The Real Truth Behind the Marvel Price Hikes

[Ol'Canucklehead]

I have Marvel Digital and I buy the trades anyway so I can't say this effects me all that much.

 

[iloveclones]

^ How do you like the Marvel Digital? I like it, but I would like it more if they had more complete runs.

 

[Darthphere]

Yeah, that's just the nature of doing business.

"Get as much as you can, as fast as you can, while you can." sad as it may be, that's how it works. Just like every other business.

I don't see the shock and outrage.

Agreed.

I am not shocked that you two see nothing wrong here.

 

[JewishHobbit]

Yeah, you know, whenever I get my money right I think i'm effectively done with comics.

More than likely I'm heading that way myself. I used to spend around $100-$150 a month on comics (all but two titles Marvel) but due to Spider-Man: OMD and the $4 price hikes I'm already down to around $80-$100 a month. The only reason that's price isn't lower is because I've started picking up a few indies (Project Superpowers, Echo, Umbrella Academy, and The End League) and have been giving DC some tries (I already bought the two Green Lantern books but I've also picked up all of Final Crisis, Flash Rebirth, Battle for the Cowl, etc. I had picked up Green Arrow/Black Canary, JLA, and JSA but have dropped them all). So I've actually dropped a lot more Marvel than my numbers show. However, I will likely continue to drop because I can't afford the $4 price tags.

I don't want to drop anymore titles but it'll get to the point where I have to as they keep adding $1 to each title. If Uncanny is getting the hike like I hear then I may have to drop that. X-Men Legacy has been boring me so that'll probably follow and then there's no point in any of the main X-Titles. I'll probably still buy X-Factor and X-Force but that's it, and I can't guarentee how long that'll last.

I also may end up having to drop an Avenger title or two but they're all so linked that if I drop one then the rest won't make as much sense in the grand scheme of things and chances are I'm likely to drop the whole line.

Things like this is what I think will lead to me dropping comics all together. I may keep a few titles, but dropping from $150/month in comics to maybe $20 is huge. Then when I get to that point, I'll probably miss everything I dropped and will probably drop the rest just to get rid of the nostalgia of the comic shop all together. If Marvel and DC continue the price hikes I see myself comic free within two years.

 

[Ol'Canucklehead]

^ How do you like the Marvel Digital? I like it, but I would like it more if they had more complete runs.

I love it because it allows me to catch up on things I have missed out on for a while, but I would also like it if things were a bit more complete.

Its perfect for me because I live in the country and there isn't a comic book shop within 100 miles of me so it makes it easy for me to read what I want when I want and I don't have to wait or waste a bunch of gas just to get a few comics.

All in all 10 bucks for as many comics as they have posted on there is probably the best deal I could think of.

 

[Spider-Jay420]

I am not shocked that you two see nothing wrong here.

What are we missing, Darth? Marvel lied to us and said their prices went up because paper is expensive?

I don't like being lied to and when they come right out and say "yeah, we are trying to make as much money as we can get our hands on" they look like *******s, so what can they do?

You don't want lies. You don't want the truth, either.

Would you respect Joey Q if he just said "we're in the business of making money. If you're being entertained that's great, but I just need to get paid!"?

I doubt it.

 

[Anubis]

This one time, I was coming out of the corner store and this guy asked me for some change. Now, this guy asks me for change everytime I go to the store, and I never give him any change. So this time, I was kinda fed up, and I asked him, if I give you this change, wtf are you gonna do with it? And no joke, this guy says. " Buy some crack." I gave him five bucks.

 

[Darthphere]

Honesty should be rewarded.

 

[Anubis]

With Crack.

 

[roach]

I would agree that it might might be a bad decision. We'll find out. But unethical? No way. It's not Marvel's job to hold people's hand through a recession/depression/nuclear holocaust. Look to your preacher for that. Marvel's job is to make money. Period.

so its ethical for Marvel to raise prices on their books when they dont have to in the middle of a recession????

 

[moraldeficiency]

so its ethical for Marvel to raise prices on their books when they dont have to in the middle of a recession????

Gotta agree, people are cutting back as it is and Marvel isn't helping their own cause.

Looking at this, Marvel is basically saying, "If not enough people buy DA, NA or anything else 3.99 we'll drop the price back down".

So cats and kittens, what's the obvious thing to do? (other than crack of course, which is always the right play)

 

[roach]

What are we missing, Darth? Marvel lied to us and said their prices went up because paper is expensive?

I don't like being lied to and when they come right out and say "yeah, we are trying to make as much money as we can get our hands on" they look like *******s, so what can they do?

You don't want lies. You don't want the truth, either.

Would you respect Joey Q if he just said "we're in the business of making money. If you're being entertained that's great, but I just need to get paid!"?

I doubt it.

Thats not why everyone is having issues with it. What they are having issues with is that a company is raising prices on a product during a recession when they dont have to. They didnt raise prices because of production costs they raised prices to raise more money and if everything was right with the economy then I wouldnt have an issue with this. However people are hurting right now. The ones who will feel this are the comic book stores. Marvel/DC raise prices and now people drop books. Now comic stores arent making as much as they used to.

 

[roach]

Gotta agree, people are cutting back as it is and Marvel isn't helping their own cause.

Looking at this, Marvel is basically saying, "If not enough people buy DA, NA or anything else 3.99 we'll drop the price back down".

So cats and kittens, what's the obvious thing to do? (other than crack of course, which is always the right play)

and what are we gonna say when comics are $6 or $10 a book???

 

[moraldeficiency]

and what are we gonna say when comics are $6 or $10 a book???

Thank god for lead pipes and fat slow kids with trust funds?

 

[Darthphere]

Instead of releasing mini's which people will wait for the trade anyway, lets mark a return of Graphic Novels.

 

[Upset Spideyfan]

But- but Darth.

The Glossy pages be expensive!

 

[roach]

Instead of releasing mini's which people will wait for the trade anyway, lets mark a return of Graphic Novels.

waitaminute...you mean to tell me they can tell a full story in the same book and dont need to stretch it over 4-6 issues????
Thats crazy talk right there

 

[TheCorpulent1]

A lot of these minis would probably be better served in graphic novel format anyway. I'd love to see some more OGNs from Marvel and DC. It'd be great if they could go directly to TPB format, too. I'm waiting on Azzarello's Joker OGN to be paperbackerized before I buy it.

 

[iloveclones]

so its ethical for Marvel to raise prices on their books when they dont have to in the middle of a recession????

I'm saying ethics has nothing to do with it. It's not like Marvel started the recession.

Now, if we were talking about what Surgeons charge for liver transplants (the livers which are DONATED) or if potable drinking water became scarce and people were charging $100/gallon for it, well, then, let's discuss ethics. But I don't see Microsoft, Apple, or Coca-Cola dropping their prices, you know, to help people out during the recession. I mean, cripes, the same exact industry that got us into this mess (banking) is poising itself to start charging us more in fees. Why exactly am I supposed to hold Marvel to a higher standard?

 

[iloveclones]

Instead of releasing mini's which people will wait for the trade anyway, lets mark a return of Graphic Novels.

I would just be happy if people made, or even understood, the distinction between a TPB and a Graphic Novel.

 

[venom892]

Yea Watchmen is the most celebrated Mini-Series of all time not Graphic Novel.

 

[venom892]

A lot of these minis would probably be better served in graphic novel format anyway. I'd love to see some more OGNs from Marvel and DC. It'd be great if they could go directly to TPB format, too. I'm waiting on Azzarello's Joker OGN to be paperbackerized before I buy it.

You can get it on Amazon for 13 bucks.Not a bad price at all really.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Nope--but imagine how cheap the paperback would be if the hardcover is that low.

 

[venom892]

Ah I see.It was a pretty good story.It's basically an elseworld really.Igot for free since it was a gift.

 

[Kirk Langstrom]

I am not shocked that you two see nothing wrong here.

I just don't get your mindset. You're basically saying " Look at those greedy business guys, trying to make money! How ****ing DARE they??!!??"


Hell, if anything i give kudos to they guy for making his statement publicly.


I mean; do you seriously think anything DIFFERENT is going on in any OTHER meeting anywhere in corporate America? If so, please come see the swampland i have for sale down in Florida.