Do you purchase single issue comic series, wait for the trades, or both?

[Mr. Q]

The reason why I ask this is that I'm back into a monthly comic book series or two after a long hiatus. About 2 to 3 years ago, I was buying comics big time. My hobby/addiction got into the 20 to 30 dollar range every week. Looking back, I think it was mostly out of habit but there were some books I loved. Everything else I might have read or saw on the racks was the same joyless crap that reviled in tired tropes (I.E. crossovers, major character gets killed/raped/brought back, shock tactics, etc.) The problem was that I was between jobs and the increasing prices on comics (ranging from $2.99 and up on single issues) was not helping matters. Long story short, I had to quit cold turkey on my once beloved hobby until I got back on my feet.

Today, as I said, I'm back into comics but the days of mass consumption are over. I'm mostly going with trade paper backs and one monthly comic series. On average, I might pick up a TPB or two once every quarter of the year (give or take). I might eventually go into back issues to complete some series I left unread and incomplete such as the pre-New 52 Batgirl. Other than that, unless its a series I really want to support and its not gonna hurt my wallet, I'm waiting for the trades.

So what about you? Are you a comic fan that is still buying monthly comic issues, waiting for the trades, or possibly both?

 

[Armadox]

This depends on how much I want the story, how long the comic'll run, and if the story will make sense week to week.

Chew, Quantum & Woody, Archer & Armstrong, Saga, Superbia, Sex Criminals and a few others are all being bought in trades. Sometimes the stories don't work well as singles (Saga is rough waiting for, for instance) and other I can wait for because they're not priority. Moon Knight, TNMT, Mrs. Marvel, Rat Queens, etc I get singles cause either the story is something I need now, or I need them to stay topical (That being said Moon Knight has been amazing, and you don't need any of them to read the next. Grab 3 or 4 and jump in!). Things like Original Sin (where there is a threat of trades requiring you buy 10 trades to get the whole story) I'll get in singles, as well as one off runs like Loki Ragnarock and Roll or Princeless...

I never trade format either, if I start in singles I have to finish in them, which has been rough travel with things like IDW's TNMT or Oni Press's Sixth Gun which are very long.

 

[Vault101]

Unless it's something I'm really into and I know the store will have (like saga) I wait for the trades....it's Easyer and issues you have to put somewhere at lest you can put the paperback on a shelf

 

[Genocidicles]

Trades. Just easier to read them that way, and they don't have ads.

Plus as awesome as my local comic shop is, they do forget to stock an issue every now and again.

 

[tilmoph]

Trades for me. I don't really collect comics, but there are stories I'll hear about and think sound cool, so for me it's easier to get it in a trade than buy the single issues.

 

[Auberon]

Trades for a) convenience and b) stuff I read is so old that I doubt even single issues are available, especially here where "mature" comics are relatively niche.

Lucifer also got reprints in beefier trades, so I almost immediately ordered the available three once I found out.

 

[Lieju]

Trades.

Although I don't generally have much choice since I don't even know where to get single issues near me.
I'm fairly casual reader when it comes to American comics, though and tend to buy only series I'm a big fan of. So I like to put them in my bookshelf.

 

[Sarah Kerrigan]

Depends on what it is. I read alot of series so if I can far behind on one I'll just wait for the trades. Currently though I'm reading Guardians of the Galaxy, Ghost Rider, Constantine and The Winter Soldier, so I just buy them as they come out.

 

[V4Viewtiful]

Both I there are series I only get floppies for Detective Comics, limited series and Sonic the Hedgehog. but I often now buy the first trade/story arc in singles then trade wait the rest.

 

[Gizmo1990]

I recently started buying the Fables comics in hard back, 2 story arcs per book. When I finaly catch up with the current issues I will likly wait until whole story arcs are available as I would rather wait and read a whole arc in one go than read it is bits and pieces.

 

[votemarvel]

I used to but story arcs are so decompressed these days that in six issues, you are only getting three issues worth of content.

Honestly for me it is far better to wait for the trade paperback, both for my pocket and the story.

 

[Eamar]

Always trades. They're much better value for money and I just find single issues way too short. I'd much rather wait and then read a complete story arc in one go, as I find it much more satisfying. I've never been too bothered about being up to date, I read things in my own time.

Also I read a lot of old comics, so it's kinda the default for them.

 

[Flammablezeus]

I buy trade paperbacks only. There are so many stories already collected and being collected that I don't feel the need to be buying individual issues. That said, it can get frustrating with some crossover storylines. One in particular (fresh in my mind as I've just been reading Teen Titans and Superboy) is the Culling event. This was a four part story split between Teen Titans, Superboy and Legion Lost. However, the first part of the story is in Teen Titans annual #1 which isn't actually included in the paperbacks for Teen Titans for some reason.

So, instead I have two parts of the story which completely skip over perhaps the biggest part of the event. I've been wanting to try out Legion Lost already, but what if I want Teen Titans annual #1? You know the first and most important part of the Culling? I could buy the issue on its own, true. Sure, it's expensive and would be annoying to have as part of a paperback collection, but I can buy it. It was collected in a single trade paperback though, so I could get that, the only thing is every other issue in that particular paperback is already in Teen Titans, Superboy and Legion Lost. So I would only be buying that paperback for the single issue.

So, while trade paperbacks are certainly still my option of choice, there are certainly downsides to not buying individual issues.

 

[jademunky]

Generally I wait for the trades. My local public library has an almost disturbingly vast collection of them (Sadly the majority of that collection is manga, so bleh). The only exception is Spider-man where I get the single-issue when it comes out and that only restarted in the past year or so.

 

[DementedSheep]

Trades generally.
It's cheaper and I'd rather read the story arc in one go than wait a month or so for the next part. I'm also not a die-hard, need to keep update fan of anything and I'm rarely reading the most current arc anyway.

 

[Remus]

For older series, stories I only gained interest in after they became a movie for example, I buy trades. I did this with 30 Days of Night. But I do keep up with my monthly or bi-weekly Marvel books. They usually run around $10-20 a week and I let them pile up at the comic store I visit, that holds my list for me. I splurge on them every 4-6 weeks. This guarantees I don't waste gas every week picking them up and my store's discount card is filled with some regularity. I read all the Avengers and X-books, minus the single-character titles (Wolverine and Magneto being the exceptions). I figure eventually I might end up with a few titles that would be worth something to collectors, though not nearly on the level that golden age issues have become. Trades are trades, they do not appreciate, only accumulate.

 

[Ieyke]

I barely BARELY deal with comics at all, but when I do it's ONLY in trades.

 

[Vicarious Reality]

I am not sure what kind of trades you refer to...
I just buy comics i like... ?
I just bought the book with the first 50 issues of Witchblade
Bought GITS and some adventure time comics before that... really want to order some tales of the jedi
/bad post

 

[Vault101]

I am not sure what kind of trades you refer to...
I just buy comics i like... ?
I just bought the book with the first 50 issues of Witchblade
Bought GITS and some adventure time comics before that... really want to order some tales of the jedi
/bad post

Trades are usually paperback books....quite a few from Vertigo were slightly lesser quality (had that annoying "news paper" paper where the ink smell would get right up your nose) but theyve cut that shit out now

then youve got hardback special edditions..usally more expensive and have more issues..I don't get thease unless theres already a bunch out

 

[Queen Michael]

I get them as single issues if I can manage to follow them from issue #1. Otherwise, I get the trade collections.