Ilan Strasser of Fat Moose Comics and Games in Whippany, New Jersey reacted to the recent discussion on ICv2 of returnable Marvels through Ingram (see 'Tim Davis of Alternate Reality on Marvels from Ingram - Part 1') by sending this missive on Marvel's strategies.

  

Well, who among us can say they'd be very surprised when Jemas suggests that Marvel might delete product descriptions from the Previews catalog?  In light of the lawsuit filed by Brian Hibbs, and in response to general criticism directed at Marvel for its' policies in general, what else would Jemas come up with but a means for Marvel to be able to sell its' products without any risk at all?


After all, you can't demand returnability because a book is late, or the writer or artist has changed, or because the content is different than originally solicited.  No siree Bob, can't do that!!!  Why not??  Because you never knew the release dates, artistic teams, or story arc upon ordering the books.

 

This reminds me of a problem that movie theater operators had some 15 years ago.  They even advertised on theater screens AND on television railing against the unfairness of the practice.  The practice was called 'blind bidding' and it required theater owners to bid on (I believe) a years' worth of screenings in advance.  The problem is they did not know what they would be getting until the reels arrived at the theater.  One operator might have paid the same for say, Joe Dirt as another did for Spider-Man or Star Wars: Episode II!!!!


What Jemas hints at is not exactly the same as we would all be getting the same issue of Peter Parker or X-Men or Avengers -- just not necessarily when or how we expected it.  Still, it's close enough that one wonders how well, given Marvels' other policies, it would fit into the general Marvel zeitgeist.