CCW 2.54: The Rising Cost of Marvel Comics

Elliott & Jose discuss Joe Quesada's recent explanation for why Marvel is raising the cover prices on some of its titles.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Marvel
• Comics
• Joe
• Quesada

[comicculturewarrior]

Print media in general is suffering and hemorrhaging money. Comics are just a small part of it.  I won't say that there's a wall between the fans and Marvel, as they've really opened up channels of communication with their web sites and other media. But raising prices right now is just a kick in the nuts for fans who've been supporting their fave books for a very long time. And to say that we 'ghetto-ize' them is not the way to address fan concerns. I have no idea if I make any sense.Elliott

[locusmortis]

I'm just reading a scanned copy of Supermans Pal Jimmy Olsen 140 from 1971 and in it Carmine Infantino put in an editorial letter apologising for the price increase in DC comics.

The average age of Jimmy Olsen readers back then must have been about 11 or 12 years old, so if the Editor in Chief of DC then thought it was right to apologise to the kids of that day then surely its incumbent on Quesada to explain and apologise the the adults who pay for marvel comics these days, no?

[comicculturewarrior]

Locus,

any way you can send me a copy of that scan or a link to it?

Thanks!

Elliott

[cballsack]

I don't see how kids can possibly afford comic books these days.  There's no way you can follow an entire universe, like Marvel, let alone also follow DC and other publishers like Dark Horse. I'd much rather return to the days of shittier stock paper if that meant the price would come down.

[LEGOcinema15]

I am a Bendis fan but I will not pay $3.99 for his Avengers books. I'll wait till I see 'em in a dollar box or at used book stores :)

[LEGOcinema15]

Matt Fraction's X-Men stuff is going to #3.99 :( I am really enjoying his x-men work.

[herosymbiote]

i live in canada, and it is still $3.99 here. i expected them to raise it to $4.99, i found that strange

[XxFloggingMollyxX]

Bottomline is Quesda wants more money. Marvel Comics has always been a company that spoke directly to it's fans. Look at Stan Lee's bullpens from back in the day. The idea that their putting a wall up between us and them is horrible. This will affect their readership greatly. I droped mostly all of my Marvel books except for Daredevil and Thor.

[masonTganes]

Heres the bottom line: QUASADA's answer was BS.

however if hes trying to make comics more legitamit amongst the magazine industry--- then how about having more than 22 pages of story. Magazines have 3 times the amount of content too.

I'll pay more for a read that wont take me 3 minutes to read.

[locusmortis]

Oh yeah lads, the Avengers used to sell 250k back in the 80's when the books were 75c so they certainly have sold more than bendis in the past.