Soft vs. Hard

[Colin]

The other day I was just looking through James Jean's giant artgasmic Process Recess 2 and started thinking about this. Which do you guys usually prefer? Softcovers? Hardcovers? Both? And furthermore what about the size and format of the books?

(If this subject's already been talked to death in another thread if the caretakers could merge or link the other thread that'd be awesome.)

For artbooks or books I really really love and know I'll read and study and read and study over and over again until they fall apart, personally I prefer softcover. Like Pulphope. I also remember J. Scott Campell's Danger Girl Sketchbook having this real nice 'plastic' cover you could practically lay out the book flat with.

But there are some that I think 'fit' the hardcover format, and I enjoy reading them that way. All-Star Superman and the re-release of The Killing Joke are the most recent examples I can think of. V for Vendetta's another one. Books I guess you could sort of read like a novel.

However I honestly don't see the appeal of the Omnibuses. I remember getting really jazzed about the Morrison New X-Men Omnibus and pre-ordering it. When I got my copy I remember lugging the bastard around town and home. My lap going numb while reading it on the can. I didn't get very far into it before I said "fuck this" and gave it away as a Christmas present (I'll refrain from saying who ended up with the tainted literature) and digging up my old singles and reading those again instead.

Dark Horse released those 'Absolute' sized Sin City trades a year or so back and although I haven't had a chance to look through them myself I do wonder if the art would hold up as well as the previously printed 'digest-sized' versions Chip Kidd did the designs for. I for one loved the 'pulp novel' feel of of them. Around the time the smaller ones came out I was reading Eisner/Miller and in it Eisner talked about a certain intimacy you have between the work and the reader with smaller-sized books which I totally agree with. On the other hand the giant 'widescreen' hardcover printing of 300 totally draws me in as well.

So what say you all?

[Keepcoolbutcare]

(if the caretakers could merge...that'd be awesome.)

Zone 2.0 can't get here soon enough...

to answer your query, I would love to be able to spend all willy-nilly on what are essentially double dips by picking up those fancy schmancy hardcovers of beloved titles (my fingers lovingly brush up against that mackalacious RUNAWAYS Hardcover everytime I'm in the comic shop), but, alas, I can't.

good to read I'm not the only one who reads comics while on the crapper though.

nice hearing from ya' Colin, you've been missed...

[silentbobafett]

Softcover for me.

I prefer the look and feel.

And when I read them not only is it easier to read by the wear and tear is less obvious (I find anyway)

I think I only have 2 in a collection of a hundred odd... (one of which I got 2 weekends ago - Heroes)

[Pacino86845]

Hmm, can't say that I've thought actively on this question, but I'd say based on comfort level I prefer softcover. I appreciate that some GNs have enough Punky Power to necessitate the hardcover format (as Colin said, V For Vendetta, but particularly that super hardcover format for 300, both of which I proudly hold in my collection).

That said, I do most of my comics/GN reading in bed, and the softcover is simply more practical in that sense. Still, I will always be buying both formats, so despite my preference I don't think it'd affect how I make my choices. I don't buy GNs or comics often enough to *really* worry about how much they cost individually.

[silentbobafett]

Oooh yeah, price is often a factor as well... but they don't tend to charge TOO much for hardcovers...

But I'm still a softy

[instant_karma]

I prefer softcovers as well. I've got a few hard covers, but they were mostly gifts.

[Nachokoolaid]

I'm totally a hardcover guy, because I like getting the full story in one shot. And I'm a tactile person.

I guess I'm leaving myself open to a thousand jokes like "I like something hard in my hands" so I'll beat you all to the punch.

[silentbobafett]

I'm totally a hardcover guy, because I like getting the full story in one shot. And I'm a tactile person.

I guess I'm leaving myself open to a thousand jokes like "I like something hard in my hands" so I'll beat you all to the punch.

How is this any different than a softcover? THey're the same book - just different material on the outside...

[Nachokoolaid]

For example, I don't have to go out and buy every issue of Watchmen. I just wait for the Absolute thingy to come out, and get it all at one time, and I have the assurance that the whole story is there.

[Pacino86845]

But we're not talking about individual issues vs TPBs...

The question has to do with hardcover TPB vs softcover TPB.

Softcover Watchmen, that is to say all the issues collected in one volume, vs the same book in hardcover.

[silentbobafett]

Sheesh!

[Colin]

For example, I don't have to go out and buy every issue of Watchmen. I just wait for the Absolute thingy to come out, and get it all at one time, and I have the assurance that the whole story is there.

[stereosforgeeks]

I always feel hardcovers will last longer, so if they are available I pick those up instead of the soft TPBs.

[DennisMM]

Books for which I have a strong love I'll often buy in hardcover because I know I am going to read them to pieces if I get the softcover. That's not so much the case anymore, as SCs seem to be a bit more durable. I do wish more hardcovers were bound loosely, as the Absolutes are. It's nice to be able to open a thick hardcover book almost flat and have it stay open.

Series I enjoy but don't feel the need to reread all the time I'll either keep in singles or buy the SC. I'm actually quite a fan of single issues.

[silentbobafett]

I always feel hardcovers will last longer, so if they are available I pick those up instead of the soft TPBs.

While I'm sue this is acutally true - in my small mind I see it the other way around because the hardcover shows more signs of wear and tear where I have had it laid open while reading it...