For the past few years, DC has had an ongoing project in the US to “draw the line” at keeping many of its comics at the $US2.99 ($4) price point — but for a bulk of its DC Rebirth titles, that line is about to be crossed. The reason for crossing it, however, is at least a somewhat positive one.
A New 52-era ad highlighting DC’s “Hold the Line at $2.99” initiative.
Starting from April, 16 of DC’s ongoing monthly series (not the series that currently serve up two issues a month like Batman, Wonder Woman, Superman and so on) will be increasing their prices by a dollar, from $US2.99 ($4) to $US3.99 ($5), although one, All-Star Batman, will reduce its current $US4.99 ($7) asking price to $US3.99 ($5). How Australian pricing will be affected is as of yet unclear, but don’t be surprised if there’s a change in the cost of your pull list. Here’s the full list:
- All-Star Batman
- Batgirl
- Batgirl and the Birds of Prey
- Batman Beyond
- Batwoman
- Blue Beetle
- Cyborg
- The Hellblazer
- New Super-Man
- Red Hood and the Outlaws
- Super Sons
- Supergirl
- Superwoman
- Teen Titans
- Titans
- Trinity
The reason for the dollar increase? Physical copies of these books will finally come with a “free” digital copy of the same issue, allowing readers to maintain a physical collection alongside building a digital library of books, an avenue of comics reading that’s become steadily more popular than physical books in recent years.
Marvel’s new digital offers, replacing the current offer of a free digital copy of current physical issue.
The timing of DC’s announcement is particularly is interesting because Marvel actually recently announced a controversial reversal of its digital code plans. Currently all Marvel comics offer a free digital copy with physical issues, but the company is changing that in February. While there’s no price change coming in with it, codes will now offer digital copies of one of three select comics from Marvel’s back catalogue.
Marvel believes the move won’t dwindle support for local comic book stores, as the free samples will supposedly encourage people to go out and buy physical trade paperbacks instead. Naturally, DC believes the opposite, which is why they’re adding the new digital codes to promote to people who are still subscribing physically to monthly series. Either way, if you’ve been used to picking up physical books from either Marvel or DC lately, you can expect some changes in the coming months.
Comments
5 responses to “DC And Marvel Both Shake Up Their Digital Comics Plans”
So DC are essentially forcing people to accept +$1 increase regardless of whether they want a digital copy or not? Holding the line at “fuck you, buddy!”
I can’t be arsed with most comics anymore – I never thought I’d get rid of my floppies but I’m just going TPB, and mostly indies at that.
Honestly sounds like a bit of a sook over nothing. You get a permanent digital copy of the comic for a buck. “Hold that line” all you want, but considering how much they charged prior to this for digital comics, this is an excellent deal if you purchased and collected physical copies, you can now keep them in their mylar bags, without ever taking them out, or at least only removing them for their codes, then put them back never to ever be taken out again and *still* read the comic.
Seriously, it’s like the company actually did a good thing and people wanna piss in their mouths still. After all, they could’ve just jacked the price up and… nothing? But instead you actually get a digital copy? So yeah, like I said, hold that moral outragey line all you want, but you’re really getting outraged over nothing.
So it’s basically “getting outraged over nothing” because YOU want a digital copy and thus can justify the extra dollar. I like the tactile sensation involved with reading and further to that I would prefer to read them like I always have regardless of whether they sit mint in a mylar bag. Why should I pay for a feature I neither want nor need?
And anyway, I was being more flippant than anything. Being ‘outraged’ is your projection, not mine.
Let’s put it this way, the price rise was coming whether we liked it or not, you’re the one who said
Which neither comes across as flippant nor joking, but at rather somewhat arrogant and quite frankly shortsighted.If a buck which I was going to be charged regardless, because there was going to be a price rise coming anyhow despite this, which this article didn’t cover, ends up with a digital copy? Hell, that’s pretty good. I mean, hell, I was gonna be charged anyhow, so the fact they’re throwing in the digital copy now? Shit, where’s the problem? Hold the line all you want, I’ll hold the physical copy and my tablet as I read the digital one too 🙂
No projecting there either, it was all in your original post.
That “Holding the line…” ad is old, long before New 52 and actually ended when New 52 started.
The other thing I’m worried about is I am a Digital only reader, and usually a price increase for lenticular covers usually gets brought over to the Digital copies too. Are the Digital prices staying put or going up even though you don’t get anything extra for it?