I am fortunate. As a married comic collector I have the good fortune to have a wife who enjoys reading comics. We don't always have the same taste and my wife does not have nearly the comic reading background I do. So I get to suggest reading material and trade paperbacks.
I don't trust my wife reading actual issues, she doesn't handle them well yet. But I'll give her trade paperbacks to read. For a while I was a big fan of trade paerbacks. I would buy trades to read even if I already had the originals because it was easier than finding the originals in my boxes. Or I thought they would look good on my bookshelf. Or I just couldn't afford the originals (Marvel Essentials and DC Showcase Presents trades might have to be their own discussion). Many reasons but at the end of the day these days I would rather just own the originals. But due to me being me I ahve a ton of trades. More than I have bookshelf space to put out.
(Bare with me this story is going somewhere).
So this weekend I finally got around to finding a place for the long whites full of trades. But some stuff was going to ahve to go on the bookshelves. Otherwise why have them :) And my wife requested I pull out stuff for the shelves that I think she might enjoy. So that is what I was doing last night. Was just going to pull stuff for the wife to read. But then I started pullin stuff that just had to go out on the shelves. Kind of a quintessential trade paperback collection. Everyone else does one so why shouldn't I? I remember reading the Wizard list of essential trades and agreeing on some and disagreeing on some so here was an example of my list. I don't claim to own all the best trades. Not by a long shot. Heck, I own so much in original form I never bothered to buy a lt of trades also. And my trade buying habits slowed down about 5 years ago. But i think it makes an interesting look. 4 long whites wound up racked and shelved. About 2 boxes worth hit the shelves. And some were just for the wife to read. So not complete but it will mke an interesting list I think. When I write it.
OK, feel bad if someone bothered to read this far. Even though I write this for myself. SO I'll throw a couple ofthings out there.
I have the Fireside trades from Marvel way back when.
Origins of Marvel Comics
Son of Origins
The Superhero Women
Bring on The Bad Guys (my first ever trae, got this when I was in first or second grade)
Marvels Greatest Superhero Battles
Anyone remember when you didn't get 3 new trades a week? When these were an uncommon occurence? These and treasury additions and DC digest size?
I'm curious how my wife (a feminist) will react to The Superhero Women. I remember how much I wanted Son of Origins to see the origin of the X-Men when I was 7. The first Appearance of Dr. Doom in Bring on te Bad Guys. These were great for a kid. And you knwo, they can still be read by kids today. They might seem a little cheezy to someone my age now (33) but if you have kids at the age of 6-10 and you want them to enjoy some comics find them these stories to read. These'll hook kids. And they're still fun for adults. Well, except certain parts of the Superhero Women, some of those stories might not work. But the first Invisible Girl Forceshield story in FF is fun. My wife will hate how Sue is portrayed but it was a fun read as a kid for me.