• We already have a Japanese-style anthology here. It's called Shonen Jump and these days it goes for $8 for about 300 pages. And if I'm not mistaken, Stan Lee's Ultimo is still in it...

• This is good news.

• Grandma was a hooker.

• Great point. I remember when the glossy fancy paper came on in the early 90's, I wasn't too impressed. Good art looks good on any paper, and vice versa. For example, Rob Leifeld sucks buttocks regardless of how shiny the paper is. The best stories ever written were done on the older paper and it didn't affect them.

• "notice how much better quality comics are now compared to then though? i buy a comic from the 70s and its impossible to read." REALLY?! Comics back then were a hundred times better than today's. Unless ofcourse you mean paper-quality, which I admit is better today, but the higher paper quality is being used for fancy art that serves crappy stories.

• I consider it a good month when I spend less than $80. The terrible thing is that I get all of my comics at once, because I use a pull-box at my local comic shop. It takes me less than two days to burn through all of my books. That's $80 for about 2-3 hours of entertainment.

• Actually, Marvel only said they wouldn't charge $3.99 for newly launched titles anymore. They're still going to charge $3.99 for already existing books that are at that price point like Avengers.

• I've only been buying comics for a year and a half, so I'm not suffering from the price shock of someone who's been buying them since the 90's when they were what, buck-fifty, two bucks? But anyway, if a book was a double-issue or had a back-up feature, $3.99 wasn't horrible. It's books like Uncanny X-Men or Ultimate Spider-Man, books that had the basic 32 page layout and STILL cost $3.99, that had to f-ing stop.

• I'd really like to see the Japanese-style anthology model here. I'd spend maybe $8-10 for a monthly anthology containing, say, 50 pages from 10 different series. Then I feel like even if one series takes a dive, I get something worth reading.

• I've spent freely on comics for most of my life, but $4 for a single comic I can read in 5-10 minutes is too damn much. $3 is/was just barely tolerable.

• notice how much better quality comics are now compared to then though? i buy a comic from the 70s and its impossible to read. but yeah, i stopped buying completely because its just too expensive. ill buy a trade paper back that has the full story in it once in awhile.

• It better be cheaper prices in Canada as well. I remember when I was a teenager, you could get a cheap comic for 1.25, a good comic that had higher grade paper an artwork for 3.00 and the fancy chromatic ones were 5 bucks and I would hide them under my shirt so my parents wouldnt know I just spent 5 bucks on a comic!

• That was all well and good...and then a Marvel guy said in an interview that they felt the extra dollar was worth it because their books were THAT GOOD. And then he realized he was thinking about The Boys when he said that last part, and had been trying to get Bendis fired for years. (Jokes! Jokes!)

• I dunno about that. I'm no lawyer but I'm sure there's a wide difference between collusion and "We're both struggling, what can we all do as an industry to make it better?"

• Here's an idea: Drop the unnecessarily glossy paper stock and drop the price to $1.99. Comics used to be great because it was a little slice of heaven once a month for cheap. Now they're "an investment." At this point I'll just pick up a trade paperback I hear about every once in awhile, which I know is sacrilege to some people but no way I'm paying $3-4 for 20 minutes of entertainment.

• Wonder how much a sweater or blanket cost in the 70's? or a coffin.

• The problem with your math is that you are assuming that the extra pages in the 3.99 issues are pages that we want. Most of the time it was a crappy second story that I never read. So it was like being forced to buy a comic I wasn't going to read.

• I find this math to be admirable. :-) But I am most likely going to start thinking about doing individual issues again.

• First of all, how about hiring some good writers and artists? The same old recycled Marc Guggenheim hack stories he wrote for Marvel, he can now bring to DC. Part of the problem is the polluted talent pool at one company runs over to the other just because he has a track record. The quality of the stories declines since they aren't looking at different people, just same old awful bunch. They're out there, just look A LITTLE HARDER and don't be so stiff when it comes to negotiating a deal with them. Hundreds of people could work at Marvel/DC and write better comics. The stupid editorial staffs are scared of discovering new talent these days since it might hurt their own resume if they fail.

• Hmm...what did they used to call it when top-level companies got together and created a price fix? Let's see...that's called collusion, right? Isn't that illegal?

• It was getting really bad in the Vertigo titles. I felt like I was at a theater, being charged extra to sit through trailers for movies I had no intention of ever watching. Made me very wary of adding anything to my pull list.

• It's not cold in here, Grandpa. You're just dying.

• NNERRRDDDDD RRAAAGGGGGEEEEE!!!!!!11!!1

• Meh, I still think $3 is too much for a little bundle of paper and ads that I'm likely to rip or spill something on. This is why I'm happy to just wait for the trades.

• A price DROP in comics? That is a first in the history of ever! Now, one more price drop of .50 - 1.00 and they will be spot on.

• She taught me all of the choice words, thank you very much.

• I read what you wrote to my special needs helper, and he says that now you're stating YOUR opinion as though it's fact. He also said that makes you hypocritical. Big word, I know. After he defined it for me, I must say I agree. Finally he said I should let you have the last word, because, in his words, "arguing with a grown man who reads comic books is like trying to teach a dog linear algebra." It's amazing how smart special needs children can be. It's a shame your opinion (or is that "your fact"? I lost track) of them is so low. Have a good weekend.

• Grandma is a smart lady.

• Did you hire some kid with special needs to help you here are or are you just ignorant and wrong? I added the picture because I thought you needed the help as you can't seem to understand simple ideas, I also wouldn't go so far as to use the phrase "I think" if I was you, seems outside of your skill set. As you like pretty pictures here is a new one. http://www.examiner.com/images/blog/wysiwyg/image/Opinion_2(1).jpg

• Thanks for stealing my joke about pictures and words. I find the imitation flattering; just give me credit next time. Would it have made you feel better had I said, "I THINK you're a fool"? You're argument is akin to the old "You just think you're right..." argument, which is a completely specious argument. Of course I think I'm right! And of course I think my opinion is superior to yours! I wouldn't have my opinion if I didn't think it was right! And just so you know that I can also use google image search... http://site.despair.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/myopinion.jpg

• My grandma said the <i>exact</i> same thing. eerie.

• Great! Now all they have to do is start printing comics worth buying.

• OOOOHHHh! I get it! It's like those "discount" clothing stores where a mediocre skirt has been priced originally at $50, then "slashed" to $19.99, so you FEEL like you're getting a deal! Devious.

• Shhhh! This whole price fiasco was to distract us buyers from the "quality" of the writing!

• I'm on your lawn stealing those groovy plastic pink flamingos! But I do agree that $3.99 is a "bend over and take it" price, and I'm not an old fogey yet. Just a cheap, stingy bastard!

• Good, otherwise would've said that was a huge waste of money.

• Actually, the pages didn't include those stupid previews. The extra pages, it was usually 8 on top of the usual 22, were back up stories with different characters. The ones I read in Tec and Streets of Gotham were damn good, The Question ones in Tec written by the same author as the main story. I can't vouch for how well they were handled in other books, which I heard some grumblings over.

• Yeah, I wasn't actually able to even find a source for this.

• Wow. And this all goes back to the drug dealer model. Instead of raising the price, you keep the price the same and just cut it down by adding baking soda. Most suckers are so addicted they won't notice!

• Not to mention.. THE D WORD. Tack onto that how decompressed the story is and how little of it you got in 22 pages. Now you're gonna get even less shit in 20 pages. Hell, manga is often accused of this, but they give you either a phone book sized anthology a week or month. That or in America they give you full damn volumes at ten or so bucks (five or less in its native Japan). Remember when Fell and Casanova went to 20 pages or so for $1.99 at Image? No? Too bad. Those were amazing books that set out to give people a full story for two bucks.

• Actually, those four dollar books may have been only 30 pages, but it's still better $3.99 for 30 pages at $0.133 per page Yeah, it's four bucks a month, but you're getting more pages for less money. The trouble was half the backups were treated as fodder. It was an idea Johns had, but it didn't seem anyone else treated it seriously. The Question and Manhunter ones were good, but you could just sense the other shoe would drop and they were getting axed. (Again in the case of Manhunter fans.) Plus Batwoman dropping out of 'Tec with some fill in shit pairing up with the end of the Question back ups sucked. There the back up story was better than the main one.

• Yes, like furries.

• $2.99 is still too high for the puddles of wet shit both houses pass off as 'stories' these days.

• You obviously don't get the point I am making, the lack of "pretty pictures" and use of words with more then one syllable must be confusing. I'll try to spell it out for you. You are stating a opinion as a fact. Not everyone agrees with that, there for you're statment ≠ truth. My point was just because you think it is a rip off does not mean everyone does, the proce drop is nice but there wasn't a riot to make it happen, and my point that you almost got was, everyone wastes a lot of money of crap they do not need every day, don't act self righteous about it. Do I need to make it simpler for you? I might be able to find a picture. http://languagearts.pppst.com/banner_factoropinion.gif There you go

• Calm down! I'm getting off your lawn! Chill.

• I had to check to make sure I hadn't miss the Marvel half of this news, but Marvel didn't exactly announce they were dropping their prices. They just said, "All newly launched Marvel titles will be sold at $2.99."

• Do you have these hookers cosplay?

• Does your gray-haired old mamma know you use langue like that?

• I read the DC press release and was happy. Then I reread it and did the math. It's going to be 20 pages of story. We're getting 20 pages of story with 12 pages of ads. It used to be 22 pages of story with ten of ads for $2.99 or for a dollar more you get 30 pages of content with the backup. $2.99 for 22 pages at $0.135909 per page $3.99 for 32 pages at $0.1246875 per page vs $2.99 for 20 pages at $0.1495 per page So they're actually charging us more per actual page of content. Even the four dollar books were actually cheaper for the consumer. Not that most buyers consider the value. Sadly too often they just look at the price which allows companies to hike up prices in this backdoor fashion. As Bill Hicks said, "How far up your ass do these guys dicks need to be before you realize they're fucking you?" <b>This isn't a price drop. It's a price hike.</b> They're just dressing it up as if they're giving us more. They're not. They're giving us less.

• :) Fuck yeah Mike. Tellin the young 'uns exactly what the fuck is up. RAD. And may I salute you for your lengthy service to nerddom, as opposed to putting on golf shorts and mowing the lawn shirtless, listening to Blues Traveller. What they mock, I hold in reverence, as older nerds (respectfully!) are few and far between. And yes, $4 IS too much for a 30 page section of a seemingly never ending story. And I'm 22!! No cyber canes or dusty balls here or manicured lawns here. I WISH I was old enough to have seen a proper Star Wars movie in theaters (no, I II III don't count for me) and buy a coke for a quarter. Elders in the nerd/geek community should be respected; before the internet, it took EFFORT to geek out, or so I'm told.

• Yes, anyone who spends $4 on a comic book is a fool. That's not to say that I don't spend my money foolishly at times, but the article is about the price of comic books, not the price of fast food, tv, or gas. I know there aren't colorful pictures to accompany the words here, but try to concentrate.

• The damage is done. Many readers who dropped titles have gotten used to life without them and may not start buying again...

• First things first-that picture is a riot. The look on that kids face is priceless. Anyway,regarding the comics $$$...'BOUT DAMN TIME!!! I stopped buying the monthly's about a year ago when I realized just how little story I was getting. WHy the hell would anyone pay $4 for a comic thats mostly army recruitment ads and a back-up story/ad for a comic you had no interest in? This is a step in the right direction for sure...

• The page drop IS weak, but in the case of DC those 10 extra pages were usually just a "preview" (read Advertisement) for an upcoming title. I personally won't miss those...

• Shit, yes! It's about time. Especially when I heard from a couple people in the industry that they didn't NEED to increase the price, they just put it up as an experiment to see if people would pay it! Way to dick over your loyal customers, guys.

• Funny that you people act like I'm old... I'm 40. that means in about 30 years, the price of comic books has increased by a factor of 16, even gas hasn't gone up that much. If I was 60, maybe I'd be asking alot, but 40 isn't that old, so fuck off.

• Now if they could get one god damn story line into one or two comics a month instead of ten I may go back to reading them again.

• Dropping the prices a whole dollar doesn't mean I'll be picking up more comics; $2.99 is still a bit high for 20 pages of warmed-over crap.

• I'm sure you are too busy sorting your arthritis medicine and yelling at the neighbor kids to stay off your lawn to even worry about reading comic books.

• I spend my money on MMO fees and hookers. I don't get the hookers for sex. I pay them to sit there and watch me play, and every so often I turn to them ask, "Did you see me fucking own that noob?" To which they reply, "I sure did, daddy." Just doing my part for the economy.

• I'm glad. This 4 dollar mark caused me to drop all but a few books, and wait for trades that I could then buy on amazon for a discount. And honestly, why the whole dollar jump? Whatever happened to increasing it by a quarter ever 5 years or so?

• I wish I was only buying 10 comics a month. I guess that means I'm an "Above Average" comic reader.

• Ahh because what you think is a waste of money must be true for everyone. How about that fast food you're having for lunch, how is that waste of cash? Or all those extra channels on TV you never watch, good use of money there. Why don't you bike to work and not waste your money on gas? A fool and his money sure are parted quick huh?

• or, you know, write stories that are actually good. i'm pretty sure people would be less "reluctant to sample new titles" if the stories are good for a change.

• you forgot to wave your cyber cane in the air and tell the nerdlings to get off your cyber lawn, gramps. XD

• Mike, I'm with you. When I stopped buying comic books in junior high, they were just starting to cost between $1.50 and $2. And that was obscene THEN! $4 today for a freaking comic book is ridiculous. I guess the old adage is true: a fool and his money are soon parted.

• $3.99 for a comic? You've got to be fucking kidding me!! I thought it was bad when they went above $1.25, but I sure as hell wouldn't spend 4 bucks on something I have to keep buying indefinitely. Shit, when I was a kid, Cokes(Can), comic books and candy bars all cost a quarter, it hasn't been THAT long since the 70's. Look at the price increase since then: Candy bars(Standard size) 80 cents or so. Cans of coke: 65 cents or so, and comic books 4 dollars? That's 16 times more than they cost, while the others have barely trippled in price. What a ripoff.

• I am a fan of the lower prices but the flip side of it sucks 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: Thats a 10 page drop in the stories, 10 pages, I mean most books you get a side story/preview and I hope that is what is getting cut out

TotalComments: 68