Naked Shuriken said:
Guys, what's the difference between paperback and hardcovers when it comes to comics? Other than the cover, obviously. Are hardcover editions bigger?
Sometimes. Marvel likes to put out oversized hardcovers that are a bit larger the comic standard. DC also has a prediliction towards oversized, but not always - Sandman: Endless Nights was oversized, meanwhile, the hardcover 20th Anniversary Arkham Asylum HC is standard trade height.
When a hardcover collects several smaller trades (Marvel's New X-Men hardcovers, for example) they tend to drop some of the extras (scripts, sketches, etc.) used to plump single issues and trades, but the comic itself remains whole/intact. On the flip side though, they can also toss in extra bonus material, with the previously mentioned 20th Anniversary Arkham Asylum HC featuring the entire script, complete with notes from the author.
In conclusion, there's really no standard for hardcovers in the comic market. It all boils down to a variety of circumstances - publisher, whether it's a collection or original graphic novel, author, popularity of the franchise, etc. I know that probably wasn't the answer you were looking for, but...
8bit said:
I'd second this, certainly the first couple of volumes. It weakens a bit towards the end of the X-Statix run but it's still a lot of fun.
As to the Punisher, it's good if a bit light hearted. If you're looking for something a bit more gritty, The Punisher Max series might be a better choice, if only for Punisher : The End.
Also, Fables & Invincible are the books that I look forward to the most every month, so I'd suggest looking into them.
I third the recommendation for the Milligan/Allred run on X-Force/X-Statix. There's a lot of good satire there regarding costumed super-heroes, not to mention social commentary and loads of other things you wouldn't expect from a Marvel X-Title. I suggest giving it a flip, at least, the next time you see it on the shelves.
Fables is a book that I've been reading monthly for almost two years now and I don't think I've been geuinely disappointed by a single issue yet. There's a great mythology there, using the fairy tale creatures of old, and giving them a modern twist by literally tossing them into our world.
Someone else mentioned Transmetropolitan, which I have to plug just because it's one of my all-time favorites. Set far in the future, disguised as the tale of a self-exiled journalist (the whole thing loosely based off Hunter S. Thompson) returning to civilization, the entire affair is a front for many things, not the least of which is an enjoyable, often hiliarious and sometimes thought-provoking story that, despite its length, keeps consistent in quality and remains one of my favorite conclusions (the entire last arc) to this day.
Y the Last Man also appears on the recommended list, as does Ex Machina and perhaps Grant Morrison's The Invisibles, but I'll leave those for someone else / another time.
Oh, and Ani, you simply
must check out
Scott Pilgrim. Just trust me on this one.
