Alright, I’m sorry but I have to do this. I’m a trades guy and I can’t help it. Now I’m not entirely sure the reaction this is going to get however, I do believe there are some like me. DC’s relaunch coming up here in a couple of weeks will be one of the few chances to start from #1. Now I know titles reset all the time, but for once, it’s company-wide. As a comic fan, it’s great to get the chance to start fresh and stay with storylines from the ground up and I couldn’t be more thrilled to jump on board. I understand that they’re targeting new readers with the whole starting over thing, but screw that, IT’S GREAT FOR ME!
I’ve been catching up on Batman, Superman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, Birds of Prey, yada, yada, yada for I can’t tell you how long now. If there are any of you reading this and thinking, “This schmuck ain’t a fan,” well sir/madam, I very semi-insincerely kind of say to you, “Nay.” Here’s my angle on the issue (HAH, ISSUE, GET IT!!!). I’m the same way with TV shows, video games, and tacos…I mean just the first two. But seriously, I hate being titillated. Come on now, who watched an episode of Game of Thrones and with no warning at all…credits. Damn you HBO and you’re need to space out programming. Yes, I did play Arkham Asylum, but there is no way in hell I was going to wait two years for Arkham City. Nevertheless, I hate, hate, hate when I’m left twiddling my thumbs in anticipation waiting for the continuation of a story I’m getting into.
So I’m behind. I haven’t read Fear Itself, or Flashpoint, but that doesn’t mean I’m not as hardcore of a fan as the rest. Or does it? I’d like to think my fandom doesn’t get called into question just because I like the whole set at once. Side note – I’m still waiting to watch Deadwood, Sons of Anarchy, and Breaking Bad. Don’t judge me, those seasons are expensive and I don’t secrete currency (at least I don’t check). Bottom line is that just because I collect trades doesn’t make me any less of a fan than those who go to their local comic shop for their pull-list on Wednesday.
Let’s pretend everyone thought the way I did. Ok, scratch that, that’s a bad idea. Let’s pretend that comic fans thought about trades the way I do, yeah that’s it. If trades were the “thing” and running floppies off the shelves, is that bad for the industry? It’s the same story just in different formats, right? I’d hate to think I’m doing any kind of harm to the stories I love, but I can’t help my affinity for thick-picture books (yes, I made that up). Now you can judge me, but be gentle, I have no problem crying into my Rising Stars Compendium.
Welcome to the Rapture... 
I can safely say I wouldn’t be reading actual comics, have a local comic shop I go to, and be an avid comic reader if it wasn’t for trades.
There’s almost no way for a person who isn’t in to comics to just run across some while they’re out shopping any more. If you don’t specifically go to a comic shop then it’s just plain unlikely. And if you do find one stray issue tucked in with the magazines at some strange bookstore then there’s definitely very little chance you’ll find the stuff that comes before or the stuff that comes after.
But someone plunked Identity Crisis (the trade) in front of me and I saw Watchman (the trade) sitting on a shelf at the bookstore. And from there I developed an interest, looked for a comic shop, got a pull list, and became a fan.
I was thinking along the same lines…its just that’s trades are so damn convenient.