CBR: Axel-In-Charge - Dec 23, 2011

[Barry Convex]

Part of the reason that it was kind of a non-answer is that it's not his job to determine pricing. Fans always attack him and other higher ups when they can't sufficiently answer questions about things that are outside their job description. Axel's job is primarily determining the creative directions of the comics. While he's probably aware of their business plans to some extent, the pricing of things is neither under his control or is it probably directly reported to him. Fans need to figure out what editors do before getting pissed about things that they have no control over.

This is a fair point, and I'd be more forgiving if any of the recent interviews with David Gabriel had give me reason to think that his response to this question would be substantively different. But they haven't.

I'm pretty sure Marvel would LOVE to have digital comics become a LARGE revenue stream, since they are in the business of making money. The problem is how to do so, without killing the bird in hand, so to speak.

Well, yeah, Marvel and DC have made fairly clear that they would rather slow the decline of the DM (which is obviously a much larger revenue stream right now, but has minimal-to-negative growth potential over the next few years) than accelerate the growth of the digital market (which is currently much smaller, but has - in theory - significant growth potential), as long as most of the moves with much chance of advancing the latter run the risk of speeding up the former. I'm sure we'll see some interesting digital experiments over the next couple years like Batman Beyond's digital-first serialization, but I don't foresee either company making major changes to its digital strategy until (unless?) the direct market declines a good deal further and forces it to seek publishing revenue outside the DM more aggressively.

[Spiros]

Ellis' quote made my day

[Rheged]

Well, yeah, Marvel and DC have made fairly clear that they would rather slow the decline of the DM (which is obviously a much larger revenue stream right now, but has minimal-to-negative growth potential over the next few years) than accelerate the growth of the digital market (which is currently much smaller, but has - in theory - significant growth potential), as long as most of the moves with much chance of advancing the latter run the risk of speeding up the former. I'm sure we'll see some interesting digital experiments over the next couple years like Batman Beyond's digital-first serialization, but I don't foresee either company making major changes to its digital strategy until (unless?) the direct market declines a good deal further and forces it to seek publishing revenue outside the DM more aggressively.

Yes, I agree, there's going to be alot of price experimentation until the companies figure out how to make the most bucks from digital without killing the brick and mortar stores and their e-book graphic novel deals.

Retailer Brian Hibbs wrote an article for Tilting at Windmills on that theoretical potential of the digital comics market recently.

In the more than a quarter century that I've been selling comics, I've watched this industry and its participants scurry after new market after new market, rather than making enough efforts to support and husband our existing base. I've watched for decades now as the punditry declared that the mass audience was awaiting us, just over the next hill, and all we needed was to throw off the shackles of the Direct Market system, and then comics could arise, phoenix-like, and we'd finally be in the promised land of milk and honey.

Which has never really happened, has it?

[mummra the ever living]

Woohoo! I got the final question on the final A-i-C of the year!!! Thanks!

Shame that Ellis has no projects on the immediate horizon with Marvel though!

I'd be very happy if Hickman took over the Avengers franchise! I would love to see Mike Carey on board though! That's the dream!

Merry Christmas true believers!

[FriendRoss]

It hurts my brain thinking about marvel's digital pricing structure


And then when someone raises the question they consistently act dumb and pretend they don't understand why there is a problem or how this is even an issue.


My local lcbs is the most poorly run business in town. Why marvel insists on tieing their fortunes to dinasours is beyond me

[Barry Convex]

Yes, I agree, there's going to be alot of price experimentation until the companies figure out how to make the most bucks from digital without killing the brick and mortar stores and their e-book graphic novel deals.

Retailer Brian Hibbs wrote an article for Tilting at Windmills on that theoretical potential of the digital comics market recently.

Hibbs is a smart guy and clearly passionate about what he does, but like many retailers, everything he says about digital and other non-DM revenue streams is filtered through the axiomatic assumption that the fate of the comics industry and that of the DM are one and the same. Which is arguably true in the short term, but three years from now? Five years from now?

Considering that a recent blog post by him on digital comics (which, to be fair, actually does make a few good points, such as that the current DM audience won't be convinced to switch to digital overnight) featured an unironic iPad/3Com Audrey analogy, I wouldn't take Hibbs as any kind of authority on the ultimate potential of the digital market.

Also, unlike other retailers, Hibbs has quite adamantly refused to diversify his business beyond comics to games and other merchandise, which will make it a lot harder for me to be sympathetic when and if Comix Experience ever goes under.

[Eobard Thawne]

It hurts my brain thinking about marvel's digital pricing structure


And then when someone raises the question they consistently act dumb and pretend they don't understand why there is a problem or how this is even an issue.


My local lcbs is the most poorly run business in town. Why marvel insists on tieing their fortunes to dinasours is beyond me

I feel the same way. I'm still not convicted that lowering day and date would,hurt the direct market. The purists are still going to buy physical copies even if the digital day and date is still a dollar cheaper. The direct market is still the bread and butter for Marvel and DC. I'd be curious to see if cheaper day and date digital would attract enough readers to justify the price decrease.

[Lemurion]

I find Marvel's digital pricing structure sends a very clear message.

Don't buy Marvel digital unless it's on sale.

There are a number of Marvel books that are on the bubble for me because they look interesting but not interesting enough to justify $3.99 sight-unseen. If Marvel followed the same policy as some other companies and dropped digital prices after they'd caught the initial release window I might try those books. Unfortunately, they don't.

IDW and Dynamite drop $3.99 books to $1.99 after about a month, why can't Marvel? If I like the book enough I'll start paying the $3.99 when it comes out; but even if I don't like it that much, I might like it enough to pay the $1.99 every month to read the stories a month or two behind.

As it is, Marvel's done a good job of directing my digital purchases (all I do these days) towards other companies.

I know it's not Axel making these decisions, but hopefully someone will read this thread and see that the lack of a clearly defined policy is hurting their sales.

[Armando]

My local lcbs is the most poorly run business in town. Why marvel insists on tieing their fortunes to dinasours is beyond me

Here. Here. I echo this sentiment. Real hard.

[Chris Beveridge]

I find Marvel's digital pricing structure sends a very clear message.

Don't buy Marvel digital unless it's on sale.

And that certainly doesn't really encourage experimentation or keeping up with things, which is one of their big selling points the last few years. But I have to admit, even with the regular sales, they don't get me to buy much because of their digital practices. It's pretty staggered and chaotic with what's available, what's same-day (yes, it all will be soon) and other things that when combined with $4 pricing just makes me walk away. And I'd like to be a fan. But what do they hook me for? Sales on stuff I bought when I was first a comic book fan, like Secret Wars and Squadron Supreme. Stuff that I know I'll get some value out of.

I look at their sales regularly, but very little says "must be", especially when they do repeat them and focus on stuff a couple of years out. I may not get that much when DC Comics does its big 101 sales, but I get far more than Marvel. And I'll even say that I pick and choose books by page length. I'll try the 50 page Batman or Superman or JL books that hit at that price. But the Marvel stuff is so deeply embedded in other books that it's still off-putting.

[shadow panther]

Woohoo! Ellis has no projects on the immediate horizon with Marvel

sorry i couldnt resist hijacking and editing your post

[FriendRoss]

I've gotten into the transformers ongoing, flash, aquaman, and batwing books via the 1.99 pricing strategy. Now I'm buying all those when they come out


Also. When I do buy floppy back issues. I do so knowing if I ask or not the guy will knock a percentage off at the cash register. Lcbs don't even stick to their own pricing model why is marvel

[Prince Of Orphans]

They have multiple teleporters on their rosters. the x-men would have no trouble getting there.

Unless they have teleporters that can cross themselves and others into another dimension only accessible through mystical means, yes they would have trouble getting there.

[West]

Avengers also have Strange

[HitechLolife]

Unless they have teleporters that can cross themselves and others into another dimension only accessible through mystical means, yes they would have trouble getting there.

You mean like their current main teleporter, who's name is 'Magik' and teleports by traveling through the demonic realm, Limbo(which she was also ruler of for much of her comic book existence.)?

Then there's their other current teleporter, Pixie whom Magik taught the same exact spell.