If you've bought compendiums of an entire comic series in the past, has it always been something you're already aware of? Or have you/do you buy compendiums of comics you don't know much about already?
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Awareness makes it a more solid investment of my time and money, but the appeal of having everything in one place, in hand, has sold me on a few books I might not have otherwise tried.
I only started reading comics a couple years ago, so I’ve been catching up on comics history. Started with the Death and Return of Superman omnibus. And it’s always something I either knew about via osmosis, or have never read in my life. I’m trying to be adventurous.
I think 12 years ago I bought the omnibus of your run (with Kieron Gillen) on Young Avengers because I had already read Phonogram, I liked your style and it looked very queer (it very much was).
Most of my compendiums are either series that I already love, or ones that I’ve heard great things about. Oh, and that I don’t already own in hardcover Omnibus style formats. I will absolutely upgrade from single issues or TPBs.
Both! I Mostly buy digital, but for stuff I really like I'll get those. Ones I don't know much about are usually when travelling, to try to hit a local shop and have something to read during downtime on the trip.
Compendiums and omnibuses are my preferred format of late so usually it’s of a title I’m already aware of. Usually I will have either read the first few issues or like the previous works of the creators.
Also, NORMALIZE SLIPCASES! It is the superior reading experience. The wristbreaker editions are just for the shelf, but I like to actually read my comics.
It has to be either "I have always wanted to read that" or "I loved it and want a copy on the shelf." I do not read digital comics (it hurts my eyes) or I would probably be 100% on the 2nd reason.
The last two I bought, were Luthor Strode Omnibus, and New Mutants Omnibus 2. I always wanted to read Strode because of Tradd, but it was out of print. NM was the only Claremont X-book I never read, and loved volume 1. Before that Planetary a very very long time ago...
I prefer GNs as they’re a good size to both feature enough story and read comfortably. I’d only buy compendiums of series I have read before or really want as a collection
When I bought my first Wicked + Divine hardcover, I hadn't read any of it before and didn't know anything about it other than just what I got flipping through the book itself at the store.
It's usually something I know about, though not necessarily something I've read. A good review or a friend's recommendation or even just a creator's name can be what gets me to buy one.
A mixture of both? Sometimes I’ll pick things up on the vaguest suggestion and I’ve definitely just picked up entirely new (to me) books just because they hook me in the store.
Bit of both - eg I got the From Hell comp after having bought it in individual issues but I've only ever read Love and Rockets in comps. I'd probably buy a comp if I already knew about and liked the author or artist?
I'm not into compendiums, at all. Omnibuses (omnibi?) are unwieldy enough, but same thickness with soft cover and smaller trim size? No low price will ever make that attractive to me. I'd rather have the old "Deluxe" or "Library" HC editions with some 300~500 pages for around $50-75, anytime.
Depends entirely on length and price point. Little Bird, easy blind buy. East of West, too long to risk not having read it in another form first to know if I’ll enjoy it. Spoiler: I did.
I’ve never bought a compendium of anything I’d NEVER heard of, but I’ve bought big fat editions of things I didn’t know very much about when curious and the price wasn’t steep. If I know enough to know that if I like it I’m going to want that massive edition anyway, then it feels like a timesaver
At that size/price, it’s always something I’m somewhat aware of, even if it’s just by reputation or recommendation.
The closest to a truly blind buy I’ve made was the Complete Killer by Jacamon & Matz, but even then I was aware that Fincher was making the movie adaptation.
Usually if I'm already into something, I'm buying singles and/or trades. I buy compendiums for things that are highly recommended to me, that I am not super familiar with.
I usually read compendiums when I want to read long runs I’ve heard are good but haven’t read yet. If I buy a collected edition of a series I’ve read before, I always go for the omnibus.
The latter. Seeing a comic series recommended and then not having to find/collect all tpb's and just buying the compendiums is great (I bought the Invincible's and lots of books of the author whose name we should not mention).
I loved the black & white Marvel and DC phone books. They were affordable fat collections of runs I hadn't read (and couldn't afford to collect), and delightful ways to revisit old books on vacation without getting soda on Giant-Size X-Men #1.
I generally only buy compendiums of books I've already read and loved so I have a complete version of the story when I go back to it. And so I have it all in one place on my shelf. (Like WICDIV.)
It's usually to give myself a shelf copy of something I have in singles but occasionally take the plunge on things I want to buy but this is an economical (or only) option of getting it in a complete way.
Both. I always collected older material I own in HC. Today I no longer buy comics (storage space), but buy hardcovers of what I hear, think or know is good.
Sometimes I’m wrong.
I'm mostly digital but I buy compendiums from series I love, OCCASIONALLY it'll be a beautiful edition from a creator I love that I haven't read or comes highly recommended. Pretty objects so pretty, Jamie!
Too much of an investment for me. If I buy compendiums, they're of books I have a strong emotional connection to already and/or plenty of worthy, interesting bonus material.
For a series I’m unfamiliar with, I try to get only the first story, usually meaning the first small collection. Dipping my toe in the water, so to speak.
I bought a handful of complete sets over the years - I loathe to say, but about 50% of those are by people who have proven problematic in the end. It hasn't discouraged me yet, just have to be more judicious I guess. Separating the art and the artist is one thing, but it still leaves a weird taste.
In theory I like them because everythign is there, but in practicality no because they're too big and as my arms has started to have chronic pain normal trade collections are far preferable.
I tend to jump on these types of releases for books that I either already know I love (but don’t have,) or books I’m pretty sure I am going to love (usually in that case because of the creative team, or extremely strong word of mouth)
I've bought one*. It turned out I liked the idea more than the reality. It's physically difficult to read the book, so, er, I've never actually finished it.
*Simonson's Thor omnibus. Over 1,000 pages. In hardback.
I blind-bought the Secret Six Omnibus, having never read it or much other DC stuff. Gail Simone has a good track record, and I liked the slate of artists.
Almost finished with it with no regrets.
They're crazy expensive, though, so the vast majority of my Omnibuses are of stuff I've read before.
I think the hardcover collection of The Puma Blues is the only time I’ve done that, and that was just because I was already a Michael Zulli fan, but I’d never read any of the series before. Although it’s a little shy of your length parameter, only about 25 issues long.
I buy the hardcover compendiums for things I've read before and loved, and either want the fancier presentation or had read digitally and want the physical copy.
The black and white reprints, Marvel Essential/DC Showcase, if they're on sale I'll buy anything that looks interesting.
Collected editions of works I’ve already read are great presents (and a great way to have those works ready to hand). I’m less likely to buy works I don’t know that way, unless I trade waited them or have started to collect the writer or artist.
I've generally gotten them
for books I love to replace TPBs (limited space, plus I'm very particular about how my shelves look). for Chip's Daredevil run, though, I skipped the TPBs in favor of the hardbacks because Chip
I've bought one compendium where I hadn't read any of it (X-Men: Age Of Apocalypse). Every other compendium I've bought I've either already read all of it, or its been a scenario where maybe I've read half of most of the collected issues and wanted them all.
Def both. Things that I missed but think will be good (more indie) or things that are long out of print and will be a pain to collect to get to read (ROM, Phantom Stranger).
Judging by all the omnibus editions I’ve read, I knew at least sth. about all of them (i.e. seen the movie, like Nausica, Hellboy). Never bought an omnibus based just on say the cover image or story blurbs or author or artist.
(‘Know sth about’ would include reading stories based on the same characters, like I read multiple X-Men omnibuses based on my enjoyment of previous X-Men stories).
I usually only buy a big collection if the series’ reputation precedes it. If it’s something I’m just curious about I’ll sample with a smaller trade or a couple of single issues
It’s usually books I’ve liked but haven’t been able to keep up with for whatever reason. (Saga). Or they’re just brilliant and wanted them all in one place. (Bone)
I have to know something, at least be a big fan of the creators, to commit to that kind of cash/shelf impact. I'd bought WicDiv digitally, so happily scooped up the big black print collections. Another was Deadly Class, tried via digital library, loved and so I bought the big hardcover collections.
I bought a lot of the DC Showcase and Marvel Essentials volumes, including some I wasn’t familiar with. I hadn’t read Metamorphobefore those. Not sure that counts though.
Depends. My compendium purchases are almost always motivated by who the creators are, more than what the story specifics are. For me, what I’m buying is a specific team of creators’ VISION of/for a character/scenario, rather than a character or scenario itself
I bought the Stray Bullets compendium because it was literally the only way to read it and decided that “8 pound tome” is not my ideal reading experience. That said there are series including WicDiv where I wouldn’t mind replacing my trades with a compendium or a few big hardcovers
Depends. Buying something sight unseen is going to be based on three factors:
1) A creative team that I know and like.
2) Positive word of mouth from people whose opinions have steered me right in the past.
3) Price, obviously. Justifying $10 for a Showcase/Essential book back in 2005 was a lot
I got hooked on buying deeply discounted ones. I got a huge Flash collection that I didn’t really want just because it was $10 and I couldn’t resist the deal. That’s more the rule than the exception with me.
I used to get them in the past, It's my least favourite format to get physically. If I want cheap I get the digital, if I want to collect I get omnibus or deluxe hardcover.
Hoping for a WicDiv hardcover reprint sometime in the future (10th anniversary maybe?)
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Awareness makes it a more solid investment of my time and money, but the appeal of having everything in one place, in hand, has sold me on a few books I might not have otherwise tried.
Saga I bought as floppies, then got the compendiums
I do not like buying multiple formats of the same story - storage issues. So I only buy compendiums that are HIGHLY recommended by people I trust.
Some are because I vaguely knew about them and jumped at the chance to get a copy of the whole story X years later.
Others are because I love them and wanted to 'upgrade'.
But the key thought behind both is the nice copy on the shelf as a long-term present to myself.
Whereas I did order the Phonogram hardback despite having the TPBs, and only partly because of the bonus material.
The closest to a truly blind buy I’ve made was the Complete Killer by Jacamon & Matz, but even then I was aware that Fincher was making the movie adaptation.
Sometimes I’m wrong.
*Simonson's Thor omnibus. Over 1,000 pages. In hardback.
Almost finished with it with no regrets.
They're crazy expensive, though, so the vast majority of my Omnibuses are of stuff I've read before.
The black and white reprints, Marvel Essential/DC Showcase, if they're on sale I'll buy anything that looks interesting.
for books I love to replace TPBs (limited space, plus I'm very particular about how my shelves look). for Chip's Daredevil run, though, I skipped the TPBs in favor of the hardbacks because Chip
I think reputation helps. I know people love those books so I don't mind taking a leap.
Or from a creative team I got into after they run. (Which is what I did with Phonogram because of WicDiv.)
But I’m an edge case, I imagine.
(Also I’m not flush these days, but if I was…)
1) A creative team that I know and like.
2) Positive word of mouth from people whose opinions have steered me right in the past.
3) Price, obviously. Justifying $10 for a Showcase/Essential book back in 2005 was a lot
For newer titles (so I guess Omnibus rather than Compendium) I've bought a couple that I was unaware of, but liked the teams previous work.
Hoping for a WicDiv hardcover reprint sometime in the future (10th anniversary maybe?)