Price increase on some DC titles as of June

[JasonTodd428]

I think the digital price is going to stay the same. Batwoman 13 released today the floppy is 3.99 and digital 2.99.

I would assume it's going to stay the same but nothing official has been said either so that's were the confusion is. Also the books that are monthly and are $3.99 currently also have a digital copy with them and I haven't heard that is going to be the case with say Justice League. That is, I believe, the reason the digital copies have remained $2.99. Those of us that are getting those digitally are not getting anything extra with our issues whereas people who are getting the physical copy are getting something extra and that is what is being reflected in the two different prices. Since I only do digital comics these days I would be very happy if things remained as they are price-wise there and if the JL title does happen to still remain at $2.99 in the digital format I might still give it a go.

[Tony Stark]

They are creeping up. The only books I get from DC that are $2.99 are The Terrifics and Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps. Every other book I get is $3.99 or going to be $3.99.

[skyvolt2000]

There's a very good reason: is DC making more money off of overall comic book sales through comic book shops or through digital sites like Comixology?

If DC (and/or Marvel) alienate comic book shops by offering cheaper digital versions immediately (rather than after a few months or whatever), how many comic book shops are going to dramatically reduce their guaranteed income orders? What else would they stop selling at comic book shops that DC won't be able to make up for with digital sales?

Marvel is not going to care since most store HATE who is on the cover of their books.

And as for that set income-how is that going to hurt a book like Cyborg who is already tanking? For books that they don't want in the stores anyway it's not going to make a difference.

And DC can't make up for it because all those other crap from figures to statues to shirts can be found CHEAPER elsewhere.

Releasing that digital early makes no difference because we got these books online to read for free on various websites. How many orders have been changed thanks to them? How many orders have been changed thanks to used book stores? I have seen new book release on Wednesday and are in used book stores on Saturday-some with codes and others without.

So that income will get reduced some way.

[Winter_fury]

I would assume it's going to stay the same but nothing official has been said either so that's were the confusion is. Also the books that are monthly and are $3.99 currently also have a digital copy with them and I haven't heard that is going to be the case with say Justice League. That is, I believe, the reason the digital copies have remained $2.99. Those of us that are getting those digitally are not getting anything extra with our issues whereas people who are getting the physical copy are getting something extra and that is what is being reflected in the two different prices. Since I only do digital comics these days I would be very happy if things remained as they are price-wise there and if the JL title does happen to still remain at $2.99 in the digital format I might still give it a go.

Hmm if digital prices are going up than like with marvel i'm going to switch to trades or wait for comixology sales.

[Cat]

You still haven't showed how Alterna's company structure (in terms of employees, etc.) compares to DC's, nor have you shown how a much larger operation like DC could realistically do this long-term. (Heck, how long has Alterna been publishing printed comic books on newsprint?)
And, again, how many people here have bought / can easily find Alterna's newsprint comic books in their stores?

As of January, they'd published 17 issues. 17. Trey claimed 70+, but no, in an interview with Alterna guy he himself pinned the number at something like 17.

[Trey Strain]

By the way, it's not just the paper. Newsprint is 30 pound paper, and comics companies are using 50 pound paper. It's also the ink. The comics companies are using expensive ink on their 50 pound paper. Read this and the comments.

https://www.newsarama.com/32580-one-...-printing.html

[CaptCleghorn]

Read this and the comments.

I plan on giving it the same thought and attention you've given the multiple real life and supported examples presented against your idea.

[Somecrazyaussie]

I don’t understand why people are upset. If you've been buying the twice a month titles happily, why get your panties in a twist over the fact that title is now monthly? You are saving money! As great as the experiment has been, I am ready for all DC books to make the switch back to monthly. It would open up my Standing order and allow me to try more books. I can understand keeping Detective twice a month (especially being close to #1000) and Batman (given the fact it still hovers arounr 100k per issue), but the rest? They should all go back to monthly.

[MajorHoy]

A couple of points (since I don't quite understand what you mean about other things . . . )

. . . Releasing that digital early makes no difference because we got these books online to read for free on various websites. How many orders have been changed thanks to them?

Legally? Or don't you care about that?

. . . How many orders have been changed thanks to used book stores? I have seen new book release on Wednesday and are in used book stores on Saturday-some with codes and others without.

Can you guarantee that EVERY ISSUE of EVERY COMIC BOOK is available in those used book stores, month after month, without fail?

And remember, when I'm talking about orders for the books, I'm not talking about what individual readers order. We don't buy them directly from the manufacturers, and places like DC and Marvel have no clue as to how many individual readers buy each issue. The "orders" I'm talking about, at least in the U.S. where I am, are orders placed by the stores with Diamond. (Diamond then gets the actual comic books from the publishers.) Typically, stores place orders a few months in advance based on what they think they'll be able to sell eventually. Once the stores get the books, they're normally stuck paying for them, WHETHER THEY SELL OR NOT.

If Comixology is offering digital versions of those books for less $'s right away, the comic book stores are not only competing with convenience, they're competing on the lower price. Do you think they're going to order as many copies if that happens? Don't you think they could even decide not to order extra copies for the shelves, or possibly not even bother to order any copies of those books?

[Trey Strain]

There's no argument against doing this, unless you just want the fancy paper. Maybe you do. It's fine if you do. But a lot of people don't want to pay for it.

[MRP]

There's no argument against doing this, unless you just want the fancy paper. Maybe you do. It's fine if you do. But a lot of people don't want to pay for it.

Are you aware that when Marvel started offering deluxe versions of certain books on better paper at a higher price and standard versions on newsprint in the 90s the deluxe versions outsold the newsprint versions by almost 4 to 1 because people wanted better paper and were willing to pay for it.

A small minority of the customer base posting on message boards does not speak to what the actual buying patterns of the bulk of the audience will be. The vast majority of comic buyers will never post on message boards or facebook comic groups, they simply keep buying and reading the books.

-M

[Cat]

By the way, it's not just the paper. Newsprint is 30 pound paper, and comics companies are using 50 pound paper. It's also the ink. The comics companies are using expensive ink on their 50 pound paper. Read this and the comments.

https://www.newsarama.com/32580-one-...-printing.html

That doesn't even mention the cost of ink. It states that at the time (which would have been the early 90's) they had to change paper to support the new colouring, and it was expensive. That's what it says. Nothing about the cost of ink whatsoever.

However, it's also not quite right even in the assertion on paper. There was a shortage of newsprint during this period, anyway, and all paper went up in price for a time. So it made no sense to pay as much as, or more, for newsprint.

[The Darknight Detective]

There's no argument against doing this, unless you just want the fancy paper. Maybe you do. It's fine if you do. But a lot of people don't want to pay for it.

Trey, for the last time, what would you do regarding creator costs after reverting back to newsprint?

[Trey Strain]

The prices have got to come down. People want them down. And there's one way to get them down.

[Lady Nightwing]

I think the digital price is going to stay the same. Batwoman 13 released today the floppy is 3.99 and digital 2.99.

Thanks for that. Fingers crossed!