The cat has finally moved her furry butt off my order forms, so I can move on. (She usually joins me in the room I'm at, but rarely sits right next to me, so I didn't want to discourage that...)
IDW Comics.
This is the newest "Premier" publisher. They specialize in licensed type properties.
MARS ATTACKS: Um, a little bit because it's a #1.
ROCKETEER: Always order because it was once my favorite comic (when Dave Stevens was doing it.) Speak of the devil -- there is a 50.00 Stevens art book. Ordered.
KISS: Always trying, never selling. Will get a copy, because it's #1.
TRUE BLOOD: Great show, doesn't sell as a comic.
G.I. JOE and TRANSFORMERS: Would seem like a no-brainer -- except, they keep changing the titles and adding mini's and more series, and then mixing them, and a pox upon them. Order one copy for the one guy who subscribes.
STAR TREK and DR. WHO: Ditto, what I just said above. A single, well done title I could build upon, this bait and switch tactic is just utterly maddening. No copies.
GODZILLA and TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: Ditto. A single, on-time title would be great, not this mix and match stuff. Very annoying.
MAGIC THE GATHERING and DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS: Again, would see to be great titles to have, but when you try to match inconsistent customers (people who show up once in a blue moon, demanding to get all the missing issues) and confusing and inconsistent production, it's such a problem that they are almost more trouble than they are worth.
Wow. I didn't know I was feeling this way, until I expressed it out loud. Anyway, this seems to be something that the licensed publishers have a problem with: a well-defined set of titles, consistently produced. They throw spin off after spin off, mini after mini, and confusing absolutely everyone. (Dynamite does this, as well, as does Boom. Dark Horse gets carried away with Star Wars.)
**********
IMAGE COMICS:
Image Comics are on a bit of a roll. Some well known authors, unique stories. Getting attention. At first, I was under ordering them because they looked like the same old same old. But they fooled me and I've been playing catch up ever since. It's also nice that they are keeping most of these in print.
Because of the consistency of vision, I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt (the opposite of the way I feel about IDW above.)
PLANETOID. Once would have ordered 1, am ordering 5.
CREATOR OWNED HEROES. Once would have ordered 1, am ordering 8.
CARBON GREY: Ordered 1.
THE ACTIVITY T.P. Ordered.
DANCER; EPIC KILL; FATALE; MANHATTAN PROJECTS; SAGA; REBEL BLOOD; SECRET; THIEF OF THIEVES -- All these titles are big hits, as far as I'm concerned, selling up to a dozen each when a year ago I would have thought 1 or 2.
Go Image!
FATALE T.P. Ordered.
WALKING DEAD T.P. #16. Going to order 6 of these, which is about 3 more than I once would have ordered. And I'll no doubt have to reorder.
**********
MARVEL COMICS:
Like DC, lots of titles, but slightly more predictable.
The Avengers Vs. Marvel titles are settling in, down about a third from the start. Pretty typical.
Not much to say about Marvel. I pretty much know how many Daredevils and Incredible Hulks to order each month.
They are playing a bit of a dangerous game by doubling up many of their titles in one month. Some subscribers may not even notice consciously, but they may notice when it comes time to pay the bill.
Basically, this is a technique of getting more money from the customers they already have.
On the other hand, they do seem to have cut back a lot on extraneous titles -- minor characters and unnecessary mini series. At least, for the moment.
Well, that's it for the day. I got through the Premier section, which is usually about half of the job. But my brain is cheese, so I guess I'll finish tomorrow.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Image really has been killing it the last year or two. They are to comics what AMC has been to television in recent years. Quite a few quality original titles.
Post a Comment