What makes a title worthy of 3.99 when 2.99 titles are the most critically acclaimed?

[RX-78-2]

Worth doesn't always apply, I don't know how they conclude on pricing. If its an main Avenger title (New, Uncanny, adjectivless) or X-Book (All New, Uncanny, WatXM, X-Forces, ect.) are gonna be 3.99, but doesn't mean they're worthy. I don't believe every x-book is worth that much, maybe All New X-Men and WatXM, but those have been solid titles so far. I have been preferring titles like Hawkguy, Dardevil, Thunderbolts, and FF and those are 2.99. Maybe the creative team has something to do with it, too. How else does Nova end up being 3.99? Because you got a name like McGuinness on it.

[infinitEEntropy]

Marvel might as well stop making comics and just focus on Marvel Studios and their movie making business.

[TsaiMeLemoni]

Of course making alot of money off of something is a success but is Iron Man or any other bad book that fans have hated but has made money off of the chracters name really something to be proud of? If making money is all Marvel cares about now then that makes me really sad and this industry is done for.

Please tell me what business ISN'T interested in making money at the end of the day. Just one. A company can be passionate about what they do, but have the basic knowledge that the only way to continue working in such a fashion is if they actually generate a profit.

Besides, if IM was truly as hated as you think, it wouldn't be selling what it does. Or any of the other top-selling books, for that matter. If you were to go simply by fan input (particularly on forums), then you'd think Captain Marvel was outselling the Avengers, as very few people complain about it as other books. To suggest that Marvel is still making money simply on the basis of Character or Creative team is to suggest that fans are by and large idiots to keep buying something they hate, which still doesn't bode well for your argument that a book is successful based on fan feedback.

I personally stopped buying IM, but that was because I wasn't on board with the art; I thought the writing itself was actually pretty good, and that the story had the chance to be very interesting. Which is why a lot of people have stayed on with the title.

Readers also aren't just buying books because of acclaim.

I suspect many comic fans are aware that Daredevil and Hawkeye are Marvel's most acclaimed monthlies. More readers are interested in Cable and X-Force, and willing to pay an extra dollar each month for it.

There is also this. I am aware that Hawkeye is apparently the best book in the history of comics, but I have absolutely zero interest in checking out the book. I've never bought an issue, and likely never will. Hawkeye simply doesn't interest me as much as Captain America, the Hulk, or the entirety of the Avengers.

[RX-78-2]

40 pages instead of 32. Oh wait, we're talking about Marvel. Free digital copy? Nope that costs $1 extra.

I forgot about digital, which makes sense to add to cost, but who the hell needs a digital copy if you physically own it? Just realized how useless that is...

[Home made ectoplasm]

Marvel might as well stop making comics and just focus on Marvel Studios and their movie making business. Because it seems like they don't give a shit about most of their books and fans anymore.

Your agenda is showing

[TsaiMeLemoni]

I forgot about digital, which makes sense to add to cost, but who the hell needs a digital copy if you physically own it? Just realized how useless that is...

I think maybe they were hoping to snag new readers to some of these titles by having the people who bought the 3.99 title either giving or trading the digital code. Or, trying the digital version and just switching to digital, since the cost are the same. That's what happened to me anyway; bought some random 3.99 book, and absolutely loved the way it looked on my tablet. I've been all digital since.

[infinitEEntropy]

Please tell me what business ISN'T interested in making money at the end of the day. Just one. A company can be passionate about what they do, but have the basic knowledge that the only way to continue working in such a fashion is if they actually generate a profit.

Besides, if IM was truly as hated as you think, it wouldn't be selling what it does. Or any of the other top-selling books, for that matter. If you were to go simply by fan input (particularly on forums), then you'd think Captain Marvel was outselling the Avengers, as very few people complain about it as other books. To suggest that Marvel is still making money simply on the basis of Character or Creative team is to suggest that fans are by and large idiots to keep buying something they hate, which still doesn't bode well for your argument that a book is successful based on fan feedback.

I personally stopped buying IM, but that was because I wasn't on board with the art; I thought the writing itself was actually pretty good, and that the story had the chance to be very interesting. Which is why a lot of people have stayed on with the title.



There is also this. I am aware that Hawkeye is apparently the best book in the history of comics, but I have absolutely zero interest in checking out the book. I've never bought an issue, and likely never will. Hawkeye simply doesn't interest me as much as Captain America, the Hulk, or the entirety of the Avengers.

I'm not saying that your wrong. I'm just saying that I think the problem is that if fans continue buying books that aren't up to their standards (and there are alot of people who do that) then Marvel will continue to not care about the quality of the stories they are putting out.

[neverender]

I forgot about digital, which makes sense to add to cost, but who the hell needs a digital copy if you physically own it? Just realized how useless that is...

Well you can sell your digital code over at Bleedingcool for $1! I personally don't like breaking my back getting an issue out of my boxes.

[infinitEEntropy]

I forgot about digital, which makes sense to add to cost, but who the hell needs a digital copy if you physically own it? Just realized how useless that is...

I like to have digital and physical copies of the books I read just for the collective aspect of the physical ones.

And also if you want to go back and reread an issue without worrying about damaging the physical one its useful.

[klinton]

Marvel might as well stop making comics and just focus on Marvel Studios and their movie making business. Because it seems like they don't give a shit about most of their books and fans anymore.

I'm seeing just the inverse. After a decade or so of reading only Captain America and dabbling with Avengers titles, I'm absolutely tripping balls on Marvel this past year. I've gone from reading five titles monthly to over thirty in the course of a year.

I litterally can't possibly list all of the things Marvel's doing right currently. Everywhere I turn I see an example of 'perfect!'. From Wanda's re-establishment as an Avenger, to Storm's reclaiming her place among the X-men, to Alex getting some shine, to a long awaited YA ongoing....everything. Everything. Perfect.

I forgot about digital, which makes sense to add to cost, but who the hell needs a digital copy if you physically own it? Just realized how useless that is...

I kinda like having a digital copy to share. It's at the point now where I get frustrated when discussing an older issue or 2.99$ title, because I cannot just pass them the code and share my joy with the issue.

I don't read digital myself, but it's fun to share them. :D

[Jumpoff!]

Of course making alot of money off of something is a success but is Iron Man or any other bad book that fans have hated but has made money off of the chracters name really something to be proud of? If making money is all Marvel cares about now then that makes me really sad and this industry is done for.

All marvel cares about is money. That's why they put out books is for money, Cm,JIM ect wont last very long because they aren't selling.

[TsaiMeLemoni]

I'm not saying that your wrong. I'm just saying that I think the problem is that if fans continue buying books that aren't up to their standards (and there are alot of people who do that) then Marvel will continue to not care about the quality of the stories they are putting out.

Please forgive me, but I simply refuse to believe that the majority of people buying these top selling books are doing it despite the fact that they hate/dislike the book. It just doesn't make sense, and there have been several people that complain about various titles reveal that they didn't buy the book, simply read through it in their LCS. I would have to think that most people would be logical and drop a book they don't enjoy.

I decided to drop Deadpool after issue 4, not because I dislike it, but because it just doesn't interest me anymore. There's no way I'd continue buying something I was no longer interested in. Maybe that's me putting too much stock into common sense, but I really don't think so. Then again, I wouldn't read through a book at my LCS just to complain about it later either, so...

[infinitEEntropy]

However I do like that Marvel at least throws in a digital copy of the 3.99 titles. So that makes it a little easier to swallow spending 4 dollors on the comics.

[Hawkingbird13]

I think it tends to have something to do with how big the name is compared to the others. Avengers etc. are more well known and tend to be more popular than things like Red She-Hulk and Hawkeye (which, in my opinion, are more enjoyable and give much more than their 2.99 price suggests). I'm not really sure why Fantastic Four is 2.99, considering that it has two films, another on the way and the majority of the people are at least vaguely aware that they exist.

For me to pay 3.99 for a comic, it has to have a roster or main character that I like, an interesting plot and not bore me. If I can go a few issues and struggle to remember what's going on or who's even in the book, I drop it and consider possibly picking it up in trade.

[Chiasm]

I think the reason 2nd tier titles might be more critically acclaimed is because writers have more freedom to take chances. Characters like Spidey and Wolverine will never significantly change. If they supposedly die (Peter Parker in #700) then its an absolute fact of the comic book universe that its only temporary as shown in very next Spidey issue (Superior #1) where we learn he isn't in fact dead. Compare that to a book like X-Factor which is usually critically acclaimed where every character could in fact die or have something permanently change them. It doesn't mean good stories can't be told in the A list books, it just means its much harder to do so since you are so limited in what you can write.