With comic prices continuing to climb, I'm curious how everyone is collecting these days. I still enjoy going to my local comic shop and picking up individual issues, but I've also been buying more collected editions lately.

Are you still following monthly releases, or have you switched to waiting for trades and collected editions? Or do you do a little of both? I've actually started buying the first 2 or 3 issues in a series and then waiting for the trade paperback. I prefer reading a few comics at a time versus waiting.

As someone new to reading comics I like buying trades more since I can buy a chunk of the story and just read it straight through instead of waiting for each individual copy to come out and be available but getting single issues sometimes is so fun still

I am also fairly new to reading comics on a more dedicated scale, I tend to buy omnibuses or compendiums.

13 hours ago, SpaceBoats said:

As someone new to reading comics I like buying trades more since I can buy a chunk of the story and just read it straight through instead of waiting for each individual copy to come out and be available but getting single issues sometimes is so fun still

I do the same. I like to sit there and read multiples issues in a row and now worry if I'm messing up the comics since trades are more durable and it doesn't matter if they get scuffed up. I do like to go to the comic shop weekly though and grab a few random issues, but as far as reading through the story I prefer the trades.

2 hours ago, RoosterCold said:

I am also fairly new to reading comics on a more dedicated scale, I tend to buy omnibuses or compendiums.

You do get more value from larger formats. I just bought 4 of the compacts, 2 from Marvel and 2 from D.C. and they were only a few bucks each. Such a great deal.

What's the difference between a compact and a compendium/omni?

5 hours ago, RoosterCold said:

What's the difference between a compact and a compendium/omni?

The compacts are tiny but contain a full story. I just got them in the mail today and the art is a little small but it's good to take places. I prefer the larger compendiums but the compacts are good for trips. Marvel's compacts seem to be a little larger than D.C.'s but they're both fun to read and only around $10 each.

Oh, okay, so they are like the pocket sizes I sometimes buy.

I still buy single issues for most but for some I was late to like Saga - I buy the trades. Or for example I just started on void walkers when I saw they were having Rom in it so I am going to get trades to cover the issues I missed and do single going forward.

I am sure buying single issues is worthwhile for some reason. Like if you are a collector who wants an item that is going to increase in value. It also helps if you happen to have a LCS, which I do not believe I do. Also, maybe it depends on which one comes out to be cheaper.

On 10/19/2026 at 11:21 PM, FantasticJerome said:

The compacts are tiny but contain a full story. I just got them in the mail today and the art is a little small but it's good to take places. I prefer the larger compendiums but the compacts are good for trips. Marvel's compacts seem to be a little larger than D.C.'s but they're both fun to read and only around $10 each.

Not interested. Try a different thread like What’s your wishlist for the possible voice cast for the possible Studiopolis’ Pokemon anime remake featuring Ash Ketchum.

Edited Sunday at 10:09 PM5 days by Comicbookfan101

Why? lol

23 hours ago, RoosterCold said:

I am sure buying single issues is worthwhile for some reason. Like if you are a collector who wants an item that is going to increase in value. It also helps if you happen to have a LCS, which I do not believe I do. Also, maybe it depends on which one comes out to be cheaper.

I usually grab the first 3 issues of a series I really like or at least get issue #1, but then I'll usually wait for the trade paperbacks to come out because all the singles take up too much room lol also the paperbacks don't really go up in value so you don't have to be too careful with them.

Right I forgot to consider space lol