Scott Moore of Galaxy Comics in Saginaw, MI, saw Steve Bennett's column (see 'Confessions of a Comic Book Guy -- Licensed to Steal?') and Joe Field's comments about speculators (see 'Joe Field of Flying Colors on Managing Speculation'), and adds his own observations:
Just a couple of thoughts:
In regard to 'Confessions of a Comic Book Guy', I agree with his statements on all of the late books lately and I've actually had NEW people in the store looking for the Anita Blake book... several times each. I am forced to wonder if they will still be looking for it in another month. I also thought the same thing about the Wildstorm books when I saw them in Previews. I thought, 'Aren't these the same books nobody bought the first two or three times around?' And yet I ordered 10 of each just to get one alternate cover. I have only three or four people that bought the books last time (which is maybe one of the reasons they didn't last) but they may pick up the new series again; they are #1s which sell a little better than average; and I have a couple guys that like the alternate covers so I can recoup some money there. I still don't expect them to last more than four-to-five issues.
Maybe I should stop saying that though... Ultimate Spider-Man, She-Hulk and Spider-Girl come to mind...
I can see no reason, and I've tried, NO REASON Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk #3 took nine months to finish. Same with Civil War #4 being late. I'm sure Marvel has an excuse for both books being late but since they are the biggest publisher in the US and they've been around for 60+ years you'd think they would have the bugs worked out of the system by now. Especially since (as far as I can recall) books in the 1980s and 1990s NEVER used to be late. Amazing Spider-Man, Uncanny X-Men, Punisher, Avengers... they came out every single month and many twice a month in the summer! Maybe there was a fill-in issue here and there, but there was a book every month. Marvel has picked up on the fact that consumers will still buy the title no matter when it comes out so really, why try harder? As much as I love Kevin Smith and the Black Cat I would have loved to see that series finish with sales under 10,000 just to send a message. Unfortunately the message we are sending, myself included, is 'We'll complain a lot but we will still just buy the same number of books.'
Talking about 'Joe Field of Flying Colors on Managing Speculation,' I have a limit in my store as well: two copies of an issue unless you preordered more. The exceptions are books with multiple covers. I let people buy one of each cover for books like Red Sonja. It's not that I don't want these customer's money, it's just that it annoys me to no end when someone comes in two months after a book comes out and wants to by all of my copies of whatever is hot (Marvel Knights Spider-Man #1 for example). Where were you four months ago when I ordered this book? I order what I think I can normally sell and if someone comes in that I've never seen before and buys up all of an issue he's taking that issue away from my regulars. Not on my watch, mister! If this person came in more than once and actually became a regular I may be more flexible, but if it's someone I've never seen before and then don't see again, what am I really out by not selling to him? I offer to reorder the issue for him (which they never want me to do) and if the title is sold out at Diamond it just reinforces the fact that I don't want this guy to buy all I have left.
The opinions expressed in this Talk Back article are solely those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff of ICv2.com.
