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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 132628
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| Posted: 31 August 2016 at 6:31am | IP Logged | 1
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On another website, I came across this:"I've been re-enjoying these in the second uncanny omnibus. And the 'Cyclops .. is dead!' / 'Cyclops is alive!' splashes still crack me up." Ah, the ennui! But this points up why collections, such as omnibuses, must be read with a certain considered frame of mind, and also why some modern writers prefer to "write for the trade." Of course, the 'Cyclops .. is dead!' / 'Cyclops is alive!' splashes lose a bit of their oomph when presented a facing pages, or even pages where one turns from one to the other. But this is where we hope the reader will "play along," and remember that in their proper context, there was a month between those pages -- a month of anticipation. A month of I can't believe they killed Cyclops! They have to bring him back!! But that's one more thing that has almost vanished from comics, as current writers treat the issues as literal chapters, and avoid cliffhangers and exposition that will become "awkward" when the work is inevitably collected in trade-paperback or omnibus form. And it's the reader, who loses.
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Robbie Parry
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 17 June 2007
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 12186
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| Posted: 31 August 2016 at 6:43am | IP Logged | 2
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But this is where we hope the reader will "play along," and remember that in their proper context, there was a month between those pages -- a month of anticipation.
***
Indeed. I agree with all your points.
I try to "play along" in the same way I do with TV shows that I binge on. Maybe the analogy with comics doesn't work, but I try to be aware of the fact that in their proper context, there was often a week between episodes of a TV show, particularly those with cliffhangers.
I try and bring that approach to TPBs, too.
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Greg Woronchak
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 04 September 2007
Location: Canada
Posts: 1631
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| Posted: 31 August 2016 at 6:50am | IP Logged | 3
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It's funny, when I reread old issues, I still try to 'pretend' that I don't know the outcome, to get the same thrill I felt the first time.
For example, I was rereading Alpha Flight 12, and I still felt apprehension when James is trying to defuse his suit.... and that final page is still devestating. Such a magical medium (that a lot of folk have forgotten)!
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Eric Sofer
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 31 January 2014
Location: United States
Posts: 4789
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| Posted: 31 August 2016 at 7:51am | IP Logged | 4
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Having a month to contemplate the consequences of the last page of X-Men #111 - "This time, the FINAL VICTORY will belong to... MAGNETO!" was a great thrill. The same with dozens others that I could cite. Now, it's in the trade, and as noted, the cliffhanger loses its flavor from the immediacy of the resolution.
One other point that may have changed too... there used to be an unspoken agreement that if a character in a comic said something, that might or might not be the truth (e.g., "Cyclops is dead!") But if it was stated in a caption, it was the truth; whether from the omniscient narrator, the editor, whomever, what appeared there was absolute truth. Until that changed too, and what's the point then? I REALLY didn't like cutesy narration in the captions. I think I disliked it more in DC Comics; at Marvel, I had kinda grown used to being actually addressed, e.g., "Hang tight hero! From here on out, it's all action!"
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Steve De Young
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 01 April 2008
Location: United States
Posts: 3494
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| Posted: 31 August 2016 at 8:03am | IP Logged | 5
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Without spoiling it, there was a major swerve/cliffhanger in Superwoman #1 recently from DC. What saddened me was the reaction. I was surprised and delighted to pick up a comic that totally surprised me and where I have no idea where it is going next for the first time in a long time. A huge amount of the reaction, however, was anger from 'fans' who were mad because the issue wasn't what they were promised by the solicitation and ad copy. Can you imagine that in any other media, where people would get mad that there was a plot twist not spoiled by the marketing?
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Eric Kleefeld
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 21 December 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 4422
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| Posted: 31 August 2016 at 8:47am | IP Logged | 6
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Here's a tip: If you stop writing for the trade, and instead write single issues where each is an enjoyable read in its own right, then even the trade paperback will turn out better.
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Andrew Bitner
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 01 June 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 7512
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| Posted: 31 August 2016 at 8:57am | IP Logged | 7
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I agree with Eric. Write enjoyable stories, vary the length of the main arc. Don't make every single story six or eight issues long, for heaven's sake. "Done in one" stories can be amazing!
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Robbie Parry
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 17 June 2007
Location: United Kingdom
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| Posted: 31 August 2016 at 9:06am | IP Logged | 8
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Playing Devil's advocate for a moment, would publishers not say that there'd be no point in six or eight standalone issues being collected into a TPB?
Personally, I think it'd be good. You wouldn't even have to have consecutive issues. If, say, a Superman title had twelve standalone tales a year, then a TPB could pick the best 6 or 8 of that year and put them into a collected volume. It's different, but WWE does a DVD once a year with the best of that year. Couldn't comics do something similar?
Is Essential Marvel still going? How is that going to work once they start reprinting modern stuff, what with crossovers, reboots, etc?
Edited by Robbie Parry on 31 August 2016 at 9:07am
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Joe S. Walker
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 605
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| Posted: 31 August 2016 at 9:18am | IP Logged | 9
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The Essentials ended a couple of years ago. I think the last one published was Hulk Vol 7.
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Robbie Parry
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 17 June 2007
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 12186
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| Posted: 31 August 2016 at 9:24am | IP Logged | 10
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Wow, I did not know.
Would have been impossible for them to continue eventually, anyway, given what we are discussing in this topic. How could they have done an Essential Spider-Man volume for modern issues when a lot of the stories would have been tied into various crossovers, reboots, etc?
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Jason Larouse
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 10 May 2011
Posts: 515
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| Posted: 31 August 2016 at 9:52am | IP Logged | 11
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Essential X-Men made it to 1991 and they included all of the 80s crossovers that tied into Uncanny X-Men (Mutant Massacre, Fall of the Mutants, X-tinction Agenda, etc).
Edit: I also believe Essential Web of Spider-Man had all of Kraven's Last Hunt .
Edited by Jason Larouse on 31 August 2016 at 9:53am
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 132628
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| Posted: 31 August 2016 at 10:46am | IP Logged | 12
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Hmm. Sounds a bit like the ESSENTIALS were petering out around the time the art was starting to become more and more heavily dependent on the color.
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Topic Closed)
