Will I like Archives

Whether or not the DC Archives appeal to one is a matter of individual taste. They are reprinted material which has both the advantage and disadvantage of being older material. If you can't watch "Casablanca" because it's old, you may not find the Archives to your liking. On the other hand, if you like classics, Archives may be exactly what you're looking for.

The Average Archive consumer is in his mid-30's according to several years worth of DC Archive Survey data. The general distribution of the population is shown at left. This population distribution likely reflects the fact the most the Archived material is of a vintage that 30-somethings would recognize and find appealing. Also, given the $30-50 needed to purchase an Archive, a certain amount of disposable income is required. That level of income usually requires a little "seasoning" to come up with.

The DC Archives, because of the trade dress format, works reasonably well as a large extended set or can be easily viewed as smaller collections. DC trade dress is an elegant, understated design: a black cover with white pinstripes as a background and the feature character in a designated color on the front cover. This format allows the display of the books as a large set. However, the numbering of these issues does not reflect the series as a whole. Each character or line of Archives is number separately and a set of Plastic Man Archives looks elegant on the shelf with no reference to the New Teen Titans set, should one be so inclined not to buy those.

Obviously, Golden and Silver Age material was written for a different audience in a different time. Some of the material transcends generational differences while some is arguably an acquired taste. Fortunately, a number of venues exist by which to examine the contents of Archives before plunking down your hard-earned cash.

The first, and perhaps simplest, is to sample the wide array of reprint material currently available. This includes replica editions, trade paperbacks and the older reprint titles of the 70's common in back issue bins of comic conventions and retailer shops. Ask your local vendor for assistance in locating such material. For specific titles, you can find several growing sources either at the Comics Archives or the Grand Comics Database. Finally, and perhaps most simply, is to borrow the books from your local library. Assuming their own holdings come up short, many libraries will order you things via interlibrary loan. Not only does this give you a low-cost (often free) way to read the books, it supports public libraries as valuable resources in our communities.