What's better the original or the trade paperback reprint?

[Foolkiller]

My first thread got hijacked and didn't generate that much interest, so I thought I'd try something a different...

 

On of my prized possessions has always been my complete set of Marvel Masterworks (although I'm going to sell them because Marvel resoliciting them and I think there's a small amount of new material plus updated coloring and production quality) and I enjoyed almost in lieu of many of the originals.

 

Aside from monetary value, why are the originals more appealing?

 

DC Archive editions reprint a lot of tough hard to find DC stuff and I own very little silver DC anymore because I buy the archives as a way to put money into Marvel stuff.

 

And how about the growing trend of modern comics and trades... I buy more trades than new books now because it's an easier way to read a story all at once and they store on my bookshelf.

[chromium]

Wacky ads....

letterpages...

Soapbox...

 

But most important....the smell.

 

Nothing takes you back 20 years more than the smell of an old comic book

[seank]

Originals are better because:

 

1. That great old comic book smell.

2. Ads. I love looking at the old ads. I even like looking at the ads from three or four years ago in the Batmans I'm buying to fill that collecting gap. Advertising is like a time machine and tells you a lot about when the book came out.

3. Letter pages. Sometimes they're fun to read.

4. House ads. It's fun to see what else was coming out the same month as that back issue.

 

Reprints are better because:

 

1. Lower cost. I can't afford to buy early FFs or Batmans at the moment. With the reprints, I get the stories I want to read.

2. If you do have the book, you can read the story without causing wear to a valuable comic. I have an FF 4 but I don't want to pull it out of the mylar all the time to read,

3. Easy access. The reprint books can sit on the bookshelf. No need to excavate Book X from the stack of long boxes in the closet.

4. Availability. How often do you see those great old golden age or silver age books around? The reprint editions make getting the story easy while still letting you enjoy the thrill of the hunt for that one elusive book.

[chrisco37]

Reprints are great (just picked up the Fantasy masterpieces reprint of Surfer #4 for $2), but nothing beats the original. Like chrom said, the smell and those wacky ads! Who doesn't love the old Dr. J and Rick Barry B-ball ads?

 

"My man, for that real ball-handling you need that.....Spalding Touch!"

 

Chris

[joe_collector]

Basically, the difference lies in the comic book's ability to transport you to another time and place. I crack open an old comic, read the book, oggle the whacky ads, check out what Stan has to say in the Soapbox, see which issues came out that month, and skim what the fans had to say about the previous issues.

 

I can still remember reading some ASM's in the mid/late-120's and being totally entralled by the letters on the death of Gwen and the Green Goblin. Talk about a nostalgia trip down memory lane, and you just can't get that with a trade.

[OldGuy]

Talk about a nostalgia trip down memory lame,

 

Finally, someone else that feels the same way about Spider-Man as I do.

[Darthdiesel]

I can still remember reading some ASM's in the mid/late-120's and being totally entralled by the letters on the death of Gwen and the Green Goblin. Talk about a nostalgia trip down memory lane, and you just can't get that with a trade.

 

no joke - but recent trip in March to san Francisco - my reading material - VG/fine copies of ASM 139-152 - awesome letters. Also some severe insightful critique on current artist and I remember that the issue with Pete droipping out of college being a huge deal too...