CCW Question of the Week

This week’s question:

“How does the following press release from DC Comics make you feel?”

Beginning January 2011, DC Comics will implement a line-wide pricing adjustment, lowering the prices of all standard length 32-page ongoing comic book titles currently priced at $3.99 to $2.99, it was announced today by DC Comics Co-Publishers Jim Lee and Dan DiDio.

“Today’s announcement re-affirms DC Comics’ commitment to both our core fans and to comic book store retailers,” said Jim Lee, DC Comics Co-Publisher. “For the long term health of the industry, we are willing to take a financial risk so that readers who love our medium do not abandon the art form.”

“As Co-Publishers, we listened to our fans and to our partners in the retail community who told us that a $3.99 price point for 32 pages was too expensive. Fans were becoming increasingly reluctant to sample new titles and long term fans were beginning to abandon titles and characters that they’d collected for years.” said Dan DiDio, DC Comics Co-Publisher. “We needed a progressive pricing strategy that supports our existing business model and, more importantly, allows this creative industry to thrive for years to come. With the exceptions of oversized comic books, like annuals and specials, we are committed to a $2.99 price point.”

When taking into account mini-series, annuals and specials, more than 80% of DC’s comic books will be priced at $2.99.

As of January, the following titles standard length ongoing titles, previously priced at $3.99 for 32 pages/22 story pages, will be priced at $2.99 with 32 pages/20 story pages:

American Vampire
Batman: The Dark Knight
Batman Incorporated
Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors
JSA All-Stars

As of January, the following licensed titles, previously priced at $3.99, will be priced at $2.99:

Gears of War
God of War
Kane & Lynch
Ratchet & Clank

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:

Action Comics
Adventure Comics
Batman: Streets of Gotham
Detective Comics
Doc Savage
Justice League of America
Legion of Super-Heroes
The Spirit

In January, five books are $3.99 for 40 pages/30 story pages:

Batman: Europa # 1
First Wave # 6
DCU: Legacies # 9
Weird Worlds # 1
World of Warcraft: Curse of the Worgen

The following oversized anniversary issue will be $4.99 for 48 pages/38 story pages:

Hellblazer # 275

“Fans of our co-features should stay tuned. Some of these characters will find a new platform,” said Dan DiDio. “Going forward, mini-series and special events may feature a different price point and page count to best allow writers and artists the flexibility of format and story pages they need to tell their stories best.”

As for my answer to the question… you will just have to wait a little longer.

This literally hit the internet as I was on my way out for the evening but I wanted to make a post before I left so all of you could discuss it on the blog. I would like to think that the CCW had something to do with this very good news. 🙂

J.

Thanks to Insideman and the Swear All You Like blog for providing the press release.

CCW Poll of the Day

CCW Question of the Week

This week’s question:

“What are 5 foreign films that you would highly recommend to people?”

A few of us were having a discussion about foreign films in the Indie Flick Friday post and it has now spilled onto the main page. I bring this question up because I know a lot of you are into films from around the world and we can always use some great recommendations of quality around here. Please try to limit your answer to only 5. We can always do a follow up question next week for more of your favorites.

Here’s my list is no particular order:

In the Mood for Love, directed by Kar Wai Wong
Lady Vengeance, directed by Chan-wook Park
All About Lily Chou-Chou, directed by Shunji Iwai
House of Flying Daggers, directed by Yimou Zhang
Survive Style 5+, directed by Gen Sekiguchi

Damn, narrowing it down to only five was kinda tough. We MAY have to continue this next week.

J.

CCW Question of the Week

Wonder Woman Over The Years (via bigshinyrobot.com)

Hey folks, Elliott here. With all the discussion about the changes going on with Wonder Woman, you know it’s going to be a topic of discussion here on the blog and on CCW*TV. So Jose and I would like to ask YOU, the CCW Nation, to answer this question for us:

What does Wonder Woman mean to you?

Be honest when answering ‘cuz that’s where the best conversations start. 🙂

Looking forward to reading your comments!

E.

CCW Question of the Week

This week’s question:

“Do you think twice about buying a comic that is $3.99 or more?”

For me, the answer is a resounding yes.

Early this week DC announced that it will be raising the prices of some of their standard sized 32 page comics with American Vampire being one of them. At the moment American Vampire has a back up Stephen King story which warrants the extra dollar per issue. Come August though that back up will be done and it is not being replaced by another one but the price will still remain $3.99. I will be the first to tell you that as soon as this happens I am dropping American Vampire and it will pain me to do so. There are only a few books I would consider paying $3.99 for if they had no extra material and sadly American Vampire is not one of them. I have never been a “trade wait” kind of person but looks like I will be becoming one very shortly.

I am not going to go to much more into this subject here because I am thinking that this will make a good topic for next week’s Last Rants segment of the videos.

So what does everyone think?

J.

CCW Question of the Week

Hey folks, Elliott here. Tomorrow is the deadline for comic-book ‘professionals’ to submit their nominations for the Harvey Awards. This will be the second year I’ll be voting so I pose the question to the CCW*Nation:

Who should I nominate for a Harvey Award?

If you wanna see what the nomination form looks like, click HERE and then leave me your suggestions on the comment board. I’ll check them out before I submit my form.

Thanks!

CCW Question of the Week

This week’s question:

“What titles, if any, are you looking forward to reading from DC’s Brightest Day event?”

Like Ironmuskrat wrote in the last post, I too was quite disappointed in the “conclusion” of Blackest Night (maybe I’ll do a small write up on it in the next couple of days). Now that it is over this seems like as good a time as any to cut down on the DC titles I buy. Having said that, I will be giving the main Brightest Day series a few issues only because I am curious where this is going to go. After getting little to no resolution in Blackest Night the first few issues of Brightest Day “have got some explainin’ to do” and it better do so fast.

As for the other Brightest Day series launching the ONLY one I am looking forward to is Birds of Prey. I was collecting that series for awhile before it got canceled and am now glad to see it returning. I’ll still be picking up Green Lantern and Green Lantern Corps mostly because I was doing so long before Blackest Night ever came around but I was close to dropping the regular GL title before Blackest Night so we’ll see what happens there. I have absolutely no interest in the other Brightest Day titles but will probably read them regardless (while at work) just to keep up with things and possibly for reviewing.

J.

CCW Question of the Week

This week’s question:

“What are your thoughts, if any, on Image’s Guardians of the Globes teaser ads which were released this week?”

I for one think they are a bit genius and it was an interesting way to sort of mock the ridiculousness of Marvel’s Avengers teams while still managing to be fun (sorta like the Secret Avengers ads but more so). It’s great to see some comic companies still have a sense of humor, you know, instead of having the need to instigate a dick measuring contest any opportunity they get because of their feelings of inadequacy.

The best thing about these ads though? It was the fact that they raised to ire of the Marvel Zombies and that will always be a good thing in my book.

So, obviously these ads were a joke but Robert Kirmkan has announced that there will be a Guardians of the Globe six issue mini series that he will be co-writing starting in August. The actual individuals who will comprise the team will be released next week.

J.

CCW Question of the Week

This week’s question:

“Is anyone else tired of the New Avengers?”

Earlier this week it was announced that Marvel is relaunching New Avengers with a new #1 while having the same creative team still on the book. Really, what is the point of this (besides making a cash grab with a new #1)? It’s the same creative team (Bendis and Immonen) and it’s pretty much the same damn team members. Also, why have two Avengers books and not have two completely different teams?

Speaking of which, let’s take a look at the revealed team members so far:

Luke Cage: Who is also going to be a member of the Thunderbolts
Spider-Man: Who is also a member of the Avengers
Wolverine: Who is also a member of the Avengers, X-Men, X-Force and the Pet Avengers
The Thing: Who is also a member of the Fantastic Four
Jessica Jones: Is not currently on any other team but is a Bendis pet project

Four of these five team members are already on OTHER teams which makes the New Avengers completely derivative. I really don’t get it. We now not only get Bendis writing the main Avengers book (give it up already, dude) but we also have him continuing to write the most inept superhero team in existence.

My question is this: Where is Dan Slott in all of this? How does he not get an Avengers book while Bendis gets 2? His Mighty Avengers was the only good Avengers book (terrible art aside) to come out in years.

I don’t know…I was hoping that Marvel’s “Heroic Age” storyline would lead to something new but it just seems so far that they are force feeding the fans the same ol’ stale horseshit.

Am I alone in thinking this?

J.