Drawing the line at... $4.99
10-01-14, 05:40 PM
#1
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Drawing the line at... $4.99
http://www.newsarama.com/22275-batma...ver-price.html
Hopefully it will just be a price hike for this one storyarc with increased page count, and then it will go back to $3.99. Comic prices are absolutely ridiculous nowadays. $3.99 is bad enough, but $4.99 is just a slap in the face even with the increased page count. I prefer single issues, but I became a trade-waiter a few years ago purely because it is so much cheaper, especially with online retailers that give 30%-40% off trades.
DC Comics has informed comic book retailers that as of this month's Batman #35, the debut issue of Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo's next big "pivotal" story arc Endgame, the story page count and cover price for each issue of the arc will increase.
Each issue will contain 30 story pages in a 40-page issue and as such, the cover price will increase from $3.99 to $4.99 for the U.S. Standard Edition and $4.99 to $5.99 for the U.S. Combo Pack edition.
Because the issues solicited so far - this month's #35, November's #36, and December's #37 - were solicited with the old page count and cover price, the issues will be made returnable for retailers at a later date.
The notice to retailer does not clarify whether Batman will return to its previous story page count and cover price after the conclusion of Endgame in March with Batman #40 and Newsarama has not yet received a comment from DC clarifying the issue. We will update the story if and when DC responds.
Each issue will contain 30 story pages in a 40-page issue and as such, the cover price will increase from $3.99 to $4.99 for the U.S. Standard Edition and $4.99 to $5.99 for the U.S. Combo Pack edition.
Because the issues solicited so far - this month's #35, November's #36, and December's #37 - were solicited with the old page count and cover price, the issues will be made returnable for retailers at a later date.
The notice to retailer does not clarify whether Batman will return to its previous story page count and cover price after the conclusion of Endgame in March with Batman #40 and Newsarama has not yet received a comment from DC clarifying the issue. We will update the story if and when DC responds.
10-01-14, 05:52 PM
#2
Re: Drawing the line at... $4.99
Damn...$5? That's ridiculous. I feel old because I started when they were 20 cents. I'm sure some here started when they were even cheaper than that.
10-01-14, 05:55 PM
#3
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Re: Drawing the line at... $4.99
Comics were 75 cents when I first started in the mid 80s. Honestly, if I wasn't so hopelessly addicted to them, I would have quit long ago because it has gotten way too expensive. Twenty issues will set you back almost a hundred bucks now.
10-01-14, 06:26 PM
#5
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Drawing the line at... $4.99
I'm not buying it anyway, but why the heck can't DC tell retailers this with more advanced notice? They must have known some time ago that they were going to do oversized issues... but they kept soliciting them incorrectly? Or is this more of a moneygrab (ie: the extra pages are done by a different creative team and shoehorned in or something)?
From an interview with Didio and Lee when they held the line at 2.99:
http://comicsalliance.com/jim-lee-dan-didio-299/
Guess the economy's better! 
From an interview with Didio and Lee when they held the line at 2.99:
http://comicsalliance.com/jim-lee-dan-didio-299/
Asked why they made the decision to roll back the process DiDio said that “we did see the market softening, and that is a concern. Granted, he same dollars might be being spent, but they’re being spent on less product and that means less people are purchasing things, less books are being read… We want to be as accessible as possible to as many people as possible.”
Lee indicated that DC is hoping to see a response from fans in terms of sales: “This is something [the fans] are asking for, and we want them to show us that it does mean something. Because really, the conventional wisdom up till this point have been that the fans will pay whatever it takes to buy their favorite comics, and I think there’s a certain amount of cynicism in that. And I think it ultimately leads to the destruction of our business because you can’t just keep asking people to buy more and more expensive books, especially in a down economy like we’re experiencing.”
Lee indicated that DC is hoping to see a response from fans in terms of sales: “This is something [the fans] are asking for, and we want them to show us that it does mean something. Because really, the conventional wisdom up till this point have been that the fans will pay whatever it takes to buy their favorite comics, and I think there’s a certain amount of cynicism in that. And I think it ultimately leads to the destruction of our business because you can’t just keep asking people to buy more and more expensive books, especially in a down economy like we’re experiencing.”
10-01-14, 06:51 PM
#6
Challenge Guru & Comic Nerd
Re: Drawing the line at... $4.99
I remember 20¢, although it soon increased to 25¢.
$5 for 5 minutes of entertainment is too much. I'll stick with my $1 per issue max, which is easy to maintain if you wait for trades and digital sales. If Comixology raised the standard sale price over $1 I'd stop buying them.
$5 for 5 minutes of entertainment is too much. I'll stick with my $1 per issue max, which is easy to maintain if you wait for trades and digital sales. If Comixology raised the standard sale price over $1 I'd stop buying them.
Last edited by Trevor; 10-01-14 at 08:29 PM. Reason: Typo
10-01-14, 08:07 PM
#7
DVD Talk Special Edition
Re: Drawing the line at... $4.99
I drew the line at 2.99 years ago. Now that I'm fully digital, I wait for the issues to drop to the 1.99-2.99 range.
10-01-14, 09:54 PM
#9
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Re: Drawing the line at... $4.99
I'm a regular every Wednesday shopper. The growing $4.99 price tag is beyond dumb. Especially when the change happens as an after-thought after solicitation - Something both DC and Marvel have done this year. I'm lucky enough to get a 25% discount but these prices...jeez!! Doesn't help.
DC and Marvel both have regular monthly books priced at $4.99 - Secret Origins and Miracleman. Well, twice monthly sometimes with Miracleman!
DC and Marvel both have regular monthly books priced at $4.99 - Secret Origins and Miracleman. Well, twice monthly sometimes with Miracleman!
10-02-14, 12:50 AM
#10
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Drawing the line at... $4.99
I don't buy single issues anymore, partially because decompression became so prevalent and ruined the ability to enjoy anything on a month-to-month basis, but also because of the pricing. I regularly pay about $12 for a TPB of 4 issues, which evens out to $3 an issue, and I'm rarely willing to go higher.
But 99c a digital issue is still a sweet spot for me. Still ridiculous when compared to nearly anything else I can spend money on in the App Store but a deal as far as comics go.
10-02-14, 01:37 AM
#11
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Drawing the line at... $4.99
Drawing the line at KISS MY ASS.
I'm not paying $5 for any single comic book unless it's written by Alan Moore or Neil Gaiman.
I'm not paying $5 for any single comic book unless it's written by Alan Moore or Neil Gaiman.
10-02-14, 06:43 AM
#12
Re: Drawing the line at... $4.99
I started buying comics at the tail end of the 20 cent market around 1974 though they quickly rose to 25 cents. I only by trades & hardcovers now and don't think I'd be able to put out 5 bucks for single issue.
10-02-14, 11:09 AM
#13
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Re: Drawing the line at... $4.99
I also started buying books when they were 75 cents a piece. I actually quit a few years ago when they hit 2.99, but got sucked back in with the New 52. I'd started spending about $120 a month on comics again (from DCBS so there was a 40 percent discount). I'm now down to four or five books a month at a more reasonable $20 or so.
10-02-14, 02:39 PM
#14
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Drawing the line at... $4.99
I drew the line when regular issues started hitting $2 per issue. That was a big reason why I shifted almost exclusively to trades and hardcovers.
The prices are at a point where Marvel and DC might be better off going with two or three issues bundled together for $10. We are nearing the point at which consumers will simply quit buying individual issues, no matter how much they love a character. This will only hasten the shift to digital delivery for all issues. No matter what Marvel and DC say in public, they wouldn't really mind switching to all-digital platforms if they could guarantee they wouldn't lose customers in the process.
I suspect we'll start seeing bundles of issues from the same family line (Batman, Superman, etc.) put together at higher price points.
The prices are at a point where Marvel and DC might be better off going with two or three issues bundled together for $10. We are nearing the point at which consumers will simply quit buying individual issues, no matter how much they love a character. This will only hasten the shift to digital delivery for all issues. No matter what Marvel and DC say in public, they wouldn't really mind switching to all-digital platforms if they could guarantee they wouldn't lose customers in the process.
I suspect we'll start seeing bundles of issues from the same family line (Batman, Superman, etc.) put together at higher price points.
10-02-14, 03:04 PM
#15
Senior Member
Re: Drawing the line at... $4.99
Trade prices are already creeping up, but generally it seems not to be correlated to cover price.
The whole name of the game is finding how much more you can milk from a dwindling audience.
The game here is, yeah, some people will drop Batman over the $4.99 cover price, but those who don't drop it will bring in greater revenue at $4.99 compared to the current status quo of buyers at $3.99.
The whole name of the game is finding how much more you can milk from a dwindling audience.
The game here is, yeah, some people will drop Batman over the $4.99 cover price, but those who don't drop it will bring in greater revenue at $4.99 compared to the current status quo of buyers at $3.99.
10-02-14, 03:33 PM
#16
Re: Drawing the line at... $4.99
And this is why I stopped buying comics. I guess at this point there are no new readers coming aboard so they might as well bleed the last few remaining die-hards dry before the entire industry goes belly up.
10-02-14, 05:57 PM
#17
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Re: Drawing the line at... $4.99
Looks like Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo are trying to talk DC out of the price increase.
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10-03-14, 12:57 PM
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Re: Drawing the line at... $4.99
Scott Snyder just posted a pic on Twitter that he just received his copies. Looks like they're definitely $4.99.
At least he tried.
At least he tried.
10-03-14, 01:40 PM
#20
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Re: Drawing the line at... $4.99
Why is Snyder holding the comic that way like he is trying to avoid a spoiler on the cover? We have already seen the cover on various comic sites. There's nothing spoilery about it at all.
I do wonder how much the tpb collecting these issues will cost, if the increase in floppy price will carry over to the trade.
I do wonder how much the tpb collecting these issues will cost, if the increase in floppy price will carry over to the trade.
10-03-14, 07:20 PM
#21
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Drawing the line at... $4.99
I think everything is going up. DC has always priced themselves a little cheaper than Marvel in recent times but it looks like those days are over.
10-03-14, 10:34 PM
#23
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Drawing the line at... $4.99
If it's a jumbo edition ot double size edition then $4.99 is fine. If it's for the standard 22-24 pages then that's high. I only subscribe to a couple of the IDW titles and some of those are $3.99 per issue.
I had no idea that was even a thing.
10-04-14, 02:10 AM
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Re: Drawing the line at... $4.99