Issues are Not Suitable for a Family Man
My lifestyle as a husband and father of two does not allow me to fully embrace the hobby as a reader and collector. I have to stash all of my favorite comics away in short boxes stored in multiple closets. New and unread comics sit as a stack on a shelf in our master bedroom, which I know irks my wife. She's kind enough, however, to let me have my "space" for my issues, but with every shipment I feel the tension grow as the unread copies mount up to tipping over points.
Comics are Getting Too Expensive
Financially, it would save me a significant amount of money. With more and more issues being sold for a $3.99 cover price, getting collected editions would save me at least half of my hard-earned money... if not more. I would pay a bit more for hardcovers and special collected editions, but for my day-to-day reading, a standard, soft-cover trade would be more than sufficient.
Waiting to Enjoy the Trade
For enjoyment's sake, I think I would appreciate reading stories in trade. Everything I want out of an arc or series is right there in my hands. In 2009, "Scalped" by Jason Aaron and R.M. Guera (and other artists) was one of my favorite titles. Interestingly enough, I don't own a single issue of the series. I read the first four trades (and will be ordering the fifth very soon), and was completely enthralled by it.
I'm sure that not every series is going to be that compelling of a read, but it does prove the point -- even if it's only to myself -- that comics can be thoroughly enjoyed in the trade format. I understand that this is not Earth-shattering news to anyone but me, but as a reader and collector of comics in issues for about twenty-five years, this is a big deal.
The Comics Collector in Me
As a collector, this may end up opening up new opportunities. I've often told myself that if I did end up switching to trades that I would allow myself to track down single issues of stories that meant something to me. Same goes for original art and graded copies. I would certainly be able to afford more comic collectibles because I'm saving money with trades. I probably would be able to squeeze out a little more space in my bedroom and closets if I opted to sell or donate old issues that have no sentimental value or meaning to me anymore.
It's funny how this decision is coming on the heels of my "Chronological Crisis" reading project that I've recently invested my time and money in. I don't want to abandon the single-issue experience completely. In fact, there may be some cases where I'll continue to subscribe to comics in issue form. I can't see myself cutting over to trades all cold-turkey-like; a more gradual shift towards trades, prestige formats, and collected editions is what I'm envisioning.
Time to Make Some Cuts
So the first order of business is cutting down my subscription list. I have to make the hard cuts and leave my heart out of it. Basically, I'm cutting out the following titles because I'm several issues behind. When I say "several," I mean four to five; that's the criteria I'm going to use, no matter what it means to me as a collector. Goodbye, for now, to the following:
Secret Warriors
I love this series, but, for some reason, I can't seem to catch up. I just read issue #6 and enjoyed it. I'm a big fan of Jonathan Hickman; I subscribe to Fantastic Four, and love that as well. I just feel like this title is an ideal series to read in trades.
Uncanny X-Men
As a long-time X-Men reader, fan, and collector, this one is painful. However, I'm about five issues behind in this series, and the crossovers with the other X-books is making this difficult for me to want to read. As a fan of Matt Fraction, though, I will look for trades of future arcs, especially the upcoming return of Kitty Pryde.
Sweet Tooth
Another incredibly entertaining series, but I just feel like I'd get into it even more if it was collected. The issues are more than adequate, and I've been able to follow along, but typically read two issues at a time, then take a couple of months off.
Mighty Avengers
This one should have been cut a long time ago, but similarly to X-Men, my heart couldn't cut an Avengers book. I suffered through "The Unspoken" storyline, and the latest issue with the Dark Avengers had me wondering why I'm buying this. I probably won't pick up trades on this... if the series lasts any longer.
First Trades to Order
Along with the fifth volume of "Scalped," I'm excited about this new opportunity to go back and grab some collected series both new and old. Here is my short list of items I want to order:
Scalped Vol. 5: High Lonesome
Green Lantern: Rebirth
100 Bullets Vol. 1: First Shot, Last Call
Captain America Vol. 1: Winter Soldier, Book One
So we'll see how this goes. I'm curious about what my collection will look like a year from now. Will I still have all my short boxes full of back issues? Will I have more or fewer new comics than before? Will I still care about the value of comics? I know one thing is for sure: I won't freak out if one of my sons vigorously grabs the trade I'm reading and starts to chew on it. Well, I won't freak out as much.
A hint of what's about to come is all I got out of New Teen Titans #21. As Starfire and Raven put their powers on display, a mysterious, spherical satellite above Earth is home to an unidentified being that is "monitoring" their activities and adventures.
