TPB or Hard covers?

I’ll usually take the jacket off when I’m reading the book. It looks good on the shelf but just gets in the way otherwise

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Here’s one thing I miss about tpb’s back then… things weren’t always written for the trade. These days, you read a trade and it feels like you’re reading one issue that’s been stretched out for four of five. I realize this isn’t anything new, but it’s become more prominent the last twenty years, or so. Maybe that’s just how storytelling evolved to appeal to the “graphic novel” crowd at Barnes and Noble and Borders who stumbled upon that section; maybe it was easier to have trades be one long story so people would feel they got a complete experience rather than buying a collection of smaller stories in one volume. I dunno, maybe it’s just me.

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I only rarely buy Omnibus editions- I have them for New Teen Titans and Golden Age Batman (as well as Hellboy library editions outside of DC, which aren’t quite as big as Omnibuses and are more manageable, but are still large hardcovers.)

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I mean that yes hard covers will last longer if you don’t actually take precautions to protect them.

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No I mean, how do you take care of them?

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I think it depends. I like to buy hardcover so they hold up over time but have been reading digital to make sure it’s a story I’ll continue to follow first. I feel like TPB’s are for collectors who are interested in futures/investment.

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I prefer TPB because they are lighter, but then hardbacks do seem to last longer!

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I prefer TPB because the books are smaller, meaning more room for comics on my shelves in the long run!

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For me its mostly singles but if I’m picking between TPB or Hardcover it’s normally what I can get the better deal on. I almost never buy them when they first come out. And most of the time I store them in boxes because my bookcases are full of Star Trek and Star Wars books. Even my Trek and Star Wars comics and Graphic Novels are stored in boxes. One of my best deals I got on a TPB was for Watchmen at a Library sale. Sure its not in mint condition but I only paid 25 cents! I also got a DC Showcase of Challengers of the Unknown at the same time and it was in like new condition. I like those DC Showcase books. Wish they would reprint some of those.

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I prefer hardbacks. They are more durable compared to trades. As someone who has collected books for decades, I’ve seen books fall apart as the glue on the spine dries out and then pages begin to fall out. Hardbacks with sewn in pages do not fall apart due to age.

And now, here is an additional topic on the design of hardcovers vs. trade paperbacks. Hardbacks with good trade dress display beautifully. Here is my personal library. Notice the bottom shelf with all my Marvel Omnibuses with their distinctive red stripes along the top of the volumes.

Now notice the middle and top shelves. I’ve highlighted the volumes with a red outline to discuss specific collections.

The middle shelf has examples of good and bad trade dress. The Wonder Woman and New Teen Titans have a consistent look even though the DC logos have changed as do the Jack Kirby volumes. The Green Arrow trades start with a blue stripe along the bottom which is not present for the final four volumes. Also, both the blue stripes and the illustrations along the top of the books do not line up like the other DC and Marvel volumes.

The top shelf has sets of trades from the different animated series comic series. Spine colors and striping differs throughout so there is very little to convey they all are from the same “family or universe” of series. The three books of Legends of the Dark Knight by Jim Aparo have three different logos and spine designs. Finally, the New 52 Batman is a nice group that includes a single white spine among the black spines. Just why?

Here’s a photo of the Legends and Tales of the Dark Knight series from the internet.Do they look like a unified collection of Batman books with all the different colors and styles of typefaces and different spines? Again, just why? Now compare them to the Marvel Omnibuses which, even with different spine colors and typefaces, provide a uniform look across the entire shelf.

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How long do TPB last before they began to fall apart?

Yeah it looks really nice

I see that, does it bother you? Because that would bother seeing a different dc logo.

I really hate it when they do that, it feels so unsatisfying to look at.

Hmm, I’ll go with no because of the reason you listed especially the 3rd one, I hate how it’s highlighted blue and the 3 is really big.

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10-20 years. I’m old. :joy:

No, that doesn’t bother me. I like how they look, but I’m just amazed that the logos changed in such a short period of time. I was focusing on the hardbacks have a consistent look vs. the paperbacks that are not as consistent.

I have the OCD collector gene that a set of books labeled Volume 1, 2, 3 should look like a set. I recently purchased volume 4 of New Teen Titans and it doesn’t match the earlier printing. Just a complaint for complaint’s sake.

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Wow. Your shelves look fantastic. Love the way everything is arranged.

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Below is the story of how I built my closet library. Check it out.

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Thanks! I am impressed.

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You’re welcome. Make sure you check out everybody else’s setups in the thread. There’s some really cool libraries out there.

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Screenshot_20210114-203235_Google
This entire I was worried that my tpb would fall apart in a few years but 10-20 years

I see, but why is that?

Hey I would complain too

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I don’t know why the hardbacks are better at keeping designs consistent. I don’t expect it to get better anytime soon. With the recent staff reductions monthly comic editors will also be responsible for trades. I’m just happy that we live in an age that we have so many great stories available in both HC and TPB.

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Very cool Travis Morgan. Cool collection. And I saw a Star Trek one on there! I got a question though. What is that set on the top row? Looks like it’s in a box with the white spines.

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That is the Dark Knight III hard cover set. Each issue was released in hardcover with the mini comic included blown up to standard size.

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