Valiant 2012 TPBs

[erwinrafael]

Has there been any announcement on a trade paperback program for the new Valiants? With the individual issues selling out in a lot of shops, I think they need to invest in a good TPB program to make these accessible to readers who missed out the first time around.

[greg]

No announcement (yet), but they have talked about 4 and 5 issue story arcs... so it's likely they'll keep those in print somehow.

[BugsySig]

No announcement (yet), but they have talked about 4 and 5 issue story arcs... so it's likely they'll keep those in print somehow.

Beat me to it. Yeah, I would suspect 4-6 issue trades. Trades are too big of a business to not do them from a business and readership standpoint.

Typically trades come out 2-4 months after the issues included in them, so that would put an XO trade in the November or December solicits if it is for issues 1-4. Maybe January at the latest?

[400yrs]

I like the way that image does it for some of their books. They put the trade out on the same day the next issue is on the stands. So if it is a five issue trade then put it out on the same day as issue six.

[BugsySig]

I like the way that image does it for some of their books. They put the trade out on the same day the next issue is on the stands. So if it is a five issue trade then put it out on the same day as issue six.

That is smart and VEI would be smart to do something similar. Considering Image sells heavily in trades, their model would be a solid one to look at.

[MoonChild]

VH3 was the last acclaim run

[GGSAE]

Maybe it's just me, but I don't get the point of the trades? I mean, it's great to catch a run of books on an extinct series that you don't own any issues of (something like The Maxx for example), but why would I spend money on trades if I've already bought most, if not all, of the regular issues.

[400yrs]

Maybe it's just me, but I don't get the point of the trades? I mean, it's great to catch a run of books on an extinct series that you don't own any issues of (something like The Maxx for example), but why would I spend money on trades if I've already bought most, if not all, of the regular issues.

There are alot of readers who don't buy singles at all. The trades are for those people. People are switching to trades because they are easier to store on a nice bookshelf instead of having to dig through boxes. They hold up better than singles. They usually collect a complete story and singles usually don't. They are usually a bit more cost effective.

I double dip on a few of my favorite series, but double dippers aren't the target market for trades. They are a minority.

[greg]

Maybe it's just me, but I don't get the point of the trades? I mean, it's great to catch a run of books on an extinct series that you don't own any issues of (something like The Maxx for example), but why would I spend money on trades if I've already bought most, if not all, of the regular issues.

You wouldn't.

Some people don't/won't buy comics. They want the whole story at once and they don't mind waiting. That's the trade customer.
Judging from the monthly Market Reports, trades are about 23% of the dollars in sales...
but since they don't have an end date, trades often stay "in print" for years,
they keep making money for a publisher even after the comics are years old.

A perfect example is Walking Dead or Watchmen (1986)... still selling trades of the monthlies even though they're 10 or 25 years old.

[GGSAE]

Maybe it's just me, but I don't get the point of the trades? I mean, it's great to catch a run of books on an extinct series that you don't own any issues of (something like The Maxx for example), but why would I spend money on trades if I've already bought most, if not all, of the regular issues.

There are alot of readers who don't buy singles at all. The trades are for those people. People are switching to trades because they are easier to store on a nice bookshelf instead of having to dig through boxes. They hold up better than singles. They usually collect a complete story and singles usually don't. They are usually a bit more cost effective.

I double dip on a few of my favorite series, but double dippers aren't the target market for trades. They are a minority.

I agree with all those points, I guess for me I'm looking at it from the 'die-hard' reader/collector, that wants the issue as soon as it's released on the stands. I don't buy any other comics, so trades is a non-factor for me. I suppose I'm in the extreme minority, haha, that doesn't see the appeal of trades (I do have a couple Magnus/Pred TPBs, only because the cover is so damn awesome!).

[GGSAE]

Maybe it's just me, but I don't get the point of the trades? I mean, it's great to catch a run of books on an extinct series that you don't own any issues of (something like The Maxx for example), but why would I spend money on trades if I've already bought most, if not all, of the regular issues.

You wouldn't.

Some people don't/won't buy comics. They want the whole story at once and they don't mind waiting. That's the trade customer.
Judging from the monthly Market Reports, trades are about 23% of the dollars in sales...
but since they don't have an end date, trades often stay "in print" for years,
they keep making money for a publisher even after the comics are years old.

A perfect example is Walking Dead or Watchmen (1986)... still selling trades of the monthlies even though they're 10 or 25 years old.

You're like my shadow Greg, you posted before my response to 400 was in! At 23%, that is a good chunk of cake, so Valiant has to do what other publishers participate in. I suppose it could also help residual sales of the older issues, if these trades folks like the covers.

[400yrs]

Maybe it's just me, but I don't get the point of the trades? I mean, it's great to catch a run of books on an extinct series that you don't own any issues of (something like The Maxx for example), but why would I spend money on trades if I've already bought most, if not all, of the regular issues.

You wouldn't.

Some people don't/won't buy comics. They want the whole story at once and they don't mind waiting. That's the trade customer.
Judging from the monthly Market Reports, trades are about 23% of the dollars in sales...
but since they don't have an end date, trades often stay "in print" for years,
they keep making money for a publisher even after the comics are years old.

A perfect example is Walking Dead or Watchmen (1986)... still selling trades of the monthlies even though they're 10 or 25 years old.

You're like my shadow Greg, you posted before my response to 400 was in! At 23%, that is a good chunk of cake, so Valiant has to do what other publishers participate in. I suppose it could also help residual sales of the older issues, if these trades folks like the covers.

Yeah, but sales of older issues wouldn't really matter to Valiant. They do help with sales of future issues though. Often, people will buy the trade to try it out and then switch to singles. Trades make all the stories available for reading. Without them, a person may never be able to find the whole story and may not bother reading the series. Trades are great.

[BugsySig]

Growing up I was totally anti trade, preferring to buy my floppies every month. When I returned to comics about 3-4 years ago, I turned to trades because there were specific series I wanted to read and catch up on (mostly from Marvel). I loved having all the stories for an arc in hand in one package so much that I totally moved to trades, both current and past, until digital comics became available. I will still consider buying some trades, even if I have purchased the books digitally, because there is something about having them to hold and read. I may even do so for all the Valiant titles should they become available.

Sorry if this is a bit of a or ramble. I just wanted to give the perspective of a non "collector", non monthly buyer.

[grendeljd]

Lots of great points about the tpb facet of the industry here;

-using them to get new readers into a series & caught up to the monthlies easily (that's how I got into TWD & Invincible). The greatest element of this is that it's timeless - as Greg said, they stay in print for years, this is simply marketing genius.
- if you're patient enough to wait for trades, you are rewarded by having the whole story arc at once.
- better storage options...

There is no way tpb's are going to fade out in the near future, and it's safe to assume that whether or not they've made a public announcement, Valiant will be doing a healthy trade business once they've got story arcs to collect. All the better for their continued success, I say.

I'm a die hard monthly comic buyer as well, but even I will grab trades of some titles - especially mini-series like Luther Strode. I like the Hellraiser series by Boom!, and I only pick it up in trades.

[dhudson1]

I will likely buy the trades to help support VEI

[greg]

I will likely buy the trades to help support VEI

Me too... they'll be awesome gifts to friends/co-workers/nephews.

[grendeljd]

I will likely buy the trades to help support VEI

Me too... they'll be awesome gifts to friends/co-workers/nephews.

+1

I'm thinking we'll see a trade for each title by Xmas this year - they'll be at the top of my list of comic gifts. I love giving out trades of my favorites to friends.

[Aram]

Yeah, but sales of older issues wouldn't really matter to Valiant.

Sales of everything matter. Especially On Old material because there is more profit there as the stories were already paid for.

[erwinrafael]

VH3 was the last acclaim run

Oh. So can somebody edit the title of this thread?

I think another facet of the TPB that has not been brought up here is that TPBs are the ones that get distributed to non-traditional distribution outlets like bookstores, Amazon, and even libraries! I remember reading a Sandman TPB in a library once.

TPBs also often include goodies like original scripts, character designs, and nice prefaces / introductions. POWERS is an example of a series that makes good use of TPBs to deliver original never-before-seen material.

[greg]

VH3 was the last acclaim run

Oh. So can somebody edit the title of this thread?

Yes.

[grendeljd]

I think another facet of the TPB that has not been brought up here is that TPBs are the ones that get distributed to non-traditional distribution outlets like bookstores, Amazon, and even libraries! I remember reading a Sandman TPB in a library once.

Good point!! I was really poor one year while going back to college, could only afford a title or two per month, and I discovered a huge tpb section in the local library... That saved my soul that year,

I discovered The Planetary that way, which is probably my 2nd favourite comic series of all time...

The LCS at the time supplied the library & local schools with tpb's, so yeah - it's another great way to promote growth of comic readership via that format.

[400yrs]

Yeah, but sales of older issues wouldn't really matter to Valiant.

Sales of everything matter. Especially On Old material because there is more profit there as the stories were already paid for.

Right, but that's not what he was talking about.

[Paradigm38]

I will certainly grab the trades, just think, more than likely some prints or at least bound in art for all the "variant" covers. No chasing, all in one tidy package. And a "variant" cover on it that pulls the arc together. And I can read through without the soil of hands on the originals (as many have pointed out).

[Heath]

I will likely buy the trades to help support VEI

Me too... they'll be awesome gifts to friends/co-workers/nephews.

+1

I'm thinking we'll see a trade for each title by Xmas this year - they'll be at the top of my list of comic gifts. I love giving out trades of my favorites to friends.

I give my aunt a TPB for Christmas every year. Last year it was Pride Of Baghdad. This year, I'd love for it to be Harbinger.

[MarkRoseHFX]

right now i buy the digital copies to read and the "floppys" to collect. i'd buy all the trades to have as reader copies that's my preferred way to read. plus it's easier to get more friends hooked by lending them a TPB.