Trade paperback (comics)

comic books reprinted in book form

Trade paperbacks, or "trades" as they are commonly called, are collections of comic books that are usually bound in a better format than the comic magazines, using the same materials and methods as printed books. They are generally sold in bookstores and specialty comic book shops rather than at newsstands.

Unlike graphic novels, the material in a trade paperback is reprinted from comic magazines that were released in the standard 32-page format. Unlike comic books, which only tell one small part of a story, trade paperbacks usually collect a complete story, story arc, or a large part of a story. They usually reprint the material from 4 to 12 comic books, depending on the size of the trade and the story being collected.

Some famous examples of trade paperbacks: