posted February 11, 2003 07:58 PM               

Also, if its too hard to figure out how to do it, list guidelines, ill post my suggestions, those issues can be read thru and then be judged it theyd make sense as a tpb. I know for a fact someone's doing something wrong if batman #604 was accidentally left out of any m/f trade. How hard could it have been to read 6 monthes of bat comics (take a couple hrs, max) to logically see what does and doesnt belong. Throw it out to the fans to suggest the tpb organization.

posted February 11, 2003 08:54 PM            

quote:

---

Bob Greenberger is here to give us what insight he can into the Collected Edition publishing schedule. He is not here to defend DC's publishing policies to you or anyone else nor is here to be held accountable for titles you like that no one else does. Please try to conduct yourself in a manner consistent with others you see on this board.

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posted February 11, 2003 09:18 PM               

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

quote:

---

Originally posted by gothcityfan:
On dcu crossovers, hardcover/softcover conversion, and why the power company suggestion is illogical.

-Just to add to bob's comment of no final night plans. There WAS a final night tpb. Couldnt have gone out of print too long ago, since i ordered it from previews about 2 yrs ago. Actually, to summarize the annual company wide crossovers (which thnk gd seem to be dying, i mean i like them, but they seem to do more harm than good), crisis (thoe dc original), zero hour (94), underworld unleashed (95), final night (96), and dc one million (98) have been reprinted. Genesis (97), day of judgment (99), and last laugh (01) have not been reprinted. I think there's a market for day of judgment, though, as its geoff johns first high profile gig, and reintroes hal jordan into a pivotal dcu role, and some are hal loyalists (although that doesnt explain spectre's poor sales).

---

Actually, to correct you about The Final Night TPB, it is currently out-of-print. It is no longer listed in the DC Comics backlist of books to order from Diamond Comics Distributors' Star System catalog. You may have ordered it from 2 years ago, but in between that time, it eventually sold out.

-Also, bob, is it assured that every original hc, once sold out in that form, will be released in sc? I ask b/c ive bought some recent hc's for fear they wont make it to sc, and i personally greatly cherish the $10 over the hc treatment.

Over the last few yrs ive noticed, however, that seemignyl every original hc makes it to softcover eventually, such as the jla hc's and the batman hc's of the past few yrs. Can we assume this will continue for such titles as absolution and selinas big score? (although i would understand if child of dreams remained in hc, since thats a bit of an exception, and at 24.95, generally a sc reprinting that amount of monthly material would only go for $5 less, in fact id be surprised if its released in sc)

-Oh, and i agree with just about everyone else. The power company proposal doesnt make much sense. A standalone power company tpb, maybe (sales would be an issue). But shoving the one shots into other tpb's? That would only serve to royally p o those who pay extra for something they dont want. It doesnt make sense for them to be added for free, and if this scenario did occur in exampleland, im sure the vast majority of those buying these tpb's for their fave characters will skip the power company story, thereby not attracting new readers. Then, the majority who do read it (who are a minority of the buyers themselves) will probably not be impressed into buying power company, simly because its very hard to hook people from single issues. Watchmen is the greatest comic of all time, but if it was a poor selling comic and i came across the first issue, i wouldnt know that. Lets say the one-shots are so unbeliavable that it entices a reader, what are they going to do now? Buy 6 other tpb's for over $60 of characters they may dislike just to get the one-shots included in those trades? I hope that whomever suggested this know see why this wouldnt make sense. I could talk more on this, but i think ive said enough to explain some reasons its not a logical idea in the least.[/QUOTE]

DC has been a little slower in recent years on getting some hardcovers reprinted as trade paperback editions. Examples: the two Star Trek: The Next Generation hardcover graphic novels from Wildstorm took a while (2 years?) until now, on getting softcover editions. Even though this is under Wildstorm's publishing, I noticed this. One example from DC is the Superman: End of the Century hardcover from 1999. There's still no softcover edition of this book, but I think Mr. Greenberger made an early post mentioning that this book will finally get a paperback soon. Still, I noticed these as some examples of HCs taking a little longer to get their SCs out.

posted February 11, 2003 09:35 PM            

I appreciate your desire to see good but low-selling comics continue. I'm a big Doom Patrol fan myself.

Please take my advice.

There is a difference between a discussion and an argument. I'm not going to bother to go back and figure out when this topic crossed the line or who crossed it, but we are definitely on the argument side now.

I don't think anyone wins in an argument. If anyone does win, I guarantee you that it will be the person who works at DC. Arguments are won by people who are loud or in authority. Being correct has nothing to do with it. You could be absolutely right and Bob could be absolutely wrong, but it no longer matters now that the line has been crossed.

posted February 11, 2003 09:42 PM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by dnewton:

Are you trying to annoy me? I am asking Bob to put low-selling titles in TPB's so that they won't get canceled but so far neither you or Bob are being helpful with this.

---

What you're not understanding dnewton, is that a TPB does not mean a book won't be cancelled. THE DEADENDERS is a perfect example of this. A trade was issued, but didn't sell well enough to warrant additional volumes. In addition, the monthly book itself continued to sell poorly--even after the first trade was released--and was thus cancelled.

As of now, THE POWER COMPANY has not sold well enough in monthly form to warrant the publication of a collection. The determination of many of the more recently published material to be collected into trade form by DC is done by sales and buzz. POWER COMPANY has neither. For whatever reason, people simply are not reading the book.

I'm sure we all have a particular series in which we want a publisher to issue a TPB for. Unfortunately, the reality of the situation is that not every book is going to get a trade. And those series where sales are far below expectations, devoting resources that could be used for projects more in demand, would be a complete and utter waste.

If you want to save POWER COMPANY, go a different route. Buy a bunch of extra copies the next time your at your local comic shop. Then go to your local library, coffee house, doctor's office, etc. and leave them there. Be sure to attach a business card for your local shop, in case anyone wants to pick up more issues.

Get a group of people together, raise some cash, and may be get a booth at one of the many upcoming comic con's to help raise awareness of the book and drive up interest.

There are hundreds of other ways to drum up interest and sales for the monthly book. And right now, the focus of your energy and support needs to be with the monthly book, not a trade paperback.

You only defeat yourself--and your cause--by continuing to harp on Bob and others over a matter that has already been politely rejected.

Teisto

posted February 11, 2003 10:27 PM               

quote:

---

Originally posted by dnewton:

Are you trying to annoy me? I am asking Bob to put low-selling titles in TPB's so that they won't get canceled but so far neither you or Bob are being helpful with this.

---

It appears that you're the one trying to be annoying. It's an idiotic idea: get the hint and quit annoying the man. He doesn't owe anyone any answers: it's sheer courtesy that leads him to post here, and he does not have any duty to respond with marketing analyses to show you why your idea makes no sense.

posted February 11, 2003 10:54 PM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by Bob Greenberger:

The sampler notion is to offer people a low-priced way to read Golden Age or Silver Age stories that may lead people to the Archives themselves.

---

I am living proof that the samplers work. After reading the recent Superboy reprint with all the Legion tales, I placed an order for Legion Archives Vol. 1. I FINALLY understand why people like the Legion!!!

posted February 11, 2003 11:09 PM               

1) Zot! (Scott McCloud) I've mentioned this before, only felt natural to mention it again. Kitchen Sink went under before the 4th and final volume reprinting the series was released, and that had the best stories. Bob, if you can't get a hold of putting this title back into print, could you at least twist Mr. McCloud's arm to get back to doing this series, even for a little while, instead of doing Understanding Comics Part 3 or another Abraham Lincoln graphic novel?

2) American Flagg (Howard Chaykin) Just went through some old back issues of this title, and it's hard to believe this came out 20 years ago. The first 12 issues still hold up as a great story, would make for a fine HBO series. I'd settle for the first 12, but maybe through # 27 would be cool too. I wish Chaykin could wrap up a title properly. Which is what worries me about American Century.

3) E-Man (Joe Staton) Yeah, I mentioned this as well. This book was fun AND funny. And like I said, Joe Staton is long overdue for getting his props. It'll be years before his Green Lantern stuff gets archived, throw us a bone now. We're only talking the 10 issues from Charlton and the 25 from First Comics. Couldn't we sneak this in under the radar?

4) Mage: The Hero Discovered (Matt Wagner) I must be one of the lucky few who got the three glossy volumes from Starblaze Graphics which reprinted this series. I weren't too crazy about the Image reprints. Come to think of it, I wasn't crazy about their trades for The Hero Defined either. It would be cool to get this in time, if he's working on it, for the third part of the Mage trilogy. He's in good standing with DC right? Maybe you can even persuade him to continue with The Aerialist series too.

5)Moebius: The Collected Works. The coup of coups. All the Epic stuff is long gone, the Dark Horse material came and went, and I was just in Paris this past September and picked up the final volume of the Aedna Cycle, even though it's in French. If we have a Joe Kubert library, and there's strong indications that a Jack Kirby library, a Steve Ditko library, maybe an Alex Toth collection as well, are all in development, wouldn't his stuff qualify as well?

Speaking of which, any chance of a Frank Frazetta collection as well? Shining Knight stories and any others.

Twilight, written by Howard Chaykin and drawn by Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez. Any chance of this appearing in a trade, or not very likely?

Besides the final 2 issues of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen volume 2, the return of Planetary, JLA/Avengers, Sandman Hardcover Graphic Novel, Sgt Rock Graphic Novel, Orbiter, and the return of Bwa-Ha-Ha Justice League (so excited) for 2003, I've read something about Bizarro Comics 2 and a Tony Millionaire Batman prestige format story. What's their status? Bizarro Comics was the best thing DC came up with in years and I can't wait for a 2nd slice. I wish Richard Sala could draw an issue of 100 Bullets. Don't ask me why. Maybe Robert Crumb could draw an issue of Y the Last Man?

I never got an answer to this: Big Book of Wild Women. What happened? And is the Big Books series over and done? It would be a shame.

posted February 11, 2003 11:12 PM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by gothcityfan:
Oh, and to briefly disagree on the latest comment on the batman argument.

---

Diasagree with what, goth? You've already got 'im on the run, so to speak...

quote:

---

Originally posted by Bob Greenberger:
Funny, just this last week we were talking about some Batman material from the last few years. Nothing decided yet, but we'll see. I also may have to come back here and admit I was wrong about something I stated more than once.

---

posted February 11, 2003 11:59 PM               

So let's all remind ourselves that we are free to ask questions, but not demand answers, in this thread. It's okay to be frustrated, but please do so pleasantly and/or quietly.

Dylanfan off soapbox now.

Hey Bob, I have a question...is the Archives program feeling the need to make any adjustments in the face of Marvel's plan to put to market the 32 remastered volumes of Masterworks in the next 11 months? Further, do you see anything in the promise of whatever "remastering" entails (what it means to marvel we're still not exactly sure) to apply to future reprints of the Archives? Say, for instance, a technological advance that might really help with art restoration in books already printed?

posted February 12, 2003 12:51 AM               

quote:

---

Originally posted by dylanfan:
This is not aimed at anyone in particular, or inspired by anything in general (gee, I should write speeches for politicians...), but I will hunt down and kill anyone who takes it upon themselves, through word or deed, to make people like Bob G. regret setting foot in this most precious of threads. The man has far more important things to be doing with his time, and any moment he devotes to us is a) because he <b>enjoys</b> doing it, and b) because he is very gracious! It's certainly not because he has to.

So let's all remind ourselves that we are free to ask questions, but not demand answers, in this thread. It's okay to be frustrated, but please do so pleasantly and/or quietly.

Dylanfan off soapbox now.

Hey Bob, I have a question...is the Archives program feeling the need to make any adjustments in the face of Marvel's plan to put to market the 32 remastered volumes of Masterworks in the next 11 months? Further, do you see anything in the promise of whatever "remastering" entails (what it means to marvel we're still not exactly sure) to apply to future reprints of the Archives? Say, for instance, a technological advance that might really help with art restoration in books already printed?

---

Geeez....Bob! How about adding an edit function to all TPBs you put out? That way we can not only edit our posts, but also get the exact books we want.

If I could edit my last post, these are the changes I would make:

1- Use html that actually makes the word "enjoys" bold.

2- Change "hunt down and kill" to "invite over for cookies and milk and talk over our differences of opinion."

posted February 12, 2003 01:27 AM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by gothcityfan:
[B]- -Just to add to bob's comment of no final night plans. There WAS a final night tpb. Couldnt have gone out of print too long ago, since i ordered it from previews about 2 yrs ago. Actually, to summarize the annual company wide crossovers (which thnk gd seem to be dying, i mean i like them, but they seem to do more harm than good), crisis (thoe dc original), zero hour (94), underworld unleashed (95), final night (96), and dc one million (98) have been reprinted. Genesis (97), day of judgment (99), and last laugh (01) have not been reprinted. I think there's a market for day of judgment, though, as its geoff johns first high profile gig, and reintroes hal jordan into a pivotal dcu role, and some are hal loyalists (although that doesnt explain spectre's poor sales)
[B]

---

As a Hal loyalist and an on/off Spectre buyer I can tell you that it was JMD's writing and the lack of the character of Hal (at least a recognizable Hal) that turned Jordan loyalists off.

Also I did ask Bob about a Day of Judgement TPB awhile ago since I wasn't reading comics (for awhile) when that event happened and not only am I a Geoff Johns fan but I'd like to collect and read how Hal became Spectre without digging through the dollar bins here and there. Especially since DC seems intent on leaving Hal as Spectre. I think Bob said its discussed but in the end always passed over for something else. Hopefully there are plans for it to be released eventually. Maybe he and the other editors can re-think that one?

posted February 12, 2003 03:58 AM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by XXXenophile:
Though this must mean DC has a lot of HC copies of Batman: Digital Justice lying around. :-)

---

Not just DC; every comic shop I've ever been in seems to have several copies.

posted February 12, 2003 07:02 AM            

I think if this discussion is to continue it had better move to another thread, else it should stop.

Anyway, getting back to the normal topic - I would like to see more softcovers of the various original hardcovers that have been around over the years such as; I, Paparazzi - Human Target: Final Cut - In The Shadow of Edgar Allen Poe - The Furies - Virtue and Vice (though I think this can be expected) and other old ones that I can't remember.
I am not in the habit of buying hardcovers as I am on a limited budget and I would appreciate being able to read these in a lower priced format.

posted February 12, 2003 07:42 AM               

So, basically, I wanted to know if there are any plans for reprinting Secret Society of Super Villains, the two-book Prestige Format mini written by Chaykin and Thischman. And if there are any possibilities for some American Flagg TPBs, now that Chaykin is working with DC. I remind you all that in teh recent interview that Chaykin did at Newsarama (about his upcoming project Mighty Love) a lot of posters said that theyd love AF TPBs...

So, please help me out with this... Thanks

------------------
N. Franco
aka Thanagarian

posted February 12, 2003 08:33 AM               

quote:

---

Originally posted by Thanagarian:

I wanted to know if there are any plans for reprinting Secret Society of Super Villains, the two-book Prestige Format mini written by Chaykin and Thischman.

---

posted February 12, 2003 09:44 AM               

The Alex Ross book is coming from another publisher, under license to DC. It's a very separate project form your suggested Adam Hughes collection.

Back aorund 1980, Germany actually needed more Superman material than we were currently producing. Julie Schwartz was asked to produce 48-page stories on a quarterly basis to meet that demand. I have no recollection how many were produced but yes, they appeared in other countries. I even believe the Alex Toth Superman Annual originally was done for Germany.

The current rule of thumb is that when a hardcover sells out, there will be a trade edition which will remain available as a backlist item. There are some exceptions, see the Digital Justice joke above.

Similarly, the current rule of thumb is to collect series or mini-series that we feel will work as collections or to attract the more casual reader in the bookstore market. Not every project creates sufficient buzz to work commerically and no matter how many trades we put out, won't affect a book's sales. Deadenders is the perfect example of that. In other cases, we think the project works best in the direct market and might not appeal to mainstream readers and that affects our thinking. And there are only SO many slots so we can't collect everything.

Yeah, it's a safe bet a second GREEN ARROW collection will happen.

Mage was collected by Image some time back and might still be in print so we can't touch it. American Flagg has certainly come up for conversation, but not Twilight, sorry. And yes, Frank Frazetta's limited DC work has also been mentioned over the years.

Big Book of Wild Women was tabled before I returned and I have no idea what happened.

We have no reaction to Marvel's plan. We're going about with business as usual, which might be a reaction after all.

posted February 12, 2003 10:10 AM               

Is there anyway that the first three or so issues could be reprinted a la the Batman Double Feature? Not a TPB, but something to be put out that could entice people to pick up the series? Or maybe one of those floppy TPBs, like the Batman: NML: No Law and a New Order one?

posted February 12, 2003 10:20 AM               

quote:

---

Originally posted by XXXenophile:
I would think at this point its a fair assumption to say that as soon as DC sells out of the HC editions plans are made for SC editions to soon hit the market. It's just a matter of how long it takes. Look how long it took Crimson Mist to come out in SC.

Though this must mean DC has a lot of HC copies of Batman: Digital Justice lying around. :-)

---

posted February 12, 2003 11:35 AM               

quote:

---

Originally posted by bluedevil2002:
I don't want to drag the Power Company debate out more, but maybe offer a suggestion. I've been interested in the series ever since it was announced. However, due to money constraints, I was unable to begin getting the series. I realize that I can jump into the series mid run, as the more recent issues are better than the first few. However, I would still like to read the first few, which I am having a bit of difficulty getting.

Is there anyway that the first three or so issues could be reprinted a la the Batman Double Feature? Not a TPB, but something to be put out that could entice people to pick up the series? Or maybe one of those floppy TPBs, like the Batman: NML: No Law and a New Order one?

Just a thought.

---

Are you people that dense?

It's not going to happen!

------------------
Rock a little,

posted February 12, 2003 12:32 PM               

Folks, DC already put forth the effort of exposing Power Company to a large segment of readership with the JLA preview, free to the readers, at cost to DC. From there, roughly a third of the people who read the preview bought #1, based on orders. And at this point, half of the people who bought #1 have dropped the book. I don't know where new readers are to be found when a good portion of the audience has already seen it and rejected it, and certainly there's no motivation for DC to try to reprint any of the series for now.