The humorously named "AnalSurprise" posited the most interesting complaint on the new Newsarama about $4/issue Secret Invasion, a great number of preview pages, and heavy-on-the-spoilers discussions with creators the day after the issue hits:
http://comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=16695
Can someone tell me what is the point of *purchasing* these books anymore? I believe I will actually skip the rest of Secret Invasion and just read this column instead. Then buy the collected series as a book if it turns out it was good.
Anyone else feel way too much is being given away for free via the previews & columns like these? They're not even saving the big moments for the legitimate buyers -- every significant moment in the book is given away online for free, legally... including the last page, if you can believe that.
(To say nothing of the fact that the entire article is so obviously pandering to Bendis & Marvel, you'd think it was written by Bendis himself.)
He has a point. A lot of the pages are being shown, in addition to the web-traffic-generating, spoiler-heavy items masquerading as articles (trust me, I know about spoilers-for-ratings), and the prices are only going up.
What do you all think?
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I actually stopped buying the comics I'm really interested in simply because I don't have to any more. Over at Wizard they recap the X-Men, Green Lantern, major crossovers, etc. So why buy them?
ReplyDeleteI find my interest in the book waning with each passing issue. No way have #2 & #3 been worth 4 bucks and it is obvious now that this is going to be a 4 or 5 part story drawn out. Being the dum-dum that I am, I'll keep buying the rest of the series in the hope there is some value for money.
ReplyDeleteBut that is a good point, why buy the book when the 'Cliff notes' will be available the day after. Hell the last page was spoiled months ago when the preview cover for #4 came out months ago.
"I actually stopped buying the comics I'm really interested in simply because I don't have to any more. Over at Wizard they recap the X-Men, Green Lantern, major crossovers, etc. So why buy them?"
ReplyDeleteUhm, how about to READ them? This has got to be one of the stupidest complaints I've ever heard - "I can read a summary on the Internet, so what's the point of buying the book?" You can read video game walkthroughs that tell you the ending of the game, what's the point of reading it? You can generally read spoilers for movies on the day of release, what's the point of going?
The interviews with Bendis are meant to enhance the story, not act as a substitute for it, & they don't cover everything from the book itself.
The "why buy the book when the pages are all over the 'net" is the whiniest of whiny fanboy rants.
Look, D, much of the book is offered for free and all the important info is revealed (and discussed in much more detail than given in the book).
ReplyDeletePlus, I'm gathering that the "really interested" expressed by israel is that kind of "interested in finding out what happens". I think a lot of Marvel & DC shared universe books are bought out of readers having an OCD-like need to know what happens to characters, more than enjoy the story.
Kevin writes;
ReplyDelete"Plus, I'm gathering that the "really interested" expressed by israel is that kind of "interested in finding out what happens". I think a lot of Marvel & DC shared universe books are bought out of readers having an OCD-like need to know what happens to characters, more than enjoy the story."
Yup, got it in one. That's the trap I find myself in again after years of kicking the habit. I got sucked back into mainstream (read Marvel and DC) with Civil War and Identity Crisis, and despite hating them both, that quote above sums me up perfectly :(
Won't someone please think of the OCD Comic fans like me :)
As to the topic, yeah, paing an extra buck for pretty much nothing is very grating, I'm glad to see the online items cutting into interest. Maybe the spoiler-esque softball interviews will stop, or the prices will come down (because fewer people will buy), or some combination of the two.
Anonymous writes;
"The interviews with Bendis are meant to enhance the story, not act as a substitute for it, & they don't cover everything from the book itself."
Really, they read (to me) much more like the interviews with Brevoort in regards to Civil War -- making me wonder "why didn't they put this in the actual BOOK, instead of leaving it online?"
Take it and run.
Kevin writes;
ReplyDelete"Plus, I'm gathering that the "really interested" expressed by israel is that kind of "interested in finding out what happens". I think a lot of Marvel & DC shared universe books are bought out of readers having an OCD-like need to know what happens to characters, more than enjoy the story."
Yup, got it in one. That's the trap I find myself in again after years of kicking the habit. I got sucked back into mainstream (read Marvel and DC) with Civil War and Identity Crisis, and despite hating them both, that quote above sums me up perfectly :(
Won't someone please think of the OCD Comic fans like me :)
As to the topic, yeah, paing an extra buck for pretty much nothing is very grating, I'm glad to see the online items cutting into interest. Maybe the spoiler-esque softball interviews will stop, or the prices will come down (because fewer people will buy), or some combination of the two.
Anonymous writes;
"The interviews with Bendis are meant to enhance the story, not act as a substitute for it, & they don't cover everything from the book itself."
Really, they read (to me) much more like the interviews with Brevoort in regards to Civil War -- making me wonder "why didn't they put this in the actual BOOK, instead of leaving it online?"
Take it and run.
Sorry for the double-post. Apologies.
ReplyDelete