Drawing the Line at $2.99

[fulltimer56]

What do ya'll think:

http://www.dccomics.com/sites/299/

Hell, I can't even afford to pay $2.99 each for a monthly comic... The price was the main reason I quit buying comics back in 1990's.. :(

Linda

[jordanscott]

I think it's a good move but I think it might be too late.

Glad to see them lowering the price on the standard 32 page book but the jaded part of me thinks they're now going to go to a 33 page format as the new standard!

lol

Hopefully it has the desired effect.

[pasnat54]

I have cut back my buying dramatically since $3.99 became the standard. And as Dan Didio pointed out, it is much less likely that a person will try out a new book at that price. I know there have been many books I thought were interesting but I just didn't want to pay $4 for them.

It's not going to encourage me to buy more superhero books, but if others follow DC's lead, I will pick up more books from smaller publishers.

[nocutename]

The 3.99 price point definitely factored into my buying decision but it was the poor, too many crossover and/or long winded story telling style that made me drop moderns completely. The decompressed stories for the sake of collecting them and the uninteresting story lines by DC sealed the deal. I am not sure if Morrison leaving or Bruce returning is enough at this point to get me to return. I can say that dropping the price back to 2.99 isn't enough.

[toz1960]

I sent me LCS guy an email to drop Thor from my subscription.Any and all,not even the main title.After 500 plus issues I'm done.Just completely sick of the whole mess.Too many stories that just don't fit in anywhere.Once The Stand is over I'll be down to 2 titles and neither is a Marvel or DC book.Warlord of Mars and Dejah Thoris.

Oh yeah.I'll add Fish Police when it comes back out.And if these go down hill I guess I'm done with new books.Still thousands of GA through Copper I've yet to read.

[malaprop]

I got fed up with the new ones when they went from .10 to .12.

[dc kev]

The only good thing about the price drop to $2.99 is that now the newer books are $1.48 at half-price books rather than $1.98!

It's the ONLY way I'll buy newer comics!! (even if you do have to wait a couple months for them.)

[jaydeebee]

While I am pleased that DC has, for the second time that I can remember, dropped their prices, it really still isn't enough for me to give too many new titles a try. I've been shedding titles for some time now and will drop more. I've threatened for some years to completely stop buying Marvel and I'm finally doing it. Once the current storylines end in the few Marvel books I still read, I'm done with them. When I stop buying a Marvel title, I like to pretend that Joey The Q winces in pain...like as if I was sticking a pin in a big fat overpaid untalented voodoo doll!

Anyway, Marvel is not only overpriced these days, but who the H*** can make heads or tails of their convoluted and overlapping story lines? The only X-Men title that even makes halfway sense anymore is the X-Men Forever title which is an "alternate continuity"...the mainline X-titles are an absolute mess, I can't even tell what's happening most of the time or who half the characters are, any halfway interesting story comes to a screeching halt when all of a sudden it's multi-book crossover time and the art...oh the horrible, horrible tracings of Greg Land from his massive collection of nudie books and men's health magazines which serve as his source material.

Over in the Hulk titles, everyone is a Hulk these days and that's just way too many! In Fantastic Four, some idiot has green-lighted a story to kill off one of the FF (again? that trick never works!) I am dropping that title like a hot rock. Killing characters is the only plot device Joey and company employ anymore, they just can't stop shooting themselves in the foot.

[marvelguy]

When I first saw the news that new comics will drop prices from $3.99 to $2.99, I was kind of happy about it but another article stated why is that, it's because the companies has increased their revenues in digital comics. It was why it went up in the first place, to get people to go digital. I do not like digital comics, although they are cool but it spells doom for the companies. If it goes digital, it had to be printed first. If the book doesn't get enough orders to be printed, it gets cancelled. It is a vicious cycle.

[nocutename]

When I first saw the news that new comics will drop prices from $3.99 to $2.99, I was kind of happy about it but another article stated why is that, it's because the companies has increased their revenues in digital comics. It was why it went up in the first place, to get people to go digital. I do not like digital comics, although they are cool but it spells doom for the companies. If it goes digital, it had to be printed first. If the book doesn't get enough orders to be printed, it gets cancelled. It is a vicious cycle.

But does it really have to be printed first before it goes digital? That's the question. There are companies like
Archie comics that release stories only available in digital format. I would think that DC and Marvel would consider doing this to get their own digital sales up. I don't believe that the material needs to be printed as a floppy first like when you are talking about trades. This is a different process altogether that can bypass the printer and circumvent the additional cost.

There are also independent publisher that prove you can publish a GN without releasing it in single issue format first. If digital does take off you can see the printer business declining which will decline cost and leave room to negotiate paperback trade deals. This is too much thought before coffee.

[jaydeebee]

I will never buy digital comics or digital books of any kind. I would rather go without than wreck my eyes trying to read a book on a screen.

[nocutename]

I will never buy digital comics or digital books of any kind. I would rather go without than wreck my eyes trying to read a book on a screen.

I feel the same way that they don't have the same feeling as holding a book. But I have heard that it is different from reading on a PC monitor. I haven't check it out but I am curious as to how they feel while reading them.

[fulltimer56]

About digital.... Think e-books.... There are lots of books out there that has never been printed on paper because they are e-books... I still like holding a book/comic in my hand but what with the cost of both.. I have started buying and reading ebooks but I'm not too sure about comics... Of course they do have color eb00k reader out now plus with the tablets and ipads... there are lots and lots of ways to read and look at comics and never hold them in your hand...

Terry,

What's that about "Warlord of Mars and Dejah Thoris"?

Linda

[marvelguy]

One downside to digital comics (although I'm not sure of it), is that once you have a digital comics in your device (iPod, iPad, etc...) can you move that file to your computer or anywhere? On flashdrive? Just saying that because once your device goes kaput, there goes your 1000 comics file.

[toz1960]

Couple of questions about digital comics.

1.When they get to be several years old,what will they smell like?

2.Can you have them graded and resell them for big bucks?

You know.Just asking.

[pasnat54]

And how do you get your favorite author to sign an e-book?

Somehow, I just don't see e-books ever completely eradicating printed books. There's just something about having the book in your hand, or seeing it with your other favorites on the shelf...

An e-book makes a snack out of something that should be a delicious meal worth savoring.

[jackie0109]

What do ya'll think:

http://www.dccomics.com/sites/299/

Hell, I can't even afford to pay $2.99 each for a monthly comic... The price was the main reason I quit buying comics back in 1990's.. :(

Linda

think that was a good deal...I encountered much higher price than that...

[Quato]

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[nocutename]

Quatro, yes I believe that will be the future. I could envision a new generation of kids that will not even be aware of the printed word in just a few years from now. I think digital format is a perfect tool for the younger generation comics reader. There could be a time that our printed paper will be deemed worthless. That could happen.

Anyway, there was a small article in my local newspaper about Archie Comics releasing thier current issues in digital format the same day. This will start in April. I couldn't find anything posted on-line and I could scan the article but I am too lazy right now.

[jordanscott]

One downside to digital comics (although I'm not sure of it), is that once you have a digital comics in your device (iPod, iPad, etc...) can you move that file to your computer or anywhere? On flashdrive? Just saying that because once your device goes kaput, there goes your 1000 comics file.

If the comics providers follow a similar model as Kindle (which I've been researching as I plan on buying one) then once you purchase a book it's yours and if you lose the file you can simply d/l it again. The 'store' keeps track of your purchases and knows what you own. (ooo..1984...ooo)

There is DRM on the file though, preventing you from putting it on an unlimited number of machines and of course, from sharing it. (This is, however, child's play to get around)


About digital.... Think e-books.... There are lots of books out there that has never been printed on paper because they are e-books... I still like holding a book/comic in my hand but what with the cost of both.. I have started buying and reading ebooks but I'm not too sure about comics... Of course they do have color eb00k reader out now plus with the tablets and ipads... there are lots and lots of ways to read and look at comics and never hold them in your hand...

I'm with you that certain books I will simply always want to read in physical format. Dresden, Honor Harrington, etc. Stuff that when I buy, I want in hardback for display as well as reading. I love nothing more than a shelf full of hardback books. I love nothing less than moving that shelf of books if I move or rearrange my room. lol

As for the 'i' devices and laptops and tablets, they're mostly useless outside. Backlit LCD just turns into a mirror in sunlight without a filter of some sort. That, for me, is the biggest selling point of the Kindle and other type dedicated e-readers. Not designed to be fancy, multifunction devices that do none of them particularly well. Just designed to do 1 thing and do it well. My brother got a Sony e-reader for Christmas and I've dinked around with it and love it. It's what sold me on the e-reader concept, really.

[Quato]

--

[nocutename]

Borders is on Credit Hold by Diamond...

http://bit.ly/e7qZJN

Q

No big surprise there was talk last week about possible bankruptcy

[Quato]

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[nocutename]

This was the article I was referring to: http://personalmoneystore.com/moneyblog/2011/01/04/borders-bankruptcy/

Look at the street as well.
http://www.thestreet.com/story/10968747/borders-is-bankruptcy-bound-poll-says.html

[fulltimer56]

I have a Kindle (got it for Christmas, I was a good little girl) and the screen is very easy to read, no where like reading on a computer screen.... But I don't think I would like reading a comic on a kindle or any ebook reader... I'm not big on Black & White comics and the screen is way to small for comics...

[jordanscott]

I have a Kindle (got it for Christmas, I was a good little girl) and the screen is very easy to read, no where like reading on a computer screen.... But I don't think I would like reading a comic on a kindle or any ebook reader... I'm not big on Black & White comics and the screen is way to small for comics...

Totally agree.

Once there are no longer trades of the moderns I like, I'll be done with comics other than working on my back issue list. I suspect this will happen sooner than later. Not next year or anything like that but far too soon.

[fulltimer56]

Totally agree.

Once there are no longer trades of the moderns I like, I'll be done with comics other than working on my back issue list. I suspect this will happen sooner than later. Not next year or anything like that but far too soon.

I agree with you!

Linda

[nocutename]

Borders is on Credit Hold by Diamond...

http://bit.ly/e7qZJN

Q



No big surprise there was talk last week about possible bankruptcy

Borders files Chapter 11, Closing stores - http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20110216-708363.html