Size Matters - Even If The Comic Is Free

[Rich Johnston]

Free Comic Book Day is almost upon us. And there has been some controversy - over the size of the free comic books.

Last year, Marvel's comics for Free Comic Book Days were significantly smaller. Not so much in page count, but in page size. They were "ashcan-sized" and amongst the other normal-sized free comic books looked a little... lacking. Free, sure, but not as popular as other titles to the casual... okay, not buyer... casual freebie-grabber.

Well this yes, they're doing the same with their Iron Man/Thor and Iron Man/Nova giveaways. And DC Comics announced they were joining them. Both - War of The Supermen#0 and the DC Kids Mega Sampler 2010 were to be reduced from the standard 6.625" x 10.1875" down to 6.1875" x 9.5".

Which may have left the main superhero-related comics books of Free Comic Book Day looking a little.. reduced.

Free Comic Book Day was based on the model of the Free Cone Day at Ben And Jerry's - and this is the equivalent of the two most popular flavours only being made available with a smaller cone.

Naturally publishers are keen to reduce their costs, and Marvel and DC do present an affordable product for retailers to order big on, to give away. And its arguable that Free Comic Book Day is presenting diminishing returns and often playing to the existing market.

However complaints were made. Complaints were listened to. And DC have decided on a compromise - that the War Of The Supermen issue be restored to its previous size.

And there was much rejoicing.

In other FCBD related news, one real bargain was Upper Deck offering shops Marvel trading cards at 50 packs for $1 to give away. Sadly that offer has now been withdrawn...

[Corum]

I myself prefer full size. And even though it was a complete story last year, it did indeed feel as if I were gipped so to speak, because it just didn't feel like a whole comic book.

[Matt Spatola]

Well this sucks. I had hoped that Marvel would have responded to all the complaints and went with the regular size. Are they actually saving that much money by shrinking the size? Really?

[Moriarty]

DC's "compromise" sounds OK, I guess. One full-size job for the fanboys who were buying comics anyway, and "need" that full-size comic to make themselves feel better.
But I still don't get it. If anyone could offer free comic books to the retailers -- the ones who end up paying for the comics for Free Comic Book Day -- it's Marvel and DC. At any page size, the two big boys could easily absorb the cost of the "loss." That's what big money accounting departments are for.

[Jason]

In other FCBD related news, one real bargain was Upper Deck offering shops Marvel trading cards at 50 packs for $1 to give away. Sadly that offer has now been withdrawn...

That will have a lot to do with Upper Deck losing the lawsuit against Konami and now being sued again in regards to their unauthorised baseball cards. Upper Deck is on the ropes.

[Michael P]

Free Comic Book Day was based on the model of the Free Scoop Day at Baskins & Robbins - and this is the equivalent of the two most popular flavours only being made available with a smaller scoop.

Since the same amount of content is in the books regardless of trim size, it really isn't.

Not that I expect that to matter to the ridiculously hidebound nerd legion. Then again, FCBD isn't really for them, is it?

(As I recall, at at least one store I visited last year, the Wolverine book ran out way quicker than Blackest Night 0.)

[DaveH]

Wow, people really will complain about anything.

Free Comics? No thank you they're too small.

(And they're really going with that screaming Superman cover? JG Jones is an excellent artist but that's one awful cover)

[dave_worrell]

Wow, people really will complain about anything.

Free Comics? No thank you they're too small.

Seriously. Speaks volumes.

[Tom]

It reduces printing costs, paper costs, storage costs, shipping costs, and shelving costs. It's a freebie.

Having said that, it didn't do Jim Cheung's beautiful work justice last year. (Although I expect it'll look fine on Romita Jr.)

[thekamisama]

What a load!. These are free items. For all I care they can be the size of Chick tracts or 80's toy premium comic (think He-Man or Super Powers) and I will be perfectly fine with getting it FOR FREE!

If anything, the smaller price helps retailers out just a little bit because they are a fraction of the weight and a fraction of the shipping costs. This idea that it isn't a comic unless it is in a certain size tabloid format is silly.

Way to go to whoever was bitching about this, you really helped those stereotypes of comics fandom to not improve in the least bit.