Is Witch Hat Atelier Grimoire Edition The Perfect (Over) Size?
With Witch Hat Atelier: Grimoire Edition, Kodansha may have cracked the code on providing a readable, high-end comics experience.
By Chris McDavid, Weird City Special Contributor
One of the undersold elements of manga’s popularity is in its form factor. Much like the now extinct mass-market paperback, manga's individual tankōbon volumes fit perfectly in most hands. They’re easy to carry around, and there’s a reason why many American comics publishers have been trying to recreate the success that manga publishers found with the format.
The trade-off in form has always been the smaller size shrinking the art and text, making them harder to read and fully appreciate. The shame is especially apparent in works with particularly outstanding artwork, as detail is lost in the traditional size of most individual volumes.
On the flip side in the US, we have a long history of oversized hardcovers and collected editions that are spectacular if you want to appreciate the art. From Absolute Editions to massive 50-issue collections offering a large chunk of story, we’ve come to love massive tomes that showcase the best examples of the form, but good luck finding a comfortable way to read 10 lbs of book.
I was happy to find that while reading the first Grimoire Edition of Witch Hat Atelier, someone had finally cracked the peanut on how to make an oversized collection that showcases the art and is easy for these old eyes to read, without being so heavy or uncomfortable to handle.
