Marvel's Falling Sales 6 6

[1Cool]

4 hours ago, Juswuh said:

Musicians from more than one long-established band have said it isn't worth their time/money to put out a new album these days...

It is all in a person's perspective.  I'm sure those bands are use to million dollar signing bonuses and royalty checks that a person could retire on.  I'd suspect the young guys who were working as a bagger at a grocery store would love to make the new money being thrown at bands. 

[ComicConnoisseur]

4 hours ago, Juswuh said:

Musicians from more than one long-established band have said it isn't worth their time/money to put out a new album these days...

With the old super groups they make more money touring than putting out a new album nowadays. Rock n rolll seems to have followed down the same path of comics. Last really big in the late 80s to early 90s. Sales of super rock groups are way down.  The new younger generation turned to hip-hop,country and edm.

[ComicConnoisseur]

8 hours ago, Hamlet said:

I'd love to know how many subscriptions they have to Marvel Unlimited, and what the demographics of those subscribers look like.  I would suspect that that is how the majority of people under 25 would buy comics these days.

Citing low print runs as the death of comics is like citing CD sales as the death of music.  Music isn't going away, it just gets sold on iTunes these days instead of on a plastic disk.

The real long term determiner of Marvel's success in comics will be how many of those subscriptions they can sell, not how many floppies they sell, IMO.  

I think that might be the model for a lot of comic readers now and not just under 25. Kind of like most people don`t buy dvds or blu-rays now when they got Netflix,You-Tube,Amazon Prime or Hulu.

I can't remember the last time I bought a DVD and I use to own over 2000. DVDs were a big part of my collecting life between 2000-2006.so when things change they change. lol.

Edited April 11, 2017 by ComicConnoisseur

[Jeffro.]

I will still buy CDs and DVDs/Blue Rays on occasion. They are still widely in use. I just like having something tangible. Kinda like comic book collecting

[1Cool]

It's sad that I consider a run to Redbox a waste of time.  I know it's a couple bucks cheaper then just ordering the movie direct but once you factor running to get it and remembering to return it the next day I usually just pony up the couple bucks.  I'm so spoiled

[rjrjr]

22 hours ago, nWo_22 said:

Variants are like beer prices at the ballparks, if you people keep buying them (just look at eBay) comic publishers will keep making them.

It's the comic communties fault that variants exist.  I don't even listen to variant covers complaints from anyone anymore.

Marvel Comics seems though is on the verge of bringing back all the characters from what I gathering from that article that started this thread that we love and hold dear because the only color that means anything in our capitalistic country is GREEN!  The market has spoken and Marvel Comics has failed in recent years so they have no choice but to bring this whole thing back to formula.

It was a pathetic attempt from the house of stupidity to think a male dominated marketplace would want to see a female versions of their beloved characters in a laughable attempt again to bring new readership in the mix. Gee you mean it didn't work how shocking.  

There is obviously nothing wrong with bringing diversity into the mix, however not in this forced manner.  If someone or a group wants a comic book character that represents them then thats is awesome and I don't think anyone would be opposed to that obviously. However be creative and create a new character that is representative of that diverse change instead of being lazy and having no talent what so ever.

They will bring the characters back with new #1s, tons of variants, and in an event.  Exactly what everyone has been clamoring for. 

Marvel will see the sales and continue to do more of the same.  Rinse and repeat.

[rjrjr]

20 hours ago, 1Cool said:

Why?  Was it evident that the series was limited in nature?  That Batman #1 was a key books for awhile and I know people were paying $200 for even raw copies.  It had all the markings of a long term hit for everything I was seeing up until they relaunched (again).

Which makes those people paying that money fools IMHO.  Does anyone really think Marvel (or DC) won't reboot a title.

Look at the ridiculous money being spent on comics of characters that have no hope of retaining a title long term?  Squirrel Girl?  Ms America?  All flash in in the pan characters who nobody is going to care about in a few years.  Unless of course, Marvel put them in a movie for a few minutes.

"Look, look!  I have a comics version of a character in a movie.  Yes, the character looks nothing like the paper version and yes, the character acts nothing like the paper version, but still!"

Edited April 11, 2017 by rjrjr

[rjrjr]

1 hour ago, ComicConnoisseur said:

I think that might be the model for a lot of comic readers now and not just under 25. Kind of like most people don`t buy dvds or blu-rays now when they got Netflix,You-Tube,Amazon Prime or Hulu.

I can't remember the last time I bought a DVD and I use to own over 2000. DVDs were a big part of my collecting life between 2000-2006.so when things change they change. lol.

Why would someone spend money on one of these services?  I'm not kidding when I say every new comic is available for free on the Internet using a standard browser.  Go to Google and type "comics online free" and you'll see what I'm talking about!

We had a discussion not too long ago where people had no qualms about ripping off eBay.  In fact, they were encouraging others to do just that.  I'm sure nobody has a problem with this right?

Edited April 11, 2017 by rjrjr

[lizards2]

56 minutes ago, Jerkfro said:

I will still buy CDs and DVDs/Blue Rays on occasion. They are still widely in use. I just like having something tangible. Kinda like comic book collecting

Jackwagonfro!

I bought about 15 cds this past year.  Have a huge collection of albums, cassettes, CDs.  My son recently took off on album collecting, and bought me a new LP player for Christmas.

[Prince Namor]

10 hours ago, Hamlet said:

I'd love to know how many subscriptions they have to Marvel Unlimited, and what the demographics of those subscribers look like.  I would suspect that that is how the majority of people under 25 would buy comics these days.

Citing low print runs as the death of comics is like citing CD sales as the death of music.  Music isn't going away, it just gets sold on iTunes these days instead of on a plastic disk.

The real long term determiner of Marvel's success in comics will be how many of those subscriptions they can sell, not how many floppies they sell, IMO.  

A couple of years ago, Diamond introduced a program for retailers to create a web hosting sight to sell digital comics within their stores. It was very quickly pulled.

Behind the scenes, the publishers, at least Marvel and DC, realize they can eliminate the middle men (Diamond) and the retailers and do what they've wanted all along and make all the money for themselves.

That's why those digital numbers have become TOP SECRET.

The best you can get is a Comixology top sellers list, which is always interesting when books like Paper Girls and even Champions make the Top Ten.

Regular Top Sellers include the Walking Dead tpb's, the Saga tpb's, Dark Knight issues from 1986, and almost no Marvel. My Little Pony, Locke and Key, Injustice...When Marvel does show up it's an issue of Hawkeye and then a bunch of random issues of Ms. Marvel. Granted, Marvel's hardcore readers are probably buying through their Marvel Unlimited, but it'd sure be interesting to see what the digital numbers really are....

[ComicConnoisseur]

2 hours ago, rjrjr said:

Why would someone spend money on one of these services?  I'm not kidding when I say every new comic is available for free on the Internet using a standard browser.  Go to Google and type "comics online free" and you'll see what I'm talking about!

We had a discussion not too long ago where people had no qualms about ripping off eBay.  In fact, they were encouraging others to do just that.  I'm sure nobody has a problem with this right?

I could do the same thing watching free NFL,NBA live-streams or streaming last weeks Hollywood blockbuster's movies from China. Just don't want to do it because most of those sites have malware.

I rather just pay my measly $4.99 a month to Comixology which is owned by Amazon so I don't have to deal with future stress with computer viruses.

Edited April 11, 2017 by ComicConnoisseur

[ComicConnoisseur]

2 hours ago, Jerkfro said:

I will still buy CDs and DVDs/Blue Rays on occasion. They are still widely in use. I just like having something tangible. Kinda like comic book collecting

I have a friend who still only buys cds. His argument is the cds are higher quality sound, and he owns them outright. Said he is having a field day collecting cds, and a lot of fun because most cds can be had for under a buck.

[ComicConnoisseur]

3 hours ago, 1Cool said:

It's sad that I consider a run to Redbox a waste of time.  I know it's a couple bucks cheaper then just ordering the movie direct but once you factor running to get it and remembering to return it the next day I usually just pony up the couple bucks.  I'm so spoiled

Plus you are saving gas and time by going to Red Box back and forth, so it probably evens out.

[classicaaron]

comics will never go away just like dvds and cds will never go away.  people always ask why I still buy dvds.  its because I want to watch a movie when I want to watch it.  I cant stand relying on Netflix to currently have it or if the streaming service goes down, plus the picture and sound quality is no where close to blu ray quality.  when I browse those services they very rarely have any movies even worth watching.  I guess if your not a true movie fan Netflix works but than again might as well just watch basic cable at that point.  but im also not the average person to sit and watch movies in their living room on a 40" tv.  I have a 110" with 7.2 surround and rumble chairs in a theatre room so I expect better quality so paying $20 for a blu ray is no big deal.  I enjoy the experience as its better and cheaper doing this than going to the theatre for like $30 a couple and dealing with insufficiently_thoughtful_persons walking around and talking.  and cds, I can buy brand new ones almost always for $9.99, the digital version is $11.99.  why would I not buy the physical copy for less and have something as a back up if my computer crashes.  technology is for suckers.

back to comics, ill take a physical copy everytime.  artwork doesn't translate digitally to me the same way actual paper does.  and while theres millions of dollar books out there by far most of my collection is worth more than cover so in a bind I could always sell them, not much hope of selling digital items everyone gets with a sub.

[1Cool]

The worse thing about the forced diversity in books that it really stinks of desperation.  A drowning man flapping his arms in a last ditch effort to stay afloat.  I don't like to think of Marvel or DC comics as being in that situation.

Edited April 11, 2017 by 1Cool

[ADAMANTIUM]

Marvel's reponse: It's not me it's you; so Hollywood

[Doktor]

I differentiate between my forms of entertainment: passive entertainment (movies/music/tv/etc) I can live with digital versions. Active entertainment (books/comics/etc), I need physical versions. Sure, I will throw some books on my iPad when traveling so I don't need to carry 2 or 3 or 4 books or a stack of comics in my bag or while sitting on a beach or an airplane or something, but for home reading, it's gotta be a physical copy. 

[rjrjr]

3 hours ago, ComicConnoisseur said:

I could do the same thing watching free NFL,NBA live-streams or streaming last weeks Hollywood blockbuster's movies from China. Just don't want to do it because most of those sites have malware.

I rather just pay my measly $4.99 a month to Comixology which is owned by Amazon so I don't have to deal with future stress with computer viruses.

You are not downloading anything on these websites.  You are viewing the comics for free on your browser.  No dangerous than surfing any other website.

Edited April 11, 2017 by rjrjr

[ADAMANTIUM]

30 minutes ago, rjrjr said:

You are not downloading anything on these websites.  You are viewing the comics for free on your browser.  No dangerous than surfing any other website.

Just fyi if you google "Dell Otto official website" like you would for campbell or other artists, you can get malware from some of the results that look official. I don't suggest you try it, even searching regular terms can give you bad results. I don't know anything about digital comics though, I have used it to look up information though

Edited April 11, 2017 by ADAMANTIUM

[delekkerste]

18 hours ago, Hamlet said:

Citing low print runs as the death of comics is like citing CD sales as the death of music.  Music isn't going away, it just gets sold on iTunes these days instead of on a plastic disk.

The real long term determiner of Marvel's success in comics will be how many of those subscriptions they can sell, not how many floppies they sell, IMO.  

I don't think the comparison holds up upon closer scrutiny.  With music, people abandoned compact discs in favor of digital downloads (both legal and illegal) and streaming.  With comics, while we don't have the digital distribution statistics, I think it's pretty obvious that the decline in circulations is not just due to people changing formats.  Not to mention, global music revenue has plummeted by 40% between 2002 and 2015 while this shift occurred - no one would even begin to argue that the economics of the music industry are what they used to be.  If digital subscription models were to similarly dominate in comics, one would have to wonder, not if, but how big a revenue hit the industry would take.  It obviously wouldn't be able to support the existing distribution infrastructure, but I wonder if you could even support the existing creative infrastructure.