So Marvel is renumbering books AGAIN and abandoning the Legacy numbers for some books 1 1

[mysterio]

Just read that ASM will be included in the “fresh start” nonsense. I had some hope they’d keep the numbering after #800 passed, but it doesn’t look like it. 

[ComicConnoisseur]

27 minutes ago, Lonzilla said:

You can't replace the feeling of physically turning the pages and hitting an "oh !" moment while holding the book in your hands, so I'll never go digital.

Honestly you can. It's hard for me to go back to reading comics the old ways after experiencieng them on the iPad or a Kindle Fire. There is a big difference between reading a comic on a iPad/Kindle Fire than a desktop/laptop.

Reading a digital comic book on a desktop/laptop sucks, but it is a great experience on the iPad/Kindle Fire. 

Plus I love that anytime I want to read a important story arc all I have to do is click and it is there.

For reading comics the future is digital.

For speculating variant/hot keys the future is print.

Edited March 4, 2018 by ComicConnoisseur

[1webslinger]

I thought I read that they are going to dual number the book .

[500Club]

On 2018-02-22 at 1:56 PM, Chuck Gower said:

I'm not sure I can see Star Wars fatigue on the horizon, I think any movie that breaks the BILLION DOLLAR mark worldwide, we can assume they're still in the safe zone. 

As far as Marvel Comics...

It seems that Marvel is trying to keep their characters in a form of stasis so that they can't upset their use in other media. 

I'm sure no one thought Wolverine was REALLY dead for good, and the timing of his return isn't really a curiosity....

The comic books are for people who love the characters, or are drawn to the 'events', not for sequential numbering addicts. 

(I know everyone complains about the numbering, but Marvel gave it back and still the sales numbers were pathetic.)

Is this a good move for Marvel? 

Yes. 

Because here's where Marvel makes their money: From Retailers. 

Retailers BUY #1's and 'event' books regardless of if their customers do, because Marvel can print them an endless number of variants to entice it (see what I did there?) to allow retailers to make their money off it, while eventually selling off the dead stock for $1. 

The dead stock for RETAILERS. Once Marvel sells it they don't have to worry about it.

The big retailers, or smart retailers, or crafty retailers - the one's with the customers who HAVE to HAVE every Variant at $25 to $100 - will make sure they have plenty of stock on Cover A to sell to anyone who wants one, but really make up for it from Variant sales.

A success for Marvel, a success for the retailer, a satiation for the completist, the speculator, the average buyer who loves the character, and the subscriber.

A media sensation keeps the character in the public eye and then...

It all dies down from there. 

Of course there were endless copies of Amazing Spider-man #25 (Vol 4) in dollar boxes with it's $9.99 (you can buy a NM on mycomicshop.com for $3 - it's actually tough in NM because the heavy binding), and everyone moaned and complained - SEE! It's a failure!

No.

No it wasn't.

It was the top selling book on Diamonds monthly chart at 113,000 copies (through JUST Diamond North America) OR what would be the equivalent of selling 5 1/2 months of the title at $3.99 each. 

Marvel doubled the sales of Amazing Spider-man for almost half the year in ONE MONTH of sales.

Which means, in terms of PROFIT - if they average a paltry 51,000 copies a month for 10 months of the year at $3.99 each, but sell an 'event' book for $9.99 TWICE a year - it averages out to the profitability of having a 100,000 copy a month $3.99 book for the year. 

The greed and OCD of speculators, is what is keeping this all afloat. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.

 

Observation dead on.

BUT - not a sustainable model.  File under penny wise, pound foolish.

[Mercury Man]

1 hour ago, mysterio said:

Just read that ASM will be included in the “fresh start” nonsense. I had some hope they’d keep the numbering after #800 passed, but it doesn’t look like it. 

Welcome to Hell (aka Marvel Publishing Logic).      It's bad enough they are renumbering, but we are graced with Nick Spencer writing this title.   The same Nick Spencer that gave us Secret Empire, to service his SJW agenda.   Only to unravel it all with the Cosmic Cube.   He is such a tool .

The Amazing Spider-Man #1 by Nick Spencer and Ryan Ottley arrives in June from Marvel Comics.

Edited March 4, 2018 by Mercury Man

[PunisherPunisherPunisher]

Next marvel will just make every issue a number 1

[mysterio]

18 minutes ago, Mercury Man said:

Welcome to Hell (aka Marvel Publishing Logic).      It's bad enough they are renumbering, but we are graced with Nick Spencer writing this title.   The same Nick Spencer that gave us Secret Empire, to service his SJW agenda.   Only to unravel it all with the Cosmic Cube.   He is such a tool .

The Amazing Spider-Man #1 by Nick Spencer and Ryan Ottley arrives in June from Marvel Comics.

With a female Electro and Killer Croc from the look of things. 

[Buzzetta]

3 hours ago, Lonzilla said:

You can't replace the feeling of physically turning the pages and hitting an "oh !" moment while holding the book in your hands, so I'll never go digital.

Hey, we're OLD and the days of the spinner rack and plunking down a quarter for the latest issue of ASM are long gone, as is the continuity. At $4 or $5 a pop I'm less willing to take a chance on a book because given the current direction of Marvel there's a 90% chance that it will blow and I'd rather spend that money at Popeye's.

I'm down to 3 steady Marvel titles a month because the writing has been exceptional: Thanos, Dr Strange and Moon Knight and I'll pick up anything with Adam Warlock in it just because. DC wise it's Mister Miracle and Batman, and whatever else Tom King decides to do.

 

I really do not understand this statement.  I am not demeaning it or trying to say it is a bad idea... I really do not understand it.

When you have the iPad in your hand... you swipe and there is a new page.  If anything there are certain reveals that are kept in tack because you do not see them on the opposite side of the page before you are supposed to.  I would think that the idea of only being able to look at a single page (or intended double page when it is a DPS) actually upholds the integrity of the storytelling. 

There is a guy I know that used to spend $100 + a week on new books.  Let's think about that for a second.  That is more than $5200 a year on new stuff.  Don't ever tell people that you cannot afford a $200-500 book when you are throwing that down for new stuff that will be in dollar bins or quarter boxes by the end of the year. 

[Ken Aldred]

5 hours ago, ComicConnoisseur said:

Honestly you can. It's hard for me to go back to reading comics the old ways after experiencieng them on the iPad or a Kindle Fire. There is a big difference between reading a comic on a iPad/Kindle Fire than a desktop/laptop.

Reading a digital comic book on a desktop/laptop sucks, but it is a great experience on the iPad/Kindle Fire. 

Plus I love that anytime I want to read a important story arc all I have to do is click and it is there.

For reading comics the future is digital.

For speculating variant/hot keys the future is print.

I tend to read comics while comfy in bed.

A large iPad Pro is an extremely easy and enjoyable option here.

I don't miss physical copies.

[ComicConnoisseur]

33 minutes ago, Ken Aldred said:

I tend to read comics while comfy in bed.

A large iPad Pro is an extremely easy and enjoyable option here.

I don't miss physical copies.

Same with me. It's hard for me to go back to reading old newsprint comic books. The Kindle Fire and iPad really have spoiled me. I tried to read a old comic book the other day and print was terrible to read and I was concerned about pages ripping/creasing.

I think the modern newstands are those tablets like Kindle Fire and iPads. That's the future for reading comic books.

Plus the monthly $9.99 and $5.99 prices for Marvel Unlimited and Comixology can't be beat compared to a $3.99 modern 15 minute read monthly.

People complain about the speculators buying variants,but when we really look at it they are probably the main reason why the monthly is still a viable option in the long run.

 

 

 

 

Edited March 5, 2018 by ComicConnoisseur

[Lonzilla]

5 hours ago, Mercury Man said:

Welcome to Hell (aka Marvel Publishing Logic).      It's bad enough they are renumbering, but we are graced with Nick Spencer writing this title.   The same Nick Spencer that gave us Secret Empire, to service his SJW agenda.   Only to unravel it all with the Cosmic Cube.   He is such a tool .

The Amazing Spider-Man #1 by Nick Spencer and Ryan Ottley arrives in June from Marvel Comics.

Wow that really looks like drek, does everyone on the cover have violent gas??? Nick Spencer writing is means a big NO for me. I have zero desire to see Spidey join the resistance or whichever movement Spencer is supporting this month

[fastballspecial]

59 minutes ago, ComicConnoisseur said:

1 hour ago, Ken Aldred said:

I tend to read comics while comfy in bed.

A large iPad Pro is an extremely easy and enjoyable option here.

I don't miss physical copies.

Same with me. It's hard for me to go back to reading old newsprint comic books. The Kindle Fire and iPad really have spoiled me. I tried to read a old comic book the other day and print was terrible to read and I was concerned about pages ripping/creasing.

I think the modern newstands are those tablets like Kindle Fire and iPads. That's the future for reading comic books.

Plus the monthly $9.99 and $5.99 prices for Marvel Unlimited and Comixology can't be beat compared to a $3.99 modern 15 minute read monthly.

People complain about the speculators buying variants,but when we really look at it they are probably the main reason why the monthly is still a viable option in the long run.

 

In 10 years this wont be a discussion point, but that being said the whole model will probably change by then.

I keep hearing the future is there and maybe eventually it will be, just not for my generation. We grew up a different way. 
I honestly think when more people think like you do then the comics industry itself might just implode.

TPBs are bringing in a lot of new readers, but digital to me is turning your back on your hobby for the sake of it being easier.

If at some point digital looks to be able to sustain the comic book industry then and only then I will switch. Right now I just feel like
I am killing my hobby if I do that in any form. Just my opinion.

 

 

[ygogolak]

7 hours ago, Lonzilla said:

You can't replace the feeling of physically turning the pages and hitting an "oh !" moment while holding the book in your hands, so I'll never go digital.

Hey, we're OLD and the days of the spinner rack and plunking down a quarter for the latest issue of ASM are long gone, as is the continuity. At $4 or $5 a pop I'm less willing to take a chance on a book because given the current direction of Marvel there's a 90% chance that it will blow and I'd rather spend that money at Popeye's.

I'm down to 3 steady Marvel titles a month because the writing has been exceptional: Thanos, Dr Strange and Moon Knight and I'll pick up anything with Adam Warlock in it just because. DC wise it's Mister Miracle and Batman, and whatever else Tom King decides to do.

Cates is leaving Strange.

[1950's war comics]

On 2/21/2018 at 7:12 PM, Mercury Man said:

The great thing about the hobby though, is there is a tremendous amount of back history and back issues to go look for.  Instead of dropping $100 a month on new comics, buy a few nice old ones, and work on runs. 

 I would like to think someday, the light bulb will go off at the House of Ideas, but I am afraid their better days are behind them.   They should really just publish like 10 titles a month.  Quality vs. Quantity.  But that will never happen. 

This is exactly what happened to stamp collectors

stamp collecting used to be the #1 hobby in america ! and as we all know now it has lost tons of popularity but the vintage stamp market is still strong , 

hardly anybody is actively collecting new stamps but classic stamps have held their value and are still collected 

this is what will eventually happen with the comic book market... new issues can become less collected or even become extinct but there will always be golden and silver age collectors 

[ComicConnoisseur]

15 minutes ago, fastballspecial said:

In 10 years this wont be a discussion point, but that being said the whole model will probably change by then.

I keep hearing the future is there and maybe eventually it will be, just not for my generation. We grew up a different way. 
I honestly think when more people think like you do then the comics industry itself might just implode.

TPBs are bringing in a lot of new readers, but digital to me is turning your back on your hobby for the sake of it being easier.

If at some point digital looks to be able to sustain the comic book industry then and only then I will switch. Right now I just feel like
I am killing my hobby if I do that in any form. Just my opinion.

 

 

I see what you are saying,and I had the same opinion a decade ago than I realized the way the industry was going was it was going to end up like stamps if it didn't go digital to get to more modern audiences.

My reasoning is

I see it growing stronger and not turning my back on the hobby as Digital comics will have a longer reach than the outdated LCS model because they can get in front of more eyeballs. More eyeballs means more readers. 

Same thing is happening in the video game market as more people are buying digital video games on their X-Box 1s and PS4s now than buying physical copies at their local Gamestop.

X-BOX LIVE/PLAYSTATION NATION are what the equivelent to what Marvel Unlimited and Comixilogy will become.

Now with that being said this is where the savy comic book speculator can clean up with variants because as digital eventually becomes mainstream there will always be that niche that wants the physical copy. These physical copies will have low print runs.

That's why I highly recommend buying as many modern ASM and Batman comics as one can get in top condition than flip them in 5-10 years when they will be sought after because of low print runs.

The ocd Spider-Man and Batman collector will always pay that high price for that variant,especially the ones with the lower print runs that will be harder to get in 5-10 years.

So in conclusion digital will become mainstream for readers but there will still be room for print comics for the collectors. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Lonzilla]

1 hour ago, ygogolak said:

Cates is leaving Strange.

Then that will be one less Marvel title, depending on who replaces him. I'll check out the 1st issue of Cates' Venom series

[ygogolak]

22 minutes ago, Lonzilla said:

Then that will be one less Marvel title, depending on who replaces him. I'll check out the 1st issue of Cates' Venom series

The fact that they are restating Venom again (3rd time in a year?) should be enough to stay away from Marvel in general.

[Doktor]

Anyone else noticed that almost all of these assignments are identical to that intern post that ended up on BC from 4Chan back in the summer? Slott off Spidey to another big book. They thought it would be a Friendly Neighborhood Spidey book, but it ended up Iron Man. Then Coates on Cap, Spencer on ASM, Waid's run on Cap was only a stopgap, Legacy being a rush-job. Almost everything out of Fresh Start is exactly what was predicted there.

[Lonzilla]

Supposedly Cates' Thanos series is ending with issue 18 with an annual to follow shortly after, not "officially confirmed" but no issue is solicited for May.

Marvel has an actual hit series for once that wasn't hyped up as an all-new race/gender swap reboot and they can't see it in front of their faces.

But something like Moon Girl which sells around 7,000 copies will still be on the racks monthly no doubt..

SMH

[ygogolak]

24 minutes ago, Lonzilla said:

Supposedly Cates' Thanos series is ending with issue 18 with an annual to follow shortly after, not "officially confirmed" but no issue is solicited for May.

Marvel has an actual hit series for once that wasn't hyped up as an all-new race/gender swap reboot and they can't see it in front of their faces.

But something like Moon Girl which sells around 7,000 copies will still be on the racks monthly no doubt..

SMH

But, but, she has a cartoon coming!