Comments on: I’m genuinely curious

By: acespot

acespot — Sat, 17 May 2008 00:19:41 +0000

If Bendis tried to tell an actual story in 8 pages, he’d barely get through the awkward pauses and superfluous dialogue. Such a story would not be a story – but it would be a vignette.

By: Tyson

Tyson — Wed, 14 May 2008 22:28:26 +0000

Could you imagine if Bendis only had 8 pages to tell a story?

I seem to recall that his book Total Sell Out included things as short as one page.

By: Bill Reed

Bill Reed — Wed, 14 May 2008 16:21:49 +0000

Ian said:

Iâ€™d buy it but I have no idea why my retailer would order it.

Because, for a buck, he can keep it by the cash register and talk every one of his customers into throwing it onto their stack for a little bit extra profit of his own.

By: Ian

Ian — Wed, 14 May 2008 14:46:29 +0000

I’d buy it but I have no idea why my retailer would order it.

By: Dan Bailey

Dan Bailey — Wed, 14 May 2008 14:44:02 +0000

Good point, Avengers63. I just got through reading MARVEL COMICS PRESENTS #s 1-9 in one fell swoop this weekend (except for the Weapon Omega, which I couldn’t care less about but will probably peruse at some point) & don’t have much trouble conceiving of paying $1 a shot for, say, the Vanguard serial, & maybe at least a few of the one-shots & shorter-serials.

Granted, I bought the first 8 in an eBay lot for an average of probably less than $1 an ish, shipping included, Even so, I *did* buy #9 off the shelves & could well do the same through the end of Vanguard.

By: J. R. Wick

J. R. Wick — Wed, 14 May 2008 14:37:27 +0000

I think you could tell a good story in 8 pages. In fact, I bet there are some who will agree that we are currently getting 8 pages worth of story in many of the books published. (Not trying to jump on the decompression soap box, because there are times when it is justified.)

By: joshschr

joshschr — Wed, 14 May 2008 14:35:37 +0000

grammar am not good but you get point

By: joshschr

joshschr — Wed, 14 May 2008 14:34:37 +0000

If it matters?

What the hell does that mean?

If itâ€™s a work likely to have an effect on society as a whole???

Yes, if it is likely to become a religious or philosophical or otherwise bring about Utopia, I would definitely buy an 8 page book for $1.

By: avengers63

avengers63 — Wed, 14 May 2008 13:59:30 +0000

Marvel Comics Presents originally went for what, 150 issues or so? I don’t remember. The current one is basically the same format. We’re fetting 4 stories or chapters of stories clocking in at 8 pages each once a month. Isn’t it a $4 book? So… that means we’re already buying what you propose, just in a collected format instead of individual booklets, and there is a history of success with the formula.

By: sleeper

sleeper — Wed, 14 May 2008 12:01:30 +0000

Chris: “8 Pages seems too short for story telling purposes”

RIP Will Eisner.

Eric: “Could you imagine if Bendis only had 8 pages to tell a story?”

It would be a conversation fraction… he might be able to squeeze in a few “Um’s” and “Uh’s” before the “to be continued” box popped up.

By: Chris Tolworthy

Chris Tolworthy — Wed, 14 May 2008 10:59:28 +0000

A skilled writer can tell an entire story on one page – has anyone here read Ken Reid’s Jonah? I grew up in Britain in the 1970s, where a typical chapter in an adventure story was 2 pages. 22 page chapters encourage lazy storytelling.

By: FunkyGreenJerusalem

FunkyGreenJerusalem — Wed, 14 May 2008 07:28:19 +0000

If itâ€™s good, it matters, or itâ€™s cheap, I probably would. There are a lot of FCBD books that I didnâ€™t pick up because they failed one or two of those criteria. I feel I got my moneyâ€™s worth out of DCU 0, but it would have been nice if that was free with purchase.

If it matters?

What the hell does that mean?

If it’s a work likely to have an effect on society as a whole???

By: Tommy

Tommy — Wed, 14 May 2008 03:27:04 +0000

That might be a good way for DC to reprint classic Spirit stories. You know, before that movie.

By: sterg

sterg — Wed, 14 May 2008 02:30:10 +0000

I think I would buy the shorter $1 issue, but it would depend on the property and the creators.
Eclipse did something like this years ago (at 50 cents a book) with Airboy (and maybe DNAgents). I also think both books were bi-weekly. With creators who can work the format with evocative or interesting characters and plots, it would be great. I’d rather get a few short, good, decompressed stories instead of “whole” issues I can read in 3 minutes and still feel largely unsatisfied.

By: Dirk

Dirk — Wed, 14 May 2008 02:08:29 +0000

I would try it, but I just don’t see it working. 8 pages just isn’t enough to tell a story in. I think to pull it off it would have to be more of a comedy book (something Like Halo and Sprocket could probably work).

By: Eric

Eric — Wed, 14 May 2008 01:11:11 +0000

I don’t know that there would be enough story. Most stories that long feel inconsequential. Maybe if it was by someone like Darwyn Cooke of Jeff Smith, who can get a lot across in just one panel. Could you imagine if Bendis only had 8 pages to tell a story?

By: Eric

Eric — Wed, 14 May 2008 00:57:08 +0000

I think it’s not an issue of quantity, but quality for me. I think it would take an excellent writer to consistently put out satisfying eight page stories. Which is not to say that it couldn’t be done, but that it’s actually much harder to write satisfying shorter stories.

By: davidwynne

davidwynne — Wed, 14 May 2008 00:50:59 +0000

Assuming it was well written enough, yeah. Fell usually takes me longer to read than the average twenty two pager, because Ellis works the format. 2000AD's writers have been fitting satisfying chunks of story into just 5 pages for over thirty years. Hell, put out reprints of Alan Moore's future shocks and Time Twisters as single issues for a dollar each, I'd buy those.

By: Alan Coil

Alan Coil — Wed, 14 May 2008 00:41:24 +0000

I buy a lot of comics for $1. 50 cents, too. Just bought a bunch the other day. The dealer even threw in a 100-page Giant for free. Well, it was actually only about 90 pages, and both covers were gone, but it was FREE and good entertainment for the price.

By: keith

keith — Tue, 13 May 2008 23:53:48 +0000

I’ll try anything twice.
It would have to be two things to keep me coming back though, $1 or not:
a) Good.
b) Published in a timely manner (this is why I no longer buy Fell, which I did enjoy reading.)