Single issues vs. GNs
I wrote before about whether I wanted to make the shift from individual comic book issues to graphic novel collections. Lisa Schmeiser at the Rage Diaries recently noted her frustration at the ending of the series Rising Stars. Waiting for graphic novel collections is one way to avoid the heartbreak of investing time in a series that ends with a whimper, not a bang. Last week, I participated in an email volley with two friends who have strongly held views at opposite ends of the spectrum.
NPC is a proponent of the graphic novel option, for the following reasons:
the GNs don’t have ads, the physical product is of a noticably higher quality, and (most important) the GNs often contain additional material (for example, character sketches, retrospective introductions, and sample scripts) that is not included in the single issues…those factors would make me prefer GNs even if they cost more than the sum of the single issues. that they actually cost less is a bonus.
NPC does note that sometimes individual issues contain material that doesn’t get collected. He still thinks GN collections are the way to go.
Blogenheimer says that he’ll still buy individual issues for two reasons.
First, I enjoy the process of getting something new and interesting each week. No matter what’s going on in my life, I have something to look forward to on Wednesday. Second, comics are quicker to read than graphic novels. I can find time to read a comic on all but the busiest days. It is harder to find the time to read most graphic novels. While I’m mostly caught up on comics, graphic novels tend to pile up like my unread books.
Because of the ads and the cost I was leaning toward the GN option that NPC champions. But I think Blogenheimer’s two points are quite strong. I enjoy going into the comic shop on Wednesdays, and I’m disappointed on weeks when I don’t have any books to buy. Additionally, even individual issues are piling up, so graphic novels are literally gathering dust before I read them.
While Blogenheimer and NPC make good points for each side, I don’t think it has to be either/or. I think it was Kierkegaard who offered us the option of both/and, and Hegel who championed the synthesis of two seemingly opposing viewpoints. In an ideal world, I’d buy the individual issues as they came out, then the GN collection later to re-read the story line in its entirety. At that point I could re-sell the original issues to defray the cost of the collection, or keep them if they contain uncollected material that I like. Right now, buying both single issues and GNs isn’t fiscally responsible. Since I have to choose, I’m going to stick with individual issues. Yes, they have annoying ads, and I can get burned when a series heads south. But part of the joy I find in comics is both the serial nature of the narratives as well as the serial nature of comic store visits.