Hope the Teen Titans 100 Page Giant #1 Isn't A Trend

Back on the first of the month, I expressed my excitement over finding three out of the four initial issues of the DC/Wal-Mart 100 Page Giants that harken back to 100 page Super Spectaculars during the 70s. In fact, July 1st was supposed to be the street date for these magazine-like compilations of three reprints and an original 12 page story. In order to find them, you'd go to where the collectible card games are located by registers. They even have their own display box!


Unfortunately, I heard on the grapevine not all Wal-Marts followed the effective street date. Some displays were on the shelves as early as the Thursday prior!


Worse news, of the four titles (Superman, Batman, Justice League of America, and Teen Titans), the Teen Titans 100 Page Giant was shorted. Thus, they were quick sellouts. Alas, I was one of those who missed out of a copy of Teen Titans 100 Page Giant #1.


Bummer.


Now, I decided not to cruise nearby Wal-Marts in the vain hope I'd find the issue in question. Three of the stories were reprints after all. Heck, they've been reprinted in trade paperback format, hardcover format, and whatchamacallit format. You name it. I can buy a digital copy or track down the back issue itself. Sure, there's the twelve page original story. However, publishers not reprinting stories via trade is a rarity nowadays. If you're patient enough, you'll get ahold of what was exclusive upon release. There's no way DC is NOT reprinting the upcoming twelve-part twelve-page increment Batman story written by Brian Michael Bendis!


Plus, I heard there were re-stocks.


Over the course of twelve days, I would periodically check the diminishing stock. Today, the display was refilled! Not up to full. No Teen Titans 100 Page Giant #1.


Sad.


Hope future quantities are upped when subsequent issues are released.


As I said on July 1st, I am not buying these 100 Page Giants for their collectability and have a complete set. Nostalgia. Plus, perusing my copies, I like the format. Really wish the European album format (of which this mimics) was more prevalent here. Would easily reduce the number of titles I buy at my local FLCGS. Since I don't keep up with reading what I do collect, the reprint nature doesn't bother me as it would've when I was younger. Technically, I own stacks and stacks of comics waiting to be read whom one would dub back issues now.


So I would buy Teen Titans 100 Page Giant #2.


When this project was unveiled, I feared comic book collectors would flock to Wal-Marts and buy up all the stock as many would during the speculator bubble of the 90s. Doesn't appear to be the case as I haven't heard of displays wiped out after a mere day.


However, there are reports of people flipping sets of all four for $60!


C'mon! These are partially intended for NEW readers. Also, there were no Marvel nor DC comics available on newsstands period until this! You read that correctly. A recent development was the cessation of Marvel/DC newsstand comics. A customer had go to comic store for a Marvel/DC comic book or buy a digital copy. The 100 Page Giants retailing at $5 are probably an experiment to re-enter the market.


So I fear more collectors will try to take advantage of buying more and more of these 100 Page Giants. Depriving any future readers in the process. As a consequence, if sales slip too much cause the speculator market dries up, would the full 12 part Bendis Batman story proceed as hyped?


The demise of the DC/Wal-Mart 100 Page Giants due to speculator greed would be a sad state of affairs.


Low unit orders would also have a chilling effect. Can't see shorting quantities of the next Teen Titans (or any other title) not having the same effect either.


So hopefully the quick sell-out due to low order and overzealous collectors does not become a trend.


Next time.