This is purely unconstructive moaning on my part. Caveat lector:
I'd happily take "wait and see" as an answer. The only reason I posted this is that the local store-owner specifically said that Marvel "weren't going to bother" collecting any more series in hardcovers. Not that he seemed very clear on that, since I'm cast iron sure that he was just making it up. But once a little seed of doubt is sewn in my mind there's little way to stop it taking root.
This is a time-sensitive issue for me too as, if I do give all the singles to my buddy Rob, it must be done prior to leaving town at the end of June. But I'm just going to trust that either the HC or TPB format will be around and go ahead and do it.
What's annoying about the store owner is that he's *constantly* punking out on me for everything. I really, really believe in supporting your friendly neighbourhood comics store. But, boy, does he make it hard.
Examples from the last year or two:
* Missing an issue of Cerebus, entirely. Then, when I asked him about it, claiming that it doesn't exist. Dave Sim just decided to skip that one, apparently.
* Telling me he'd hold Blankets for me, then selling it to another customer. Then telling me "Well, you should've bought it when you first came in if you really wanted it. We won't be able to get any more because it's OOP." Then, four months later, long after I'd bought it on Amazon, bringing it out with my weekly comics and insisting that I should buy it because I'd "ordered" it. (I demurred.)
* Deciding when I told two weeks ago that I was "thinking of dropping comics soon, and just picking up the trades", that he should immediately cancel all of my standing orders. Even though I went on to mention that I wanted to close out the series that I am currently reading. So no X-Statix #20 for houdini, as he only orders enough to fill the standing orders.
* Refusing to believe that I'd dropped Green Arrow after Kevin Smith left. Every month it would show up in my file and he'd try to give me a guilt trip, 'cause he'd ordered it for me, specially. I'd patiently explain that I'd dropped it { ++ $i; } times now, but it always slid off. Then, once he'd accepted defeat on his guilt trip, he'd try to persuade me that I should pick it up again, "'cause this new guy's really pretty cool, y'know?"
* Recommending X-Statix as a good comic for a mother to buy her 8 year old son (in attendance). I just happened to be waiting in line and actually cut in to suggest that she direct her attention 2' to the right, where Bone, X-Men animated, Powerpuff Girls, etc are racked. When I asked him why he thought X-Statix was a gooc choice, he said it was because of the "simplistic" art.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh.
Okay. Done venting now. Thanks for your time. |
