Retailer Brian Hibbs talks about the proliferation of trade paperbacks, and the resulting problems with inventory management. Scott Cederlund follows up and wonders if trades really are the future after all.

Thinking about that, taking into account things like Marvel's Digital Comics Unlimited, the rise of print-on-demand technology, and with a nod towards the fans making their own custom-bound hardcovers, this is my crackpot, pie-in-the-sky idea:

Let's say you're the #1 fan of Paste-Pot Pete. You'd like nothing better than to have a nice trade collecting all his appearances. Marvel is unlikely to publish such a thing, but through the magic of JKC's Vision of the Future, it is now possible! You go to Marvel's website and access a gigantic database that cross-references their entire back catalog. You do a search for "Paste-Pot Pete", and it kicks back a list of every comic he's ever been in (and the database is also smart enough to know that he's a.k.a. "The Trapster"). You check off the ones you want, leaving out minor cameos and that one Marvel Team-Up where Ghost Rider makes him cry like a baby. You have standards, after all. The web page keeps a running tally of how much this will cost, and also warns you if the page count goes over what can be bound in a single volume. Once you've got your line-up settled, the software generates a table of contents/credits page, prompts you pick a cover image to go on the front (Gene Colan FTW!), and lets you type in a title that will be printed on the spine ("I'm The Goddamn Paste-Pot Pete! Vol. 1"). You cough up your credit card info, the magical Print-On-Demand Elves print and bind your one-of-a-kind treasure, and within days it is shipped to your door. (While I'm dreaming, there could also be kiosks set up at bookstores and comics shops where you could make your selections and have the book printed right there while-u-wait.)

For popular material (Watchmen, Dark Phoenix Saga, etc.), the publishers would already have the collections set up for you, with custom covers and extras like sketches, creator interviews, etc. Also, just like users can upload their favorite mixes to iTunes, fans could share the collections they've put together, perhaps including their own annotations and scholarly essays on why Paste-Pot Pete rules the universe.

I know, I'm crazy. And the techology probably isn't up to the task at this point. But I still think it would be cool.