I have been thinking about this one for a few days and I think I might have made a major decision in my life. Here goes…
I think I am going to stop collecting comic books.
After nearly 30 years of collecting comics I think the current prices of $2.99 to $3.99 for 22 pages (and some cause 30 pages) of monthly stories, the price is not justified. I LOVE COMICS!!!! Everything about comic I love, but the price increases (sneaky as many of them have been) and the lack of quality in many books make me want to quit buying comics. I bought 4 comic books on Wednesday and it could be nearly $16. FOUR. COMIC. BOOKS. Comic books cost too much. We can debate the quality of the work until the cows come home, but $2.99 for 22 pages (13.5 cents per page) is too much. Shonen Jump is the size of a small phone book and only cost 4.99 for 352 pages (1.4 cents per page). I don’t care that it is black and white comics. I care that for me to get the same amount of comic content I will need to spend around $32 - $33 in US comics. WTF???????
I love comics, but I think I can find something else to love if I have to and I will save that money to use for something else. You just priced yourself out of the market for me. Talk to you later…
I wait for the trade paperbacks.
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain! Every fortnight I look at my comic bill and then look at the decreasing size of the stack and wonder if it's worth it... but I know my imagination would go into system shock if I suddenly decided to stop reading comics! I'm just having to slowly trim my pull list month by month down to a hardcore of titles I *have* to read... but it's not easy when the Big Two keep pumping out spin-offs and tie-ins etc etc
ReplyDeleteDigital Initiatives like Marvel's Online reader (wiehging in at 5 dollars a month) that grants access to thousands of comics as well as collected trades for the stories you want make the monthly book almost obsolete.
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain... Getting them shipped out to Iraq was a pain in the arse but it was always nice to have that bit of home.
Regards,
Walt
We usually wait for the TPBs and 'Absolutes', far more worth the money.
ReplyDelete