$5.00 Comics! Sorry I'm Out!

[WestPhillyPunisher]

On free comic book day thousands of comics were given away, Even reprinted material has been on sale for a dollar! How can a company justify such a price jump.Both DC and Marvels top books are priced higher than, say their standard books. There is no difference in page count it's just GREED,GREED,GREED.

Newsflash, my friend:

[Conch22]

Try Image trades, current series are typically 10 $ for a 6 issue TPB, which shakes out at 2 dollars an issue. Series, imo, have really stepped up in quality since the early days of image and outdoes alot of the mainstream competition. Would recommend Saga or Morning Glories for Image series first and foremost

[Hero]

I wonder how much of the price increase pushes people into digital. I already have droppend all my digital subscriptions and just place the interesting books on my wish list. When the price drops, I buy them.

Then, if I really like a book and it holds up, I get the trades. Most books I buy are $1.99 and I also get sale books at $.99. I hardly ever buy one new at full price.

I hardly ever buy trades from the LCS, including trades. They are almost always cheaper on Amazon, even with the LCS discount. I typically try to support local businesses but the comic market, to me, is inherently flawed and the digital has so many positives. It is either go digital or drastically drop my buying.

Wow, I could have written your post word for word. This is exactly what I do.

[Brave Sir Robin]

Try Image trades, current series are typically 10 $ for a 6 issue TPB, which shakes out at 2 dollars an issue. Series, imo, have really stepped up in quality since the early days of image and outdoes alot of the mainstream competition. Would recommend Saga or Morning Glories for Image series first and foremost

Actully, your example shakes out to $1.67 an issue.

[JediMindTrick]

I wonder how much of the price increase pushes people into digital. I already have droppend all my digital subscriptions and just place the interesting books on my wish list. When the price drops, I buy them.

Its about to push me there. Last week I cancelled every subscription to Marvel I had and as soon as Godhead ends at DC I'll be closing out my box at the local comic shop. Even though I think the overall writing of comics in the Big two has improved greatly over what it was ten years ago I don't find the value worth the cost.

So as soon as the subscriptions actually stop (sometime early next year) I'm moving to Marvel Unlimited digital. Sure I'll be six months behind but its a lot cheaper. DC will just get dumped altogether for me and any 3rd party stuff will be trade waits.

[FanboyStranger]

Try Image trades, current series are typically 10 $ for a 6 issue TPB, which shakes out at 2 dollars an issue. Series, imo, have really stepped up in quality since the early days of image and outdoes alot of the mainstream competition. Would recommend Saga or Morning Glories for Image series first and foremost

That's generally for the first tpb for the series. Subsequent volumes increase in price, generally to $14.99US. Vertigo follows the same model.

[johnmahananda]

If you go digital (which you should) and wait a week or two, you can get recent releases for about $1.99. And...many publishers are now giving DRM-free PDF and CBZ files. It's the way to go...from a die-hard, thought-I'd-never-do-it fan of paper comics. There is NOTHING better than zooming a comic panel on an iPad mini.

[Doc Omega]

If you go digital (which you should) and wait a week or two, you can get recent releases for about $1.99. And...many publishers are now giving DRM-free PDF and CBZ files. It's the way to go...from a die-hard, thought-I'd-never-do-it fan of paper comics. There is NOTHING better than zooming a comic panel on an iPad mini.

That's my plan for next year. Even if the prices weren't going up, I want to cut down on my clutter.

[Mbast1]

Its actually been on a steady rise since '97 iirc.

Based on what? All the industry news I've seen says the readership is, and has been, falling for a long time. What have you seen that says otherwise?

[FanboyStranger]

Based on what? All the industry news I've seen says the readership is, and has been, falling for a long time. What have you seen that says otherwise?

Overall, N American comic readership has been on an incline over the past half decade. However, regular readership is still in the hundred thousands, which is a significant dropoff compared to the early '90s. However, the speculator bubble no longer dictates the market and there's no longer the widespread fraud that accompanied the newstand market. So, those are the numbers that we have now.

Also, and perhaps most importantly, superhero comic numbers have remained steady, but comics outside that genre have a much better base these days. The top comics are still mostly periennial superhero franchises, but the top twenty has more variety than ever before, something that is even more pronounced when you factor in collected editions. The market is growing, but not necessarily in favor of the Big Two.

Also, when you get into European comics and manga, you're talking readerships in the millions. Marvel's best book might sell 250,000, but Disney's best book (often reprints) sells millions in Europe.

[chongjasmine]

I agree that the price of comics is a little high.
This is ridiculous for digital comics.
No wonder piracy rate is so high these days.

[Trevor]

Comics have never gone above $1 as far as I'm concerned. Between digital and physical sales, everything I've ever wanted is a buck within a year of release.

[mattbearpig]

A good chunk of Image books are still $2.99 or $3.50. This is one of many reasons why they make up the lion's share of my monthly pull. At the moment, the only Marvel books I get are Daredevil, Ms. Marvel, Magneto, Amazing Spidey, Punisher, She-Hulk, Rocket Raccoon and Moon Knight. Two of those are coming to an end within the next several months.

[Mbast1]

Overall, N American comic readership has been on an incline over the past half decade.

5 years isn't much for noting trends. We'll see as we go, but I keep seeing industry people referencing falling numbers.

but comics outside that genre have a much better base these days. .

Thankfully. If it weren't for a niece who is into superheroes, I'd have given up on them. Nothing new there in decades.

The market is growing, but not necessarily in favor of the Big Two.

Which is probably good on the whole. They don't seem to be into doing much but retooling what they've already done.

[Marvel_Is]

Sometimes I legitimately wonder if "readers" have ever heard of comics being published outside of Marvel.

If Marvel comics are too rich for your blood, support comics from other publishers. Simple as.