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Doomed: Price/Variants/Scheduling

Posted on August 21, 2014 by Walt

While I am certainly guilty of “enabling” or such in this case by buying along, the current crossover/”mini-event” Superman: Doomed makes for a bit of “case study” for why I will probably avoid the Futures End stuff and other future “mini events” or such from DC (to say nothing of Marvel‘s pricing, variants, and events).

weekly_haul_080614b

Price

I initially allowed myself to be sucked into Doomed because firstly, it’s Superman; secondly, Doomsday (even though I really do NOT like the revised visual of the character); thirdly, an ad/checklist indicated 4 chapters, so I figured why not? Only 4 issues…sure.

What I had not realized was that this was a 4-month, several-title saga or I would have simply awaited the collected volume…get the whole story in one book, all at once, in one place, no variants, cheaper than the singles, etc.

As far into things as I’ve gotten, I intend to finish this one out, and then I will be far more hesitant with any future such stories.

So far this has been a mix of pricing. As of this typing, we have 12 chapters. 1 was $2.99, 8 were $3.99, and 3 were $4.99…round the penny up on the cover prices and we’re at $42 so far. An ad in the latest issue gives an August checklist showing there are 3 more chapters, and unless I’m completely “off,” that’s 1 each at $2.99, $3.99, and $4.99. Meaning the $17ish story I thought I was getting into has become a $54 investment for 15 issues. (I paid about $55 for my Death and Return of Superman Omnibus that has about 40 issues’ content). And if I were to hazard a guess, I would guess that the hardback will be $29.99 to $34.99 cover price.

doomed_week_01

Scheduling

I no longer pay the attention to “late books” that I used to…probably because I’ve been primarily sticking to Valiant and TMNT comics, and those have been coming out in the months they’re supposed to. I’ve not particularly paid attention to which week of the month, so if there’s been a bit of slidage I’m not particularly conscious of it.

julydoomedchecklist01That said, it’s long been frustrating–if only passively so–the way books seem to “cluster,” rather than be more spread out. Valiant would seem to skip a week or two and then have multiple books out the same week…and I think the last couple months, both the main TMNT book and the Animated Adventures have been out in the same week rather than spaced out. Maybe they have different audiences, but there are some people (like me) who buy both, so instead of spreading the cost through the month, when they both show up the same week, I’m out $8 instead of only $4 that week.

I noted my issue with this when Doomed STARTED, and the issue came up again a couple weeks ago with a $14 3-issue cluster that EASILY could have been spread out–and should have, as both of the $5 annuals were on a July checklist, not August. (In fact, 3 out of the 5 Wednesdays in July had NO new chapter! Superman/Wonder Woman #10 hit July 9th, and there was nothing July 16th, 23rd, or 30th).

julydoomedchecklist02

Variants

That $54 mentioned above actually translates to $62ish for me, as I wound up re-purchasing two issues. I didn’t even KNOW there were variants, and thus WOUND UP WITH variants for Superman #31 and Action Comics #32. Since this story has a trade dress and numbering, I sorta want all my single issues to look like they belong together, PARTICULARLY with the added expense and hassle OF buying this as single issues.

superman31variantsThe other week, I actually had to go to TWO shops just to get the NON-variant edition of Action Comics #34, as there were several variants left but the ‘regular’ trade-dress cover was sold out (and I got to the first shop maybe 2 hours after they opened?).

It’s one thing to have a variant as an actual SPECIAL thing…and on “key” issues (like a #1 or anniversary or such), and on very FEW titles. But when they’re so frequent and common and such that it’s the VARIANT that’s left and the REGULAR issue that sells out, it’s just a little ridiculous. (and it’s not like I’m grousing that a 1st print sold out before a 2nd print or any such).action33variants

I’m not going to blame the shop on the earlier issues: there was only the one cover there, the covers were not MARKED as variant (by the publisher), so I had no reason to suspect they were (perhaps I SHOULD have suspected due to how MANY variants are constantly being pumped out…but that’s another topic for another post). Of course, I wised up thanks to those, hence leaving my usual shop with one less otherwise-in-the-bag sale and went to another shop in seeking the regular edition.

*     *     *     *     *

So, a few more issues to complete this story that I’ve gotten this far into…and I’m done. Again. There are plenty of “classic” stories I’ve yet to read, many I’ll enjoy re-reading, and given my enjoyment of bargain bin hauls…I don’t need the hassle of things like I’ve experienced with Doomed.

And I’m not even getting into any of the issues I have with Marvel events this time around…

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Toys as a driving force for cartoons???

Posted on March 8, 2013 by Walt

sameoldfigs_smallI read an article on Bleeding Cool the other day about how the lack of toy sales seems to have killed off the Green Lantern animated series. I’m not sure I want to get into the stuff about how the (lack of) toys affect the continuation of a series.

But I’ve had some observations, where I myself wonder at factors that make or break a toyline…at least for me.

#1 – If there are only a few figures constantly on the pegs with no true assortment (i.e. only 2 figures out of a 6-figure wave and the other 4 are never present), that would suggest TO ME that the stores would see that as a line not selling. Maybe those other 4 figures fly off the pegs…but especially if stock is automated, the sale of whatever instances of the other 4 figures may not be enough to trigger a reorder…and the lack of sales on the 2 most common figures everyone that wants ’em already has might suggest no one is interested (when it’s actually that no one is interested IN THE PEG-WARMERS).

#2 – Ten years ago, I was buying the 6″ Marvel Legends–large, hyper-articulated figures with cool packaging including a comic book–for $6-$8 apiece. I know prices go up, the cost of materials has gone up, etc. But $9.99 for a 3.75″ figure nowadays? HARDLY appealing, especially for the vast majority of the figures out there. I know I personally would prefer less articulation for cheaper figures. The Marvel Universe line, Avengers movie tie-in figures, Amazing Spider-Man movie tie-in figures, and I think the Iron Man 3 figures run $9.99 or so. These days I’d rather pay a couple dollars more for a Lego set with a mini-figure and something to build (and some of the $10 Lego sets are about the same SIZE or bigger than these 3.75″ figures).

#3 – I don’t want six different costumes for Spider-Man, or 11 different costumes for Batman or 17 different armors for Iron Man. Yeah, the hero’s name is in the films’ titles…but darnit, I’m NOT looking for umpteen variations on the hero. I want more variation in there being a bunch of different characters that are available.

#4 – I don’t want to have to “chase” “basic” figures. Take a character and their standard costume, make the costume a different color and pack that as a “ratioed variant” if you must. But don’t make the CHARACTER itself a “chase figure.” Don’t short-pack certain characters likely to be popular while over-packing other characters. If there are 6 figures in the wave, pack them equally.

#5 – Well, when I started typing I had more than 4 points. Perhaps a follow-up post will finish things off when they come back to me.

Final for now – When a store is obviously over-stocked on what seems to be massive quantities of the same figure and “clearance” is less than 15% “off” (less than 50, even)…I’m probably still not gonna buy, where 50% off I might give in.

sameoldfigs

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Too many covers: Variants are an ANTI-selling point for me

Posted on February 22, 2013 by Walt

toomanycoversbatman13to17I’ve long been frustrated with variant covers. They’re actually a turnoff to me, these days–comics that I would OTHERWISE try, if I know ahead of time or see in-person there are variants, I might avoid them. Case in point: this week’s Justice League of America #1.

There are over 50 covers for this issue–a standard US flag, all 50 states, and I’m not even sure what all else (Guam? Puerto Rico? Washington DC?). I actually picked up the sole remaining copy at the LCS this week with the Ohio cover, and thought about it. Ultimately, I decided: nope. Not giving in, on principle.

And because I’m not buying the first issue, I’m not going to try the second, and so on. One cover, one comic…yeah, I probably would’ve given it a try. But as with other series I’ve passed on a first issue due to variants: someone buying multiple copies will SURELY make up for me not only not buying any of this issue, but make up for my not buying any subsequent issues…right?

I’ve also long recalled with fondness several comics from the 1990s that came with TWO covers. You might still have a 50/50 split–half the printrun has Cover A on top, half the run has Cover B on top. But for someone like me–if I don’t like the top cover, I could pull it off and voila! Cover I want. Or even if I don’t have a problem with the “top” cover, I also HAVE the other covers.

The closest I have seen with this lately is with digital comics. From what I’ve observed, it seems that digital comics (specifically from Comixology) load with the “standard” cover. However, either as the very next page(s) or at the end of the issue, one might be treated to the other cover images associated with that issue.

I particularly noticed this recently with the Batman: Death of the Family arc. Along with each “main” or standard cover, after the issue’s content, each had several more pages–the issue’s variant covers.

I’m pretty sure I’ve noticed this with several Boom! issues and possibly also Valiant. Truly, for me this would be the way to go if I actually had an interest in the covers. (Though I suppose ideally, with the digital one would be able to select which cover to display in their app).

Combine variants with $3.99 and I’m even further put-off from purchasing the issue.

My attitude toward variants extends to actually avoiding certain news or entire sites. I don’t even bother with DC‘s The Source blog anymore, because I got frustrated with the endless posts touting the next VARIANT cover. See so-and-so’s pencils for [Series] #whatever Variant cover. See this artist’s extra-“rare” ratioed variant. Check out the awesome colors on the final version of such-and-such’s variant for whatever series.

Whenever I browse the latest solicitations, as soon as I start seeing all the “This issue will ship with multiple covers” declaration…I just start scanning on past. Maybe the story, or the start of a new arc would be something to get my attention with to try or give another try of the series…you lose me as soon as I see the variants as a “selling point.”

Granted if I held 100% to avoiding anything with variants, I’d have nothing to buy, so I attempt to turn a relatively blind eye to some titles; particularly the Valiant and TMNT books. However, I have specifically requested my pull list be fulfilled with whatever the Standard or “A” cover is; and I’ve started double-checking anyway to make sure that I do NOT wind up with any specifically marked AS a “variant cover.”

I have a pull list for all the Valiant titles…but even there, I don’t want the pullbox variants. I want the cover that’s used with general marketing; I want the cover that is shown in the “next issue” box or page, and I want the cover that is shown on the back of that month’s issues’ covers as a “checklist.”

I also like the consistency that USUALLY comes from sticking to the standard covers. I like my issues to look like they belong together. I don’t want “naked covers” with just an image (how do you tell what issue it is months or years later going back through a collection or trying to ID it in a longbox at the shop?) or fancy logo placement or stuff like that. I’m paying full price for the issue, so don’t “short” me on the colors, or give me an incomplete pencils-only cover or such. That sticks out like a sore thumb! If you want to show off pencils or black and white…make it the back cover or an inside cover or page!

I liked the way Devil’s Due handled early issues of their GI Joe series–you’d get a “bonus image” as the back cover of an issue. Often it seemed this “back cover image” would be SWAPPED for a 2nd print/variant…and I didn’t really have much of an issue with that.

Or back in 1995 (yeah, almost 18 years ago!) I remember some of the Age of Apocalypse 2nd printings having a faded out image with some of the background to draw more attention to the main character(s) or something to that effect–but the back cover was the original cover.

To a certain degree, I also don’t have as much problem with 2nd/3rd/etc. print variants in general; it’s a new edition, a new printing, so…can’t argue too much. I’m even more forgiving when there’s only some color alterations–maybe a white background’s black, or blue, or red; or maybe the cover’s logo changes color–this comes in handy for identifying a different printing at a glance (Superman #75 from 1992 with a green “Superman” logo is the 4th print, for example).

Below: a larger look at 21 covers for only 5 different issues of the current Batman title from DC: captured via screenshots as I read the digital issues.

toomanycoversbatman13to17

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At the Cost of the Fun of Comics

Posted on January 18, 2013 by Walt

Marvel spiked the price of many of their comics to $3.99 a few years ago, and it was even admitted that it was basically just because people would pay it.

DC immediately drove me away from Action Comics due to lack of REAL CONTENT for its $3.99 price point with the second issue. I’ve now long since left all of DC‘s New 52 titles due primarily to a simple lack of real interest in the monthly product.

IDW‘s standard pricing is $3.99 for everything.

So is Valiant‘s.

Boom! seems to be that way as well.

Image has a bunch of $2.99 books, but between seemingly “written for the trade” or “limited series,” I’d much rather read Image stuff in collected-edition format.

I think I’m back up against a psychological wall again, comic-wise.

At a time when I’m more interested in a bunch of Marvel titles than I’ve been in over a decade…the fact most of those are $3.99 just kills it for me.

And the more I consider, the more I realize that I’m just so psyched-out by how expensive stuff is, most of the fun goes out. When my entire month’s “budget” is blown in 2 weeks and I dread the racking-up of the $3.99 books yet to come for the remaining weeks of the month…it just plain sucks. It’s a stress I don’t need.

And maybe I need to just cut my losses. Yeah, there’s a lotta stuff out there I’d enjoy reading, I’d like to follow, I’m ready to get in with the new #1s on stuff…

Maybe the surgical approach just won’t work, and I need to just hack off entire limbs. For $13 under what I spent this week alone on new comics I could drop to two TMNT books from IDW at the hated-but-exempted-because-it’s-TMNT $3.99 and 2-3 $2.99 books from Marvel (X-Men Legacy, FF, and Thunderbolts).

Wouldn’t be too hard to convince me to add Daredevil to the group–it’s $2.99; ditto for Hawkeye and possibly Gambit as well.

That would still–for a MONTH’S worth of books–be $4 cheaper than this one week’s new books. That $4 would buy me 16 comics from the LCS bargain bin–over a year’s worth of one title, several mini-series, some one-shots/one-offs/special/stand-out issues, some combination.

xomanowarseriesone20120919.jpgI could use the rest of the month to purchase collected volumes–full price or through Amazon. Hit the bargain bins, spend a bit more to fill in gaps in my 1990s X-books and Valiant collections.

Just plain save the money for other occasions.

Comics are supposed to be fun.

But I’m not sure how much fun I’m actually having, at least right now.

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Pricing in Context: Thrift Stores And collectibles

Posted on December 5, 2012 by Walt

20121203-153710.jpgI went to what looks like a thrift shop–think Salvation Army or Goodwill or such–but it’s actually stocked with unclaimed baggage from airports.

So most stuff is “used,” some is new, and prices vary from bargain to more expensive/comparable to Walmart.

While there, I came across a small selection of ’90s comics for 99-cents apiece (numerous copies of Ghost: Comics’Greatest World Week 3ish and Deathmate: Black amidst ’em), but all were what I’d consider quarter-bin fare so didn’t buy any.

Most surprising/morbidly amusing I came across this Uncanny X-Force Comic-Con Exclusive set. The store has it priced at $99 (from “$199 Retail Price”). I would value it at most in the $60-70 range and expect it to be in the $30-40 range.

As-is…I simply took this photo and left it on the shelf. I find the $22 price for the Marvel Universe 3.75-inch 3-pack to be rather high, and don’t care these days for Marvel Legends.

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The Price Really Does Affect The Purchase

Posted on November 26, 2012 by Walt

The price of a comic really does affect the purchase (or not-purchase), at least for me. As do variants.

Case #1: Judge Dredd (IDW) #1

Judge Dredd (IDW) #1For what little advertising I’ve seen, I recognize the “A” cover. As that’s the image that’s been most used–that I have seen–I don’t WANT some “variant” image–I want THE image on the cover. That’s what I may or may not have been “sold on,” so if I can’t get that standard, first, “A” cover, you’re gonna lose my sale.

But then there’s another thing: what if I get the cover I want, and more than just trying this because it’s a first issue, I actually LIKE it? If I get “into” another series–this is $3.99/issue. I am so sick of $3.99, I honestly do not have ANY desire to add more comics to my pull list at $3.99 per.

Case #2: Marvel NOW recent releases

Marvel Now coversAgain, I have no interest in variant covers–just give me one single standard cover.

But $3.99/issue?!? I think I saw where Fantastic Four #1 was $2.99, and Deadpool may have yet again fooled me and actually also be $2.99. But all the other relaunching books that’ve caught my eye–most notably X-Men Legacy and Iron Man–are $3.99. Couldn’t Marvel AT LEAST pull the drug-dealer bit and offer the first issue for a discounted cover price, and jump up for the next issue?

When DC relaunched FIFTY-TWO TITLES IN ONE MONTH, I went from buying “2 DCs” in August 2011 to buying 29 or so of the #1s in September, the ONLY $3.99 in the bunch was Action Comics #1 (and I immediately dropped Action Comics at #2 when the story ended 2 pages past the staples).

If Marvel’s NOW initiative was launching a bunch of books at $2.99 (hey, this sorta thing, why NOT use it as an “excuse” to re-brand the PRICE POINT and say “ok, y’all are getting sick of $3.99 so as part of these relaunches, we’ll give you at least a year of these books at $2.99!”). For $2.99 as the standard price and $3.99 as an exception…I’d’ve been much more inclined to try some of these titles.

As-is? Other than glancing at the new shelf for the Judge Dredd issue and putting it back, I paid no attention to any other releases, sticking instead to my pre-arranged pull list.

Case #3: The Bargain Bins

Try as I might, I haven’t been able to resist the bargain bins at my local comic shop. In addition to whatever “new stuff” I’m buying, I find the urge to at least flip through the back section of the bargain bins to see what’s been added–perhaps one day I’ll see that elusive Conan issue with Rune (from the Ultraverse) here, or a beat-up Uncanny X-Men 266 that I can read and have that won’t be re-sellable, or something on-par with that Thunderbolts #1 I got not too long ago.

And I’ve recently added better than 150 new issues to my ’90s X-collection, with some 2000s X-stuff thrown in–all for under 50-cents apiece, the vast majority for 22-25-cents. For $1.50, I got to read the 6-issue X-Men Forever mini-series from the early 2000s (this predated the Claremont series from several years ago)…spending more time reading that than $20 worth of new comics!

Why should I want to pay $3.99 for a bunch of comics when I can buy 14-16 issues’ worth of material for that same price? I can justify $4-5 on a dozen to 20 comics, no problem. But at $20 for 4-5 comics, I’m just LOOKING for an excuse to talk myself into dropping titles.

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The Value of a Comic

Posted on October 6, 2012 by Walt

Thunderbolts #1 coverI was excited the other day, when I got that copy of Thunderbolts #1 for 25-cents. It would probably be worth cover price to me, maybe a dollar or so more–GENERALLY I’m finding that if I’ll pay $3.99ish for a new comic, that really puts perspective on the price of a “back issue” at $4 and under (unless I’ve seen its likes IN a 25-cent bin, then it’s just overpriced quarter-books).

I’m presently highly interested in acquiring a Magic: The Gathering comic. Specifically, Serra Angel (“A Fable of Dominaria” or “On the World of Magic: The Gathering” or whatever subtitle(s)).

This is a squarebound/”prestige-format” one-shot issue that was published in the 1990s by Armada, an imprint of Acclaim Comics. Originally it was priced at about $5.95 or so (let’s say “$6”) and came polybagged with an oversized (display, not playable) Magic: The Gathering card featuring variant art of the Serra Angel (the 4/4, flying, White, non-tapping creature that was rather powerful in the game at the time).

Serra Angel coverI believe the story was by Margaret Weis (I know her from the likes of Dragonlance, but also other fantasy works), the art by a Rebecca Guay. But since the issue came out at the end of the run of MTG comics, presumably when Acclaim was getting out of the comics game (or at least, the licensed comics), it must’ve had a rather small print run.

So: prestige-format, great writer, over-sized collectible card, small print run. Sure, fine–look at GI Joe #155 compared to #1.

So I can see where “rarity” and such can come into play. But frankly–the issue is “worth” no more than $20 to me, including any shipping/handling charges if I buy it online somewhere. And I’d prefer to keep it under $10–anything over $10 for just this one issue would be a new “record” for highest amount I’ve ever paid for any single issue of anything.

But it seems like there are plenty of copies out there–or at least, quite a number of ’em NOT SELLING. Today I found at least 7 active listings on eBay for this issue ranging from $50 to over $100 in asking price…but doing a search of completed auctions, NONE showed the issue as having SOLD–just listings that ran their course and never actually sold.

So you have over a half-dozen sellers “offering” this issue at $50+ thinking it’s gotta be “worth” $50+ and yet the thing’s not selling–for anyone. I submitted an offer for an “…or best offer” of the aforementioned $20 including s/h and was declined minutes later (So…the “potential” of $55 with s/h that probably won’t sell, vs. the actual offer of $20 with s/h and they’d’ve been paid this morning).

If there are this many copies out there and no one’s buying–the comic is NOT WORTH that much. It’s only “worth” what someone WILL ACTUALLY PAY.

Maybe I’m “whining” as someone who is interested in the issue but doesn’t have it–but I am quite sure I’d have less issue with the matter if I saw there were people out there actually paying $50+.

As-is, what I see seems to be a bunch of people clinging to a ’90s mentality, unwilling to consider that they’re just perpetuating a self-imposed myth. Like some sort of “urban legend” or such. “Well, all these other people are offering it for $50+ so I should be, too! If they’re putting it out there for that much I can’t possibly take such a huge loss as to sell/offer my copy for less!”

Superman #75 coverAnd perhaps someone actually HAS paid $150 to $300 for a single copy of this issue, at some point. Maybe it was actually “worth” that much to one person who absolutely haddahavitrightnow at some point. But most comics do not INCREASE in “value,” they drop. Superman #75 first print once sold for $5-10 (newsstand edition) and I’ve acquired at least 3 copies for 25 cents apiece in the last couple years. Pretty sure Thunderbolts #1 used to go for $20ish, and I got that copy for 25 cents the other day. Pre-Unity Solar apparently once sold for high-$ amounts, and I got an entire set of the first 25 issues minus one of the Unity chapters for less than $7 total in the last few years.

And the kicker of the thing is: I know nothing about the STORY inside the issue. Not sure what the art’s like. Because I don’t have a copy. And it doesn’t seem like Serra Angel is even something an average comic reader–Magic fan or otherwise–is going to ever get to read, at $50+!

Spell Thief coverI’ve complained before about IDW pricing their Magic comics at $4.99 just because of the shrink-wrapping to include a card with the comics (the cards should be a bonus, not something to cost a non-gaming fan an extra $1 to READ). But an even bigger complaint: why no MTG Classics volumes? I mean…surely they could put out some proper TPBs of the Armada stuff! If not TPBs, then 100-page specials…or just simply reprint the things on an issue-by-issue basis.

But it is what it is: if I ever find a copy of Serra Angel for that $20 or under range–I’ll probably buy it, and there’ll likely be a blog post about it. If I find a copy still bagged with the card–I’ll open the bag, remove the comic and card. If it’s already open–all the better, because everyone knows once you open the bag such a comic is “worthless” and thus I’d be doing someone a HUGE FAVOR by paying them cover price for it despite the missing bag/card.

If you own the comic, and you want $50+ for it, hey–that’s on you. Your comic, your right to choose what to sell it for, what price you’re willing to accept to part ways with it. Don’t get me wrong there.

But if you’re reading this, and you have the issue or can get one–please comment on this post to let me know, because I am serious–until I actually get a copy, My offer stands: I’m probably willing to pay $20 with shipping for a copy with the card, $15ish for just the issue itself.

More than $20, though, and someone other than me will have to validate the “worth” of the issue.

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The $3.99 problem revisited

Posted on October 5, 2012 by Walt

At $3.99 an issue, $8 buys me 2 new comics. Or, this week, with extra pages in Avengers vs. X-Men #12, that was 1 @ $4.99 and Higher Earth was 1 @ $3.99–$8.98 spent for just two comics.

But for another $8, I got quite a haul of cool “old” comics.

The gems of the bunch were these three #1s from 1997: Heroes for Hire, Thunderbolts, and Ka-Zar. HFH and Ka-Zar didn’t last all that long–but Thunderbolts has lasted pretty much to present-day, though that history is soon being negated for Marvel Now. Still…it’s highly gratifying to (though it’s 15 years after the fact) finally own the first issue, and moreso for only 25-cents!

01

Also snagged a few other early issues of Thunderbolts. I jumped on the title around #19 back in the day and followed it up til a few issues into New Thunderbolts before it eventually reverted to “original numbering.” I’m now about 10 issues shy of the first 18 issues, which I look forward to reading as one big chunk someday.

02

Recently picked up several of the X-Books’ Flashback issues. Seeing these in the quarter-bin, figured they’ll be fun reads. The Hulk issue looks really familiar–I might actually have snagged that years ago, or somehow already read it; but for $.25 I’ll take the chance.

03

Six more issues of Mage: The Hero Defined–this puts me at 9 out of the 15 issues…though I’ve discovered that apparently this was to be the middle section of a trilogy, and there’s another 15 issues of The Hero Discovered and (someday) The Hero Denied. Not exactly the level of the Marvel Numbering Shenanigans, but sorta frustrating to learn an entire series is actually not the beginning of the story.

04

The Man of Steel issue was great fun; couldn’t see just passing that up. Not sure of the Galactus issue is a one-shot or the first issue of a mini-series…but it’s another issue that hey–for a quarter, I’ll check it out. And the Astro City issue is a reprint of the Wizard-produced #1/2. This has the original “The Nearness of You” story that is probably my favorite single Astro City story, and is reprinted in one of the AC TPBs. Finding a single issue and getting to re-read it for only a quarter? Great stuff.

05

Finally, since the entire 8-issue series was there, figured I’d check this out. I’ve heard of Elektra: Assassin, and this predates a lot of the 90s/2000s stuff that was done with the character, so could be interesting. At the least, $2 beats the heck out of any collected edition–TPB or HC.

06

The Elektra series, the Thunderbolts issues, the Mage issues, and the others–32 issues in all–only cost me $8. For the cost, that’s a bonus 30 issues on the cost of two.

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Recent reading, comics’ pricing, and personal loss

Posted on May 18, 2010 by Walt

AN INSTANT FAVORITE

A number of weeks back, Borders had a 40%-off-one-item coupon. I went into the local Borders intending to purchase The Walking Dead vol. 11. However, on the shelf with about a half-dozen volumes ranging from 1-10, I was unable to locate 11.

So, I browsed. Some interesting books here and there–quite a few of them ones I wouldn’t mind owning…but I reflected even then about the “value” of many of these collected volumes. And how by and large, they just aren’t worth it–and it takes at LEAST a 30% discount off the collected editions’ SRP before I really give ’em a serious look for purchase.

I happened to notice this Iron Man volume. The Invincible Iron Man vol. 1, by Matt Fraction. Not a bad price, even at full price…and with that 40% discount on this solid, hard-covered tome? I decided the zombies could wait.

Of course, life went and got hectic again. I spent a weekend in Michigan visiting a friend–where I splurged and bought the softcover equivalent of the Iron Man volume, but this was Deadpool/Cable vol. 1. A week or so later, having realized I was actually interested in the unfolding X-Men: Second Coming event, I utilized my Amazon certificate (from that massive “glitch” earlier this year) and snagged the X-Force/Cable: Messiah War volume.

I read Messiah War last week, eager to be “caught up” for Second Coming. Also, after reading a couple reviews and one friend specifically recommending the issue, I picked up Invincible Iron Man #25 along with the rest of my regular New Comics Day purchases. I read that issue Thursday at work…and so thoroughly enjoyed it that I immediately dove into that hardcover (as of this typing, it occurs to me that I never finished reading last week’s new issues).

The best way to succinctly describe this book is that Fraction has done for Iron Man what Brubaker did for Captain America. And I no longer care much about what new comics are out tomorrow–I’m interested in tracking down Invincible Iron Man #s 20-24 to fill in the gap…and eager to continue on with Fraction‘s tale of the Iron Man.

COMICS’ PRICING

It also occurs to me as I’m typing that last week’s single issues, at New Comics Day pricing (aka “full/standard/cover price”), were just about as expensive as this Iron Man collected volume. Yet, including the “padding” of 3-4 promotional $1 issues, that was only 9 or 10 comics. The collected volume has 19.

Though it would certainly lack the weekly variety and multi-publisher diversity of the usual, weekly purchases…some of these collected volumes–especially if (sorry, LCS!) ordered via amazon or other discount online retailer–provide a far better value for the buck. And I wonder if my attempts to “run with the other dogs” in reviewing comics weekly hasn’t caused me to turn a blind eye to this.

For the price of 5-10 comics on a Wednesday, I could score some great full-arc stories, in hardcover collected-edition format, each of the volumes having at LEAST 5-10 issues, many having at least 12-15 issues contained between their covers.

For the moment, at least, it’s highly tempting to try to make a ‘break’ from the weekly singles, and invest instead in collected volumes. If only it were REALLY that simple.

REAL LIFE LOSS

Last Sunday (May 9th), I lost one of my oldest friends and most constant companion in this life outside of family/flesh-and-blood: my cat, Kayla.

I can’t even begin to put words to the feelings and emotions of losing Kayla. For over 18 years she was a constant companion… to quote Justin Hartley’s Olliver/Green Arrow from the Smallville season finale: “When your oldest friend leaves forever, there’s really no way to say goodbye.”

I was behind on reviews anyway. For now, I’ll be inconsistent. Maybe a review or two here and there…but it’s gonna be awhile before I ramp back up.

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The Rest of the Stack: Rise of the simultaneous dual format release

Posted on November 3, 2009 by Walt


November 3, 2009

Based on this week’s shipping list, the Rise of the Olympian arc from Wonder Woman is being released tomorrow in collected-volume format. While this in and of itself is NOT odd…what’s odd is the fact that it is being released SIMULTANEOUSLY in both Hardcover AND Softcover.

JUL090244 WONDER WOMAN RISE OF THE OLYMPIAN HC $24.99
JUL090245 WONDER WOMAN RISE OF THE OLYMPIAN TP $14.99

Now, I’m curious as to why such a difference in price. Seems that lately, the price difference between a hardcover and softcover is only $5-6. A $20 hardcover becomes a $15 paperback. The $25 or $30 hardcover becomes $20 or $25, respectively. Here it’s a whopping $10.

If I recall correctly, the original arc was 8 issues, at $2.99/issue…which puts the hardcover at a mere $1 above cover price of those single issues. And the softcover is priced such that you’re getting the contents of each single issue for about $1.88, $1.11 cheaper per-issue than the singles which had ads breaking up the story and with a month’s wait between chapters.

While this is frustrating–particularly for having given the title a chance with that arc, and then not being engaged ENOUGH to stick around for the single issues (in part for seeing both collected volumes solicited several months back). Had I simply waited, I’d get a nice, huge story at an EXTREMELY reasonable price! (I suspect some of my feelings might have more merit if one places Spider-Man: Noir vol. 1 TPB on the shelf next to Rise of the Olympian TPB, both at the same retail price).

Despite the frustration mentioned, and having zero real clue about the reasoning of the price points and both versions being put out together (and not having noticed ANYthing like this in books thus far solicited down the road)…the prices are how I’d like to see more collected volumes.

1. I’d rather have stuff in paperback, so it all goes together on the shelf; the old and new material. Not waiting during an extra long gap to buy a paperback because of the hardback having to have its turn on the shelf first.

2. Either way, the paperback should be significantly cheaper. Especially on the bigger books (I’m thinking of Planet Hulk and the Marvel: Noir books in particular), if I’m going to actually buy the book, I’d gladly pay the “mere” $5 to “upgrade” to the hardcover. If I’m already going to spend $30, $35 isn’t all that bad for a book so much larger physically. Same goes for the digest-size Noir paperbacks compared to the full-size hardcover counterparts.

But this Wonder Woman book…for the $10 difference, and the paperback being like getting almost 3 issues’ content “free” compared to the single issues’ cover price…I’d absolutely be all over buying the paperback just to get the story!

If books were REGULARLY released this way, it would allow for more choice in “collecting format.” Buy the singles as that’s the traditional format. Buy the collected (hardcover) for about the same price, perhaps slightly more, to have a nice hardcover for the bookshelf. Or go the cheapest route, and get a likely lower-quality of paper, but get to read the story without constant ads interrupting the flow, and getting the contents of comics for effectively the price of comics a decade ago. (Yeah, this doesn’t consider the stuff from the publisher side or the actual production costs and all that stuff.)

Despite all this…I’m a sucker. That $15 for the expected size of this book is rather appealing, especially for the ability to read everything in one volume. And add Wonder Woman to the shelf, s I’ve somehow never wound up with a Wonder Woman collected volume despite my 20+ years as a comics reader.

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