For the smart store owner it doesn't hurt or cripple them.
My store does pre-order prepay. You want certain books and covers-you pre-order and prepay for them in advance. Then when they come out you just walk in and get them and leave.
Guess what? It works and it has helped reduce the back issues and pull list that never get picked up and paid for.
So when my store does 25 cent comics on Free Comic day-you are not seeing more than say 10 of certain titles (BATMAN). Only time it's more than that is when Marvel or DC send extra.
Generally those kids are NOT coming to comic book stores to buy floppies unless they are in dollar or 25 cent bins.This is going to shoot them in the foot and alienate the youth even more from buying their comics
They target the trades.
Not if you plan wisely and observe trends.Making it harder and harder to buy comics.
How many times does Midtown Comics have a sale???? Especially 70-90% off sale?
Do we NOT have Ebay? Half Price Books and other resources?
Remember Dc and Marvel only care about PRE-ORDERS. If you jump on to say Hulk once it's already on the shelf-they don't care about that sale.
Marvel does subscriptions. I have one for Miles that transferred to the current run.
Everyone else??? Comic Con or 25 cent bins.
Why because I am finding too many of those other books in bins. It's better to wait.
And some might say that is not fair but how many books have we seen last that were not selling and books that sold get axed way too quick?
The last Runaways run was among Marvel's worst sellers with every black female lead book. It last near 2 years with 8-6K orders.
Shuri and Riri were outselling that book.
They are going to keep books around that they want to keep around. No matter what.