Tweet
Just read the following from IGN. DC will be lowering majority of their comic book prices starting in January 2011.
DC Lowers Its Prices
Let's face it, comics are an expensive hobby. While a $2.99 price point might not seem like too much, a short pull list can quickly lead to hundreds of dollars a month in a short order. What makes matters worse is the industry has been creeping into the $3.99 territory for some time. Many major Marvel titles are already published at that price point, and DC had been experimenting with the higher cost as well.
Until today.
DC comics has announced that, effective January 2011, it will reduce all standard, ongoing series to $2.99 and maintain that price. According to DC's press release, more than 80% of DC's books will carry the $2.99 price point. There is one slight catch to this new format. A typical comic book is 32 pages with 22 pages of that being actual story. Starting in January, that story page count will be reduced to 20. That might not seem like much, but it will have an interesting impact on creator income as well as how writers pace their stories.
Citing the "long-term health of the industry," DC's Co-Publisher Jim Lee noted he and Co-Publisher Dan DiDio were "willing to take a financial risk so that readers who love our medium do not abandon the art form."
"As Co-Publishers, we listened to our fans and to our partners in the retail community who told us that a $3.99 price point for 32 pages was too expensive. Fans were becoming increasingly reluctant to sample new titles and long term fans were beginning to abandon titles and characters that they'd collected for years," said DiDio. "We needed a progressive pricing strategy that supports our existing business model and, more importantly, allows this creative industry to thrive for years to come. With the exceptions of oversized comic books, like annuals and specials, we are committed to a $2.99 price point."
DC's press release explicitly listed out January titles that would be seeing some alteration, as well as the titles that would be the exception to the new price point. You can find that below. Also, stay tuned to IGN as later today we'll be talking to DiDio and Lee about this shift and several other topics. We'll bring you that interview as soon as we can.
From the Press Release:
As of January, the following titles standard length ongoing titles, previously priced at $3.99 for 32 pages/22 story pages, will be priced at $2.99 with 32 pages/20 story pages:
American Vampire;
Batman: The Dark Knight;
Batman Incorporated;
Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors;
JSA All-Stars.
As of January, the following licensed titles, previously priced at $3.99, will be priced at $2.99:
Gears of War;
God of War
Kane & Lynch;
Ratchet & Clank.
As of January, the following ongoing titles previously priced at $3.99 for 40 pages/30 story pages including co-features, will no longer include co-features and will be priced at $2.99 for 32 pages/ 20 story pages:
Action Comics;
Adventure Comics;
Batman: Streets of Gotham;
Detective Comics;
Doc Savage;
Justice League of America;
Legion of Super-Heroes;
The Spirit.
In January, five books are $3.99 for 40 pages/30 story pages:
Batman: Europa # 1
First Wave # 6
DCU: Legacies # 9
Weird Worlds # 1
World of Warcraft: Curse of the Worgen
The following oversized anniversary issue will be $4.99 for 48 pages/38 story pages:
Hellblazer # 275
DC Lowers Its Prices
Let's face it, comics are an expensive hobby. While a $2.99 price point might not seem like too much, a short pull list can quickly lead to hundreds of dollars a month in a short order. What makes matters worse is the industry has been creeping into the $3.99 territory for some time. Many major Marvel titles are already published at that price point, and DC had been experimenting with the higher cost as well.
Until today.
DC comics has announced that, effective January 2011, it will reduce all standard, ongoing series to $2.99 and maintain that price. According to DC's press release, more than 80% of DC's books will carry the $2.99 price point. There is one slight catch to this new format. A typical comic book is 32 pages with 22 pages of that being actual story. Starting in January, that story page count will be reduced to 20. That might not seem like much, but it will have an interesting impact on creator income as well as how writers pace their stories.
Citing the "long-term health of the industry," DC's Co-Publisher Jim Lee noted he and Co-Publisher Dan DiDio were "willing to take a financial risk so that readers who love our medium do not abandon the art form."
"As Co-Publishers, we listened to our fans and to our partners in the retail community who told us that a $3.99 price point for 32 pages was too expensive. Fans were becoming increasingly reluctant to sample new titles and long term fans were beginning to abandon titles and characters that they'd collected for years," said DiDio. "We needed a progressive pricing strategy that supports our existing business model and, more importantly, allows this creative industry to thrive for years to come. With the exceptions of oversized comic books, like annuals and specials, we are committed to a $2.99 price point."
DC's press release explicitly listed out January titles that would be seeing some alteration, as well as the titles that would be the exception to the new price point. You can find that below. Also, stay tuned to IGN as later today we'll be talking to DiDio and Lee about this shift and several other topics. We'll bring you that interview as soon as we can.
From the Press Release:
As of January, the following titles standard length ongoing titles, previously priced at $3.99 for 32 pages/22 story pages, will be priced at $2.99 with 32 pages/20 story pages:
American Vampire;
Batman: The Dark Knight;
Batman Incorporated;
Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors;
JSA All-Stars.
As of January, the following licensed titles, previously priced at $3.99, will be priced at $2.99:
Gears of War;
God of War
Kane & Lynch;
Ratchet & Clank.
As of January, the following ongoing titles previously priced at $3.99 for 40 pages/30 story pages including co-features, will no longer include co-features and will be priced at $2.99 for 32 pages/ 20 story pages:
Action Comics;
Adventure Comics;
Batman: Streets of Gotham;
Detective Comics;
Doc Savage;
Justice League of America;
Legion of Super-Heroes;
The Spirit.
In January, five books are $3.99 for 40 pages/30 story pages:
Batman: Europa # 1
First Wave # 6
DCU: Legacies # 9
Weird Worlds # 1
World of Warcraft: Curse of the Worgen
The following oversized anniversary issue will be $4.99 for 48 pages/38 story pages:
Hellblazer # 275