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

[Deus ex Chris]

sorry i couldnt resist hijacking and editing your post

Someone should hijack and edit your tastes.

Anyway, it's disheartening to see Alonso's company line respone to the pricing question. If there's any real justification for keeping digital pricing so high, then I'd love to hear it. I mean, someone should be able to tell me why I should pay so much for a little bit of data that didn't cost as much to produce as the physical copies of the same comic. That's a reasonable request.

[Lemurion]

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.

I look at all their sales, too - but they very rarely have the books I want. I'd pay $1.99 for the new Cap series - but all they have on sale are the first 25 issues of the last one - and if I want to read those I just have to go to the bookshelf and grab the Omnibus.

I want to buy more Marvel in digital - but their pricing model makes it really hard.

[OmniAural]

There's no way I'd pay the same price for digital as for a floppy simply because it IS digital and I'll never truly own it the same way as a hard copy.

Most digital users are used to paying 3.99 ONCE for an app why would they equate the same value to a digital copy of a comic?

I can see that Marvel would need to see the potential for three or four times the sales potential before dropping the main price in order to make it worth it but it's a bit of a chicken and egg scenario unless they decide the risk is worth taking.

If I were them I'd trial it on a handful of series (like Amazing, WATX or Avengers) to see if that draws in the uninitiated.

Perhaps even give away digital codes via magazines/websites which digital users may read/visit.

The rule of thumb in the marketing world is that if you can afford an iPad then you have money to burn which is evidenced by the greater value of purchases via the platform compared to other devices.

All they need to do is show these potential buyers why they need to be buying comics as a consumable form of entertainment. I can buy a few tracks on iTunes for the price of a comic book so it doesn't seem great value in comparison. Especially given the regularity of releases and the number of titles you have to buy to keep up with what's happening.

That could suggest that a more succesful model for digital would be standalone series or issues where you're not pulled into other titles for the beginning, middle or end of a story.

[Prince Of Orphans]

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.

I'd assume it takes a bit more than the clicking of heels to find a dimension you've (probably) never heard of. It may not even be the Avengers HQ either, could just be a bridge from point A to point B.

[maniacmatt]

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

That's really unfortunate, but you think that every LCS in the country is run the same way? That's simply not the case. In fact, most of the stores that are still around are the really good ones. After so many went out of business in the nineties, there wasn't much room left for bad stores. Just because yours is bad, doesn't give you any right to wish for everyone who works in a comic store to lose money.

And that aside, it isn't Marvel "tying their fortune to dinosaurs", it's Marvel trying to continue to use a lucrative revenue source. Currently, the direct market is what drives business, and it will probably be that way for some time yet. There's no reason that digital has to replace print. Why can't it be additive?

[HitechLolife]

I'd assume it takes a bit more than the clicking of heels to find a dimension you've (probably) never heard of. It may not even be the Avengers HQ either, could just be a bridge from point A to point B.

If you're not prepared to accept a character who's main powerset involves the magical teleportation through immortal realms then why did you bother asking for your original qualifier? She constantly does this kind of thing, most recently to cytorraks dimension.

[Prince Of Orphans]

If you're not prepared to accept a character who's main powerset involves the magical teleportation through immortal realms then why did you bother asking for your original qualifier? She constantly does this kind of thing, most recently to cytorraks dimension.

My mistake, i didn't know she was in possession of a road map to all the other dimensions, but again, she'd have to be aware of K'un L'un's existence/whereabouts to do anything. And then there's the question of how she'd find out the Avengers are stationed there to begin with (providing they are).

[HitechLolife]

My mistake, i didn't know she was in possession of a road map to all the other dimensions, but again, she'd have to be aware of K'un L'un's existence/whereabouts to do anything. And then there's the question of how she'd find out the Avengers are stationed there to begin with (providing they are).

You shifted the goal posts from someone who can teleport to magical realms to someone who has knowledge of the particular whereabouts of where someone is hiding out. You could have pulled that one out if they were hiding in an abandoned pizza hut.

[shadow panther]

Someone should hijack and edit your tastes.

nothing wrong with my tastes, i happen to like the guys work, but i will not put any money in his pocket until he finishes newuniversal. i feel ripped off and will not support anything he does until it has been finished.

[Prince Of Orphans]

You shifted the goal posts from someone who can teleport to magical realms to someone who has knowledge of the particular whereabouts of where someone is hiding out. You could have pulled that one out if they were hiding in an abandoned pizza hut.

I was just giving a possible idea as to why K'un L'un would be a place of interest in the story, as the article stated. I assumed another dimension would be a more ideal HQ than an empty fast food place.

As for shifting the goal posts, I'm not sure what you mean. I was just providing possible answers as to why the X-Men may not find this possible HQ. Regardless, it's up to the writers. If they want the HQ to remain secret, it'll remain secret. If not, then they'll work that in.

[ian33407]

Is there love for ANT-MAN over here ?

Sure, and I wouldn't mind a title featuring the three of them; take some hollidays Mr Ellis..


Merry Christmas to all

[Sebastos]

While Axel didn't exactly answer my question, I'm happy with the response. Can't wait to see what's in store for Danny come next year. The year of the dragon indeed.

[FriendRoss]

That's really unfortunate, but you think that every LCS in the country is run the same way? That's simply not the case. In fact, most of the stores that are still around are the really good ones. After so many went out of business in the nineties, there wasn't much room left for bad stores. Just because yours is bad, doesn't give you any right to wish for everyone who works in a comic store to lose money.

And that aside, it isn't Marvel "tying their fortune to dinosaurs", it's Marvel trying to continue to use a lucrative revenue source. Currently, the direct market is what drives business, and it will probably be that way for some time yet. There's no reason that digital has to replace print. Why can't it be additive?

you will have to excuse me for speaking in generalities but i think its closer to they are all baddly run then they are all well run


they where saying the same thing about the horse and buggy industry and tv/vcr repair man union before they went under


milk men made a strong run at it because they where so personable

[maniacmatt]

you will have to excuse me for speaking in generalities but i think its closer to they are all baddly run then they are all well run


they where saying the same thing about the horse and buggy industry and tv/vcr repair man union before they went under


milk men made a strong run at it because they where so personable

That analogy is inaccurate. It's apples and oranges. In the cases you said, those "apples" were phased out over time in favor of an unarguably better "apple." This case with print and digital is that someone recently discovered oranges after the apple industry has suffered through some hard times, and is now declaring oranges the savior of the apple industry, but as long as they get rid of all the apples.

Digital and print can and should co-exist. They're different mediums with different strengths and weaknesses.

I've been to comic shops all across Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona and one in Texas, and I've yet to find a truly terrible shop. Obviously some are better than others, but for the most part I've found them to provide a positive experience. I'm sorry that yours has been negative, but I don't really understand how that can justify you wanting all of them to shut down. That's thousands of people losing their jobs and an entire medium of art going extinct. Doesn't that seem a bit drastic to you?

[Lemurion]

I agree with maniacmatt.

I read most of my comics digitally; but I still buy hardcovers and trade collections. I'm the same way with books; I read a lot of ebooks but that hasn't stopped me from spending $200 a month at the bookstore.

Print and digital can and should co-exist, and as the digital side matures I think we'll see prices move to reflect the differences and relative values of the two formats. Right now, the consensus is that digital is worth less than print, but there are people willing to pay more than they think digital is really worth for earlier access.

We'll just have to see how it all shakes out; though I don't think Marvel is doing themselves many favors by keeping their pricing scheme at odds with the rest of the industry.