Comic Reviews by Walt

So, running low on budget waiting for pay day, having a HUGE week of new comics, PLUS an extra, extra-priced variant in my purchases…I left Dark Horse Presents on the shelf on Wednesday. However, not wanting to get backed up on the title, stopped into a regular non-“local” comic shop tonight (Friday – Payday) to grab a copy of the newest issue.

While there, I took a look at more of the comics I don’t normally buy, and ones I didn’t give much look to while in my less-than-10-minutes-with-the-commute window of time of getting comics at my LCS on my lunch break the other day.

Saw a lot of interesting-ish stuff, but seemed like most of it was $3.99+ so above my typical threshold for “just trying something new.” I did spot the DC Legacies hardcover, which I so definitely want to get, eventually. Also liked the look of a lot of the DC Retroactive issues. Unfortunately, though…those are all $4.99 apiece, which is rather expensive for one new story (assumedly about a normal-issue’s length) and a reprint of something I probably already have (particularly the 90s books).

Now, I just finished reading Brightest Day vol. 2 a few days back, and kinda itching to get ahold of vol. 3 (as well as the 2-volume Generation Lost series). And I noticed the 3rd/final issue of the Search for Swamp Thing. I’d already been spoiled on elements of the ending–I knew Swamp Thing’s back in the “regular” DCU, and Constantine as well. AND as it’s also been awhile since my last Hellblazer purchase, but I wasn’t up for dropping $20+ in addition to DHP…Search for Swamp Thing stood out.

I checked the recent-releases shelves: there were several copies of #2 left…and one single, last copy of #1. For $2.99 apiece, all 3 issues available…I don’t know if it’ll be part of the Vol. 3 hardcover of Brightest Day (fat chance when so many collected volumes these days adhere so rigidly to only an exact title, rather than a STORY) or if at all (given we’re just days away from the DC Reboot with the New 52)…but it was less than $10 (I expect even a PAPERBACK collected volume’ll run $9.99 if not $11.99) for the 3 issues…I bought the series.

In a day ‘n age where I mostly refuse to buy minis as single issues, and where I very rarely will even buy something spur of the moment off-the-shelf (non-Wednesday comic shop runs tend to be me looking for very specific items only)…

Probably the BEST thing a comic can do is be priced at or under $3. For $2.99, I’ll be open to trying a single issue, where for $3.99 I’ll put the thing back on the shelf. (double or more-sized special issues of relevance I might consider $5ish, but those don’t tend to be spur of the moment). And here, an entire mini series: firstly, the shop had ALL THREE ISSUES in stock, no need for special orders or asking for copies or looking in the back. And most important of all: $2.99/issue. I didn’t just buy ONE issue, I bought THREE. And this was INSTEAD of the $3.99 Superman Beyond #0. For $1 less PER ISSUE, I bought 3 issues instead of a single $3.99 issue.

Gets me thinking, at least.

Filed under: NON-REVIEW CONTENT | Tagged: comics prices, comics pricing, dark horse presents, dc relaunch, search for swamp thing | 1 Comment »