Trades vs Single Issues

[capmarvel]

I've discussed this a little with Andy, but will bring up the topic here:

I've personally noticed that while I enjoy reading trades for ease, etc., I've found a "drawback" that I'm curious if others have encountered.

Namely, since I can read 6 months or a year (or many years) worth of books in one setting, I find that I'm no where near as investing in the book as if I read the book month to month.

For example, I read several of the Invincible trades and for whatever reason stopped, then never picked it up again. Again one of the main reasons is that I only had a few weeks invested in the book even though I spanned 2 years of story time.

I find the same thing with TV show DVD's. I watched 3 seasons of Chuck in probably 2 weeks and didn't feel the need to watch the last season on TV. While I enjoyed the DVD's, I wasn't that compelled to continue as I was only attached to the show for a brief time. I'm pretty sure if I had watched the show weekly from the beginning, I would have watched season 4 and 5.

I'm finding the same thing with Atomic Robo...since I can read a trade so fast it is "just a good quick read" instead of "part of my life".

As I said, I'm curious of anyone else has noticed this with trades/DVD's?


PS...not trying to be "deep"...I'm burning through the Firefly episodes on Netlfix (my first viewing of them) and it reminded me of my question

[Crazy Clees]

It might be because I have not collected single issues since I was a kid, but I like the trade format better. I do Ghostbusters and Atomic Robo monthly now. It feels like I forget parts of the story or I'm not quite as excited sometimes. I think reading trades is a good way to tell an arc, which is how I like it.

I agree, though, that the 6 months or so between trades can kill the excitement as well, like how I read Invincible, Walking Dead, and Chew. If a story is complete or there are enough trades out there to really get into it, I like that route. But that means old stuff mostly.

So overall, I like the trade format, but it definitely has its drawbacks. Good topic

[MJStarchilde]

Clees that actually makes sense, my memory retention is far better with a trade then a floppy.

[Slym]

My problem with trades I have is it takes so long for the next one to come out I forgot what happened in the the last one.

[MJStarchilde]

You're doing it wrong,you're supposed to wait till 17 trades come out then start reading haha, like The Walking Dead .