where characters frequently violate the rules of physics, that's not alway...
Read more

INDIE COMICS: Huffin’ & puffin’ B.B. Wolf’s got the blues

By pghhead -
Image
BB WOLF AND THE THREE LPs  (Top Shelf, May 2010 hardcover, black & white, 86 pages,   $12.95)  As told by JD Arnold with illustrations by Richard Koslowski What got my attention immediately was the pairing up of a classic fairy tale with musical motifs.  That’s a combination that pushes two of my “hot buttons” - -  so I made it a must-read.  I was not disappointed.  This is a very entertaining and cleverly designed work that rivals Bill Willingham’s  creativity on the long-running FABLES series from Vertigo. As if taking the classic tale of the Big Bad Wolf and the Three Little Pigs and turning it upside down wasn’t enough to interest, BB WOLF AND THE THREE LPS  serves as an allegory for the oppression of  the black population in the deep South (Mississippi) in the 1920’s.  While they may be free (wolves),  the governing bodies (pigs) have the power to deny them their land, homes and possessions and even own the...
Read more

more random readings from May 2009

By pghhead -
Image
What else did I finish reading last month?  Here’s a cross-section of various titles . . . . . . . . . WITCHBLADE #126 “War Of The Witchblade Part 2” by Ron Marz and Stejepan Sejic  (Top Cow/Image) Preface:  Now here’s an interesting concept! = In order to attract new readers to its’ titles Top Cow is giving out free books each month as part of it’s Let Us Win You Over project.  ( www.topcow.com/freecomics )  Every month it’s a different title. And they work through different comics shops each month as well.  In April the title was Witchblade #126 and one of the participating dealers was Captain Blue Hen Comics in Newark, DE (my preferred supplier) so voila! - - - I find a copy in my hands. Since the last time I explored the Witchblade series the mythology has expanded to a battle between the forces of light and dark with each side choosing its agents on Earth, hence the Darkness vs. the Witchblade.  I’m still not overly interested in this typ...
Read more