Batman Writer Argues Against Planned Series Price Hike

[StewShearerOld]

Batman Writer Argues Against Planned Series Price Hike

[tweet t=https://twitter.com/Ssnyder1835/status/517770465348423680]

<a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/tag/view/batman>Batman writer Scott Snyder is pushing for DC to alter plans to increase the series' price to $4.99 an issue.

<a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/comicsandcosplay/12354-Thor-Inhumans-Grayson-more-this-weeks-comics-collection>Comic books are expensive. Granted, they might not seem so at first glance. After all, where else can you get a book of hand drawn art for less than you'd spend on a coffee at Starbucks? That being the case, when you're following multiple books and have to keep opening your wallet week after week and month after month to keep up with all the different universes and storylines, the cost of comic collection can add up quick.

That being the case, recently announced that it will soon be raising the price of Scott Snyder's popular Batman series. The price hike will add an extra dollar onto the book's current $3.99 pirce tag, making it one of the most expensive monthly series on the market. It was a move that understandably upset many Batfans who were unhappy about the prospect about having to spend more to get their monthly dose of the Dark Knight. As the news broke however, they found unlikely ally: Snyder himself.

"Regading the price point Batman," said Snyder <a href=https://twitter.com/Ssnyder1835/status/517770465348423680>on Twitter. "[Greg Capullo] and I heard about it yesterday w/you, and quickly made a case to DC about reducing. 1/2." He would Tweet again <a href=https://twitter.com/Ssnyder1835/status/517770912054407168>moments later that "DC are taking it very seriously" and instructed his followers to "stay tuned."

Now, to be fair, DC isn't just raising the book's price arbitrarily. Beginning with Snyder's upcoming Endgame storyline, the size of each Batman single issue will be jumping up to 40 pages, 30 of which will be devoted to story content. In other words, while you'll be spending more, each individual book will contain more than they did in the past. With many comic fans already struggling to justify the cost of their hobby however, any sort of increase is bound to look bad. Add in the fact that a popular book like Batman could easily serve as a precedent setter and there's even more fuel for outrage. We've reached out to DC for further comments.

Source: Bleeding Cool


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[faefrost]

They have not figured out why Digital is quickly over running them in using their own product? $.99 and the fans will come and read and read for a long time. $1.99 for the good stuff. There is an art to getting your product into the right sweet spot for pricing. But going well over that will kill your industry. This is how Apple succeeded with iTunes. The first comics publisher to figure this out will laugh all the way to the bank.

 

[P-89 Scorpion]

Well Marvel has been charging $4.99 for all it's comics for years and it's comics sell just as well so what's the problem or is this just another anti DC article from the pro Marvel escapist.

 

[Trishbot]

Well Marvel has been charging $4.99 for all it's comics for years and it's comics sell just as well so what's the problem or is this just another anti DC article from the pro Marvel escapist.

Have they? The numbers fluctuate, but there were more comic book readers in many prior years.
1997 100.32 million copies $244.39 million
1998 84.45 million copies $210.65 million
1999 78.08 million copies $202.54 million
2000 69.26 million copies $190.75 million
2001 66.92 million copies $186.98 million
2002 70.27 million copies $196.65 million
2003 73.02 million copies $207.19 million
2004 74.14 million copies $213.24 million
2005 76.13 million copies $221.73 million
2006 81.85 million copies $252.18 million
2007 85.27 million copies $270.00 million
2008 81.34 million copies $263.00 million
2009 74.88 million copies $257.88 million
2010 69.20 million copies $245.72 million
2011 72.13 million copies $248.44 million
2012 80.55 million copies $285.02 million
2013 84.51 million copies $308.71 million

 

[P-89 Scorpion]

Well Marvel has been charging $4.99 for all it's comics for years and it's comics sell just as well so what's the problem or is this just another anti DC article from the pro Marvel escapist.

Have they? The numbers fluctuate, but there were more comic book readers in many prior years.
1997 100.32 million copies $244.39 million
1998 84.45 million copies $210.65 million
1999 78.08 million copies $202.54 million
2000 69.26 million copies $190.75 million
2001 66.92 million copies $186.98 million
2002 70.27 million copies $196.65 million
2003 73.02 million copies $207.19 million
2004 74.14 million copies $213.24 million
2005 76.13 million copies $221.73 million
2006 81.85 million copies $252.18 million
2007 85.27 million copies $270.00 million
2008 81.34 million copies $263.00 million
2009 74.88 million copies $257.88 million
2010 69.20 million copies $245.72 million
2011 72.13 million copies $248.44 million
2012 80.55 million copies $285.02 million
2013 84.51 million copies $308.71 million

2013 is the 3rd highest year in issue sales in your chart while having most revenue, comics are as healthy as they have ever been since the end of the newsstand comic in the late 70's early 80's with the introduction of arcade's to devour young kids pocket money.

 

[Trishbot]

Well Marvel has been charging $4.99 for all it's comics for years and it's comics sell just as well so what's the problem or is this just another anti DC article from the pro Marvel escapist.

Have they? The numbers fluctuate, but there were more comic book readers in many prior years.
1997 100.32 million copies $244.39 million
1998 84.45 million copies $210.65 million
1999 78.08 million copies $202.54 million
2000 69.26 million copies $190.75 million
2001 66.92 million copies $186.98 million
2002 70.27 million copies $196.65 million
2003 73.02 million copies $207.19 million
2004 74.14 million copies $213.24 million
2005 76.13 million copies $221.73 million
2006 81.85 million copies $252.18 million
2007 85.27 million copies $270.00 million
2008 81.34 million copies $263.00 million
2009 74.88 million copies $257.88 million
2010 69.20 million copies $245.72 million
2011 72.13 million copies $248.44 million
2012 80.55 million copies $285.02 million
2013 84.51 million copies $308.71 million

2013 is the 3rd highest year in issue sales in your chart while having most revenue, comics are as healthy as they have ever been since the end of the newsstand comic in the late 70's early 80's with the introduction of arcade's to devour young kids pocket money.

I should clarify that the growth of iTunes and mobile/Kindle versions of comics have skyrocketed in comparison to print media, including revenue despite being nearly 80% cheaper in many cases.

But, you are right, but everything before 1997 was much higher readership. The revenue is, like jacked up 3D movie prices, an offset of less readers paying more to offset the loss of readership in the past.

 

[Ticklefist]

I'll always remember how I compared Scott Snyder to Jeph Loeb in a non-complimentary way on CBR and he responded with the nicest PM you could imagine. I felt so horrible afterwards.

Scott Snyder makes people feel horrible!

 

[P-89 Scorpion]

Well Marvel has been charging $4.99 for all it's comics for years and it's comics sell just as well so what's the problem or is this just another anti DC article from the pro Marvel escapist.

Have they? The numbers fluctuate, but there were more comic book readers in many prior years.

2013 is the 3rd highest year in issue sales in your chart while having most revenue, comics are as healthy as they have ever been since the end of the newsstand comic in the late 70's early 80's with the introduction of arcade's to devour young kids pocket money.

I should clarify that the growth of iTunes and mobile/Kindle versions of comics have skyrocketed in comparison to print media, including revenue despite being nearly 80% cheaper in many cases.

But, you are right, but everything before 1997 was much higher readership. The revenue is, like jacked up 3D movie prices, an offset of less readers paying more to offset the loss of readership in the past.

First you have to remember that the comics industry was artificially inflated from the speculator bubble that started in 1985 and ended in 1997 ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comic_book_collecting#Bust_of_the_speculator_market )

So saying it was higher readership is not that accurate as the speculator's didn't read comics they were treating them as an investment.

Also digital comics are growing rapidly but they still make less than print if the title is popular, while only about 70 comics sell over 30,000 issues on a regular basis if those became digital sales the publisher's and creators would lose out it's only with very low under 10,000 issue print runs were digital is more profitable.

Plus the entire US comic industry is tied to collectors they make up the vast bulk over casual readers which as we have seen in the video game industry are short term and very fickle.

 

[Seracen]

Didn't newspapers make money off ads, and thus could afford to be sold for $1.00 or less back in the day? Hell you can get year long magazine subscriptions (even some videogame periodicals) for $30 or less per YEAR (and there's arguably more work put into a magazine). Yeah, there's something to be said about that. When your demo is still primarily kids, leave the pricing scheme as low as possible. Save the crazier stuff for the old-guard and die-hards (like statues and such).

Still, this doesn't affect me until they decide to raise the price of graphic novels (get the whole story at once, and more cost effective to boot). There's a reason I don't buy trades anymore...that (pricing) and knowing what stories are actually worth the payoff by the time it gets to anthologized format.

 

[Li Mu]

That being the case, when you're following multiple books and have to keep opening your wallet week after week and month after month to keep up with all the different universes and storylines, the cost of comic collection can add up quick.

Nobody is forcing you to read several story lines.
That argument is pretty weak.

 

[Something Amyss]

More than a couple bucks for any comic is just insane. But hey, if people are paying for it...

 

[Fox12]

They have not figured out why Digital is quickly over running them in using their own product? $.99 and the fans will come and read and read for a long time. $1.99 for the good stuff. There is an art to getting your product into the right sweet spot for pricing. But going well over that will kill your industry. This is how Apple succeeded with iTunes. The first comics publisher to figure this out will laugh all the way to the bank.

Pretty much, digital distrution is the future of the industry. In fact, it can save a stagnant business, and even expand it. Can't find an issue? They're all available online. New to comics? Have recommendations and intro videos. Hard to find a good comic shop, and you don't have many people in your life who share this particular hobby? Build up a loyal fanbase and community on the same site you sell your merchandise. Webcomics are already experimentng with the medium. Ava's demon has inserted music and animation, and uses unusual artistic designs. The path is so clear, and the industry is so behind, I just don't get it.

 

[McMarbles]

I remember when these things were fifty cents. A buck got you a 48-pager with no ads...

 

[Liam Steel]

When I started reading comics things were fine, two or three bucks for my monthly Daredevil no big deal. Funny how quickly those cheap comic books can add up on you once you start branching out.