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It is often my experience that when asking someone to get you something, the more specific you are the better the chances you have you’ll get what you asked for. An experience that I had this past week made me rethink that concept. I was looking for a graphic novel, a trade paperback, and instead all I got was a single issue. I did what I was supposed to do – I gave them specifics.  But, what I got wasn’t what I described.

I wanted to read “Excalibur,” specifically the original series drawn by Alan Davis and written by Chris Claremont. I am fully aware that the series had a healthy run of over 100 issues, and I know that I didn’t want the full run.  I wanted to start at the beginning. Rather than try to find the first issue I decided that I wanted the trade paper back of the first story arc. I guess this is where the problem started.

I couldn’t find the trade paper back. I looked at two shops in the area and neither of them had what I was looking for in stock. I didn’t want to use the internet because I didn’t want to pay for shipping costs. I decided to ask the clerk in the second store if they had it, and he said he wasn’t sure. He said they might be able to order it but to call back to confirm that the order was placed. The following day I received a phone call from the store. Once again, I described what I wanted - the graphic novel of “Excalibur: The Sword is Drawn,” written by Chris Claremont and drawn by Alan Davis, the first volume. The store clerk said that he’d look for it and if they didn’t have it he would order it, and he’d call me when they got it in.

Another day later, I received a call informing me the second store had it. I was happy so I decided to stop at the shop after work. I told them who I was and what I was there to pick up. They handed me a single issue in a plastic bag. I looked it over and asked if this was the trade paper back of Excalibur. The clerk’s response was “yes” and that was issue number one of the first story-arc of the book titled “The Sword is Drawn.” At that point I was perplexed. I asked for what I wanted. I chose words like “novel” and “trade-paper back” and yet all I got was a single issue. Rather than fume over it, I paid the clerk and left. I started to really miss my regular comic shop; they would have known what I was talking about.

I had to go to a regular chain bookstore and have them order me what I wanted.  It is strange that the staff at the typical bookstore understood what I wanted but, the alleged pros at the comic shop didn’t. What am I going to take away from all of this? Precise communication doesn’t ensure good communication. No, that’s not it. How about: next time I go back to that shop and I want a trade paper back from them, I’ll give them the ISBN. How much more specific can I get then that? I hope you all have better luck than I did when you ask for a trade paper back.

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