CCW 2.160: Last Rants Part Three - The Truth About Marvel's Pricing Policy

[Pinkhamsterino]

You reversed the name of Rich Johnston's website, Sir Elliott Serrano...  It's bleedingcool, not coolbleed.

[masonTganes]

Jose every kid or adult who buys a 3.99 Marvel or DC title from you store should be asked if they are stupid or not.

These are the people who are the problem with the industry.

The people who get screwed here are not the companies (the big 2 will always survive) its the LCS that get utterly DESTROYED by this.

And im sorry to say but not only do i wait for the trade...but i buy it for less than cover price on Amazon or MileHigh comics.

[smallmaniac]

Another big problem with a $3.99 price point is that inflation is on the rise. With the government spending on the deficit (i.e. printing money like monopoly money and spending like an idiot teenager with a limitless credit card) prices go up and all of a sudden you can only buy one loaf of bread with the same amount it took to buy two. So Marvel raising prices during inflation is idiotic and could really hurt them. If they were really smart, they'd find a way to make cheaper comics.

[pobra17]

i feel that we, as comic fans are entitled to an explanation for price hikes because we are the only ones sustaining the medium. It is a niche market after all. I myself have considered dropping the floppies for trades, so i probably wouldn't be as open to new titles at $15 a trade. Good way to kill the medium. Anywho, great convo guys, i like the dynamic Avi adds to the show.

[johnnyhorror92182]

I wish you guys were around when "infinite Crisis" came out. I would have loved to hear your thoughts on it.

But, Avi, man. You're breaking my balls, bra. I loved "Infinite Crisis". I wasn't around for "Crisis on Infinite Earths" (i was only 5 years old). Infinite Crisis was MY Crisis.

[locusmortis]

Marvel has to explain its actions because there are so few comic book fans now. You piss off comic fans your losing revenue streams that the company can hardly afford to lose at this stage.

A 33% increase with no content improvement during a recession just isn't sustainable.

btw just to go back to a previous argument about manga....shonen jump sells 2.7 MILLION copies a WEEK in japan. I'm guessing they aren't feeling gouged ;)

[LEGOcinema15]

Here's what I do to avoid paying $3.99: I wait for the book to show up in a bargain box. At the last comic covention I went to I got Secret Invasion# 2-8 for 1 dollar each! I got #1 for $2. Seriously guys bargain bins are your friends!

[htownmmm]

geoff johns does not suck ,not everything the man writes is going to be gold,especaliy when dan didi keeps piling on all this shit on him.Johns isn't

going to say no because he needs the money,he

lives in detroit where most of his freinds/family

don't have jobs because the auto industry is shit right now.

[ZipBlockBloody]

The fact of the matter is this

Both Marvel and DC have been known to sell out by going for the money rather than the fans. Yeah Geoff johns is a little overrated at the moment and Wolverine is all over the place. In the end I will buy what I want as far as that goes my regular titles are these.

Spawn, Witchblade, The Darkness, Buffy, All Hail Megatron and some occasional badger comics. The rest I just read on the internet and decide if they worth buying or not.

[deemar325]

You'll continue to get shit for rippin on GL ;-)

[mastulogan]

Couple of points

1. Geoff Johns seems overworked, he's also working on that DC game so I don't know how he has any time to write at all.  Fans should be pleading for him to cut back.

2. Around the time he responded to Marvel Divas I think Joey Q gave some lame response as comics being a respectable medium to explain price upping. I don't know where it is but Im sure I could find it. I just dont like that Marvel talks out of both sides of their mouths.

3. Comics cost way too much...

[deemar325]

I think it was on Newsarama when Joe Q said that

[DVGamer7]

dont really care if the books are 3.99 cause its such a rare occasion that i buy one nowadays.

i just want the quaity to increase.

[misanthropicmumlover]

aside from war of kings, this 3.99 thing (4.99 canadian) doesn't really effect me at the moment cuz well...fuck bendis books. it'll become an issue once my other titles hit that price range..but then most of them will just get the chopping block. so in the end, it's marvel's loss :P

[BlackPhoenix06]

Ditto! :-)

[masonTganes]

Regarding WRITTERS who churn out more than 1 or 2 titles a month......

Sure its possible to do several.

But how can the quality be as good if you streatch yourself thin?

I can take 3 hot dumps a day if i am backed up enough. Nothin special about it.

[Pinkhamsterino]

goddam writters

[masonTganes]

How can any GOOD writer to AMAZING work on3 or 4 titles a month????

It is possibel to write several comic titles a month. .... But i can take 3 big shits a day too if I am backed up enough.

[Pinkhamsterino]

eat less fiber

[locusmortis]

Stan Lee and Roy thomas could do it....but then they were working "marvel style" and had veteran storytellers like kirby, ditko, buscema to rely on.

Now writers are back full circle to writing full script so if they start going shit then they don't have an old hand to nudge things back on course.

i mean can you imagine billy tan deciding to rewrite a whole sequence on bendis? or introduce characters he hadn't been told to use? that just wouldn't happen.

[generaldark]

can ovy come back? he is a fine addition to the show! also elliot do you ever get tired of saying "thank you for joining us again here on the ccw youtube channel." cause you say it in EVERY video lol.

[comicculturewarrior]

LOL, indeed.

I've said it so many times, it just comes out that way.

:::shakes head:::

oh well...

Elliott

[deemar325]

E has pleasant turettes

[VargasXX78]

That´s odd.. could have sworn I just saw episode 2.161... eh.. freaking youtube loading...

Anyway.. yeah, dont really agree with the whole price point deal.. if a good comic is worth it, sure.. I´ll pay the extra money...

But if they can keep some good books at 2.99... why charge more for their crappy books?