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Is Marvel Saying Goodbye To The $2.99 Book Forever?

Published Tue, 25 May 2010 08:00:10 -0500

Of the forty-two books from the DC Universe solicited for August, twenty-eight are $2.99, thirteen are $3.99 and one is $4.99

All three Cartoon Network books are priced as $2.99. There are fifteen Vertigo $2.99 books and one $3.99 straggler. And Wildstorm have nine $2.99 books and four $3.99.

So, of the standard DC Superhero comics, two thirds are priced at $2.99. Of the publishers entire line, its almost three-quarters. For DC, $2.99 is the norm, and most (but not all) $3.99 books have extra content

But of Marvel's superhero line fifty-seven are $3.99, 26 are $2.99 and 3 are $4.99.

There are two MAX books, one at $3.99, one at $4.99

Or their licensed titles, such as the Stephen King and Dabel Bros books, all six are $3.99

And at Icon, two books (the Mark Millar ones) are at $2.99, Powers is at $3.95, Casanova is $3.99 and Dream Logic is $5.99

Only 30% of Marvel's superhero line are prices at $2.99. Of the publisher's entire line, less than 28% are at $2.99. And of the $3.99 books, there is rarely any extra content.

It's quite conceivable that, the way things are going, the only $2.99 books at Marvel will be Kick Ass, Nemesis and the upcoming Millar/Leinel Yu book as Icon creators can set prices with a greater degree of flexibility.

And whyshould Marvel do any different? Their prices are up and sales are down – but sales are down everywhere, $2.99 or $3.99. If there was a greater demand for $2.99 books then DC would have an increasing share of the market.

And they don't. If anything, it's dropping. And Marvel's in increasing…

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