This is exactly the kind of thing I was thinking of.

I've heard "civilians" making complaints. It can be confusing. Somehow, because the DARTH VADER comic (Marvel) renumbered, some got a little confused (I think one had bought the second volume of #1 onwards rather than the first volume of #1 onwards).

It's absurd.

When buying trades, one can easily check when the trade was published, either in-person or on line. Amazon includes publication dates routinely in their sales information. The earlier ones came first. No one has to buy the trades before making that determination. 

I haven't read Jason Aaron's run myself, Stephen, but my friend Don is a hardcore Thor fan and sings their praises to me on a routine basis. If I weren't poor, I would have bought them by now.

As for what number ones are doing to the sale of other books, I'd imagine the same thing they've always done. I can't see editors saying, "Let's keep sales on this issue low so we don't pull customers away from our other books."

This concerns me, too.

I can pick up (as can anyone) a random issue of Judge Dredd's Case Files. They have many volumes - I think the 30th is the most recent - and they are in chronological order. 2000 AD has "Programs" rather than issues. It's all simple, though. Pick up Volume 28 of his Case Files and it's marked Progs #1084-1110. 

You know where you stand.

Forcing people to do "homework" is counterproductive. Look how easy the likes of ESSENTIAL MARVEL were to follow. Volume numbers and sequential issue numbers marked on the front. They couldn't do that now.

How many people might decide NOT to buy a volume because they find three trades with #1 at the beginning too confusing?

You mean they've already opened the book to find which issues are being reprinted, but they can not, absolutely will not, look to see the publication date? Probably not enough to matter.