The news of this dropping in my in box sent me scurrying for the shop. Limited edition 200 print run, Signed Jock Prints. I was within a hairs breadth of banging in an order. Then it hit me ....
Paperback!
I can appreciate the standard edition being paperback but come on, special edition? So the colorised Charley's War, the Mazeworld 'special edition', ... paperback. El Mestizo, 13th Floor .... hardback.
I've no objection to paperback editions but would like the option. I can appreciate that demand might not make it viable but there doesn't seem to be much in the way of rhyme or reason. :(
Same here I was about to order until I realised it was paperback
Yeah, the Mazeworld one was particularly disappointing.
It seems odd when the earlier Movie Dredd reprint was a hardcover. I'd imagine most people want a matching pair. The Mazeworld and Charlie's War reprints seem equally bizarre choices in softcover. Maybe hardcovers are destined to become endangered, with only the rare beasts like The 13th Floor allowed a limited outing.
That's the thing, this is the third volume from the 2012 Dredd world and the second that I've let pass by. The lack of consistency is the real bug bear.
<rant> I can understand the idea that this is niche, limited demand and that cost effectiveness is a challenge. TBH I would much sooner pay an extra tenner for hardback, bookplate and print. Special should mean precisely that. Let's face it, it's not like these are targeted at youngsters with limited financial resources. Way too many of us are KOS's that want to use any surplus cash we do find ourselves with from time to time on something special. </rant>
.... and breathe!
Hang about, "colourised Charlie's War"? Is this a thing now? How do I miss these things!
I've flicked through the colourised Halo Jones and despite approaching it with an entirely negative mindset I have to admit Nosenzo does an extraordinary job. Still adds absolutely nothing for me personally, but I can't deny the quality of the work, and if it sells and introduces a great story to new eyes then fair enough.
Ditto Charlie's War, I suppose, although I despair at the attitude that makes it necessary.
Auto correct changed all my Charley's to Charlie's. Apologies, angels.
Quote from: TordelBack on 08 November, 2018, 09:35:57 PM
Hang about, "colourised Charlie's War"? Is this a thing now? How do I miss these things!
Is there
another version? The most recent edition hasn't 'colourised' anything, it's reproduced the pages that were originally coloured in colour for (I think) the first time. I suspect the separations may have been recreated to correct for what would otherwise have been a horribly coarse halftone screen on better paper, but the intent was to re-present the colour pages as originally coloured.
And a treat it is too: hopefully I misinterpreted Robert's remark. Have the third volume on my Santa list, and I can't wait - I don't think I've read any of that one before.
Quote from: Jim_Campbell on 08 November, 2018, 09:44:49 PM
The most recent edition hasn't 'colourised' anything, it's reproduced the pages that were originally coloured in colour for (I think) the first time.
Sorry, that was what I meant. Poor choice of words. I think the French version included the colour pages in colour IIRC, plus in hardback.
:-\
Quote from: Tjm86 on 07 November, 2018, 05:11:02 PM
...hardbacks
I've no objection to paperback editions but would like the option. I can appreciate that demand might not make it viable but there doesn't seem to be much in the way of rhyme or reason. :(
I prefer hardback books but maybe they don't sell very well these days. I'm amazed that the Deadworld Hardback (https://shop.2000ad.com/catalogue/XB619) hasn't sold out on the 2000AD Shop. I bought one on it's release and another in the recent sale because...Why not?
As an aside - the promotional blurb for Deadworld is incomplete. It states 164 pages but makes no mention of hand-numbered Book (I own 125 and 155) and a set of four numbered prints featuring the Dark Judges in all of their grotesque glory.
Cheers
Quote from: NapalmKev on 09 November, 2018, 10:10:57 AM
I prefer hardback books but maybe they don't sell very well these days.
I assume that's the reason. We're not privy to Rebellion's sales data, and I suspect they know their market a
little bit better than we do. A couple of people saying here that Rebellion have lost a sale by not doing a hardcover of a specific trade isn't the same as actual data or the reality of a warehouse full of unsold books.
If there was money in hardbacks, you can be pretty sure they'd be doing more of them.
My hope is for ongoing series that have already had hardbacks, Rebellion will at least provide the option via limited editions. I'd much prefer another Deadworld and Brass Sun hardback than paperbacks.
My general approach these days is digital or hardback.
I'm trying to replace some of the paperback trades with digital where I can, just for the convenience.
Quote from: Jim_Campbell on 09 November, 2018, 10:19:11 AM
I assume that's the reason. We're not privy to Rebellion's sales data, and I suspect they know their market a little bit better than we do. A couple of people saying here that Rebellion have lost a sale by not doing a hardcover of a specific trade isn't the same as actual data or the reality of a warehouse full of unsold books.
If there was money in hardbacks, you can be pretty sure they'd be doing more of them.
That's probably the case, but I reserve the right to be disappointed about it.
I can't remember who it was in Rebellion but they said at a Con that the £25 price point hardbacks were very difficult to shift, aside from the Judge Dredd Cursed Earth Banned edition one that had a very unique USP.
I think even bookshops take fewer orders at this price point/format.
One big issue is that at that price point fans want them to be real completist definitive editions like the telephone books but they just get too big hence the selective ABC Warrior editions.
Conversely I like the Charlie's War TPB editions as it makes buying all three affordable unlike the never-ending Titan line that all had dour and identikit covers. Probably my fave purchase this year.
These days, I mainly go for HB after seeing the state of my paperbacks that have been standing up on the shelves for ages. They're all curved and look like crap now. I suspect if laid flat for a year, they might go back to how they were, but sturdy covers are what I want for stuff I'm planning to keep.