There is something that should be said about having a complete story to read from beginning to end. When you have the complete story, you don't have to worry about the frustration that comes with only one issue a month.
When you have to wait (again, a whole month) for that next issue, you find yourself becoming obsessed with the story, obsessed with the not knowing. You are obsessed for that next issue to come out.
Then, on top of that, once you have the issue, you have to deal with all sorts of advertisements. Didn't you just pay $2.99-4.99 for your purchase? Now you have to be inundated with something you probably don't care about. But it's part of the book, so apparently you pay for that too.
Silence falls, as the darkness gathers. But lo and behold, a soft light in the far distance. What do your abused eyes behold? TRUTH! JUSTICE! HOPE! The trade paperback, collecting the story in its entirety. What this?!? You don't have to flip pages to get to the next part, the story continues on the back off the current page?!? What madness is this? No commercials?!? This isn't what I paid for (but it's secretly what I wanted)! Congratulations. You are complete. You have not just read a story, but experienced it fully. You didn't have to experience any distractions. You found the Pot o' Gold (I mean, come on, it's St. Patty's, let's celebrate) at the end of the rainbow. You've earned it.
You're welcome!
You know, I love trades. I love the way they look on my bookshelf, mingled with my other books, a part of a growing collection of literature. It is literature. But there is something so satisfying about opening up that plastic bag, looking at the pristine cover of the issue and carefully opening the pages. Something about looking at a row of white backs, behind 30 pages of action packed adventure stories that just has a familiar feel to it.
ReplyDeleteI should clarify: I love regular issues, and the collector in me has to have the originals. This is based solely on having a complete story (ad free).
ReplyDeleteI want my money back
ReplyDelete