DC Rebirth monthlies back at $3.99 in April

[GlennSimpson]

So not only are they going to raise the prices to $3.99 but we are also getting Digital codes, similar to what Marvel had before the upcoming February change. So take the good with the bad I guess

http://www.newsarama.com/32762-some-...ess-codes.html

I might dig having digital codes in the physical comics if I could use the code to get a refund for a book I already bought digitally. So that way the books I am waiting on mail-order I could go ahead and read and then just enter the codes when I got the physical books.

[GlennSimpson]

I don't know if it's an explanation - but the newly $3.99 books will be getting digital codes.

Yeah, but I doubt that the digital codes are the cause of the price increase. More like the price increase is to meet sales goals and the digital codes are a means of making it less painful.

[chachi]

Only book this will effect on my pull list is Red Hood and the Outlaws. I don't plan on dropping as it is currently my 2nd favorite Rebirth title out now.

[Panfoot]

Well, since I already read Batman Beyond, Titans, Red Hood, New Superman, Supergirl, and Superwoman with plans to add Batwoman and Super Sons, so pretty much an extra 8 dollars per month for me...can't say I'm very happy. Having a digital code is nice but I'd rather have just save a buck. The double shipping other books don't really help either, it adds up quick(I follow Batman/Tec, Nightwing, Superman/Action, and Aquaman). There isn't much left that I want to drop(I'm on the edge with Supergirl right now) but I may have to start making some hard choices soon, though I wouldn't be surprised if that solves itself since I really don't know how much longer New Super Man and Superwoman will stick around.

[Tony]

I just started collected Trades and buying physical comics like...last year or so once I had real money. I like my local shop and just enjoy talking to people there, but it'd definitely help my wallet more if I tried looking for discounts like you lol. I never understood why digital was at the same price as physical? I thought it'd cost less because they don't have to physically print and distribute, but obviously, there have to be other forces at play.

InStockTrades . com has amazing prices and really protects the books in shipping with great packaging.

It used to be you had to wait to buy a digital copy because comic shops didn't want the competition. Then they insisted on same price as physical since it's actually more expensive than the physical book (pretty much every comic shop offers discounts to regulars and online gives DEEP discounts)

DC for example dropped the price a dollar after 30 days. Then it was 2 months. For Rebirth they have yet to drop the price at all. The effect has been digital has actually gone backwards in popularity. It's just old men refusing to let the market decide on how people want their entertainment. Instead of letting digital compete by virtue of how much cheaper it truly is they make it more expensive while doubling down the disadvantage of not owning a physical product or letting you download a backup copy. I look forward to brick and mortar stores losing what little relevancy they have. It's a generational thing with current management and creators.

[SkyMason21]

Yeah not happy,and digital codes I don't need or will ever use won't make this better. My pull already has hit that uncomfortable $120 plus range with all the DC books I'm getting, and this just gives me more reason to drop books I've been shaky on. I know I wouldn't have made it through the first arcs of Cyborg, Batgirl or Supergirl at $3.99 and now I don't know if I'll keep reading them.

[SiegePerilous02]

The only monthly I read that was 2.99 is Supergirl, and Doom Patrol was already 3.99.

As long as the bi-monthlies stay the same, I'm good.

[RobinFan4880]

I just started collected Trades and buying physical comics like...last year or so once I had real money. I like my local shop and just enjoy talking to people there, but it'd definitely help my wallet more if I tried looking for discounts like you lol. I never understood why digital was at the same price as physical? I thought it'd cost less because they don't have to physically print and distribute, but obviously, there have to be other forces at play.

In print, you have to deal with the production and shipping of the books, Diamond's cut and the retailer's cut. For Digital, you have to worry about ComiXology's cut and Google/Apple's cut. Effectively, Marvel and DC make about the same amount on both sides of the digital divide.

[Tony]

I might dig having digital codes in the physical comics if I could use the code to get a refund for a book I already bought digitally. So that way the books I am waiting on mail-order I could go ahead and read and then just enter the codes when I got the physical books.

And this is more to my point. You order online and get what 35% off (a guess) then you'll now get a code for the digital copy. It's so inexpensive they can give it away and you can now effectively get the same discount on digital by waisting tree's and allying the digital code the comic comes with. It's silly.

[GlennSimpson]

I just started collected Trades and buying physical comics like...last year or so once I had real money. I like my local shop and just enjoy talking to people there, but it'd definitely help my wallet more if I tried looking for discounts like you lol. I never understood why digital was at the same price as physical? I thought it'd cost less because they don't have to physically print and distribute, but obviously, there have to be other forces at play.

The price for digital is not really necessarily driven by the costs of production. For the most part, they cost what they cost in order to not put the physical comic shops at risk, who are currently bringing in the bulk of the revenue.

That said, the percentages that entities like Comixology and ITunes (being the ones who actually provide the digital files 24/7/365, and keep up with what you've purchased, as well as the risk involved in holding your credit card information and all of the security arond that) take out of the sales price is pretty close to the percentages that Diamond distributor and the local comics shops take out of the retail price of the physical books. So it's not as different as you might think.

[Bukdiah]

Yeah not happy,and digital codes I don't need or will ever use won't make this better. My pull already has hit that uncomfortable $120 plus range with all the DC books I'm getting, and this just gives me more reason to drop books I've been shaky on. I know I wouldn't have made it through the first arcs of Cyborg, Batgirl or Supergirl at $3.99 and now I don't know if I'll keep reading them.

$120?! God damn, where do you store all those issues when you're done reading? lol

[Tony]

In print, you have to deal with the production and shipping of the books, Diamond's cut and the retailer's cut. For Digital, you have to worry about ComiXology's cut and Google/Apple's cut. Effectively, Marvel and DC make about the same amount on both sides of the digital divide.

This is incorrect digital is much cheaper higher % of profit. It's why Image creators have said how important those $.99 sales are for making enough money off the books to live. The whole body of work for them is always available. No one would sell stuff at a price point that is a loss. You couldn't sell your physical books at the same price and make money for example.

[SkyMason21]

$120?! God damn, where do you store all those issues when you're done reading? lol

Bins, sooo many bins. And I hate seeing them lol I'm so close to just tossing issues out on garbage days.

It's $120 plus and getting bigger. If I get everything I'm interested in for March I'd be at $160 for the month, I really don't need this price bump added in.

[MajorHoy]

I don't know if it's an explanation - but the newly $3.99 books will be getting digital codes.

Boy, talk about useless (at least to a guy like me who doesn't read digital comic books).

[RobinFan4880]

This is incorrect digital is much cheaper higher % of profit. It's why Image creators have said how important those $.99 sales are for making enough money off the books to live. The whole body of work for them is always available. No one would sell stuff at a price point that is a loss. You couldn't sell your physical books at the same price and make money for example.

You are conflating Creator-Owned and Big 2. Digital is way better for independents because they are snagging a larger percentage of the pie in the digital as opposed to print world. However, they also sell fewer comics in the short term. What makes digital more enticing for creator-owned works is the ability to sell your comics for years and years and years, offering discounts and sales to capture sales at every price point (i.e. the Steam model to selling digital products). When you look at the print world, you are only earning money off of one or two print runs per issue. Once the books are handed over to Diamond, they cease to be your property and become the property of the retailers (who will use sales and discounts to capture more sales, depending on how much they want to earn). In the far future, your comic might be sitting on a shelf in a store but you still will not earn a penny off of it (since you were paid that one time years ago).

For the Big 2, they make more money each digital sale but Digital only accounts for 15-ish percent of their business, so even if they capture a larger percentage of each sale, they are still making far less in total as a percentage of overall revenue. Additionally, unless you are a big name creator, you receive the same page rate regardless of how well or awful the comic sells, so from a Big 2's creator perspective the difference is kind of meaningless (unless you have a good contract which lets you capture royalties or a piece of the per sale pie).

Boy, talk about useless (at least to a guy like me who doesn't read digital comic books).

Give them to your friends to help entice them into reading the same books you are.