10 New Year 2018 Resolutions Marvel Comics Should Make
6. Stop Making Trade Collecting Difficult
Although the direct market illustrates that the bulk of the medium's readers buy comics on a weekly basis, reading as and when an issue releases, there's also a bunch of readers out there who wait for collected editions too. A typical trade paperback (or trade, for short), tends to encompass six-to-twelve issues from a given book's run, but there are also hardcovers, deluxe editions and omnibuses to contend with as well.
For the most part, both Marvel and DC have massively improved on their trade game. Classics are quick to return to print in some form, and the waiting time between an arc finishing and a TPB releasing has been cut drastically short. There's still some confusion though, and while Marvel were a tad late to the graphic novel scene, there's really no reason why they should be making things difficult in the new year.
With so many reboots around, things can get a little hectic for new readers. To cite an oft used example, if one were to approach Mark Waid's run on Daredevil (and you all really should), they'd have to contend with multiple 'first volumes' of the series, a problem exacerbated by the TPB format, omnibuses, and the fact the series was sandwiched in between two reboots in 'All-New, All Different Marvel' and 'Marvel Now!'.
Not so easy, right? Well, now Marvel are introducing Marvel Premiere Graphic Novel (not to be confused with Marvel Premier, or Marvel Premium), which will encompass digital comics launching on print for the first time for no other reason than to confuse us all even more.
Trades are the gateway into the medium for many fans. Make that hurdle easier to jump, and the industry will be stronger for it.