How many regular Marvel titles are $3.99 now?

[Bad Bishop]

I visited my local comics shop yesterday and spent $25.26. I bought Wildstorm's The X-Files #3 ($3.50), Star Trek Countdown #1 ($3.99), Superman/Batman Annual #3 ($3.99) and four regular DC titles for $2.99 apiece. I was going to buy the latest Mighty Avengers (the first issue in the Dark Reign storyline) but changed my mind when I saw that it was $3.99.

Is $3.99 the new standard price for all regular Marvel books? I don't mind paying over $2.99 for specials, annuals or mini-series, but I'm reluctant to support regular Marvel monthlies for $3.99. I hope DC doesn't get any ideas about going to $3.99 for Justice League of America or any of their regular titles.

I don't plan to miss the Dark Reign stories. I'll buy the expected trade edition when it comes out this year.

 

[TheBrew]

I refuse to buy any Marvel titles for $3.99. That is such a big increase. It would push me back to the TPB market.

 

[Mr Light]

Prices are ridiculous. Once Final Crisis #7 comes out I'm getting out of the issues game and I'll just get the trades. Hell, I can read them and sell them right back on Amazon Marketplace and only loose $4 or so, even the hardcovers.

 

[Nick Ryder]

Its getting crazy, and then they wonder why 'readership is down' well DUHHHHHH... I remember getting ticked off when they raised the prices from an average of $1.50 an issue. I mean $4??! For a 20 something page floppy? That's just stupid, and then Marvel and/or DC will complain that 'so few people are buying now'.

I think they need to either a) lower the prices to something more reasonable - even $2.50 - and then get back into the mass market releases. Make it up on volume. There's no reason why most grocery stores or big box stores shouldn't have a spinner rack or little 2-4 foot section in the magazine or book section. OR b) Start releasing 'digests' essentially 2-3 issue 'books' they can sell for like $7.99 or something that at least make you feel like you're getting more for your money. Think of how much easier Secret Invasion or Civil War would have been to follow if they had essentially all that week's/month's tie in issues in a couple of digests that you could pick up and get the whole story.

Not like people are buying comics as investments anyway. And honestly the Marvel online comics aren't really a true replacement.

I can forsee Marvel and DC going the Magna route and simply releasing TPBs.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

Marvel is now over 50% at 3.99.

DC, by comparison, is at 12%.

 

[Aquehonga]

$3.99!!

Glad I stopped buying comix 'bout decade'go or so I reckon.

$3.99!!

I remember when comix went from 0.75c to a buck, & then, from a buck to a buck & a quarter

Then, this buck-fifty, buck-75, finally Buck Rodgers kid

Now

Way things are going with comix prices you'll have to have your bank verify who you are & have at least 1 valid active credit card to buy them.

To quote Dr. Zachary Smith: “Oh, the pain”

Marvel Yeah Marvel!

They can Marvel this:



PS:How much are these DC comics on average?

 

[TemporalFlux]

It's sad but funny. Marvel keeps raising prices to make up for lost readership, and the raised prices cause readers to stop buying; so Marvel raises prices to make up for the lost readership, etc. The comic industry has literally been cannibalizing itself for the past 15 years or so.

I started collecting in 1978, and I stopped buying comics about 8 or 9 months ago. It was finally too much for me.

 

[Technobuilder]

I like the concept of 'Major Storyline' Comic Digests especially if it's a crossover event.

If they don't figure out a way to give you more bang for your buck, soon there won't be anyone left to buy anything.

No wonder kids don't get into comics anymore, they can't afford it.

Hell, I can't afford it.

 

[grabmygoblin]

if you can stand the interface, marvel has begun to digitize comics... although I'm too broke to subscribe at the moment, so I can't tell you what issues are available, and I've read a great deal of complaints about the program.

I do think though that it and TPBs will be the way comics will be published in the future.

 

[TemporalFlux]

if you can stand the interface, marvel has begun to digitize comics...

The problem I have with it is that there's no sense of ownership; as soon as you stop paying the monthly fee, it's like you spent your money on nothing. Even worse that that, you can't read the comics unless you have an internet connection; so unless you've sprung for internet service on your cell phone, you can forget being able to read them in a car on a trip (and even then it would probably be painful due to load times). That doesn't even get into times when the internet is down...isn't that generally when you would want something else to do like reading a comic??

The whole thing is a simple formula; Apple figured it out. If you make ownership available at a reasonable price, most people will pay for it in lieu of stealing it. 99 cents a song or a reduced price for a album; it works. The same thing is what will work for comics; the restrictive monthly fee approach just won't cut it (and I think that's part of Marvel's thinking - they don't want to make online stuff too attractive while they've still got people blowing 4 bucks a pop on paper as a better alternative).

 

[Ben Sisko3]

For Marvel ongoings, it's New Avengers, Dark Avengers, Punisher: Frank Castle MAX, Thor, Spider-Woman and Hulk. The first issues of the new volumes of Exiles and Fantastic Force (both in April) are extra-length, so I'm sure they'll be down to 2.99 by issue 2.

I'm betting on increased prices on Astonishing X-Men, Wolverine and Captain America within the next six months, followed by Mighty Avengers, Avengers: The Initiative, Invincible Iron Man and various other X-books by the end of 2009. By mid-2010, all Marvel books will be 4 bucks.

I'm also predicting the cancellations of Eternals and Moon Knight within the next few months. Captain Britain will last longer due to it being the top-selling ongoing in the UK, but it probably will max out around 25, 30 issues tops. Which is upsetting, as I love both Eternals and CB.

 

[Immolatus]

$3.99 holy sh!t!!! I remember when comics were 50cents. and I had a fit when they went to 60 cents. Back then you could get a comic at the local candy store. What a shame and sham

 

[Ward Fowler]

$3.99!!

Glad I stopped buying comix 'bout decade'go or so I reckon.

$3.99!!

I remember when comix went from 0.75c to a buck, & then, from a buck to a buck & a quarter

Then, this buck-fifty, buck-75, finally Buck Rodgers kid

Now

Way things are going with comix prices you'll have to have your bank verify who you are & have at least 1 valid active credit card to buy them.

To quote Dr. Zachary Smith: “Oh, the pain”

Marvel Yeah Marvel!

They can Marvel this:



PS:How much are these DC comics on average?

I remember paying 35 cents for marvel comics back in the late 70's. Well, actually my parents paid for them.

 

[FalTorPan]

Comic books are too expensive, and their story content per issue has plummeted now that stories are paced more slowly, in alignment with their eventual republication as trade paperbacks. I remember when it felt like a story would actually progress somewhat within a single issue. Now a single comic book is little more than a soap opera episode on paper.

 

[sidious618]

Thankfully DC and Dark Horse haven't done this yet. Why not just move to 3.50 first instead of going right to 3.99?

 

[Leroy]

I used to be a diehard comic collector but this price increase is kind of the last straw for me, since current comics keep leaving me meh to infuriated, I've been more interested in reprints anyway.

 

[Nardpuncher]

I would actually be happy if they went back to cheaper newsprint paper.

I know it doesn't last as long, or doesn't look so good after a while, but I have my old DC Treks from the 80s and they are still in readable condition...they're worth nothing the shape they're in, but you can still read them.

 

[Mr Light]

They should absolutely go back to newsprint. I prefer it! These glossy pages always stick together and I'm not sure if I missed a page. ... They should ALSO shrink the size of comics again. Back in the Silver Age they used to be bigger. Shrink them to the size of those recent Dark Horse Omnibuses. And pass the savings onto us!

 

[TheArsenal]

The books look better than they ever have. Not certain it justifies the creeping up of price, however. But even so, the content per book, in many books, is far lower than it once was. I am currently reading the TPB for Ultimates 3 and, on average, there are two to four panels per page. Lots of single and double splash pages. Most Ultimate titles seem to follow this pattern.

Lots of pretty pictures. Very little story.

 

[Leroy]

I'd rather have a compromise between crappy newspaper and the fancy glossy stuff, if I'm going to pay $4.00 a comic then it should at least last.