The downside to cliffhangers.

[Ted The Bug]

The new comics these last few weeks have pretty much all ended with cliffhangers. While this is obviously more entertaining to the audience that tunes in every time there's a new update, there is one downside I've realized: the book. See, cliffhangers in a comic strip that updates every few days always provides a short period after each new strip to keep readers on the edge of their seat. Like on TV, an cliffhanger-y (it's a word now) interval between bits of story often improves the watching/reading experience.
However, my one thought is what this might do to the book. Yes, these dramatic, what's-gonna-happen-next endings are good stuff for comics, but I'm wondering if they'll just seem a little...well...awkward when read together after hundreds of pages. Think of it, while the last panel of this comic (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0657.html) is awesome on its own, in a book it might seem somewhat unnecessary if it's followed by the first panel of today's.
I'm not saying that the new comics aren't awesome (they are, and actually they're probably some of Rich's best work to date), but I'm worrying that a lot of the cliffhangers will bog down the plot when it's being read in a book. Anyway, I'm wondering if it's just me being stupid (and feel free to tell me if that is the case), or if there's actually something to this post. What do you think?

[SPoD]

It doesn't seem to be much of a problem for Dickens.

It just means the cliffhangers will be transformed into page-turners.

[silversaraph]

I agree with you. I love the cliffhangers, and every time something updates after the constant strain of clicking, waiting... waiting... when it does update, and it's completely awesome like 658, I start posting in the forums and think and chat about it. I was once on vacation for a couple of weeks, and four cliffhanger comics were posted right next to each other, and though they were great, I felt that a day in between would have been better.

Don't get me wrong, I love the comic, but when it's a story as amazing as this one it needs to be given a pace. If I had the choice of viewing the next 500 comics, I would choose to do so, but only if it update once each day or two, so that it's not over soon.

[[TS] Shadow]

It doesn't seem to be much of a problem for Dickens.

It just means the cliffhangers will be transformed into page-turners.

Dickens actually published some of his stories in newspapers (Oliver Twist I know for sure, but I'm not positive about the others.) So cliffhangers there make sense.

Anyway, going back through the archives, the cliffhangers don't really seem like cliffhangers as much. They just seem like moments of awesome before the next strip comes along.

[SPoD]

Shadow;6200411']Dickens actually published some of his stories in newspapers (Oliver Twist I know for sure, but I'm not positive about the others.) So cliffhangers there make sense.

I know, that's why I made the reference. No one argues that his books suffer from being collected in one volume because of all the unnecessary cliffhangers, do they?

[Ted The Bug]

I know, that's why I made the reference. No one argues that his books suffer from being collected in one volume because of all the unnecessary cliffhangers, do they?

Well, you the Giant knows that you do have it right.
But just to clarify, I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with the new story arc, I love it! I was just curious if anyone else felt that it could lose a bit of its awesomeness in print.

[[TS] Shadow]

I know, that's why I made the reference. No one argues that his books suffer from being collected in one volume because of all the unnecessary cliffhangers, do they?

Oh, sorry. I though you meant that even though he ends with cliffhangers, it still works.

[BlueWizard]

Cliffhangers work!

TV show, LOST, ends on a Cliffhanger every episode, and we keep coming back for more.

[NerfTW]

Have you ever read a comic book before? :smallconfused:

They use the same method in comic books. A moment of suspense is still a moment of suspense, even if it's just until the page is turned. Books use it too, with chapter breaks, cutting away to a different plot, or even just going "....." between paragraphs.