Not trying to start a piss war but for reference: also sold for roughly 8 bucks (as per a quick google search, some outlets do sell it for $11 or so but $8 for a new copy is easy if you look), and this has 208 pages.
Should the west switch to less expensive paper?
It’s not just cheaper paper. Manga papers are smaller and call get away with less panels per page, sell in higher numbers for decades so there’s a lot of money flowing in where they can bleed money on risks for rewards , and have countless TV deals coming in.
The page count isn’t comparable
>sell in higher numbers for decades
This is way you don't write 'for the trade'. It makes whole volumes disposable. You're supposed to be writing 'the continuing adventures of...'. Hand in hand with this is the constant renumbering nonsense. Why look for the lead-ins when you're being encouraged to ignore them?
Even if we decide to live in a pretend world where all inks are the same price (they aren't), black and white means you don't pay for ink anywhere that's white. You're guaranteed to save money, no matter how black-heavy the art is, and frankly you're typically only coloring in less than 20% of a page.
>There was a lot of excitement at panels, in the press, and on when we first announced that DC Comics and Vertigo will be holding the line at $2.99 for standard format ongoing comic book titles. These changes were for you, the fans, and retailers shared your excitement. We were just getting started. As we begin the New Year, the pricing changes are going into effect and the timing couldn't be better. We have a number of exciting storylines beginning in January, February and March that we believe will connect with the readers who have already been following the titles--and will most definitely be of interest to fans who aren't yet buying the titles each and every month. We're talking about stories … And this isn't just about the DC Universe. Critically acclaimed, fan favorite Vertigo titles all have major storylines starting this winter. AMERICAN vampire kicks off a truly epic WWII storyline. THE UNWRITTEN promises major reveals inside the belly of a whale. And, believe it or not, superheroes show up in FABLES, in ways that defy your expectations. And don't even get us started about the return of... Ah, but that would be saying too much. We’ll be making announcements and previewing big stories over the course of the next two weeks on THE SOURCE and GRAPHIC CONTENT, and we can’t spoil it all here. But know this: we’re listening to you, the fans, about pricing and format. We want to hear about which titles you are loving—and which books you used to love, but have drifted away from. We want to know what characters you want to see more of in the New Year. Because we want you to be there with us, each and every week throughout the year, whether you buy monthly comic books, wait for the trades or download issues at the DC digital store. In 2011, heroes will return. Creators will take chances. DC will hold the line. Dan and Jim
Aside from becoming a large enough shareholders in the parent companies to have influence or getting a managerial position at one of the publishers? The best you can do is just not buy the overpriced floppies, but that can just as easily send the signal that people don't like comics at all.
It's simple economics. Fewer people are buying floppies so in order to keep profits level you have two options. Charge more per comic to try and make up for sales declining, or fire staff to cut payroll. Most of the people that buy these expensive issues are like 50+ who do it out of speculation or because they can't break he hobby.
You seem to have forgotten there was a global pandemic at cause the world to shut down for a good amount of time and then he facing happen afterwards a lot globally.
OP I don't know if you've been outside but it's like 50% of what real people complain about all day right now
anyway a thing that cost $1 in 2019 would cost like $1.25 today because for various reasons inflation ran high for several years, which means the cost of everything goes up (if your wages didn't go up to match, get a better job or unionize)
but there's a couple of extra things to think about there
firstly a book released in mid 2019 was probably costed in early 2019 or late 2018 using expectations and projections based on how inflation had been running to then, so the cover price was determined based on how much printing it was likely to cost 6+ months in the future from planning and commissioning the title
secondly a book released in 2024 has to do that same thing and inflation is expected to run high for a few years from here on out; there is nothing companies can do about that
thirdly a publisher's titles tend to be priced the same regardless of inflation for several years; DC infamously kept their titles at the 2.99 break well after New 52 launched even though this wasn't profitable; page counts shrink and story page counts in particular shrink (a letters page is a good way of disguising lower story count while engaging readers), but eventually what that price point buys you has to change, again because of inflation which is out of publisher's hands
fourthly publishers often offset printing costs by running ads, but ad spending generally is down across all media right now (because people are buying less because of inflation etc which leads to fewer $$$ to spend on ads and more targeted ad spend) and comic books as a genre don't tend to attract big brands because they have small audiences (and shrinking audiences too) so comparing the number and type of ads each title carried is worthwhile before complaining that RPI can't account for the cover price increase
I honestly don't have a very low budget ceiling for any media that I genuinely enjoy.
I don't enjoy cape shit, unless it's being "ironic" like The Boys or Invincible, something that actually pokes holes in the entire concept.
Marvel always overcharged for their garbage. I don't care because I don't bother with Marvel but they look determined to completely kill the comic book industry with shit like this and variant covers.
Because nobody actually buys floppies aside from moronic variant cover autists who think they’ll be worth something.
Floppies are dead.
STOP FRICKING CALLING THEM "FLOPPIES" YOU SMUG CONDESCENDING b***h
The term has been around for decades, calm down psycho.
Floppies are a terrible investment. Wait for the trade.
Whoa dude, it's not like he was talking about your dick.
whats the correct term then monthly issue?
But floppies are comics
Floppies are basically keeping the industry alive. No one buys GNs of traditional comics. Marvel had 0 GNs sell more than 10K last year.
>.No one buys GNs of traditional comics
You mean TPBs?
The problem is outside of some discounts, the MSRP of the trade is just going to be the cost of floppies combined anyway.
Low demand should push prices DOWN.
Not trying to start a piss war but for reference: also sold for roughly 8 bucks (as per a quick google search, some outlets do sell it for $11 or so but $8 for a new copy is easy if you look), and this has 208 pages.
Should the west switch to less expensive paper?
It’s not just cheaper paper. Manga papers are smaller and call get away with less panels per page, sell in higher numbers for decades so there’s a lot of money flowing in where they can bleed money on risks for rewards , and have countless TV deals coming in.
The page count isn’t comparable
>sell in higher numbers for decades
This is way you don't write 'for the trade'. It makes whole volumes disposable. You're supposed to be writing 'the continuing adventures of...'. Hand in hand with this is the constant renumbering nonsense. Why look for the lead-ins when you're being encouraged to ignore them?
there's no color
Does coloring cost that much?
Even if we decide to live in a pretend world where all inks are the same price (they aren't), black and white means you don't pay for ink anywhere that's white. You're guaranteed to save money, no matter how black-heavy the art is, and frankly you're typically only coloring in less than 20% of a page.
kate, we had to go back
>There was a lot of excitement at panels, in the press, and on when we first announced that DC Comics and Vertigo will be holding the line at $2.99 for standard format ongoing comic book titles. These changes were for you, the fans, and retailers shared your excitement. We were just getting started. As we begin the New Year, the pricing changes are going into effect and the timing couldn't be better. We have a number of exciting storylines beginning in January, February and March that we believe will connect with the readers who have already been following the titles--and will most definitely be of interest to fans who aren't yet buying the titles each and every month. We're talking about stories … And this isn't just about the DC Universe. Critically acclaimed, fan favorite Vertigo titles all have major storylines starting this winter. AMERICAN vampire kicks off a truly epic WWII storyline. THE UNWRITTEN promises major reveals inside the belly of a whale. And, believe it or not, superheroes show up in FABLES, in ways that defy your expectations. And don't even get us started about the return of... Ah, but that would be saying too much. We’ll be making announcements and previewing big stories over the course of the next two weeks on THE SOURCE and GRAPHIC CONTENT, and we can’t spoil it all here. But know this: we’re listening to you, the fans, about pricing and format. We want to hear about which titles you are loving—and which books you used to love, but have drifted away from. We want to know what characters you want to see more of in the New Year. Because we want you to be there with us, each and every week throughout the year, whether you buy monthly comic books, wait for the trades or download issues at the DC digital store. In 2011, heroes will return. Creators will take chances. DC will hold the line. Dan and Jim
>you now remember the Wonder Woman wearing pants drama that happened just before the New 52 reboot
for me it was like yesterday.
Nobody's buying it.
How do we force the big 2 to publish comics at lower prices
Aside from becoming a large enough shareholders in the parent companies to have influence or getting a managerial position at one of the publishers? The best you can do is just not buy the overpriced floppies, but that can just as easily send the signal that people don't like comics at all.
It's simple economics. Fewer people are buying floppies so in order to keep profits level you have two options. Charge more per comic to try and make up for sales declining, or fire staff to cut payroll. Most of the people that buy these expensive issues are like 50+ who do it out of speculation or because they can't break he hobby.
>buying Marvel
El Oh El. This shit isn't even worth pirating.
You seem to have forgotten there was a global pandemic at cause the world to shut down for a good amount of time and then he facing happen afterwards a lot globally.
inflation?
OP I don't know if you've been outside but it's like 50% of what real people complain about all day right now
anyway a thing that cost $1 in 2019 would cost like $1.25 today because for various reasons inflation ran high for several years, which means the cost of everything goes up (if your wages didn't go up to match, get a better job or unionize)
but there's a couple of extra things to think about there
firstly a book released in mid 2019 was probably costed in early 2019 or late 2018 using expectations and projections based on how inflation had been running to then, so the cover price was determined based on how much printing it was likely to cost 6+ months in the future from planning and commissioning the title
secondly a book released in 2024 has to do that same thing and inflation is expected to run high for a few years from here on out; there is nothing companies can do about that
thirdly a publisher's titles tend to be priced the same regardless of inflation for several years; DC infamously kept their titles at the 2.99 break well after New 52 launched even though this wasn't profitable; page counts shrink and story page counts in particular shrink (a letters page is a good way of disguising lower story count while engaging readers), but eventually what that price point buys you has to change, again because of inflation which is out of publisher's hands
fourthly publishers often offset printing costs by running ads, but ad spending generally is down across all media right now (because people are buying less because of inflation etc which leads to fewer $$$ to spend on ads and more targeted ad spend) and comic books as a genre don't tend to attract big brands because they have small audiences (and shrinking audiences too) so comparing the number and type of ads each title carried is worthwhile before complaining that RPI can't account for the cover price increase
>various reasons
Its called Greedflation moron
I honestly don't have a very low budget ceiling for any media that I genuinely enjoy.
I don't enjoy cape shit, unless it's being "ironic" like The Boys or Invincible, something that actually pokes holes in the entire concept.
Marvel always overcharged for their garbage. I don't care because I don't bother with Marvel but they look determined to completely kill the comic book industry with shit like this and variant covers.
two overpriced shit comics, oh no
With inflation they cost about the same
It's easy
Donny Cates is worth negative money to you, the buyer
He's the worst writer to ever work at Marvel, and I'm thinking about Jason Aaron and Cullen Bunn and Charles Soule
If I could I would pay for him not to be in a book
Unavoidable due to Bidenomics
If you dislike things costing twice what they did four years ago let your vote reflect that
Inb4 seething