The "comics are too expensive" thread
04-15-24 | 08:26 AM
#51
DVD Talk Legend
Re: The "comics are too expensive" thread
Since I started selling comics on Ebay I've been picking up Overstreet's again. Not for pricing, but it's a great reference for figuring out how long a series ran, which volume of Spider-Man that #6 issue is from (vol 12??), and just looking up the odd title I see in my journeys.
ComicBookRealm.com: The Free Comic Book Price Guide Database & Community - Use our database to track your comic book collection
04-15-24 | 11:32 AM
#52
DVD Talk Hero
Re: The "comics are too expensive" thread
I find that this is a pretty good resource for that sort of thing as well.
ComicBookRealm.com: The Free Comic Book Price Guide Database & Community - Use our database to track your comic book collection
ComicBookRealm.com: The Free Comic Book Price Guide Database & Community - Use our database to track your comic book collection
A great site for gleaning just about every detail possible about a particular issue is comics.org. I use it a lot for verifying golden age information.
04-03-25 | 06:16 PM
#53
Thread Starter
DVD Talk Godfather
Re: The "comics are too expensive" thread
BTW, prepare for prices to go up even more (depending on the state of Canada tariffs), particularly with omnibus releases.
https://bleedingcool.com/comics/trum...ts-placeholder
Note that it seems like at least Marvel has been printing their omnibus's in Turkey, which "only" has a 10% tariff (which is also why there are sometimes dirt cheap ones on ebay from Turkey, I guess)
https://bleedingcool.com/comics/trum...ts-placeholder
As it stands, American comics publishers seem to have avoided the threatened tariffs on comics being printed by Canadian publishers. But they have already been dealing with 20% tariffs on comics published in China, often the larger, high-end collections such as omnibuses, but also many, many trade paperbacks, graphic novels and the like. The promised 34% tariff is in addition to the previous 20%, making a 54% tariff on all manner of comic book collections, including those that have been printed and are on the way. David Campiti of Glass House Graphics posted, "Trump just announced a 34% tariff on goods from China, torpedoing my already-completed Kickstarters' razor-thin profit margins. My already-funded Kickstarters, awaiting printed books to be shipped out to me next week, will now collectively lose a small fortune. It might actually be cheaper to pay off the printer, trash the books, and refund every Kickstarter buyer. My classic comic book spinner rack shipments will be impacted just as badly. My mind boggles at how much financial damage this will cause." Additionally, figurines and merchandise will also be hit with this. Regan Clem of Summit Comics in Lansing, Michigan, posted simply, "Funkos. 46% tariff."
The UK products were hit with a 10% tariff on everything, which includes the likes of 2000AD, Judge Dredd Magazine, Conan The Barbarian, Blade Runner, Doctor Who Magazine, Phoenix Comics Weekly, and other popular titles from the likes of Rebellion, Titan Comics, Panini UK, DFC and the like… unless they print in Canada and can ship direct.
The UK products were hit with a 10% tariff on everything, which includes the likes of 2000AD, Judge Dredd Magazine, Conan The Barbarian, Blade Runner, Doctor Who Magazine, Phoenix Comics Weekly, and other popular titles from the likes of Rebellion, Titan Comics, Panini UK, DFC and the like… unless they print in Canada and can ship direct.
08-11-25 | 04:11 PM
#54
Administrator
Re: The "comics are too expensive" thread
Wasn't really sure where to put this, but I restarted my library, after giving away almost everything in a series of moves over the years. Amazon had some terrific deals.
Nightwing: Leaping into the Light - $15 (which, eh)
Get Grayson - $13
Catwoman: Lifelines - $25
The Multiversity Deluxe Edition - $30 (hardcover)
The Brave and the Bold: Batman & Wonder Woman - $11.50 (hardcover)
I got some other stuff at normal prices, but this all led me to discover DC Finest and especially DC Compact Comics at $10. Which I really think will do a lot to help get more people into the more well-received storylines. I'm surprised the rollout of those is as slow as it's been, considering the sales numbers.
Nightwing: Leaping into the Light - $15 (which, eh)
Get Grayson - $13
Catwoman: Lifelines - $25
The Multiversity Deluxe Edition - $30 (hardcover)
The Brave and the Bold: Batman & Wonder Woman - $11.50 (hardcover)
I got some other stuff at normal prices, but this all led me to discover DC Finest and especially DC Compact Comics at $10. Which I really think will do a lot to help get more people into the more well-received storylines. I'm surprised the rollout of those is as slow as it's been, considering the sales numbers.
08-11-25 | 04:18 PM
#55
Thread Starter
DVD Talk Godfather
Re: The "comics are too expensive" thread
Wasn't really sure where to put this, but I restarted my library, after giving away almost everything in a series of moves over the years. Amazon had some terrific deals.
Nightwing: Leaping into the Light - $15 (which, eh)
Get Grayson - $13
Catwoman: Lifelines - $25
The Multiversity Deluxe Edition - $30 (hardcover)
The Brave and the Bold: Batman & Wonder Woman - $11.50 (hardcover)
I got some other stuff at normal prices, but this all led me to discover DC Finest and especially DC Compact Comics at $10. Which I really think will do a lot to help get more people into the more well-received storylines. I'm surprised the rollout of those is as slow as it's been, considering the sales numbers.
Nightwing: Leaping into the Light - $15 (which, eh)
Get Grayson - $13
Catwoman: Lifelines - $25
The Multiversity Deluxe Edition - $30 (hardcover)
The Brave and the Bold: Batman & Wonder Woman - $11.50 (hardcover)
I got some other stuff at normal prices, but this all led me to discover DC Finest and especially DC Compact Comics at $10. Which I really think will do a lot to help get more people into the more well-received storylines. I'm surprised the rollout of those is as slow as it's been, considering the sales numbers.
The main problem is that even if you attract someone via this venue, there's very little in modern superhero comics to point them to that would be as easy to read and collect and wouldn't result in huge sticker shock to a prospective fan.
08-11-25 | 04:47 PM
#56
Administrator
Re: The "comics are too expensive" thread
Yeah DC compact comics are a neat idea. If you don't know what that is, they are basically shrunken down collections at traditional paperback sizes for 10 bucks. I mean that's kind of how I got into collecting comics (well besides my mom collecting comics), digest sized and priced comics at the grocery checkout aisle. I didn't care that they were "old" stories, it introduced me to the Metal Men, the JSA, etc.
The main problem is that even if you attract someone via this venue, there's very little in modern superhero comics to point them to that would be as easy to read and collect and wouldn't result in huge sticker shock to a prospective fan.
The main problem is that even if you attract someone via this venue, there's very little in modern superhero comics to point them to that would be as easy to read and collect and wouldn't result in huge sticker shock to a prospective fan.
I have long been in favor of creator-centric work where at least DC essentially stops publishing monthly comics, except for legacy anthologies in the form of Action, Detective, and Sensational Comics (and Hell, EC Comics for horror/sci-fi stuff) that have combinations of accessible stories and more experimental material (similar to their Wednesday Comics miniseries).
Publish almost exclusively OGNs with branding guidelines ("Superman can't be malicious", "Batman can't kill people", etc) and greenlight sequels from creative teams based on critical/commercial successes. Whenever newbies ask where to start, most people point them to collected editions anyway.
But fans will never allow major changes, even though they complain all the time. They simply refuse to stop buying single issues due to speculation and obsessiveness. But everyone else cites pricing and comic shops being unwelcoming as these huge barriers for them. Get those monthly anthologies into grocery stores and the OGNs into bookstores and the media section at Target or whatever.
Last edited by IBJoel; 08-11-25 at 05:16 PM.
08-12-25 | 12:12 AM
#57
DVD Talk Hero
Re: The "comics are too expensive" thread
Check https://bookoutlet.com/ and https://www.hamiltonbook.com/ if you aren't obsessed keeping up with latest releases. Searching them with keywords like Superman or Batman can turn up discounted hardcovers and even some omnibuses.
DC Finest are great values and can usually be found under $25. I understand why DC Compact editions are popular but they are just too physically small for my tastes.
Marvel's pricing on just about everything is too rich for my blood these days. Someone on one of those YouTube channels summed it up best about Marvel - they treat all their hardcovers and softcovers as collectibles while DC has a publisher's strategy.
Omnibuses have become a huge money sink of late for me. They are finally putting out runs I've wanted in omnibus format for years, but now it's too many too fast. I don't worry so much about DC omnibuses since they can take years to go out of print, but Marvel omnibuses can sell out in a month or two, never to return for many years.
DC Finest are great values and can usually be found under $25. I understand why DC Compact editions are popular but they are just too physically small for my tastes.
Marvel's pricing on just about everything is too rich for my blood these days. Someone on one of those YouTube channels summed it up best about Marvel - they treat all their hardcovers and softcovers as collectibles while DC has a publisher's strategy.
Omnibuses have become a huge money sink of late for me. They are finally putting out runs I've wanted in omnibus format for years, but now it's too many too fast. I don't worry so much about DC omnibuses since they can take years to go out of print, but Marvel omnibuses can sell out in a month or two, never to return for many years.
08-13-25 | 03:29 PM
#58
Administrator
Re: The "comics are too expensive" thread
Check https://bookoutlet.com/ and https://www.hamiltonbook.com/ if you aren't obsessed keeping up with latest releases. Searching them with keywords like Superman or Batman can turn up discounted hardcovers and even some omnibuses.
DC Finest are great values and can usually be found under $25. I understand why DC Compact editions are popular but they are just too physically small for my tastes.
Marvel's pricing on just about everything is too rich for my blood these days. Someone on one of those YouTube channels summed it up best about Marvel - they treat all their hardcovers and softcovers as collectibles while DC has a publisher's strategy.
Omnibuses have become a huge money sink of late for me. They are finally putting out runs I've wanted in omnibus format for years, but now it's too many too fast. I don't worry so much about DC omnibuses since they can take years to go out of print, but Marvel omnibuses can sell out in a month or two, never to return for many years.
DC Finest are great values and can usually be found under $25. I understand why DC Compact editions are popular but they are just too physically small for my tastes.
Marvel's pricing on just about everything is too rich for my blood these days. Someone on one of those YouTube channels summed it up best about Marvel - they treat all their hardcovers and softcovers as collectibles while DC has a publisher's strategy.
Omnibuses have become a huge money sink of late for me. They are finally putting out runs I've wanted in omnibus format for years, but now it's too many too fast. I don't worry so much about DC omnibuses since they can take years to go out of print, but Marvel omnibuses can sell out in a month or two, never to return for many years.
08-13-25 | 06:14 PM
#59
DVD Talk Godfather
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Re: The "comics are too expensive" thread
I agree that omniboo are too physically large for comfortable reading, but I buy them anyway when, as Phantom Stranger says, it's the only release of material I've been waiting for--e.g., Mike Grell's Warlord, Marvel Fanfare, the Micronauts, Legion Five Years Later. Fortunately they released Micronauts as an Epic so I read it on a plane.
I keep trying new material, but nothing has really grabbed me, maybe since Invincible and the Walking Dead.
I also agree that DC Finest is good value--I bought the Legion and Gorilla World. And they're releasing a lot of rare material. I hope it's selling well enough to continue.
I keep trying new material, but nothing has really grabbed me, maybe since Invincible and the Walking Dead.
I also agree that DC Finest is good value--I bought the Legion and Gorilla World. And they're releasing a lot of rare material. I hope it's selling well enough to continue.
