Why is it that in this day and age, some comic book trade paperbacks are still missing issues?

I first ran into this annoying problem in the early 2000s, when I found some Starman trade paperbacks on the cheap. When checking the indicia to find out which issues each volume contained, I was surprised to see that many issues were missing, seemingly at random. In truth, the excised issues were simple one-shot stories that didn’t factor heavily into the core Starman tale…but that’s not the point. If I’m buying trade paperback collections of a series, I want the entire series, not bits and pieces! (The Starman problem has been corrected in the omnibus editions…but I can’t afford those.)

The same thing happened when I was catching up on Green Lantern Corps. I discovered that issues #21-22 were never reprinted. This makes no sense; the story in those two issues featured Alpha Lantern Boodikka, and she’s been increasingly important as the book’s moved forward. It’s possible that these two missing issues will be reprinted along with the current “Revolt of the Alpha Lanterns” story, but then you’ve got issues being printed out of order. The Green Lantern trade paperback Rage of the Red Lanterns has this exact problem: it reprints Green Lantern #26-28, #36-38, and the Final Crisis: Rage of the Red Lanterns one-shot. But what about issues #29-35? Those were reprinted in the Secret Origin trade paperback, which came out before the Rage of the Red Lanterns collected edition. Stupid, isn’t it?

Speaking of which, I was thinking of picking up a few Green Arrow collections, starting with Kevin Smith’s “Quiver” storyline from 2001. Well, screw that: not only is that series of collections missing random issues here and there, but two of them actually got printed in reverse order. Volume three, Straight Shooter, contains issues #26-31. Volume four, The Archer’s Quest, contains issues #16-21. That’s just lazy.

“Best of” collections are exempt from this complaint; by their very nature, they’re designed to pick and choose from the best stories a particular comic book has to offer. But for numbered collections of ongoing series, there’s no reason why we can’t read every issue in the order in which they were originally published. This is especially important nowadays, as the average price of a comic book is around four dollars. Many fans buy some series solely in trade paperback format (in my case, Invincible and X-Factor). If issues are missing, then we’re not getting the entire story, rendering the entire process moot.

There’s been a lot of buzz building over the Scott Pilgrim comic book series lately, largely due to the live-action film adaptation being released in a few weeks. Now, I’ve never read Scott Pilgrim in its entirety — only bits and pieces here and there — so I’m no expert. I also have no desire to see the film right away, as I can’t stand Michael Cera. But I can certainly understand the comic’s appeal, especially to the Internet generation for which it is intended. It’s got a unique art style and hyperkinetic way of storytelling, and creator Bryan Lee O’Malley deserves all of the recognition and accolades he has received.

However, there’s one big problem that I have with Scott Pilgrim, and that is the central plot. It all boils down to this: the eponymous protagonist wants to date Ramona Flowers, but she requires that he defeat her six superpowered ex-boyfriends (and one ex-girlfriend!) first. The six Scott Pilgrim graphic novels detail the hero’s quest to vanquish his seven foes and get the girl.

And that’s what bugs me. Seriously, dude, if a woman is that high-maintenance…tell her to fuck off, and get someone down-to-earth! Cripes, if a woman asks you to beat up one ex, superpowered or not, that’s too much. She’s obviously more concerned witih petty revenge than you.

Come on, Scott Pilgrim. Don’t be such a pussy. Man up and get yourself a girl that respects you!

I’m surprised I haven’t ranted before on how hardcover collections of comic books are a swift kick to the balls. Well, no time like the present, right?

I’m a big proponent of trade paperback collections and other such reprints. Aside from collecting story arcs in an easy-to-read format, they’re usually cheaper than the issues within by a few bucks. When they’re collecting old comics, the value’s even better! I’ve filled large holes in my Green Lantern and Iron Man collections this way, as I do not have thousands of dollars to spend on back issues from the 1960s.

For the past few years, however, publishers usually collect popular comics in hardcover format first, and then release a trade paperback much later; many months to even years. Sometimes, a trade paperback version doesn’t get released at all!

I strongly believe that the current hardcover craze is nothing but a screwjob by the publishers. In most cases, hardcover collections of current comic books cost more than the comics within! What are you paying this extra money for? Cardboard. One might argue that the demand for hardcovers is out there, but it’s a demand created by the publishers themselves. The comics industry is notorious for preying upon the weak willpower of its fanbase; c’mon, we’ve all fallen for their tactics more than once, and will likely continue to do so.

I’ve heard some say that hardcovers are better than trade paperbacks simply because they look better on a bookshelf and add a touch of class. This argument fails for two reasons: a book’s spine label looks the same on a bookshelf, no matter what format it’s in — be it hardcover, trade paperback, or mass market paperback. The label serves a singular purpose: identification of the book in a small amount of vertical space. That’s it.

As for “class,” that’s nonsense, unfortunately. Hardcover or not, it’s still a collection of comic books, and a vast majority of the population doesn’t find that classy. At all. No matter what we enthusiasts may think, comic books are nerdy and geeky, and they will always take a back seat to actual books as far as society is concerned. If you want your bookshelf to look classy, then put some classic literature up there.

About the only time I can see hardcovers being valid is when publishers do massive omnibus editions. When you’re printing hundreds of color glossy pages in one book, you generally need a stronger spine. In this case, it’s a physical issue, not a financial one. (That doesn’t stop the publishers from overcharging for said omnibuses, of course.)

In some cases, hardcovers are the only option if you want the book. In this case, the best way to skirt the high price is to buy them from Amazon. More often than not, the discounts from that retailer will bring the price of a hardcover well below the cost of the comics within, making it a viable deal. Otherwise, you’re getting ripped off, plain and simple.

Of course, if at all possible, you should avoid buying hardcovers altogether. Send a message to Marvel and DC (they’re the biggest offenders) that we don’t need this overpriced garbage. Trade paperbacks are perfectly acceptable, and have been for decades.

Recently, longtime Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada was promoted to the company’s Chief Creative Officer. This follows a similar announcement at DC Comics some time ago, where writer Geoff Johns was given the same position. (There are some differences between their two jobs, even though they share the same title, but those aren’t that relevant to the following discussion.)

First of all, let me offer my congratulations to Mr. Quesada. I’ve been a fan of his art since the 1990s, and since taking the helm at Marvel, he’s really turned the company around and made some ballsy moves to kick the industry in the ass. (I’ve also met him a few times at conventions, and he’s a cool guy to talk with.) Geoff Johns has done much the same over at DC; his writing skills alone have made Green Lantern and Flash super-hot properties, and together with his partner-in-crime Dan DiDio (DC’s Editor-in-Chief), their crossover events have topped the charts. I may not approve of specific themes that Quesada and Johns have implemented in their respective companies’ comics universes, but I certainly have a lot of respect for what they’ve done for the medium as a whole.

So where’s the problem?

In both cases, I have reservations about that much power being in the hands of one man. A CCO’s job is generally to “spread the word” beyond comics and into mainstream pop culture, be it video games, television, movies…you get the idea. At the same time, however, the CCO is inextricably linked to their comics universe. Creative decisions within that universe are ultimately going to need the CCO’s stamp of approval, and/or that of the Editor-in-Chief. In Johns’ case, he and DiDio think so much alike that they are practically the same person, and in Quesada’s case…that is the same person!

For up-and-coming creators, this presents a possibly contentious issue. Instead of a large sandbox in which many creators get to play and leave their mark, the Marvel and DC universes risk becoming the Quesada and Johns universes, respectively. Creators with solid careers behind them may have a bit more clout in which to buck the status quo, but newcomers are shit out of luck. Unless their ideas are guaranteed moneymakers or are otherwise easy to mainstream, it’s very likely that they’ll be brushed off. Especially if they’re playing with series that the CCOs had a direct hand in revitalizing; for example, Johns’ Green Lantern and Flash. He plans to write those books for the foreseeable future, as the feature his favorite characters, but it’s going to be a tough ride for whoever succeeds him. How much freedom will they really have?

I know the comics business has operated somewhat like this for many years, but with these new Chief Creative Officer positions, it has the potential to become much more pronounced and narrow-minded. With mainstreaming the comics medium rapidly becoming critical to a publisher’s bottom line, true creativity is going to suffer in favor of simpler fare that will satisfy the intellectual property holder and make more money.

While I’ve been reading comics for over twenty-five years, I’ve only been “seriously” collecting them for about eighteen. I put “seriously” in quotes because I’m not as anal retentive as many fans when it comes to care and storage of my various comics. I stray from the pack in that I protect my comics so that when I reread them years down the line, they’re still in excellent condition. I don’t encase my stuff in slabs of plastic so that I can make a profit; I’m honestly only interested in enjoying the stories. In fact, when buying old back issues, I’m much more likely to buy a slightly worn copy at a lower price than a near-mint one. I’m going to read the damn thing, not frame it!

However, I have been considering revamping some of my storage policies lately. First off, I’m thinking of adding backing boards to all of my comics. I’ve always bagged new comics as I buy them, but I never got around to boarding them as that takes up extra space in the storage boxes (trust me, it adds up quickly). Back issues I’ve purchased from my local comic shop and online retailers always come bagged and boarded, so a good chunk of my collection has already taken the plunge, so to speak. The rest hold up just fine in bags, but once in a while, I’ve noticed that some of them slip and bend a bit, especially in boxes that aren’t full. This is often fixable, but it shouldn’t happen in the first place. And if months go by with a comic stuck in a bent position, it could irrevocably damage it.

I also keep all of my comics in shortboxes, like the kind pictured at the top of this post. I briefly thought of switching to longboxes, which are about twice as long, but those won’t fit in my closet properly. Yes, I keep my comics in the closet; there’s prebuilt shelving in there, and my shortboxes fit perfectly underneath them. Longboxes would result in less boxes and more books from a single series in each box, hence better organization…but where the hell would I put them? There’s really not any room in my storage space in the basement, and I’m sure as hell not going to leave them out in the open like a lazy piece of shit.

So, the big question remains: should I start boarding my damned comics?