Can we all agree that comics prices are getting ridiculous?

[Prince Disarming]

It appears that a lot of comics are moving from the $3.99 price to a $4.99 price. That is just ridiculous to me. It is very clear that Marvel and DC are just getting greedy and not only does that suck for the consumers of their product but it doesn't bode well for the future of the medium. By putting the prices so high it seems like The Big Two are no longer really trying at all to get new readers, but instead are determined to squeeze as much cash out of their existing fans as possible. What new fan is going to want to drop $5.00 for a booklet they can read in 15 minutes or under? What kids are going to have enough cash to get into comics if prices keep rising like this? And how many people are going to have to cut back on their pull list with prices rising?

[Kid A]

Getting ridiculous?

All companies are greedy. DC and Marvel just happen to have almost all of the power in this market (though that's changing recently), so they can charge as high as they want, and going by sales, people are somehow willing to spend that much to get their fix of their favorite characters.

The other problem is that Diamond has a monopoly on comic book distribution, so the direct market is never going to reach out to new readers.

[Pharozonk]

What's ridiculous is that people are actually willing to pay such prices for comics.

[lancerman]

This is why I trade wait or had to go digital (though I was against it forever). How anyone can justify spending $4 or $5 on a 20 to 30 page comic that you'll finish in a little over 5 minutes and probably never read again is beyond me.

[RockyBanks]

The price tag would seem like less of an injustice if the content wasn't so heavily decompressed.

What new fan is going to want to drop $5.00 for a booklet they can read in 15 minutes or under?

How anyone can justify spending $4 or $5 on a 20 to 30 page comic that you'll finish in a little over 5 minutes and probably never read again is beyond me.

Thanks a lot, Bendis.

[byrd156]

What's ridiculous is that people are actually willing to pay such prices for comics.

Especially for the current stuff coming out.

[Biff Pow!]

I don't think the aging, shrinking base of hardcore, completist fans can support this business model much longer. At this point, pretty much any change will be for the better.

[doctormistermaster]

As a university student I have been driven to trades due to the high price point. I have yet to go digital but I expect it to happen at some point in the near future.

[Overhazard]

What's ridiculous is that people are actually willing to pay such prices for comics.

You know what's even more ridiculous, people willing to pay such prices for books they don't like. Maybe they do it just so they can complain about it, or they're loyal to that publisher or series, or completionists.

I'm not saying that 4 or 5 dollars is a fair price for singles, they're not, I'm a trade waiter myself, but it's a bigger waste of time and money on books they don't like.

[Hypestyle]

Marvel and DC need to push the smaller-scale digest format, like Archie is still doing. You still see those in grocery stores and Wal-Mart, etc.

Single-issue comics need to return to stores like grocery stores, pharmacies, etc. I don't care. Make it happen.

[Don C]

It appears that a lot of comics are moving from the $3.99 price to a $4.99 price.

Aside from one vague comment by Rich Johnson, I haven't seen any evidence that companies are trying to--or planning to--raise their prices to $4.99.

[Cometman]

I thought $4 was to high. Given the minimal content of todays comics I would never pay $5. Not a huge deal for me because most of my reading and collecting is 90's books and earlier. Only reading one current book now (Punisher) because everything else sucks. No matter there is decades of vintage stuff I haven't read. If you don't like todays prices pick up those current titles a year from now and pay half the price.

[Prince Disarming]

Aside from one vague comment by Rich Johnson, I haven't seen any evidence that companies are trying to--or planning to--raise their prices to $4.99.

Marvel has a bunch coming out in September.

[dupont2005]

I only read a handful of comics. Not sure a single one is 22 pages for five dollars. Some are actually a decent bargain. But the ones that aren't, I'm reading them because I think they're worth it. I also don't read (many) comics that can be read in three minutes. I'll usually drop a comic if it's too quick a read, but I keep reading Walking Dead because I like it anyway.

[Flash Gordon]

I gotta say, a $4.99 price tag would motion the end of my weekly comic shop visits. Though, I don't see it happening anytime soon. The market would suffer greatly with everyone but completists.