"Black Road," "The Fix," "Criminal" & More in Image Comics' April 2016 Solicitations

[Chintzy Beatnik]

Planning to get:

BLACK ROAD #1
ALOHA, HAWAIIAN DICK #1
CRIMINAL 10TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL EDITION
INVINCIBLE #127
LAZARUS SOURCEBOOK #1
LIMBO #6 (OF 6)
SAGA #36
THE WALKING DEAD #153

[comicfiend]

Today I received notification that Image increased the price of prior solicited Low 11, 12 & 13 from $3.50 to 3.99

[Mjolnir]

Today I received notification that Image increased the price of prior solicited Low 11, 12 & 13 from $3.50 to 3.99

Goddamn. Image and/or it's creators of the books may not be able to sustain cover prices as they were. It's a crappy situation for them and customers to be in because people will drop books due to higher prices. And it's the sales of the individual books that I think drives the continuation of a book more than trade sales. And people will wait for trades because it's cheaper for a collected version rather than individually. Watch the trades go up soon and see what happens with Image books.

[wwise03]

Today I received notification that Image increased the price of prior solicited Low 11, 12 & 13 from $3.50 to 3.99

It seems odd to me that Remender's books seem to be going to $4 (I believe Tokyo ghost started at $3.50 but is now $4, but correct me if I'm wrong. It seems to me that he would be doing better than most writers in terms of selling books. The higher selling books from image seem to be less than $4 (saga, walking dead, paper girls, east of west, Lazarus, etc). In my opinion, Remender's books aren't in the same class as those books. But beyond that, it seems to me he may be getting a little greedy such that it could hurt his sales long term.

[comicfiend]

Some prior threads partially touched on this topic...price increases I'm aware of:
- Bitch Planet $3.50 to 3.99 with #5 (post solicit, arc conclusion)
- Goddamned $3.50 to $3.99 with #3 (mid arc)
- Jupiter's Legacy $2.99 to 3.50 with Circle V1#1 to 3.99 with Circle V2#6 (arc conclusion) [note: Legacy #5 was $4.99 for 40p...Millar has pattern of increasing price of arc conclusion, a la V2#6]
- Lazarus $2.99 to 3.50 with #10 [note: Rucka was forthcoming with rationale, and frankly he kills it with bonus content]
- Low $3.50 to 3.99 with #11 (post solicit of #13)
- Monstress $3.50 to 3.99 with #4 (mid arc) [note: prices have been inconsistent; #1 $4.99 for 3 issues, #2 $3.99, #3 3.50, #4 3.99]
- Rat Queens $3.50 to 3.99 with #11 (post solicit of #13)
- Revival $2.99 to 3.99 with #26 (post solicit, mid arc)
- Roche Limit $3.50 to 3.99 with Monadic #1
- Shutter $3.50 to 3.99 with #11 [note: Keatinge was forthcoming that increase was necessary to continue book]
- Son of the Devil $2.99 to 3.99 with #6
- Starve $3.50 to 3.99 with #6
- Tokyo Ghost $3.50 to 3.99 with #1 (post solicit of #3)
- Velvet $2.99 to 3.50 with #6

Jan 2015 Image Expo was touting its prices, and criticizing the Big Two:
"We've kept as many of our monthly comics as possible at $2.99 and $3.50, even as $3.99 has become the industry standard," Stephenson continued. "And we've done that without increasing the number of ads in our comics."

Had Image held a Jan 2016 Expo I wonder what the new spin would entail.

[Dark-Flux]

Had Image held a Jan 2016 Expo I wonder what the new spin would entail.

Probably;
"We've kept as many of our monthly comics as possible at $3.99, even as $4.99 has become the industry standard,"

*glares at Marvel.

[wwise03]

- Velvet $2.99 to 3.50 with #6.

I don't have a problem with price increases from $3 to $3.50. That's still a hell of a deal. Also, for the record, I believe Velvet has been $3.50 from the beginning. Also, I wonder if there is an image (lower case "I") problem with lower price books. Do casual fans see $3 or $3.50 books as inferior to the marvel and DC $4 books? I'm sure Image has data to support their price increases. Also, price increases are far better than book cancellations. Imagine if Lazarus had to be cancelled because they didn't raise the price to $3.50...that would have been a shame.

[comicfiend]

image.jpg

I don't have a problem with price increases from $3 to $3.50. That's still a hell of a deal. Also, for the record, I believe Velvet has been $3.50 from the beginning. Also, I wonder if there is an image (lower case "I") problem with lower price books. Do casual fans see $3 or $3.50 books as inferior to the marvel and DC $4 books? I'm sure Image has data to support their price increases. Also, price increases are far better than book cancellations. Imagine if Lazarus had to be cancelled because they didn't raise the price to $3.50...that would have been a shame.

First 5 issues of Velvet were actually $2.99; I'm continuing pulls for titles I deem a 'value', ie up to $3.50, or if they have bonus content that isn't trade collected such as Black Magick or Bitch Planet at $3.99. But, no bonus content at $3.99 then I'm trade waiting. Big Two lost me some time ago.

[sven]

image.jpg

First 5 issues of Velvet were actually $2.99; I'm continuing pulls for titles I deem a 'value', ie up to $3.50, or if they have bonus content that isn't trade collected such as Black Magick or Bitch Planet at $3.99. But, no bonus content at $3.99 then I'm trade waiting. Big Two lost me some time ago.

Yeah I'll pay Image a little bit more to avoid the constant stream of crossovers/events, reboots, and creative team changes. Plus Image offers back ups of their books so that to me is worth a little more too.

[Anduinel]

Yeah I'll pay Image a little bit more to avoid the constant stream of crossovers/events, reboots, and creative team changes. Plus Image offers back ups of their books so that to me is worth a little more too.

Precisely my thought. If I buy an Image title through Comixology or the publisher's online storefront, I've still purchased something -- in this case, a file instead of a physical comic, but still something I can keep, back up as many places as I like, or load onto my tablet for on-the-go reading (and more conveniently than carrying around a tpb most times!). That's worth more to me than a physical comic with a digital code these days, and it means I'm likely to stick with a $4 Image title longer than I will a Big Two offering of the same price. It does mean I'm less likely to buy the trade unless I absolutely love the book, though.

[Joker]

But beyond that, it seems to me he may be getting a little greedy

102 - TOKYO GHOST ($3.99)
09/2015: Tokyo Ghost #1 -- 39,682
11/2015: Tokyo Ghost #3 -- 25,198

143 - BLACK SCIENCE ($3.99)
11/2013: Black Science #1 -- 40,873
11/2015: Black Science #17 -- 15,094

135 - LOW ($3.50)
10/2014: Low #4 -- 23,530
08/2015: Low #10 -- 15,351

171 - DEADLY CLASS ($3.50)
09/2014: Deadly Class #7 -- 14,834
09/2015: Deadly Class #16 -- 11,394

Here's some numbers. As always, not exact and doesn't reflect actual customer sales. Not sure what Low or Deadly Class #1 sold, but you can see the drop off in sales. Pretty standard levels, but a price increase isn't 'greedy' or unfair as the sales get lower and lower, and they rarely get higher.

[comicfiend]

Not sure what Low or Deadly Class #1 sold, but you can see the drop off in sales. Pretty standard levels, but a price increase isn't 'greedy' or unfair as the sales get lower and lower, and they rarely get higher.

Drop off on #2s is typically 30-38%, and #3 10-18% for a "healthy" series or >30% for series that crash; #4 and beyond is typically 3-5% further per for series that sustain.

09/2015: Tokyo Ghost #1 -- 39,682
10/2015: Tokyo Ghost #2 -- 27,688 (-30.2%)
11/2015: Tokyo Ghost #3 -- 25,198 (-9.0%)

11/2013: Black Science #1 -- 40,873
12/2013: Black Science #2 -- 20,151 (-50.7%)
01/2014: Black Science #3 -- 23,965 (+18.9%)
02/2014: Black Science #4 -- 25,713 (+7.3%)
04/2014: Black Science #5 -- 25,492 (-0.9%)

07/2014: Low #1 -- 43,340
08/2014: Low #2 -- 31,269 (-34.4%)
09/2014: Low #3 -- 26,739 (-14.5%)
10/2014: Low #4 -- 23,530 (-12.0%)
11/2014: Low #5 -- 21,584 (-8.2%)

01/2014: Deadly Class #1 -- 34,572
02/2014: Deadly Class #2 -- 21,159 (-38.8%)
03/2014: Deadly Class #3 -- 18,536 (-12.4%)
04/2014: Deadly Class #4 -- 17,855 (-3.7%)
05/2014: Deadly Class #5 -- 17,099 (-4.2%)

[Joker]

Yeah, I just hadn't looked up the numbers. As I said, pretty standard drop off numbers. Still, I'd rather pay a little more and keep it going than have it end. Which, is probably the alternative.

We also have no idea about the rise in costs of producing comic books, which may be a factor.

[comicfiend]

Still, I'd rather pay a little more and keep it going than have it end. Which, is probably the alternative.

That's my guess as well; purely looking at drop off in numbers there's a bit higher percentage loss. This is one of those books that does offer some bonus content that for me will sustain my pull.

We also have no idea about the rise in costs of producing comic books, which may be a factor.

I really wish Image was more forthcoming with such details, as well with resultant pricing model. But hey, I get that its a business and such info isn't 'owed' to the consumer. Recalling back to when Seeley raised Revival to $3.99 he implied it was Image's call alluding that comic shops were less reluctant to occupy shelf space for a $2.99 book. I don't buy that view, and I'd be interested in shop owner's perspective. Weibe has made some similar remarks regarding Image (strongly?) suggesting he price his books at $3.99; perhaps that's a solid recommendation looking ahead at a book's sustainability for the creator(s) once numbers would reach month-to-month sustained totals.

[Dr. Cheesesteak]

I was disappointed that there was no Manifest Destiny listed. At least 7 months without my favorite title stinks.

Has it been that long? good lord... guess I haven't been paying much attention.

Guess my list for April/advanced May solicits will be:

plant to buy:
Drifter
Cry Havoc
Elephantmen
From Under Mountains
Monstress
Saga
We Stand on Guard HC
Chew TPB
Postal TPB
Southern Bastards TPB

maybe:
Rat Queens
Jupiter's Circle (trade)
Snowfall
Limbo TPB

trade-waiting:
East of West
Huck
Revival
Roche Limit: Monadic
Wolf