DC changes price down! All 3.99 titles now 2.99!

[Drz]

http://dcu.blog.dccomics.com/2010/1...99-price-point-for-ongoing-comic-book-series/

.

 

[fifthfiend]

Good for them.

EDIT: This is so weird, I'm not used to comics-industry people making like, good, unambiguously non-*****ey decisions.

 

[Hush]

Thank God, I'm so glad DC finally made a strategic move in the industry BEFORE MARVEL for once.

 

[hippie_hunter]

This shows that unlike Marvel, DC gets it. And this is why I'm buying more DC than Marvel lately.

Though I am saddened that Action Comics is already losing the Jimmy Olsen Co-Feature

 

[Hush]

I only buy one Marvel title. Thor.

 

[hippie_hunter]

I only buy one Marvel title. Thor.

I used to buy a lot more Marvels. But the $3.99 price point was just killing me. It's why I no longer buy all the issues of crossovers when I used to love them because they gave me opportunities to try out new titles and characters.

Now a days, thanks to Marvel's $3.99 price point and cancelling books after 5 issues, I am far less willing to try out new titles from them. Hell I would spend hours at my comic book shop talking with the clerk there where we both complained that the $3.99 price point for no extra content was just flat out rediculous.

 

[Drz]

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=28740

Marvel is doing it too, could the thread title receive an update please? =)

 

[Hush]

So they just had to follow, good for DC for announcing this first.

 

[Keyser Soze]

It's a shame that we're losing 2 story pages and gaining 2 ad pages in most books to pay for this price cut. And like was mentioned, I'm sad to already be losing the Jimmy Olsen co-feature in Action Comics. But it's a couple of painful losses for the greater good, which is making ongoing monthly comics that little bit more accessible for readers.

 

[hippie_hunter]

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=28740

Marvel is doing it too, could the thread title receive an update please? =)

But Marvel is not doing it to the extent that DC is doing it. They're just not going to debut new books at $3.99 (surprise, people aren't going to try out Black Widow, Young Allies, Hawkeye & Mockingbird, Doctor Voodoo, S.W.O.R.D., etc. when they're $3.99).

But they haven't said anything about dropping the prices of their minis and one-shots or standard sized ongoings like Avengers, Uncanny X-Men, Captain America, MAX titles, etc. This reaks of "me-too!" and they aren't even doing it right.

With DC, I am now very confident that if I buy a $3.99 title, it won't be because it has Grant Morrison's name on it or it's the flagship title. Marvel still is not giving me that confidence. Once they say that Avengers, Uncanny X-Men, and regular sized minis and one-shots are $2.99 as well, then I'll give them the same confidence.

 

[fifthfiend]

But Marvel is not doing it to the extent that DC is doing it. They're just not going to debut new books at $3.99 (surprise, people aren't going to try out Black Widow, Young Allies, Hawkeye & Mockingbird, Doctor Voodoo, S.W.O.R.D., etc. when they're $3.99).

But they haven't said anything about dropping the prices of their minis and one-shots or standard sized ongoings like Avengers, Uncanny X-Men, Captain America, MAX titles, etc. This reaks of "me-too!" and they aren't even doing it right.

With DC, I am now very confident that if I buy a $3.99 title, it won't be because it has Grant Morrison's name on it or it's the flagship title. Marvel still is not giving me that confidence. Once they say that Avengers, Uncanny X-Men, and regular sized minis and one-shots are $2.99 as well, then I'll give them the same confidence.

Yeah, haven't we already seen the outcome of this when Marvel first upped the prices on their big-name books but held off raising them on more marginal titles? Making people spend four dollars an issue on the major titles means they're not gonna spend the extra three dollars on the smaller ones.

 

[Keyser Soze]

With DC, I am now very confident that if I buy a $3.99 title, it won't be because it has Grant Morrison's name on it or it's the flagship title. Marvel still is not giving me that confidence. Once they say that Avengers, Uncanny X-Men, and regular sized minis and one-shots are $2.99 as well, then I'll give them the same confidence.

To be honest, I'm finding myself gravitating more and more back to being DC exclusive. I was for a long while, but I began 2009 by getting into a few Marvel books, and for a while I was pretty much 50/50 between the two companies. Now the only Marvel books I'm getting are Invincible Iron Man and Thor (both by Matt Fraction, funnily enough). And even Invincible Iron Man is nearing the danger zone of getting dropped. Knowing many of DC's books are cheaper too just further nudges me in their direction.

 

[hippie_hunter]

Yeah, haven't we already seen the outcome of this when Marvel first upped the prices on their big-name books but held off raising them on more marginal titles? Making people spend four dollars an issue on the major titles means they're not gonna spend the extra three dollars on the smaller ones.

While I didn't mention that, what you said too is also correct. I'm buying the bimonthly $3.99 Amazing Spider-Man and Incredible Hulks, along with Avengers, New Avengers, Secret Avengers, Uncanny X-Men, Wolverine, Captain America, Thor, etc. So why would I bother with Marvel's smaller titles? That and along with the fact that they get cancelled almost immediately as well

 

[hippie_hunter]

To be honest, I'm finding myself gravitating more and more back to being DC exclusive. I was for a long while, but I began 2009 by getting into a few Marvel books, and for a while I was pretty much 50/50 between the two companies. Now the only Marvel books I'm getting are Invincible Iron Man and Thor (both by Matt Fraction, funnily enough). And even Invincible Iron Man is nearing the danger zone of getting dropped. Knowing many of DC's books are cheaper too just further nudges me in their direction.

While I prefer DC, I can't be DC exclusive. Avengers and Deadpool cannot be dropped.

 

[Tron Bonne]

Okay, well, since I got that out the way, I do kind of feel what Keyser was saying; it's bittersweet in the sense that we are losing pages for this. Admittedly, only two pages, but still it's a lose. And we are losing co-features, which kind of sucks, since I've enjoyed almost everyone I got to read.

But besides all that, this is fantastic. I've been shaking my head about the fairly rampage and, at times, out and out ridiculous price gouging in the last few years. This is a good move by DC. I can't help but wonder if this stems from the fact that the last two months on the diamond charts DC has been quite low market share wise (around 25% in contrast to the usual low 30% status quo). I don't know how much that will help them in that regard, but I'm happy about this.

One last celebratory pic:

 

[Dread]

This is a positive sign. The price raising game can end for now. Obviously, I think the sales reps at Marvel & DC were looking at charts and trends and saw that the losses for many books had dug in so much that even a higher price did not cancel them out. No retailer was trying anything new. I also don't believe Marvel would have had any intention of following suit had DC not done it first. Marvel, historically, is always the first of the two to raise prices of comics.

 

[Tron Bonne]

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=28740

Marvel is doing it too, could the thread title receive an update please? =)

Well, it is only on debut issues, but it's a start, at least. I'm more likely to try Spider-Girl out now

though I still probably won't, but still, it's more likely...

 

[Dread]

DC, frankly, is showing more initiative. They're cutting $3.99 prices across the board. Marvel's "yeah, us too" gesture merely ensures that the debut issues of ongoing titles in 2011 won't be $4. Likely because 2009-2010 have seen an EMBARRASSING amount of launches whither and die within less than a year, or even eight months. However, unless Marvel elaborates, that may still mean:

- Any ongoing title that is $3.99 and launched at that price before 2011, such as the Avengers titles, CAPTAIN AMERICA, THOR, etc. will remain at that price.
- All one-shot's and mini-series will remain at that price, which is consistent with 2008 but is still roughly 50% of Marvel's output in a given month

If Marvel really meant it, they could have announced it a week ago and came out smelling like roses. Once again, much as with back-up strips, DC jumps out first and makes the move to return some value to the customer's dollar. Perhaps being #2 allows for that kind of attention. Marvel, especially since being bought by Disney, has acted like all of their fans could take a flying leap for ages now.

 

[Kurosawa]

Only Marvel I read is Cap, should start buying Thor again but funds is limited.

 

[Saved]

This shows that unlike Marvel, DC gets it. And this is why I'm buying more DC than Marvel lately.

Though I am saddened that Action Comics is already losing the Jimmy Olsen Co-Feature

This ^

Except replace the Action Comics co-feature statment with Streets of Gotham instead. All the co-features on that book have been great.

 

[Dread]

Marvel has flip-flopped on THOR. It started out $3, but jumped to $4 for the end of JMS'. The price fell back down when Gillen started, but then jumped back up around the middle of his run for SIEGE, and remains at $4 for Fraction & Ferry's run. So it could fall either way.

CAPTAIN AMERICA has been $4 for a year or more, since issue #600. To be fair, it also comes with a NOMAD back-up strip during that time. Usually, relaunching a title with triple digits meant a jump in price, which was kind of like being a loyal sports fan who is priced out once the home team reaches the playoffs. Still rooting, sucker?

 

[Tron Bonne]

DC, frankly, is showing more initiative. They're cutting $3.99 prices across the board. Marvel's "yeah, us too" gesture merely ensures that the debut issues of ongoing titles in 2011 won't be $4. Likely because 2009-2010 have seen an EMBARRASSING amount of launches whither and die within less than a year, or even eight months. However, unless Marvel elaborates, that may still mean:

- Any ongoing title that is $3.99 and launched at that price before 2011, such as the Avengers titles, CAPTAIN AMERICA, THOR, etc. will remain at that price.
- All one-shot's and mini-series will remain at that price, which is consistent with 2008 but is still roughly 50% of Marvel's output in a given month

If Marvel really meant it, they could have announced it a week ago and came out smelling like roses. Once again, much as with back-up strips, DC jumps out first and makes the move to return some value to the customer's dollar. Perhaps being #2 allows for that kind of attention. Marvel, especially since being bought by Disney, has acted like all of their fans could take a flying leap for ages now.

Oh, so you're right after reading the article again. Oh well, I guess non-Mayday Spider-Girl chances are about the same.

I guess what's sad is that I don't think this will really help DC all that much when all is said and done. It may, I suppose, but Marvel has gotten away with that price tag for the better part of a year now and still trumped DC as much as they ever have (and then some in the case of the last month or two).

 

[Dread]

Collective comic sales for 2010 were not looking healthy. 2009 was basically a "standing pat" year as the sales decline was "only" about 1-2% overall (which most other print outlets would kill for). I imagine 2010 is looking uglier, especially after August's sales chart. The price raises were basically ravaging the bottom of the Top 100 and even the middle of the Top 50. The big titles still sold, although they too saw some large drops. But many of those B, C, and D list titles often were in free fall. Marvel usually dominated DC because their B, C, and D list titles still outsold DC's despite that.

 

[Hush]

Tron, but at least its a symbolic gesture to the fans that "hey we get it." I prefer that over them charging more.

 

[Tron Bonne]

Collective comic sales for 2010 were not looking healthy. 2009 was basically a "standing pat" year as the sales decline was "only" about 1-2% overall (which most other print outlets would kill for). I imagine 2010 is looking uglier, especially after August's sales chart. The price raises were basically ravaging the bottom of the Top 100 and even the middle of the Top 50. The big titles still sold, although they too saw some large drops. But many of those B, C, and D list titles often were in free fall. Marvel usually dominated DC because their B, C, and D list titles still outsold DC's despite that.

Oh, I know that Marvel has been outselling DC overall for years now, but the last two months the actual percentage has been down much more than usual. It was around the 25% range to Marvel 45%, where as the status quo percent is usually something more like 32% to Marvels 39-40%. I know sales in general are down, but the percentages are mostly what I'm referring to.

Tron, but at least its a symbolic gesture to the fans that "hey we get it." I prefer that over them charging more.

Oh, no, I get that. I am totally, 100% behind that (I hate the page and co-feature loss, but I can live with those), and I'm just staying, I think it sucks that this gesture may go unrewarded in the grand scheme of things. I mean, maybe not, I don't pretend to be an expert on the market or anything