Four. Dollars.

[goodm0urning]

Do they want to put the final nails in their own coffins? (http://www.majorspoilers.com/archives/2494.htm/)

[Are_you_okay?!]

So first they burn us out with yearly epic long saga's.Then they start the DC/Marvel war back up for no apparant reason, and now we have a price hike? I'm sure I'm missing more.

Marvel is either really arrogant or really stupid, possibly both, I have no idea these days.

[Steve F]

Only 4 dollars? where? I have seen em for more than this honestly... Maybe cause I'm in NYC?

[goodm0urning]

Don't forget the continued reliance on monthlies and the direct market to stay afloat. One distributor + no-return policy = shitty product, middling profits, and a steadily shrinking market.

[Steve F]

The worst part is, I'm going to school to be a comic artist. Ruin the market, why don't you, Marvel...

[Zephyranthes]

It seems to me that only certain issues are four bucks. The recent Marvel Knights comics, all of which are a normal 22 pages, are four bucks. I don't know why. They have thicker covers than the average comic, but that isn't worth a whole extra dollar. The only other four dollar comics I've noticed are annuals or issues with extra pages.

If they do hike up the standard price of a single, normal issue by a whole dollar, it would be pretty stupid and blatant. They ought to start with incremental 25 cent increases.

What's really dumb is that I have noticed times when they've jacked up the number of pages in a certain issue, but all of the extra pages are commercials. I remember last year when Superman Confidential #1 came out. I actually bought it because it was COOKE and Tim Sale. Plus, when I held that comic in my hand, it felt really thick. So I thought, Wow, this is a good deal for only 3 bucks.

Except when I finally read it, there were more commercial pages than there were actual story pages. Total rip off. I gave that comic away so I can't tally it up right now, but if I remember correctly, it had 32 advertisement pages to 22 story pages.

And I know that rising the standard price for serialized issues will probably result in an increase in the price of TPBs, but this is still as good as any reason why human beings should simply wait for the TRADE, BABY.

[akumachan]

from SMB:

I stopped buying comics when the stories began to wander into more and more different titles, Wolverine had a mandatory appearance in every comic that was suffering, art began to really suck and prices hit $2.50-2.95.

$4.00 is a ridiculous amount to ask for a 32-paged comic that's 2/3 filled with advertisements.

[PSX]

Are all comics from both DC and Marvel going to be getting this new price?

If so when will this new pricing take effect?

Sorry been out of the loop since Infinite Crisis ended.

[Zephyranthes]

It's just speculation right now.

[Random Brave]

well to me, 2.99 already seems like a high amount.

but isn't this just overblown speculation? without any of my comics near me, i don't think i can really recall any regular titles that are priced at 3.99. i'm sure there's a bunch of limited series stuff that might come in at around this much (maybe WWH? was civil war?), but what's the real list of comics having a regular monthly price of 3.99?

the price going up is no question.. but i don't think it's happening as soon as the blogger is implying..

[chopperbyrne]

We pay €4.22 I think and the euro is stronger than the dollar!

Stop complaining.

[Taichi]

We get a story that could've been told in 12 issues padded out to 52.

then we get non-events like Infinite Crisis.

it seems like they're sacrificing storytelling to jump from one non-event to the next.

if they wanna charge me four bucks for a comic, they damn well better make that shit worth $4. And not just in paper, or art, the writing better be top-notch as well.

I'm buying more comics now than I've ever bought in my entire life, and that's really saying something, because at this very moment, I'm unemployed.

but I manage to sell enough stuff through my dad's antique business to afford six titles (granted, two of 'em only ship every hoter month [Brave and the Bold and All Star Superman), but the other four are monthly.

I may have to drop a title just to maintain.

[goodm0urning]

We pay €4.22 I think and the euro is stronger than the dollar!

Stop complaining.So, when you're legitimately getting hosed, you shouldn't complain as long as somebody else is taking it lying down while they get hosed even worse? Maybe that's how you do it in Europe-Land, but here in America, we grow a pair and bitch about it on the Internet. Go lose a war or something.

[Tokoyama2000]

The worst part is, I'm going to school to be a comic artist. Ruin the market, why don't you, Marvel...

i found you >=]
and i'm in the same boat. i'm beginning to question whether comics is a profitable market anymore

[Daidoji Kage]

I'm used to it. IDW books are regularly $4.

Udon was right at 4 as well.

[FighterX]

Well, I stopped buying comics when they started crossing over into obscure titles (Moon Knight? Yuck) and the prices went up to $2.99.

Man, I remember $0.50 comics and $0.75 or $1.00 for an annual. You could get at least 3 or 4 good comics for $5.

[DS]

It's bad enough we pay $3 for 10 pages of comic fun because that's how light the books feel right now. So, that would mean that double-sized issues will go for about $6 then.

Yeah, I don't know what the fuck these companies are thinking. I mean, I have no problem trimming down on my comic purchases because I can count the good titles on two hands. But still, it really isn't something that should happen. It's not like the amount of content is going to change anyway.

Oh, and fuck Europe. You guys did it to yourself. Enjoy your taxes and high priced goods.

[Taichi]

Moon Knight is a great title.

the mainstream titles have ZERO character development, because you don't want your top guns to do something out-of-character.

the problem is, after 70 years of establishment, it's hard to tell a good story with an established character.

which is why I like the lesser characters.

Superman will always save the day
Green Lantern will always stop the bus from falling.
Ragman, however, MIGHT fail.
Kid Devil MIGHT NOT get there in time.

[goodm0urning]

the mainstream titles have ZERO character development, because you don't want your top guns to do something out-of-character.Yeah, that is a problem that severely plagues mainstream comics. They can't do anything new or interesting with the characters, because people will get upset if Superman is different next week than he was last week. Paradoxically, sometimes they do try something different to shake things up, but it's always some ridiculous stunt that you know won't last (e.g. electricity Superman).

Sometimes they'll do a story where a major character either fails or falls short, and comes away from it with valuable new knowledge. Those are great, but they're few and far in between these days. It only compounds the problem that, in lieu of adding to the characters, writers seem to be taking from them the elements that make them unique and interesting. In the main books, Superman seems so bland now. I'm 99% sure they're writing him that way so they can more easily put him into stories that wouldn't suit him as a character otherwise, but he has so little personality. I'm probably speaking from ignorance, since I tend to shy away from mainstream titles these days--but from what I've seen, a lot of the big characters seem to be that way. Nobody even knows who these characters are anymore.

I checked in on Civil War a few times, and though I hated the story, at least Peter Parker is still Peter Parker, albeit logically developed to where he would be at this point in his life. Who the hell is Superman anymore?

[Zephyranthes]

A bigger problem is that despite the crappy stories, people still continue to buy those weak comics month in and month out. The collector's mentality is bad. So many comic book buyers have what I have diagnosed as Ash Ketchum Syndrome: Gotta Catch 'Em All! It bugs the shit out of me when people keep on buying a comic they don't enjoy, just because it stars a character they collected.

I once saw a guy at the store buy issue five of some Marvel mini. I think it was Silent War, or maybe it was Son of M. Anyway, the shop owner asked the guy what he thought of the series so far. And I was standing right there and just mouthed off, "It can't be that bad if he's buying the fifth issue." And the customer just looked at his feet, all embarrassed and shit, and he said, "No, it's not that good. I just had to finish what I started."

Fuck that attitude. That 3 bucks buying a random crossover tie-in could have been used to buy something good, like FAAAAAABLES!!!1 or CRIMINAAAAL!!!1 or whatever. It's like Nas said, "Instead of saying 'fuck tomorrow,' that buck that bought the bottle coulda struck the lotto."

Indie publishers like IDW and Boom! have to price their comics at 4 bucks because they just can't compete with Marvel and DC. People will buy a Marvel or a DC no matter how shitty it is. Real comics fans will bite the bullet and buy their 4 dollar indie comic because it's the only way those companies can stay in business. Probably not too many companies would want to pay for ads in a comic that's only going to sell like 5000 or 6000 copies.

We need to put an end to Ash Ketchum Syndrome. Help me take a bite outta crime.

[goodm0urning]

Well, short of standing guard at the door (which I don't think shop owners would particularly appreciate), I don't know what we can do. It's really up to the readers themselves. At some point, people have to realize that they're wasting their time, their money, and their very lives to read this trash... right? RIGHT?


I've also tried turning people onto non-superhero comics, with very limited success. For everyone I convince to give Eisner or Spiegelman a shot, there are five more who say, "Yeah, I guess I can see why it's good. I just like Spider-Man better."

Sin City seems to be sort of a gateway drug. You can turn superhero fans onto it because it has action in it, but it's not a superhero book and it has non-superhero antecedents. Plus, people recognize it from the film adaptation.

[Zephyranthes]

I guess introducing people to good comics is a valid strategy. My first idea was to fire a nuclear warhead at anyone who didn't like exactly the same things I do.

[Khaotika!]

and i'm in the same boat. i'm beginning to question whether comics is a profitable market anymore

Been there, done that, 2000.

We hold "we can't break into the industry because the industry sucks" meetings at my house. It's potluck BTW.

But honestly, I don't bother with that mentality anymore: I just do comics just to do them. Well, time permitting, anyway.

And yes, $4 is fucking nuts for a comic book.

[Gekirou]

Man, I remember $0.50 comics and $0.75 or $1.00 for an annual. You could get at least 3 or 4 good comics for $5.

Damn, bro, you must be older than me then because I just check the collection, and 50 cent X-mens only lasted from 1980-81 :wgrin:

So you guys need to educate me since I've been out of the scene for so long. The average comic is about 3 bucks? But are they printed on heavier stock than back in the early 90s?

[goodm0urning]

Damn, bro, you must be older than me then because I just check the collection, and 50 cent X-mens only lasted from 1980-81 :wgrin:

So you guys need to educate me since I've been out of the scene for so long. The average comic is about 3 bucks? But are they printed on heavier stock than back in the early 90s?Yeah, some of them are printed on magazine-type paper.

[matrix9280]

I hope they don't raise the price of comic scans too. Wait a minute. Those are free? Cool.

[Taichi]

This move might be enough to force me into buying just Trades.

I just don't like the thought of waiting six months to read any given title.

[Tokoyama2000]

Been there, done that, 2000.

We hold "we can't break into the industry because the industry sucks" meetings at my house. It's potluck BTW.

But honestly, I don't bother with that mentality anymore: I just do comics just to do them. Well, time permitting, anyway.

And yes, $4 is fucking nuts for a comic book.


true, i entered cartooning knowing that it's already becoming a nitch market.
but there are other methods of work that's comic related. adam hughes and james jean come to mind

[Apathy-Inc]

The worst part is, I'm going to school to be a comic artist. Ruin the market, why don't you, Marvel...
:looney: Now is probably the best time ever to break into the industry, but if a dollar increase is gonna make you give up then more power to you.
Less competition for the rest of us.

I remember when comics were $1.00 and on newsprint with shitty ass coloring, and then when glossy, heavier paper started to come in, they raised the price to $1.99.
People might have been "outraged" but damn if they weren't happy with the increased quality.

The cost of marketing, production, printing and talent all factor into the cost of creating a comic.
It costs more now to make them than it used to, hence the price increase.
But they look better than ever.
Add in inflation and I don't see what the uproar is about, it seems like a natural progression.

Going up a dollar isn't the end of the comic industry. A lot of titles have been 3.99 for a long time now...

[Taichi]

I have an idea for a book.

I'll do you a favor.

I'll write the damn thing, you can draw it.

then we'll shop it to Oni, Vertigo, Top Cow, and Image, and hope one of 'em picks it up.

if and when they do, we've got our feet in the door, and can write our own ticket, as it were.

I've already got an outline of characters and concepts.....I'm gonna write a story outline and a sample chapter at some point, and maybe we can get the ball rolling!

[Khaotika!]

I have an idea for a book.

I'll do you a favor.

I'll write the damn thing, you can draw it.

then we'll shop it to Oni, Vertigo, Top Cow, and Image, and hope one of 'em picks it up.

if and when they do, we've got our feet in the door, and can write our own ticket, as it were.

I've already got an outline of characters and concepts.....I'm gonna write a story outline and a sample chapter at some point, and maybe we can get the ball rolling!

Dude, I wouldn't mind picking your brain, or brainstorming with anyone here anytime. I don't have a lot of people I can talk to about this kinda thing without them looking at me like I'm from Mars. (I'm from fucking Pluto, can't they tell the difference?? :rofl:)

[goodm0urning]

Dude, I wouldn't mind picking your brain, or brainstorming with anyone here anytime. I don't have a lot of people I can talk to about this kinda thing without them looking at me like I'm from Mars. (I'm from fucking Pluto, can't they tell the difference?? :rofl:)Martians are green and can shapeshift, and you just draw.

Yes, it costs more to make comics these days, but not even close to that much more. The price increase is almost certainly not to cover the base cost of production--they're just not happy with the small profits they've been turning, and they don't want to do a major overhaul of their business model to fix the problem.

Now is a good time to self-publish, because the Internet gives you the ability to bypass publishing houses entirely. The only problem is that everything--including marketing yourself and getting your work out there--is on your shoulders, and it'll be a long time before you can hope to make any real money from it. But if you do it for the love of the art, it's a great tool.

[RockBogart]

Marvel and DC have been selling 4 dollar books for a while now.

[Taichi]

Dude, I wouldn't mind picking your brain, or brainstorming with anyone here anytime. I don't have a lot of people I can talk to about this kinda thing without them looking at me like I'm from Mars. (I'm from fucking Pluto, can't they tell the difference?? :rofl:)

Drop me a PM sometime.

I have some of the characters created/named/designed.

but I'm open to suggestions and other things if it doesn't suit your particular style, or you wanna do things differently.

and, of course, if it's a hit, you get the co-creator byline.

[Septimus Prime]

Hey, I'm down to proofread. :tup:

[Taichi]

I'mo hafta get writin' then!

[Sano]

IDW's been selling their comics for 3.99 for at least 3 years now.

They used to include really cool vampire stories from different authors in the back of the comics, no words just text so I didn't mind the extra dollar. The stories would be up to five pages long and they were always great, they even had curses and were scary! The thing was that if you got one issue that month it was the same story that circulated through all of their comics. I guess you can compare it to Didio's weekly talks that run through all of DC's comics.

I think they dropped the vampire stories, or I haven't really seen them in the last few years. But the only title they put out now that I collect is Metal Gear Solid and only in trades or whatever that Digital PSP comics viewer was which was great. So can't really say.

EDIT: Forgot about IDW's Transformers comics, collecting Megatron Origins. No vampire stories in there... :sweat:

[TheContradiction]

You know what, if a company like Marvel put comics online for a buck, so I could download like 20 comics a month for 20 bucks, and not have to spend a gajillion dollars on gas to get to the comic store, I'd be ok with buying the ones I REALLY love for 4 bucks a month (although living in Canada, Ive been used to it for awhile).

I simply cannot believe that the comics industry is so hesitant to go the iTUNES route, when downloading comics illegally is spreading like wildfire. Didnt anyone learn from the music industry, and what it means too wait far too long?