Marvel To Reduce Premiere Hardcover Line

[Rich Johnston]

When Marvel's trade paperback collection begain in earnest about twelve years ago, there were a few distinct formats. The phonebook, a black and white collection of thirty or so issues, the colour trade paperback with around six issues, the hardcover Marvel Masterworks that had been running for some time and the oversized hardcover taking in around twelve issues.

Then Marvel introduced the Premiere hardcover, basically the colour trade paperback issued in hardcover with a higher price around three months before the paperback. The market for this grew to about ten to fifteen such Premiere hardcover title a month. Seen by some as gouging the market, others found it their preferred format. But over the last few years we've been used to Marvel liquidating lots of their Premier stock, with shops selling them for a few dollars each as a result. Leaving some to wait for the inevitable liquidation before buying them - and some retailers doing the same.

Clearly Marvel have noticed. Recently I had a number of Journey Into Mystery fans complaining to me that they were unable to buy the final Kid Loki volume of the book in hardcover, as they had the rest and wondered what to do.

Suck it, it seems.

In a private retailer interview with Diamond, David Gabriel has told retailers that they will be reducing the number of Premier Hardcovers, restricting them to?*Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Avengers, All New X-Men, Guardians of the Galaxy, Nova, Uncanny X-Men, Uncanny Avengers, and Indestructible Hulk followed by the paperback six to eight months later as standard. Other books will get the trade paperback treatment earlier.

And for both hardcover and paperback, Marvel are planning to keep the books in stock longer.

Marvel will also continue the oversized hardcover volume on work such as Waid's Daredevil By Mark Waid, DeadpoolMAX, Avengers Vs X-Men and the like.

[bomaya]

I don't think the trade release at 6-8 months later is as standard. The trades come out a lot sooner than that right now often around3 months after the PHC. I think this is designed partially to stop trade waiters.

[ThatNickGuy]

I kinda hope they do more of the Ultimate Editions, like the Age of Apocalypse, Clone Saga, and creative team runs like Bendis and Brubaker's respective runs on Daredevil or "seasons" 1 and 2 of Ultimates. Personally, I find those to be the most bang for your buck.

That said, I'm very happy they're reducing the premiere hardcovers. Personally, unless it's a complete story (which is most cases, it's not), I don't see the point of having 6 issues bound in hardcover.

[fredmanson]

And an expense in less on my monthly "to buy" books list!!!! At this rate, Marvel will help me to realize some economies, after all!!!! No more money to Dis-Mar-Ney-El!!!! Thanks JQ for this!!!!

[Mike H.]

Any news on whether or not they're finally going to reprint Omnibus volumes such as Miller's classic Daredevil run or the Claremont/Cockrum/Byrne classic Uncanny X-Men run?

[Clem]

B...b...b...but what about X-Factor!

There are like 20 premier hardcovers! I can't suddenly switch to paperback after that! It'll look so wrong!

[Cavemold]

Any news on whether or not they're finally going to reprint Omnibus volumes such as Miller's classic Daredevil run or the Claremont/Cockrum/Byrne classic Uncanny X-Men run?

Dobut it. How many people have bougthen a HC lately

[rpmdkc]

Making the Journey into Mystery situation even worse, the series concludes with a Thor Hardcover.

So my shelf has HC HC HC TPB HC.

Brilliant.

[Shonborn]

This thread is a massive shrine to OCD.

[malonine]

B...b...b...but what about X-Factor!
There are like 20 premier hardcovers! I can't suddenly switch to paperback after that! It'll look so wrong!

I'm not buying anymore X-Factor collections for this reason. I'm going straight to digital only for this title. I only buy HCs these days, but if they stop putting them out for most titles I'll go digital before I go to TPBs or floppies again. Marvel should learn to work with my OCD, not against it.