Cyberforce - The Price Of Freedom

[Rich Johnston]

A number of retailers aren't too happy with the performance of the Cyberforce relaunch. Funded by Kickstarter to a six figure sum, it's been sold by Top Cow to retailers for a very small amount but they are intended to be given away for free. Retailers are meant to make their money from the variant editions supplied and increased interest in the title for subsequent issues

But it seems that there's just not that much interest in the comics from customers even if they're free. Possibly because they are free. There is a value attached to value. There hasn't been a great amount of promotion. And there's the realisation that the price of a variant cover of a free comic is severely hampered by that fact that the original version is free. It's just the way the market has reacted..

So Top Cow are trying to get retailers excited in the books again, and to prevent orders crashing down after the first issue. Firstly if retailers maintain orders for Cyberforce #2-#5 to three quarters of their original orders, they will get a very large discount on the Cyberforce TPB when that is solicited and large discounts on the full priced Cyberforce #6-#8.

Bleeding Cool would like to add its support to the comic, saying "free comics, what's wrong with you, seriously, ask your retailer if they have any left, it's free for goodness sake, honestly..."

[NielsVanEekelen]

I got my copy on ComiXology. Honestly, I'd have felt a bit embarrassed to ask my shop to pay (however little, but there's international shipping too) for five issues of a series I have no intention of picking up further.

Did enjoy the book more than I expected, though.

[Stotes22]

My LCS charged $2.50 for the first issue.

[mquitney]

My LCS charged $2.50 for the first issue.

Your LCS is a bit of a dick.

[Justin Carmona]

My retailer has two issues with this "free" book. First being that even though its free to customers he still has to pay for individual copies. Secondy, he has issue with the fact that this book, by the prominent and successful Top Cow was publicly funded by Kickstarter. From what I understood, he feels that Kickstarter should be for up and comers breaking into the industry. Not by popular fan favorite artists who are named Silverstri. In fact, he only orders one copy for the shop and only because I pre-ordered it. He did not in any way promote this book whatsoever. I understand his reasoning whether it be right or wrong.

[QCCBob]

We didn't bother with it because we knew nobody really cares about Cyberforce anymore. Why waste money on books to give away that aren't going to lead to actual sales later? Adding that to the tackiness of the whole notion of Kickstarter being irrelevant and it just being a scam to let Top Cow sell the incentive covers rather than the DM, no way. Had one person ask, explained our reasoning, and he didn't want it anymore.

[db8coach]

I'll just get it free on Comixology...especially since Hastings and DCBS is my "local" comic shop.

[Appasawz]

Wasn't the cost around .25 cents an issue? Are people complaining about a quarter?

If people contributed to the Kickstarter then clearly people are interested in it. (Full disclosure: I contributed because I'm a fan of the people involved) Now I don't run a retail store but I'm going to go out on a limb and say if you can't market a free item with 'name' creators on it....the problem is probably yours, not Top Cows.

My LCS marketed them as a free add on with the purchase of any other Image title. I buy a lot of Image anyway but I think if I didn't I would be enticed by a try 2 for the price of 1 deal. That's my .25 cents anyway.

[hellblazer72]

My LCS charged $2.50 for the first issue.

That's alot to pay for a Khoi Pham drawn book.

[hellblazer72]

Wasn't the cost around .25 cents an issue? Are people complaining about a quarter?

If people contributed to the Kickstarter then clearly people are interested in it. (Full disclosure: I contributed because I'm a fan of the people involved) Now I don't run a retail store but I'm going to go out on a limb and say if you can't market a free item with 'name' creators on it....the problem is probably yours, not Top Cows.

My LCS marketed them as a free add on with the purchase of any other Image title. I buy a lot of Image anyway but I think if I didn't I would be enticed by a try 2 for the price of 1 deal. That's my .25 cents anyway.

The only name creator on the book is silvestri and he only did the cover and 2 pages. It may be .25 cents but if there's no interest in cuberforce or the creative team then people aren't going to buy it. It's not the price that has people not picking it up but it's the book itself that has people not picking it up.