WLG #240: Raising the Price of WLG!

By Michael A. Diaz

First off, a big "thank you" to Paul Brian McCoy for pinch hitting for me yet again. I appreciate it much more than he knows I am sure.

Next, another thing that's been bothering me: price increases on comic books.

Now, I realize that this is a business and that comic book companies need to make money. In fact, the big two are publicly traded companies, so really, it is their duty to their stockholders to make money for them. Thing is, looking online one can see that Marvel is quite profitable right now. Sure, Iron Man was a hit movie for them, but I'm not even talking about that. Unlike many years ago, Marvel's publishing division is in the black.

They're making money.

But, if there's a demand and customers are willing to pay $3.99 per comic, well, that's just that much more profit that Marvel can make, which as I noted above, is really what Marvel is supposed to do for their shareholders. The question about how much profit is enough is one that I won't get into, as really, there isn't always a definitive answer.

I guess ultimately sales will show whether or not the market can support a 33% price increase on comics. I'm thinking that most comic book readers can, and will, support that jump in price. Sure, they might not buy as many comics, but books like any of the X-titles or something starring the Avengers will be just fine. Books right on that cusp of profitability? Probably not.

Of course, the word on the street is that Marvel will only be raising the price on their big name books, leaving smaller books at the lower price point. One can look at this two different ways. The first is that Marvel is willing to take a loss on a lower selling book if there’s a good enough critical response knowing full well they'll more than make that money back on the aforementioned X- and Avenger-titles. I guess that's cool for smaller books that maybe deserved more of a chance, like The Order. Or, and this is a much more cynical view, being that we know that Marvel is already in the black they're making profit on some of the those smaller books and realize that most people are going to keep buying those X- and Avengers-titles so why not make even MORE profit?

(Mind you, I'm only picking on Marvel because they are their own publicly traded company so it is easier to find information on just them, whereas DC is part of the Time-Warner entertainment conglomerate, so their profits or lack thereof can be hidden deep within the numbers of the TW accounting department)

I've seen prices go up for years now. I remember when comics were 75 cents apiece. Eventually comics moved toward $1.00/each, with some of those books on nicer paper as much as $1.25/each. Of course, those older $1.00 comics back in the day were printed on newsprint. Obviously comics now are on much nicer paper that better captures all of the wonderful colors that are available now. I get it that prices have to go up.

But a 33% jump?

Perhaps I'm just old now and I'm just a grumpy old man bitching, but honestly, I can't say that I support that price. I'm kind of screwed because I love the core X-books, but I'm telling you what, I think I'm going to have to cut anything that says "Avengers..." on it now. Likewise, I think I'm going to be far less likely to check out random books that I do now.

And, of course, there will be the cull. Every collector goes through this as some point, when the number of titles collected is just too many and masses of books are cut from the Pull List. I know I'm going to be cutting many, many books over the next few months.

Why? Well, I spend about $30/wk. on comic books. I'm not ready to see that number jump up to $40/wk. (a 33% increase). I love comics, I do, and true, $40/wk. is still cheaper than some habits that are bad for you (like smoking), but I just can't justify it anymore.

In fact, ever since I heard about the increases in price I have been thinking very seriously about dropping monthly "floppies" altogether and becoming one of those "trade only" collectors.

Yeah, I'm a cranky old man.

What about you? Do you think the price jumps are going to affect what you collect and if you drop titles?

Now, something else on my mind, though a touch more positive: The Dark Knight. Yeah, it came out today, and I have to admit that I've been tempted to buy a Blue-Ray player just so that I can watch a BR disc of this movie.

I rewatched it this past weekend (don't ask how) and though I was doubtful this summer as to whether or not it was the best superhero movie of this year, or even all time, I have to say that upon a second viewing it might very well be. At the end of the summer I was kind of thinking "yeah, The Dark Knight was awesome, but I think I liked Iron Man more." Well, since then I have watched both again, and like I said, with that second viewing, away from the hype and anticipation of each movie, I am starting to realize that the The Dark Knight could very well be the greatest comic book movie ever made.

Let's put it this way: when Iron Man came out on home video at no point did I think "I should buy a BR-payer and this movie" yet here I am considering that very thing for The Dark Knight. I think that pretty much says it all.

Anyone else excited about the DVD release today?

Yeah, I want to watch it yet again.

But enough of my yawing on and on; let's check out What Looks Good...

DC

GREEN ARROW / BLACK CANARY #15 $2.99 (Andrew Kreisberg / Mike Norton)

OK, if you've been reading my column for the last year or so you know that I love and obsess over Green Arrow / Black Canary; for a long time it has been one of my favorite books, bar none. For me, it has always been about the family created within the pages of this book, via stories told by Judd Winick.

Let's face it, when Kevin Smith left I kept buying the book, but honestly, I don't even remember who wrote the book then and I don't seem to recall any of the stories. In fact, I remember thinking to myself "I need to drop this book; I'm not even reading it anymore.

Then Winick was announced as the new incoming writer, so I stuck around and I think you know all the rest. Yes, I am a Judd Winick fanboy.

And now he's gone; also, from the solicitation for this issue it looks like Oliver's son and Speedy are departing the book for now as well.

Will I still like the book?

I'm hoping so, and I am more than willing to give the new writer a shot; over the years I've fallen in love with GA and BC (via her previous book Birds of Prey) and I look forward to many more years of their adventures.

Here's to hoping I'm right!

GREEN LANTERN CORPS #31 $2.99 (Peter J. Tomasi / Pat Gleason)

*spoilers if you have not yet read the last issue; if not, I'd skip down to the next comic*

After going to the Zamaron homeworld to investigate the new violet power battery the GLC have learned that the Zamaron's really have no intention of playing nice. The Green Lantern power battery is powered by will, so one might naturally assume that love, the power of the Zamaron violet power battery would be a natural ally. However, in the last issue we clearly saw that the Zamaron's were attempting to "cure" members of the Sinestro Corps (who use the yellow rings powered by fear) by bathing them in the violet light of love.

The GLs and Guardian return back to Oa, where the Guardians decide that love is far too dangerous, and as such decree that no two members of the corps may be allowed to love each other.

Yeah, banishing love, that's going to solve all kinds of problems for the Guardians and the Green Lanterns.

Of course, this is odd to me, especially when we already know that one of the secretly rogue Guardians has already created the first member of the Blue Lantern Corps, who is powered by the blue energy of hope.

But what is hope without love?

Perhaps that is a bigger question that will be asked and answered sometime during the coming "Blackest Night" event.

See, with big questions like that how can I NOT get geeked about this from month to month?

MARVEL

PUNISHER: WAR ZONE #1 (OF 6) $3.99 (Garth Ennis / Steve Dillon)

Remember all of that ranting up above about $3.99 comic books.

Well, I didn't fall for the trap weeks ago when Marvel released that Astonishing X-Men: Ghost Boxes mini-series, with the first issue being a whopping eight pages of story and the rest of the pages filled with ancillary "bonus" material (or crap; whatever you want to call it). I thought that was a fair amount of money for a whole bunch of nothing.

I was ready to think the same about this.

But I can't.

Why?

Well, it was Garth Ennis that brought back Frank Castle. It was because that first maxi-series by Dillon and Ennis that I came back to comics after several years. Dillon moved on to other titles, but Ennis stayed on and over the years he has written what I believe to be the definitive take on the Punisher. His run was completely brilliant and nearly flawless; I hold it up as one of my favorite comics, and my favorite comic book runs of all time.

Not that Dillon wasn't awesome as well. The two of them working together made an awesomely violent and hilarious take on Frank Castle.

So how can I not pick this up? It's one of the best creative teams ever to have touched the Punisher working together for six more weekly issues. Of course Marvel needs to pick this series to be sold at $3.99 a pop.

Oh, Marvel, why must you play these games?

You know the mentality of a fan boy and I MUST have this.

But $3.99.

Man, I want this book so much...but it will be done in just six weeks.

Hmmm....maybe Michael should wait for the trade. Something tells me it will be cheaper than the $24 that these individual issues will cost.

---

What comics did you get geeked out about this week? I’d love to hear about them. Just stop by the WLG message boards (see link below) and share your thoughts!

See you next week!

Until then, peace!

-Diaz

---

Were Diaz's picks on the mark?
Have your say on What Looks Good at the Looking Good message board.

---