Double-Shipping Comics: Good, Bad, or Depends?

[Drew Mathieu]

A while back I did a thread on rotating art teams becoming the norm for Marvel and DC (big thanks to everyone that replied). While changing art teams have become more or less a necessity for many titles on the stands, double-shipping titles have become more of an oddity at Marvel nowadays. This isn't anything new for Marvel, since some titles have been doing this for years, and Point One helped bring it to more comics, Marvel's dedication to the initiative has only grown over the last year with multiple titles across the majority of their lines have double-shipping every other month. This can have pros (being done with a storyarc faster, getting to read your favorite book twice in one month) but it can also have some weaknesses (stories may drag their feet, multiple artist in a single storyline, more money spent in a give month.) For the most part this really depends on the reader and the comics being affected. But I wonder, in general, how does the average fan respond to double-ships?

[Hulk_Is]

This average fan responds favorably to double-shipping. I'm actually saddend when a title double-ships one month and then the following month it doesn't. Marvel, quit playing games with my heart! Stop it.

[CyberHubbs]

I like it. Most titles just add a few more issues to their yearly total, and I find that it just means stretching my budget a little farther to read my favorite comics.

[turtlefood]

I like it and dislike it for all the reasons you list :P

[Songbird/Diamondback]

Used to like it when it was one or two of my titles. When it's like all of them, then I get concerned.

[Paladin King]

i didn't mind it when it was just a couple of my titles, but now....yeah, I don't like it at all.

It costs way more money than I thought I'd be spending when I put titles on my pull-list and becomes harder to assess in general, as it's not like Spidey, where these books will ALWAYS double-ship. It's totally random.

It also means that it suddenly costs way more money to follow my favourite writers.

And finally, more double-shipping = fewer ongoings in general = less line diversity.

[CrazyOldHermit]

It depends. I only buy one Marvel ongoing so its not like doubleshipping completely whacks my stuff up. So my only problem is it messing with artwork. If the artist can handle it then I'm all for it.

[Xarcon]

i didn't mind it when it was just a couple of my titles, but now....yeah, I don't like it at all.

It costs way more money than I thought I'd be spending when I put titles on my pull-list and becomes harder to assess in general, as it's not like Spidey, where these books will ALWAYS double-ship. It's totally random.

It also means that it suddenly costs way more money to follow my favourite writers.

And finally, more double-shipping = fewer ongoings in general = less line diversity.

This.

I want to buy more Marvel books than I'm getting, but I just can't justify it. The fact that a lot of Marvel's books are $4.00, coupled with the double shipping, means it costs a lot more to follow Marvel books than it does with other publishers. I have a fixed comic book budget, which I max out every month, so when my Marvel books double ship, it means having to drop other books to make room. It sucks. I used to get about 12 or so ongoings from Marvel, but due to cancellations and an increased frequency of double shipping, I've reduced that list to 6 books (7 in August when Gambit comes out), and I'm currently trying to reduce it even further.

[Rasputin9977]

It's a terrible idea for fans who are on a budget. Lots of fans are unhappy with it.

[turtletrekker]

I like double-shipping for the most part, as long as its not every month. The regular then-triple, now double-shipping of Amazing Spider-Man is one of several reasons why I dropped that book.

[agent_graves]

Bad, eventually, the art will become inconsistant...

Oh, and less not forget, $8 a month for 40pgs of content, is unacceptable, unless of course , you love the character, and think it's worth it no matter what...

[ironbyte]

i totally like double shipping, because i like reading more of the comics i like...

btw, the economical crisis in italy help me to think it's best more of the comics i like than buy a lot of comics only for following numbering (collectiong reason), i buy also what i like (go hell the numbering-collectiong reason), and more of the comics i like (cutting the comics in past i bought for numbering) is the best............

[Kid Montana]

This.

I want to buy more Marvel books than I'm getting, but I just can't justify it. The fact that a lot of Marvel's books are $4.00, coupled with the double shipping, means it costs a lot more to follow Marvel books than it does with other publishers. I have a fixed comic book budget, which I max out every month, so when my Marvel books double ship, it means having to drop other books to make room. It sucks. I used to get about 12 or so ongoings from Marvel, but due to cancellations and an increased frequency of double shipping, I've reduced that list to 6 books (7 in August when Gambit comes out), and I'm currently trying to reduce it even further.

This. It's why I dropped the Incredible Hulk and the solo Cap title. $16 in one month to follow two titles was just too much to justify.

[Chiasm]

If it was my favorite book and the quality was there I'd probably love it regardless of price. Back when I first encountered double shipping in the late 80's / early 90's and it was Uncanny X-men, my fav book at the time, I loved it. But then only a few books did it and when they did it felt like it special. Now too many books do it and there is nothing special about any of it.

Unfortunately its rarely my favorite book and it forces me to choose what other books to drop. And the quality is hardly ever there due to the highly inconsistent art that comes out of it. Not to mention the writing often tends to get lazier with more focus on big splash pages rather than plot development.

$3.99 and double shipping is what finally led me to drop Marvel altogether after being a near Marvel exclusive reader for 25 years. I still cherish a lot of my memories of Marvel and I have an interest in the characters, kind of like I still remember some good times with my ex-wife, but I can't see myself getting back with Marvel anymore than I see myself getting back with my ex-wife.

[USERNAME TAKEN]

It's all a question of an individual's budget.

I like when my favorite titles are double shipped.

I afford the ones i can (at that time) and get the one's i can't later.