DC milks its cash cow Batman to the last drop

[Captain Nostalgia]

Nobody cared about that when folks like the gators were demanding books be axed because they featured certain demographics.

But because it's Batman-we are suppose to care?


Guess what those creative teams do-they have OTHER jobs. This is not a 9-5 job with benefits and health insurance and money getting put into social security.

This is contractor work. For some folks this is a side hustle.

David Walker teaches at a college as does Khary Randolph.

Bryan Hill left comics because he had tv and movie scripts to write.

Gene Luen Yang had college classes and puts out novels.

Some do Patreon and other crowd funding.



Like I said at the top-when you got folks (YES that includes STORE OWNERS) who don't want a book in their store for reasons BEYOND sales, Dc had to move BEYOND them.

The financial gain for DC is giving guys who would not be welcomed with solos to team books SHOTS.

Three of the top selling DC books to teens RIGHT now on Amazon are Nubia, Raven & Beast Boy.

Or if we look at Marvel on those charts-Wandavison and Falcon & Winter Solider are doing what so many said could not happen. Increase sales. Of older books mind you. I bet Marvel wish they had put out a new copy of Truth.

That doesn't happen if Marvel hadn't given shots to folks like Falcon and Winter Solider.

So what do you do you get that stuff out in whatever format you can to get that audience.

I have no idea what your banging on about, but most comic writers do this as a full time gig. If DC can't properly compensate them for their work it's not worth their while to write, and they lose talent.

If they can make just as much profit selling graphic novels than it's a mute point.

[MajorHoy]

I have no idea what your banging on about, but most comic writers do this as a full time gig.

When you say "full time gig", do you mean they work at it full time, or are you implying they go to the DC offices and put in a full 40 hour+ work week from that site?

My understanding was that no matter how many hours they devote to the job, in general they're more like independent contractors rather than full time employees of the company.

[Captain Nostalgia]

When you say "full time gig", do you mean they work at it full time, or are you implying they go to the DC offices and put in a full 40 hour+ work week from that site?

My understanding was that no matter how many hours they devote to the job, in general they're more like independent contractors rather than full time employees of the company.

They are independent contractors, but traditionally writers (Denny O Neil, Len Wien, Paul Levitz, Marv Wolfman) tended to write several titles for DC and would work with them for decades. I realize things have changed a bit, but you still get writers who make a career writing for DC.

Generally speaking, when you sign a contract for DC, or Marvel, your exclusively theirs for the time being. You can't be writing for both or image ect.

[Steven Caldwell]

I am glad I drew the line at 3.99 and stopped buying new comics when it went up to 4.99, so this recent raise doesn't bother me in the least. I am perfectly happy reading my golden age omnibuses and TPBs. They could raise it to 19.99 a issue at this point, no sweat off my sack!

[DragonPiece]

Just to update in case this tread is continuing to mislead anyone, DC updated Batman to it's normal 4.99 price: https://bleedingcool.com/comics/dc-r...batman-comics/

[Vakanai]

I see. I suppose it would cut down on shipping costs as well. Not a bad idea really from a business standpoint.

Yep. Less shipping costs, more lucrative markets. It's just overall many times more profitable than the current monthly comic books sent to comic book stores frequented mainly by an older, diminishing fanbase. So I really believe they're slowly building towards trying to transition to that.

1. Take more cues from manga. 2. Hire cheaper creative teams, rely more on the characters and not creative teams. 3. Sell singles digitally and save on the printing costs for single issues.

Agreed, copying the Japanese manga model could be a great business decision. But I don't know if they're thinking of that specifically.

Don't forget digital comics.

I did forget! My bad, I just don't do digital so it slipped my mind. But yes, digital is a big part of their plan. If the weekly/monthly model survives in any form long term, it'll be digital.

[Vakanai]

I love the how people think they understand the business side of things or what the company thinks or what they value. Literally No one except the people in charge knows those answers. It almost reminds me of the people who try to fantasy book wrestling matches. It's really hilarious.

Don't stop though. It's awesome!!

Welcome to the internet - speculation is what fans do.
That said, it's not like we're saying anything off the wall or radical here. We're just applying normal capitalist corporate logic at the thing. We could be off base and wrong, but none of it seems like some outrageous idea either.

[km_sus]

Just to update in case this tread is continuing to mislead anyone, DC updated Batman to it's normal 4.99 price: https://bleedingcool.com/comics/dc-r...batman-comics/

Oh so the regular cover edition will be $4.99 and the variant and card stock covers will be $5.99? You mean it'll be exactly what was shown on the solicitation images the whole time?

Colour me shocked.

[Captain Nostalgia]

Yep. Less shipping costs, more lucrative markets. It's just overall many times more profitable than the current monthly comic books sent to comic book stores frequented mainly by an older, diminishing fanbase. So I really believe they're slowly building towards trying to transition to that.

Maybe, but comic shops are still the major source of retail revenue and distribution for DC comics. Unless digital sales take off that is unlikely to change.

If they are raising comic book prices again, I gander it is simply to squeeze margins out of declining sales as a result of free streaming and piracy....which I hope is not the case.

Either way, rising comic prices are not good for attracting younger readers, whose going to want to spend their allowance on comics when $12 dollars only buys you two comic books?

[MajorHoy]

. . . Either way, rising comic prices are not good for attracting younger readers, whose going to want to spend their allowance on comics when $12 dollars only buys you two comic books?

Wait . . . are you saying that younger readers are buying and reading regular, non-manga comic books?!?

. . . mind blown . . .

[Pohzee]

Given that it's the same for The Joker in May and June? Some typo.

It did seem rather obvious though

[Captain Nostalgia]

Wait . . . are you saying that younger readers are buying and reading regular, non-manga comic books?!?

. . . mind blown . . .

Lol, well anything is possible these days. I think I saw one at a comic shop once

[Rich Johnston]

Oh so the regular cover edition will be $4.99 and the variant and card stock covers will be $5.99? You mean it'll be exactly what was shown on the solicitation images the whole time?

Colour me shocked.

No. The Joker is $5.99 for all covers from #2 onwards. So not what was shown on the solicitation images the whole time. And not what was on all the retailers solicitation order files which are also having to be changed.

joker.jpg

[Vakanai]

Maybe, but comic shops are still the major source of retail revenue and distribution for DC comics. Unless digital sales take off that is unlikely to change.

If they are raising comic book prices again, I gander it is simply to squeeze margins out of declining sales as a result of free streaming and piracy....which I hope is not the case.

Either way, rising comic prices are not good for attracting younger readers, whose going to want to spend their allowance on comics when $12 dollars only buys you two comic books?

I...I think you misunderstood me? I mean they're gonna do away with a lot of the single issue monthly style of comics and do a more graphic novel trade paperback sold in a book store model. Think less that one floppy you got to the comic book store to buy and more Superman Smashes the Klan.

[Captain Nostalgia]

I...I think you misunderstood me? I mean they're gonna do away with a lot of the single issue monthly style of comics and do a more graphic novel trade paperback sold in a book store model. Think less that one floppy you got to the comic book store to buy and more Superman Smashes the Klan.

That's fine, I don't really have a bone in this fight other than that the more expensive they make monthlies the more they price out young kids and teenagers from collecting them. (which would eventually mean less titles all round)

It's all good, personally I'd be fine with graphic novels as opposed to monthlies, no argument from me, but the comic shop is still DC's bread and butter.