I am sitting right now at my kitchen table trying to decide what I want to write about for this blog. I was going to do all the new things I wanted to do to the store but that just seems boring to the reader. New back issue displays for the store has been done before by me. A trusted employee recommended the idea of “New Year, New Universe” where I talk about the different universes or worlds from the normal comic ones. That one after mulling it over is quite the endeavor. I might shelve that one for a future entry where I can fine tune instead of doing a “one draft wonder” on it. Then I came to the realization of what makes me happy when the new catalogs for future books come out. I usually flip to the back of either the DC or the Marvel catalog to see what reprint trades are coming out. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not one of those guys that hates the new comics and will only read the old stuff. I love all comics as long as I am entertained. The collections of older books just remind me of when I was younger. Before you think it, Pee Paw here does not remember when Superman first came out on the stands.
To begin with there are five different kinds of collections for the older comic stories. I’ll go through each of the different types. Marvel actually has three different types. The first is the Mighty Marvel Masterwork. These are not to be confused with the hardcovers hence the Mighty at the beginning. These are about half the size of a regular trade paperback. Like the hardcovers they collect almost primarily Silver Age Marvel comics. Unlike the hardcovers they only cost $15.99 so if you are on a budget you can still read the classics. They collect about 10 to 12 issues every volume. I like to show them to kids because it is an inexpensive way to read the early Marvel books and if they get banged up, you only spent $16. They do two different covers which one is a recolored image of one of the original covers and one done by a current artist. I am totally bias and only order the recolored covers.
The second type of collection for Marvel is the Epic Collection. I love these. They collect a lot of the Bronze Age Marvel comics. Yet they have start to move into the late 80s and 90s and sometimes some more current comics. True they have collected some of the Sliver Age books but lately they have been doing more Bronze. In these you get about 15 to 20 issues. The drawback is that they are $45 to $50. Yet a lot of them reprint books that either have not been reprinted or have been reprinted in a more expensive format. Also Marvel has been Modern Era Epic Collections which reprints books less than 10 years old. I enjoy these because you get the major story but you also get the issues that lead up and follow the main story.
The third type for Marvel I will get into after I tell you about the two types for DC Comics. The first is the DC Finest line. They are like the Marvel Epic line. Yet they really jump around with the eras they reprint. The first wave was the first few Action Comics issues from the 40s and Batman Year One & Two for the late 80s. Their first year of it has been a varied sampling of the many years of DC. The bonus of these is that you almost get 25 issues in one book for $40. Like Marvel the issues are chronological. I’m excited for old Plastic Man from the Golden Age and of course my boy Jimmy Olsen.
The second type of collection from DC is the Compact Edition. These are insanely inexpensive collections of some of DC’s more current essential stories. You can get the entire Watchmen story for $10! You get about 12 issues in one edition. They have sold so well that they have bounced onto our Top 50 graphic novels. They are reprinting some great stories from All Star Superman to Kingdom Come. My only drawback is the small printing on them. These books are half the size of a regular trade paperback. These books are great for the younger generation. Pee Paw here needs the bigger type.
Now I can talk about the third Marvel collection which is the Marvel Premier Collections which are due out in early 2025. These are like the Compact Editions. They will be a half an inch bigger than the DC ones and $15 dollars. The will collecting more modern important storylines. I have not physically seen them yet but I am excited for them to come out. One is the whole Winter Soldier story and another is Daredevil Born Again with added issues that have not been printed in the original trade.
All these collections are great to have around when someone wants to get into a character. I especially love when a kid picks up one of these collections and loves the old stories as much as they love the new ones. If you are ever curious which of these collections are for you, talk to your local Graham Crackers Comics employee or manager. You can stop by Naperville and talk to me. I love talking about comics.
Once again, thank you for reading my ramblings and for the New Year try a new different comic to read. You never know it could become your favorite.
I bid thee toodles,
Mike