In case you didn't already know, due to the Memorial Day holiday, new books won't be out until Thursday this week. I really don't understand why the stores have to suffer because of this. This week has a ton of product and I think one of two things should have happened.
1. The publishers (or Diamond) should have broken things up a little better. Too often lately we are getting big shipping weeks followed by little week. Some weeks have no X books followed by weeks like this with Astonishing, Uncanny, X-Force, X-Force Legacy of Violence, X-Men First Class, and X-Men Legacy. Why? A few weeks ago we got every Ultimate book (well, except Ultimates, but that is a whole different rant). People come in with $X to spend on new comics. When all of these types of books are dumped at one time, they will get them, but at the expense of something else, or they will decide that now is a good time to drop a book that they had been getting, but weren't that fond of. And either of those things is good. And chances are, next week will be a really small week.
2. While I understand that the reason for the delay is that UPS was closed on Monday and thus, everything is delayed a day. but, why couldn't Diamond have moved their system up a day and shipped on Friday rather than wait until Monday. Diamond is the one who determined the Wednesday on sale day, so shouldn't it be there responsibility to make sure that we have the books on Wednesday, rather than whenever they feel like sending them to us?
My big days, not surprisingly are Wednesday-Saturday. So losing one of those days hurts. The lost sales on one of those days is not made up in the other days. And I have one less day to sell those books. In the old days, that would not have mattered. But, with the odd shipping schedules lately, it does have an effect. I order books with the assumption that the I will have 4 weeks to sell the majority of the copies before the next issue comes. But the previous issue of X-Men Legacy came out 2 weeks ago. I did not know I would have less tome to sell that one. Now, in all honesty, I underordered it and can't get more, so it is moot for me, but the principle is still there. I remember not that long ago, Joe Quesada, in response to late books, said "No one ever said (comics) had to be monthly." I respectfully disagree. You, as a comic publisher, made the comics monthly. I remember when they used to have months on them. Don't call the retailers and fans unreasonable just because your talent can't produce the work in a timely fashion.
I ordered Hulk #3 based on the sales of #2. Sadly, I did not know it would be a month late and that the people who picked up #2 would give up on the book. The same thing has happened on Thor. Sales were very strong at in the beginning, but they are now half of what they started. In that case, I also think that the 2 covers on every issue with nothing to distinguish one issue from another to be a huge factor in lost sales. A customer comes in and usually can look at the cover to remember if they bought that particular issue. Each issue of Thor has had 2 cover and each with a pin-up of Thor. There is really no way to distinguish one from the other. Add in late shipping and you have customers looking at the latest issue and not being able to remember if they bought it or not. "Well, nothing has really happened in it anyway, so I guess I will get something else."
When a book is on schedule, people pick it up out of habit. Out of sight, out of mind. There is a big difference between "The new issue of X is out already?" and "They finally came out with another issue of X." There are lots of books available to readers every week. Publishers can't afford to lose readers. For most people, reading comics is a habit. Break that habit and you lose the sale.
Another problem retailers have with this is that, unlike other publishers, Marvel takes no responsibility for late shipping books. Due to the changes in the order process, retailers can adjust both DC and Marvel order numbers up to 3 weeks before they ship. But this does not take into account loss of sales due to customer apathy. DC, to their credit, still makes late shipping books returnable. They take the blame for the delay and unanticipated lack of demand for the late book. Marvel does not. Giant Size Astonishing X-Men comes out Thursday. Will it sell as well as the previous issue that shipped, what, 6 months ago? I have no idea. And being Marvel, if I do not order enough, I will not be able to get any more should it sell out. More on this later. This problem has already hit Ultimates 3 for me. #3, which was late, sold less that half of #2. Now, while I was able to adjust my order umbers, I saw no reason to order less than I did of #2. Why would I? You would assume that the same number of people that bought #2 would continue to want to read the story and get the next issue, right? And if it shipped on time, they probably would have. But the lateness cause people to move on. How do I order #4, since it is going to be late as well. Should I assume there will be more loses and order half of the sales of #3?
Well, that would be the safe thing to do. To protect myself, I should reduce the number of #4 I will get and then reorder more if I sell out. But, Marvel does not overprint their books and you usually cannot get more if you need them. That is why they are doing so many reprints. Secret Invasion #1 is going to its 3rd printing. Did they not anticipate demand? We, as store owners, are make complete guesses when it comes to something like this. Yes, I assume it is going to be big. But how big? No way to tell. Only Marvel knows the story and can make the judgment that it is going to be good. They need to have more faith in their own product since they are the only ones who know what it is. I get a 2 sentence blurb of nothing in previews to make my decision on.
Here is one of my favorites. Here is all I had to base my order of Kick Ass #1 on:
The greatest super hero comic of all-time is finally here. WOLVERINE: ENEMY OF THE STATE's team of MARK MILLAR (CIVIL WAR) and JOHN ROMITA JR. (WORLD WAR HULK) reunite for the best new book of the 21st century. Have you ever wanted to be a super hero? Dreamed of donning a mask and just heading outside to some kick-ass? Well, this is the book for you--the comic that starts where other super hero books draw the line. KICK-ASS is realistic super heroes taken to the next level. Miss out and you're an idiot!
And I have to order based on that. Or Marvel 1985, that comes out Thursday:
Before SECRET INVASION...before WORLD WAR HULK...before CIVIL WAR... The most powerful super-villains in the Marvel Universe gather their might to wreak havoc on the one place they've never before set foot-YOUR WORLD! As mankind's enemies cut a swath of destruction with unprecedented ferocity and ruthlessness, the fate of the planet rests in the hands of one person: Toby, a 13-year-old boy who holds the key to uniting his comic-book idols, the Marvel Heroes! Superstars Mark Millar (CIVIL WAR, FANTASTIC FOUR) and Tommy Lee Edwards (BULLET POINTS, The Question) deliver a Marvel Event the likes of which you've never seen!
I have a feeling I am way too heavy on this one, but they did 3 covers, so I felt that there must be something to it. But I am not confident.
It is hard enough to order the product based on the little amount of info we are given. Throwing lateness on top of that just makes it that much harder.
Enough ranting for today.
2 years ago
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