Ultimate Sales Discussions

[Chaos_Alfa]

October sales with better detail

Ultimate Spider-Man #3 sold 6k less than #2
Ultimate X-Men #2 sold 23 226 issues less than #1
Ultimates ##3 luckily only had like a 1% drop with just 1 936 less issues sold.

All the numbers:

37 30.46 $3.99 MAR Ultimate Comics Spider Man (2011) 3 52,521 2 58,672 -6,151 -10.48%
46 25.75 $3.99 MAR Ultimate Comics X Men 2 44,399 1 67,625 -23,226 -34.35%
52 23.66 $3.99 MAR Ultimate Comics Ultimates 3 40,792 2 42,728 -1,936 -4.53%
103 14.36 $3.99 MAR Ultimate Comics Hawkeye 3 24,762 2 25,551 -789 -3.09%

Still going strong compared to my other favorite Marvel titles, Venom, X-23, Thunderbolts, X-Factor, Avengers Academy.

[Drz]

Dear Marvel,

Ignore this guy. A free digital copy is both handy and and great incentive for new readers to hop onboard. Thank you.

Hahahaha, how on earth is getting 20 page comic for 3.99$ that allows me to read it both online and anywhere i bring the comic and keep it on good condition going to be helpful for Marvel in ANY WAY?!

[Balfro]

Hahahaha, how on earth is getting 20 page comic for 3.99$ that allows me to read it both online and anywhere i bring the comic and keep it on good condition going to be helpful for Marvel in ANY WAY?!

How is lowering their price going to help them? Their goal is to get MORE money. You don't get more money when you go bankrupt...

[wyokid]

I'd rather get a 20 page $3.99 comic that is good than a 20 page $2.99 comic that sucks.

[Plawsky]

Hahahaha, how on earth is getting 20 page comic for 3.99$ that allows me to read it both online and anywhere i bring the comic and keep it on good condition going to be helpful for Marvel in ANY WAY?!

Because it's enticing to readers. Even if you don't care about digital comics, a lot of people do. Embracing digital comics is a necessity to keep the industry going, and doing it for free seems like a pretty appealing option.

As a consumer, why wouldn't I be interested in the option of getting something extra for free? Even though it's the same book, I would have access to it even when my hard copy isn't nearby. It's a bonus for a book that I'm already paying for anyway.

For Marvel, they're building the digital fanbase. If readers start to use these free codes and they like reading comics on the digital app, there's a chance for them to continue using the app and buy more comics that way. It's the same reason stores give out free samples - to get people in the door.

But if you're just going to laugh at Marvel's practices and other posters' opinions on them, I'm not sure why you're still reading Marvel and posting on Marvel boards.

[Drz]

How is lowering their price going to help them? Their goal is to get MORE money. You don't get more money when you go bankrupt...

Marvel is losing customers to DC with their poor events and high price tags, it's time to win over the audience back by keeping 3.99$ comics 28 long and 20 page comics at 2.99$ Marvel has been down on sales really badly this year and it took DC's new launch to help their sales on Incredible Hulk and Wolverine and the X-Men to increase value.

[Balfro]

Marvel is losing customers to DC with their poor events and high price tags, it's time to win over the audience back by keeping 3.99$ comics 28 long and 20 page comics at 2.99$ Marvel has been down on sales really badly this year and it took DC's new launch to help their sales on Incredible Hulk and Wolverine and the X-Men to increase value.

Well, to be quite honest, if a consumer only buys comic books based on the price rather than the content then it seems to me they should be spending their money on something else entirely. When someone drops Marvel for DC because of the price difference it just proves that your market is filled with people who want quantity over quality.

It's not like buying gas where you could get the exact same thing down the street for a few bucks cheaper, in this instance you get something completely different. There's a few issues from the DCnU that I enjoy, but at the end of the day Ultimate Marvel is where I stick. There's no comparison.

[Drz]

Well, to be quite honest, if a consumer only buys comic books based on the price rather than the content then it seems to me they should be spending their money on something else entirely. When someone drops Marvel for DC because of the price difference it just proves that your market is filled with people who want quantity over quality.

DC comics have also been critically more favoured. Fear Itself was a major shitfestival of an event followed by spamming the market more with Fear Itself comics because "its important!!!!!"

Digital sales are ruled by price, people forget that, thats why DC's "1 month goes by, the comic goes cheaper digitally" is a clever tactic, because the new audience truly does care about the price.

[Balfro]

DC comics have also been critically more favoured. Fear Itself was a major shitfestival of an event followed by spamming the market more with Fear Itself comics because "its important!!!!!"

Digital sales are ruled by price, people forget that, thats why DC's "1 month goes by, the comic goes cheaper digitally" is a clever tactic, because the new audience truly does care about the price.

But again you're not taking into account personal taste. If I had $5 and I walked into a comic book store and had the choice of buying Ultimate Spider-Man for $3.99 or Action Comics for $2.99, I wouldn't even blink before I picked the issue of Ultimate Spidey.

Also for DC, if you want the digital copy along with the printed copy you have to pay an extra buck for it. And what if you go to the store and all they have left is the issue that comes with the digital copy? You are now FORCED to pay that extra buck for something you might not even want. With Marvel, the FREE digital copy is just there whether you want it or not. Take it or leave it, your wallet is the same at the end of the day.

[Drz]

But again you're not taking into account personal taste. If I had $5 and I walked into a comic book store and had the choice of buying Ultimate Spider-Man for $3.99 or Action Comics for $2.99, I wouldn't even blink before I picked the issue of Ultimate Spidey.

We're not talking pre-existing customers, we're talking about trying to get new ones. You've yet told me why someone would pick Ultimates now with a digital copy added.

Also for DC, if you want the digital copy along with the printed copy you have to pay an extra buck for it. And what if you go to the store and all they have left is the issue that comes with the digital copy? You are now FORCED to pay that extra buck for something you might not even want. With Marvel, the FREE digital copy is just there whether you want it or not. Take it or leave it, your wallet is the same at the end of the day.

If the customer is not interested in the digital copy for DC, he can always talk to the storé owner or simply buy the digital copy for 2.99$ to ensure he doesn't spent 1 extra dollar.

Also for you to treat the free digital copy as worthless is bad, the whole point is that Marvel is trying to find ways to justify their shitty prices, but it won't work, because unlike what Tom Brevoort thinks, people aint stupid.

[Balfro]

We're not talking pre-existing customers, we're talking about trying to get new ones. You've yet told me why someone would pick Ultimates now with a digital copy added.

It works the same way. A new customer already knows that Spider-Man is way better than Superman. And if he isn't aware of that fact he'll ask someone before even spending $2.99 and making a horrible decision. And the person he asks will say "Oh pick Spidey for sure."

Also for you to treat the free digital copy as worthless is bad, the whole point is that Marvel is trying to find ways to justify their shitty prices, but it won't work, because unlike what Tom Brevoort thinks, people aint stupid.

I'm not saying it's worthless. But it should just be treated as though you are buying a Blu-Ray which comes with the free digital copy. Do I utilize those digital copies of my movies, for the most part NO, but I at least feel happier buying the movie in the first place knowing that I got something free with it. DC makes you choose (and at a higher price, no less) while Marvel is just giving out free presents. Imagine if santa said "Well Timmy you can have the toy truck you wanted but you have to chip in a few extra bucks to help Santy pay for his cough syrup"? All the while Marvel-Clause hands out the goods with a firm-fisted handshake...

[Drz]

It works the same way. A new customer already knows that Spider-Man is way better than Superman. And if he isn't aware of that fact he'll ask someone before even spending $2.99 and making a horrible decision. And the person he asks will say "Oh pick Spidey for sure." .

Great, if he "knows" X is better than Y he is a returning customer and would be smart enough to not make the mistakes that caused him to quit comics, if we're talking generic movie fans who wanna try things out, then he will definately wonder why Marvel charges so much, so why on earth would be pay more for less?

[Balfro]

so why on earth would be pay more for less?

It's all relative. I see buying a great Spider-Man story as getting more story for less. I see buying Action Comics as more garbage for less.

Point is, it's not all based on the price. Besides, DC had to overhaul their entire line of comics to get where they are, and that pissed a lot of people off. Not only that, but the boost that DC was given will really be put to the test now because the initial "Holy Crap I gotta get on board while this is hot!" phase is over. I'm a new DC fan and I whittled them down from 18 to 4. I'm sure I'm not the only one. Heck, wyokid went from all 52 to a big ol' zip. DC might have a hard lesson to learn still, but we'll see.

[wyokid]

It's all relative. I see buying a great Spider-Man story as getting more story for less. I see buying Action Comics as more garbage for less.

Point is, it's not all based on the price. Besides, DC had to overhaul their entire line of comics to get where they are, and that pissed a lot of people off. Not only that, but the boost that DC was given will really be put to the test now because the initial "Holy Crap I gotta get on board while this is hot!" phase is over. I'm a new DC fan and I whittled them down from 18 to 4. I'm sure I'm not the only one. Heck, wyokid went from all 52 to a big ol' zip. DC might have a hard lesson to learn still, but we'll see.

Yep, bought all 52 #1s I buy none of them now, heck I even stopped reading them at Carmen's, I lost all interest.

[Drz]

Point is, it's not all based on the price.

For digital comics, it is. Even Dan Didio is aware of this.

Besides, DC had to overhaul their entire line of comics to get where they are, and that pissed a lot of people off.

Irrelevant since the sales got so much higher. Like Grant Morrison said it the best when he reinvented the X-MEN: Fuck the old fans, ge tthe new fans and the old fans will inevitebly come back. This can work with Miles Morales, but the story is so slow and the price is so high, the sales are just dropping with each month.

Not only that, but the boost that DC was given will really be put to the test now because the initial "Holy Crap I gotta get on board while this is hot!" phase is over.

Check the October sales.