snap judgments

At my register at the front counter, I have copies of Nextwave and a gun.

Okay, maybe not a gun, but an iron clad schpeel on why this happens to be the only book in the entire store that one seriously needs.  Needs like air, like joy, like special time with Special Bear.  Each issue knocks me flat with awesomeness, only to outdo itself the next issue.  Brilliant. 

“But,” is the first reaction to my song and dance to get people to buy this book, “it’s #5!”  This veers off to “How did they get to issue #5?” (’Well, sir, this is what happens when books come out on a regular basis.  I know, hard to believe…’) and some variant of “Do you have the #1 because that’s where I want to start.”

And I just want to hang my head.  We need #1s.  It makes us feel better and like we’re starting at the start.  No one wants to be left behind.   We’re very linear these days.  But for myself, I have purposefully chosen to try and never to judge a book by its #1 issue.  In fact, I would go so far as to recommend #2s above and beyond the first issue.

I really believe that comic book publishers see #1 issues as a way to make money, not tell a story from its start.  How else can you explain Marvel’s crazy numbering system or how storylines that could easily be strung together get portioned off into mini-series?  They think (and to an extent, are right) that the customer will see the #1, think ’start’ or ‘this issue will be worth money someday!’, and pick that up.  But really, it’s not necessary for a start, if it ever was.  Most books have a handy dandy recap in the front that gives you the bare bones of what you need to know to jump into that issue.  Most #1s just rehash info you might have gleaned from advertising, just the hooks to make sure you pick up #2.  See the first Civil War issue, as most of the info in was told over and over and over in the media and public eye. 

I don’t recommend Strangers in Paradise vol. 1 to people.  I suggest ‘I Dream of You’, the second trade paperback in the series because that’s where the story picks up and Terry Moore really gets going with the theme of the title in general.  My store manager advised me that that first Sandman trade is a little on the sketchy side since Gaiman really didn’t know where he was going at first but the second volume is really where things start the process of coming together in that incredibly well woven tale.  First issues are there to get you hooked and second issues are typically the start of fleshing that out.  The recent Moon Knight is a great example of that; the first issue was just a recap of who he used to be and the terrible low he’s sunk to now.  Issue #2 tells you how he got so low and what he’s going to do next.

In fact, you could even say that #2s tend to be more collectable since retailers will up the orders on a #1 but tend to order low on the second since they’ll have no idea how the first will sell.  I mean, sure Superman started in Action Comics #1, but Batman was Detective Comics #27.  The Hulk’s title started with #1 to #6, but then jumped to #102, taking over from its Tales to Astonish story.  Julie Schwartz said in a biography I read that in the Silver Age, starting with a higher number meant that the book was more established and had more credibility than a #1 issue.

Nextwave is great because it asks so little of you.  You don’t need to know who any of these people are, what they’re doing, or why.  Things get kicked, things explode and nothing is taken seriously.  Start with #3 or #5, you’re going to get a good story.  And isn’t that what we want to begin with?