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Even if we just fill in the gaps with color TPB's for the material between the end of GA Archive lines and their resumptions in the SA Archives? That's not doable? I'm not using rhetoric, I'm sincerely asking whether it's doable.

Also I'm hoping for color TPB's for 70's and 80's stuff that's never Archived.

I have the "Comprehensive Color Completionist" disease!!

It's a preexisting condition so in my case it's uninsurable.


First of all, just to get it out of the way, the so called 'Archives Slowdown' is a complete myth when you look at this year's DCU page counts between Archives and the 4th World books. Add the Showcases (20 of which are SA material this year), and more pre-1970 material than ever ever before from DC is getting reprinted.

Secondly, I don't see how this would work at all. The biggest cost in making this stuff available isn't the hard cover - that is negligible compared to the restoration costs and the costs of printing the material in color on paper that is going to suit you.

The Chronicles books represent the very cheapest of what can be done with pre-restored material, and at that price point. And even then they can afford to make them a lot cheaper because of the fact that they'll sell so many units being Batman and Superman. Even something like a Spectre TPB where the restoration is also done would probably be more expensive because it would move less units.

You also suggest the paper in these books doesn't meet your requirements. But increasing the quality of the paper stock would also significantly increase the costs. The Kirby Omnibi show this - how are those books twice the size of an Archive, and yet cheaper than the average Archive? The combination of it being Jack Kirby (and thus a heavy mover), having the films, and using comparatively 'poor' paper. Increase the paper quality, increase the costs. Even here DC made the decision that they didn't feel the market could support an Archive line at a higher price point - and this is one of Jack Kirby's most famous and controversial works!

Thirdly, how would this serve DC at all? They make and sell Archives to the very small niche of people who actually want this stuff in color form, and are willing to pay for it. Are there that many more people who will jump at, say, Blackhawk Vol 6 (a boy can dream) in tbp at $30 than would at $50 in HC?

Even if it presumably could be done cost-wise, it seems like they would be pointlessly losing money here.

If they felt the market could support more color reprints of this stuff, wouldn't they just go ahead and ramp up Archive production?

I think there is a real reason behind the decision to start a Showcase line - and that is that they can get material out there which already has films, and so it is cheap to do in b&w and be profitable, plus it supplements and broadens the audience for the Archives.

To do color tbps would encourage people to not buy Archives (and wait for the tbp) thus possibly killing the Archive program all to make less money than they do. Showcases probably have been viewed as not being a substantial threat to the Archives - both because of the material selected, being b&w, and the very poor quality of the paper.

Also, right now the average Archive/MM dollar is being stretched to the limit with Omnibus projects, increased prices throughout both lines, and with the emergence of EC (and soon Warren) Archives. To seriously ramp up production of a series of books that would actively compete with themselves and at a lower price point would be madness for DC.

I know there are a lot of things we would like to see - like complete Captain Marvel reprints. But it just isn't practical given market demand for this material and given the costs of getting it out there. The only hope for that would be for DC to enter into the DVD Rom market, but even then there are tons of problems with securing source materials, and also of perhaps damaging an existing high cost format.

Unfortunately, there's just no way to take this idea from a dream to reality right now.