Ilan Strasser of Fat Moose Comics and Games wrote in to say that he doesn't like Marvel's recently announced plan to bump prices on three of its lower-selling titles (see 'Low End Marvels Get Price Boost').

 

Hello to everyone in the ICv2 community.  I'm back again with another comment on another Marvel move that I think might have been handled better in a different way.  Marvel has decided that rather than canceling Black Panther, Captain Marvel, and Spidergirl, three of its apparently poorer selling titles, it will raise the pricepoint for the books instead, increasing the cover price of each by 25 cents.

 

I can't help but feel that books like these, located on the sales bubble as it is, will only have their sales further reduced due to a price increase.  Then as sales decrease further, Marvel will only be left with the option of canceling the books anyway.  Wouldn't it make more sense to produce the books bimonthly while utilizing the off month to publish a new series that may capture the attention of another (possibly significant) segment of the consumer market?

 

I'm always amused when Marvel places someone new in the position of 'head honcho'.  Every time it happens, we hear all this drivel about how so and so is almost orgasmic in their excitement at being able to publish stories utilizing the 'vast library of exciting and innovative characters' in the Marvel library.  What always happens instead is new series or mini-series that are related to already existing characters and books.

 

The current trend at Marvel to introduce new characters and books is to be praised (i.e. the upcoming Deadline series); however, it is unconscionable to me that so many classic Marvel characters don't have ongoing series.  Characters like Doctor Strange and Silver Surfer just to name two.  Oh, they didn't sell well enough in the past?  Well, I fail to see what issue that is in an environment where all orders are guaranteed and there is no financial risk due to the non-existence of reorders.  How does one lose money when one prints to order?

 

Anyway, for those who read Comics Buyers Guide, check out Brian Hibbs' recent article about the disparity in day-to-day operations between Marvel and DC.  It wasn't all that surprising to read that Marvel, according to his impressions, still doesn't seem to publish their books, or run their company, with any kind of long-range plan. Just sad.