Flush with the prospect of freedom from Big Two floppies, I decided to do a little on-line shopping. (This would probably classify as counting chickens before they’ve hatched.) I was further reinforced in my decision by the fact that I found Timothy Lehman’s Manga: Masters of the Art for 40% off at Barnes and Noble. Lured by the false economy of free shipping, I threw in a copy of Sexy Voice and Robo.
Speaking of Viz, I tend to agree with David Taylor and Brigid Alverson that the publisher’s web site is much improved. There was nowhere to go but up, and it still doesn’t have Tokyopop’s easy-to-navigate alphabetical listing of titles, but this is drastically more user-friendly.
Oh, and after another look through Previews, I realized I’d have to make a very specific exception to the singles thing. It was the solicitation for the first Seven Soldiers trade that made me rethink the wisdom of collections on that particular franchise:
“This first volume reprints (in original release order): SEVEN SOLDIERS OF VICTORY #0, SEVEN SOLDIERS: SHINING KNIGHT #1-2, SEVEN SOLDIERS: THE GUARDIAN #1-2, SEVEN SOLDIERS: ZATANNA #1-2 and SEVEN SOLDIERS: KLARION #1. Independently, each of these characters are featured in a story arc of their own that redefines their purpose in the DCU.”
It’s like the appetizer sampler at Tipsy McStagger’s, with the mushroom caps touching the cheese sticks touching the hot wings. Oh, how the façade of stand-alone adventures crumbles. (Of course, reading the issues singly also lets me appreciate the wit and wisdom of Jog in a timely fashion and without fear of spoilers.)