Recently, Vertigo released First Cut, a low-cost collection of first issues of various series. This is the third such collection they’ve done, so the format must be somewhat successful. But unlike previous volumes, which included stuff like Y The Last Man and 100 Bullets, here’s the description for First Cut:
Sample the premiere issues of seven Vertigo series for under $5! Dip into the critically acclaimed series ARMY@LOVE, CROSSING MIDNIGHT, DMZ, THE EXTERMINATORS, JACK OF FABLES, LOVELESS and SCALPED, with stories by some of comics’ most popular writers and artists including Brian Wood, Bill Willingham, Brian Azzarello and many others. in this hefty low-priced volume.
All the bolded titles have been cancelled.And while, yes, each of the series has 3-4 trades available (and Army@Love is coming back for a second series, I believe), they are, in most cases, abbreviated versions of the stories the creators originally set out to tell.
So I have to wonder what the point is. Why not publish this book a year ago, before the recent wave of cancellations? Jump right into it as soon as there’s a trade or two for each series. I don’t know how many, if any, sales would have been gained, but there has to be more benefit in promoting series before they get cancelled.