Some Questions regarding 2000AD, Graphic Novels and the "Scene".

f4lke · 11 March, 2013, 01:15:03 PM

Well, this is my first post aside the "Welcome to the forums" one. Due to the fact that I'm a Newbie in the "Comic Scene", I would be glad if some of you "long time professionals" could help me.

Acquisition
I live in Austria where Comic Shops are very rare and only available in bigger cities like Vienna (if existent at all). And if there are any, they have the german editions of the comics and sell them overpriced. So i have to rely on online sellers like the 2000AD shop, Amazon UK and Ebay UK. I auctioned some great deals in the last weeks (like a 20 piece Graphic Novel bundle for 52GBP on Ebay or Bec&Kawl for 1 Cent on Amazon), but I am missing a trusted, well-stocked online retailer. I am very happy with the official 2000AD store, but the problem there is, that everything old is missing. On Amazon, the most of the marketplace retailers don't ship to Austria. Ebay is working fine so far, but the shipping costs are rather high there. Royal Airmail costs about 6GBP per graphic novel and therefore it "costs a pretty penny" to send them over. (@native english speakers: Did i use this collocation correctly?) There are some very cool established ebay sellers like "wordery" and "fairandfastltd" who ship for ~80p, but their stock isn't that full anymore. So, my questions are: Where do you buy comics? Can you recommend an online retailer?

Characteristics of "our" Scene
Is it a saleable behaviour to exchange Comics/Graphic Novels for another? I have only concerned myself with the purchase of Graphic Novels, not with trading them. I'm sure that the model Graphic Novel A <-swap-> Graphic Novel B is widespread, but are there also other common "patterns"? Like: I have 100 Progs and i set a price for 1GBP per piece. The other side can choose 15 progs from my collection and i get a Graphic Novel with the equivalent worth of 15GBP. I know that this is a naive and featherbrained question and can be answered with a straight "Well, that's up to you. If you find a Trader who is willing to do that, you can.". But is it a common used trading method?

Different Editions from the same Graphic Novel
I currently own "Fort Neuro", "Eye of the Traitor", "To the Ends of Nu-Earth" and "Re-Gene" from the Classic Rogue Trooper Series. So, as some of your sharp eyes maybe already spotted, I'm missing "The Future of War" Edition. I did some research and found out that there are multiple editions with different ISBN. One is the edition with the ISBN 1904265286, which is the one from the 2000adonline book page. Another one is ISBN 1401205771, which has the publisher tag "DC Comics" on Amazon. And the third has ISBN 1840234814 and "Titan Books". Does it matter which one i am going to buy? Is it also scene-wide accepted as a "Full Classic Rogue Trooper Collection" with another edition (means: with different ISBN) than the one from the 2000AD book page?

The Numbers
Can you please tell me how much Graphic Novels you own? Just out of interest (Graphic Novels only, no progs or comics)

Thank you all very much in advance. More Questions to come (if i have any).

grthink · 11 March, 2013, 01:34:56 PM

Um, I'll do my best:

1. I but 2000AD from the newsagent, it's pretty easy to come by. Graphic Novels/Collected Editions I get from Amazon usually, as every birthday and Christmas I get given Amazon vouchers. I've also bought from the shop, here. I don't really have a preference.

2. I've never swapped comics or graphic novels, other than lending them out. Like, my Mum's got the full collection of Sandman TPB's but not in return for anything.

3. I'm no help here, with Rogue Trooper editions, sorry.

4. I've probable got about 40-ish graphic novels, if you're including collected editions. I know that pales in comparison with some of the numbers others have here.

WhizzBang · 11 March, 2013, 05:54:18 PM

Quote from: f4lke on 11 March, 2013, 01:15:03 PM
... it "costs a pretty penny" to send them over. (@native english speakers: Did i use this collocation correctly?)

Yes you did!

Quote from: f4lke on 11 March, 2013, 01:15:03 PM
The Numbers
Can you please tell me how much Graphic Novels you own? Just out of interest (Graphic Novels only, no progs or comics)

I have about 50 and I only started buying them last summer when I stumbled across a Judge Dredd case files book in a record shop. Was quickly hooked and now buy about 1-3 a week to get my fix. Space is starting to be a bit of a problem for them all but I don't want to get rid of any of them.

Dandontdare · 11 March, 2013, 07:50:14 PM

Hi there

1. It's true that nothing is better than idly browsing around a local comic shop but it must suck if there are none in your town. Fortunately this is becoming less and less of a problem - the internet is your friend! You can chat and research stuff on places like this and then buy pretty much anything online

2. Swapping is a great way of recycling books, but it can be tricky to find someone who wants what you've got and is willing to part with what you want at exactly the same time. I don't know of any organised swapsie forums, but I'm sure they exist. People round here often put up a list of stuff they want to get rid of and ask for interesting swaps. When it comes to trading, at fairs, conventions or on eBay, stuff that SHOULD be really valuable (that you want to sell) never is but other rare crap (that you want to buy) costs a fortune (well it always seems that way for me!)

3. Wikipedia is good for a full list of all editions to make sure you don't accidentally buy the same stuff twice because it looks different (which I often do, especially when drunk online)

4. about 350 and counting - it's an addiction!

Link Prime · 12 March, 2013, 02:59:23 PM

Quote from: Dandontdare on 11 March, 2013, 07:50:14 PM
4. about 350 and counting - it's an addiction!

And its out of control obviously!

f4lke · 12 March, 2013, 08:34:41 PM

Btw: How can i set my avatar image?

grthink · 13 March, 2013, 11:49:05 AM

Quote from: f4lke on 12 March, 2013, 08:34:41 PM
Btw: How can i set my avatar image?

Once you've been around a while and confirmed you're not a spambot the moderators will give you a 'full' account and you can do it then.

f4lke · 13 March, 2013, 11:58:27 AM

Quote from: grthink on 13 March, 2013, 11:49:05 AM
Quote from: f4lke on 12 March, 2013, 08:34:41 PM
Btw: How can i set my avatar image?

Once you've been around a while and confirmed you're not a spambot the moderators will give you a 'full' account and you can do it then.

Ok, thank's for the info.

IndigoPrime · 13 March, 2013, 12:31:51 PM

On different editions of the same book, I imagine that's down to various publishers releasing 2000 AD-related material. Go way back and Titan issued most of them, and then in the 1990s Hamlyn had a go. However, the current line extends back to a deal that Rebellion did with DC. Paperback books were effectively co-published, and outside of that deal, Rebellion offered thin Euro-style hardback collections.

When the DC/Rebellion deal ended, Rebellion went at it alone, and as DC books have gone out of print, the better sellers have been reworked in Rebellion garb (which means better paper quality and covers) and had new ISBNs assigned. Rebellion itself has also sometimes released updated editions (such as the forthcoming Halo Jones and Sláine books), along with rebooting series in different formats (for example, Rogue Trooper, Robo-Hunter and Strontium Dog, which started out as standard paperback trades but ended up in chunkier 'case files'-style editions).

Specifically regarding Rogue Trooper, the entire Rebellion series is outlined on the 2000 AD Books site. The six 'classic Rogue Trooper' books cover the original run (minus the odd story, such as Cinnabar, and, as I recall, omitting the entire Hit arc) and more recent flashbacks written by Gordon Rennie. The Tales of Nu-Earth volumes reboot the series in chunky volumes that cover the entire original run, until the end of The Hit (although again, frustratingly, ignoring Cinnabar), but don't include strips from Realpolitik. Perhaps there'll be a fourth volume, covering all the Flashbacks.