Marvel Double Shipping Titles, is it Pennywise and Pound Foolish?

Bob Bretall, co-host of The Comic Book Page podcast, and owner of one of the most comprehensive comic book collections imaginable, posited a thought-provoking thread at our 11 O’Clock Comics forums this week; and that conversation served as the impetus for this week’s column.

 
In his post, he takes the time to note that Marvel is shipping at least two issues of 14 different titles in June:
 
Hulk 34 CoverHukl 35 Cover
  • THUNDERBOLTS #158 & #159
  • ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN #159 & #160
  • CAPTAIN AMERICA: FIRST VENGEANCE #3 & 4 (of 4)
  • HULK #34 & #35 –>>
  • INCREDIBLE HULKS #630 & #631
  • AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #663 & #664
  • BLACK PANTHER: THE MAN WITHOUT FEAR #519 & 520
  • MYSTERY MEN #1 & 2 (of 5)
  • DEADPOOL #38 & #39
  • WOLVERINE #10 & #11
  • X-MEN #12 & #13
  • X-MEN: PRELUDE #3 & #4 (of 4)
  • X-MEN LEGACY #250 & 251
  • X-FACTOR #220 & #221
 
 
Bob, who buys a LOT of comics, then goes through a discussion of which of these books he’s planning on buying and why.  More to the point, he articulates that for books he’s LOVING, he views the opportunity to buy more than one issue in a month as a bonus. But for books he’s not loving, or on the fence about? The cost of two issues in a month is enough to remove them from his pull list. 
 
The point he brings up is, in my opinion, a great one.  If you buy and read as many comics as we do, and are lucky enough to have a relatively open ended budget, the opportunity to buy multiple issues of the same title isn’t necessarily a negative.  But realistically, how many of today’s comic book fans fit that bill?  I know anecdotally that MOST of the people I know in the industry very much DO have a budget, and allocating $6-$8 on a mid-list book, even if they generally enjoy it, can be too onerous a commitment.  
 
So is Marvel’s practice to ship multiple issues of titles a good or bad business decision?  In the very SHORT RUN, I would argue (and am sure Marvel executies do, too) that it’s justifiable. After all, it means more product on the shelves, and thus more units sold, which flows right to the bottom line.  But in the LONG RUN?  I’m concerned it’s pennywise and pound foolish.  The market, particularly mainstream superhero comics, is saturated and struggling to grow. It seems every month some devoted group of fans laments the cancellation of their favorite mid-list books, because sales just aren’t good enough.  So how is putting out multiple issues in a month going to change that?  Or is Marvel no longer even bothering to try?
 
This also ties into the new x.1 (Point One) issue concept.  According to Marvel’s own PR:
 
Geared for new and long-time readers alike, the all-new Marvel: Point One initiative delivers the perfect jumping on points for the biggest super hero series in the world! Beginning in February 2011, select Marvel comic series marked with a ".1" after the issue number feature full-length, self-contained stories by Marvel's top creators, laying the groundwork for the next year of storylines. From INVINCIBLE IRON MAN to AVENGERS to AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, each Marvel: Point One issue of the associated series not only begin major new storylines, but also seamlessly introduces new readers into the dynamic Marvel Universe and its popular super heroes.
 
Additionally, each issue bearing the Marvel: Point One branding will be followed in the same month by another issue of that series, delivering new fans another exciting installment of the series they enjoy.
 
Putting aside for now whether the x.1 issues accomplish their stated goal of being good jumping on points, they DO allow Marvel to have multiple issues of the same title on the shelves in the same month.  Again, does this really help GROW readership of an individual title?
 
  • For existing readers, it increases the cost of the series and provides more impetus to drop the book to fit others into their budget
  • For existing readers, if it’s not at the top of their enjoyment hierarchy, the increased frequency and cost serves as a reminder that maybe it’s time to move on to try something else
  • For new readers, particularly those that pre-order, it’s a far more significant financial commitment to a series they don’t yet know is up their alley
  • For readers who don’t pre-order, I’ve heard many complaints that they are worried about missing issues because they don’t know to look for multiple issues since the last time they stopped into their shop
 
Now we need to also make the distinction between people who pre-order their comic books (using solicits, pull lists and Previews catalogs), and those who simply go to  their store and buy what is on the stands without any pre-planning.  I’m very much the former (as is Bob and many of the respondents in the thread), so I would be interested in hearing from people that just walk into the shop without much concept of what’s coming down the pike.  Why? Because if you don’t KNOW that another issue of Thunderbolts or Hulk or Deadpool looms in two weeks time, maybe you don’t even notice the incremental cost and just forge ahead?  
 
Ultimately time will tell whether this has been a good or bad business practice.  Marvel continues to have DOMINANT market share of single issue sales in the direct market, so far be it for me to suggest their strategy isn’t a sound one.  But I do think Bob’s question is well put, particularly at a time when readers seem to be more apt to look for “Jumping Off Points” than “Jumping On Points.”
 
 

Jason is a mutant with the ability to squeeze 36 hours into every 24-hour day, which is why he was able to convince his wife he had time to join the iFanboy team on top of running his business, raising his three sons, and most importantly, co-hosting the 11 O'Clock Comics podcast with his buddies Vince B, Chris Neseman and David Price. If you are one of the twelve people on Earth who want to read about comics, the stock market and football in rapid fire succession, you can follow him on Twitter.

Comments

  1. Just the title let’s you know this is Wood article.

    Pontificating and prognosticating with economic pedagogy.

  2. They’re doing the same in April with 8 books, 10 if you count .1 issues, and I thought THAT was bad. Good thing I’ve recently dropped most of the 14 in July.

    Also, Mystery Men? As in THE Mystery Men? Or some is it a Marvel property just taking the name?

  3. @Slockhart They’ve done it with fair regularity (and DC has done some of this too at times, although not as frequently as Marvel of late).

  4. While the large majority of these double-shipping issues are by the main creative team, some of them sneak in a fill-in issue. 

    Only one of those Thunderbolts issues is being written by Jeff Parker, the other is short stories by 3 other writers.  Which one?  Marvel doesn’t specify, thus making it difficult for me to know which issue to skip.  I pre-order on DCBS so if I can’t figure out which is which by the order cut off date, I’m skipping both.

    They did the same with Thor x.1, no Fraction or Ferry anywhere in that issue.

  5. I wasn’t counting .1 issues as double ships.  If you do that you get 1 more:
    AVENGERS ACADEMY #14.1

    BTW, from the responses I got on the 11 O’Clock thread as well as one on the ComicBookPage forums, what I found is that most people had already down-selected all series that were not there favorites.  They basically fell either into the “It’s just more to love” or the “I’m not getting that title so no skin off my nose” categories.

    Not a lot of people buying books they are iffy about where this kicks them into a decision point on keeping the series.

  6. @Slockhart  Mystery Men is a new marvel series with “pulp style” heros set in the 1930’s that pre-date the current start of the Marvel Age of super-heroes (as shown in the recent “Marvels Project”)

  7. Also……  Especially for people who buy “off the rack”, I’m guessing that pumping out more product is targeted at taking extra $$ out of the pocket of fans of the titles because every $ Marvel can capture out of a fan’s pocket on a double shipped book will likely translate in a sale that is lost by another publisher. 

    This is assuming fans have a finite budget to spend on comics.

    I’m ALSO wondering if the plethora of double ships is also a reaction to DC’s huge drop of 16 Flashpoint minis and 4 one-shots that are on top of their normal books (which provide a net increase of ~14 books even taking into account recent cancellations from DC).

  8. It’d be nice if Spidergirl shipped twice in a month. That’s the lowest Tier book I get and I feel like it was born on the fence so I’m kinda playing a waiting game.

  9. So, interesting factoid: 77% of these books are $2.99 (X-Men Legacy issue notwithstanding). 

    I remember Marvel saying recently that they were going to try to get 18 issues a year out of some of their books, and it seems to me that this is their attempt to hang onto the $2.99 price point where they can without cutting content down to 20 pages.

    I get that in the Pricing PR war between Marvel & DC, DC is way ahead with the whole “holding the line at 2.99 (for now)” verbiage, but there are quite a few $2.99 books in Marvel’s June solicits, for what it’s worth. I think it’s quite fair to say that we’re in a period where neither publisher has embraced a long-term strategy (and have been for a few years), and there’s going to be some weird experiments.

    Interestingly enough, comparing 12 books at $3.99 vs 18 books at $2.99, the incremental cost is $6 for 6 extra issues of comics – which actually sounds like a damn good deal in my book. 
     

  10. I love the “Point One” initiative – but just like pretty much ALL comic publishing initiatives, it will not work if retailers are being passive about it.

    The easy thing to do – and the thing I suspect most retailers are doing – is ordering the “Point One” issues like you would any other issue of the title. Now, most of these books feature (at the very least) the same writer so this is a PRETTY safe bet – but remember: this is not a regular issue of the ongoing title.

    Here’s what I’ve been doing with the “Point One” books in my store. As each new one is announced, I let all of my file customers CURRENTLY GETTING the title know what’s coming up. Basically, there’s an issue of, let’s say “Captain America” coming out that is going to function as a one-shot introduction to the character. I give the reader the option of nabbing that issue, or skipping it, because – let’s face it, a lot of (if not MOST of) the “Point Ones” can be skipped without ANY consequence to the ongoing story. Some opt out of getting the Point One – others opt to get the book. That is step one.

    Step two: Ask other regulars if they might be interested in picking up the book. Have you heard a customer muse about picking up Cap recently? Do they get Thor, Iron Man and Secret Avengers, but never found a good place to jump on with Cap? Are the Ed Brubaker fans who are a little afraid to dip their toe into the Cap waters because he’s been writing the book for… 7? 8 years now? Let them know about the issue: a low cost, low continuity introduction to the book, and it’s world. If they want to try it, procure a copy for them.

    Step three: Bump up your shelf copies for random traffic. Prepare a back stock, one that you think you will probably be able to sell out of once the status described in the Point One issue have been wiped clean. Keep those copies in an easy to find place, and let people know what they’re all about. Those random customers who want to know what Wolvie is up to, but are a little apprehensive about committing cash to an unproven collection or time to an ongoing? Sell it to them. Or, if you’re the type, tell them the book is free, that they should try it, and come back if they liked it. Or hell, even better, tell them to bring the book back with them the next time they are in the store, and offer them a discount on any of the current Wolverine stuff that they buy on that return trip.

    As long as a retailer does not treat this initiative passively, it’ll work. In fact, it’s working for me RIGHT NOW. We have added titles out the wazoo.

    The OTHER double ship books though – that’s something different, but I’ve sorta’ already spent enough time writing in a comments page. 🙂 Some other time.

  11. @bschatz Thanks for the feedback, exactly the kind of thing I was hoping to see in the comments.

  12. I actually really like getting multiple issues per month as long as the art stays as good as it has been.

  13. Aren’t there 5 Wednesdays in that month?

  14. This is arrising as a problem for me in April actually. Including the “Point 1” issue, there are 3 issues of Uncanny X-Men shipping! What was costing me $4 a month is now $11? Some titles have been doing this already on a regular basis (Ultimate and Amazing Spider-Men).

    @ash – excellent point about the prices. Double shipped books should be 2.99.

  15. @MBurnsOH  Sorry.  Spider-Girl has been cancelled as of #8.

  16. Well, I for one love to get more of the titles I regularly read at least. One per week would be preferrable if that was possible.

  17. @ash  wrote: “I remember Marvel saying recently that they were going to try to get 18 issues a year out of some of their books,”

    I don’t recall seeing this bit of news, but it would certainly explain the # of double-ships

    @player1 wrote: “Aren’t there 5 Wednesdays in that month?”

    Yes, there are, however there have always been 5 week months on the calendar, and I don’t recall seeing the large # of double-ships for that reason in the past.  I’d me more inclined to believe that the double-ships are due to a desire to ramp up output to 18 books per year (or whatever)…..

    That said, it goes back to my original points:
    1) If you LOVE a book, 18 issues per year is just more to love

    2) If you are on the fence about a book, do you really want 18 issues a year?
           This pre-supposes you actually have a decision point because you are buying some books that are just “ok” to your eyes.

  18. I think this is the natural evolution of what we’ve seen with Spider-man, Avengers, Deadpool, Superman, Green Lantern and Batman titles.  Marvel and DC know that X character sells, so they create a way to publish more of that type book.  First it was brand extention (Amazing spawns Spectacular, Action begets Superman, Dective gives birth to Batman, etc.)  Then spin-off characters get their own books (Venom, Steel, GL Corps, etc., etc.).  Then Amazing consolidates and goes three times a month.  This works for awhile until the rotating artist team became too unweildy.  So, here’s the next evolution: same creative team (for the most part), just more frequently.

    Honestly, as a way to boost sales, I think the strategy will work on the longer-running titles.  Most comic buyers are going to continue buy thier favorites regardless of how many times they are published each month.  We will continue to buy the next issue of Amazing, or Detective, one after the other, even if it is like drinking from a fire hose.  

    The funny thing is, most of us won’t even mind, as long as it is a title we love.  Give me a twice weekly Spider-man book, as long as it is in continutity and as long as it’s good, and I will buy it every time.  I’ll gripe about it a little, but I’ll mostly take it because I’m irrational when it comes to Spidey.

    The bad news is if I am buying 8 issues of Spidey each month that’s seven other books I won’t be buying because I am on a budget.  This move will affect newer books and mid-tier books, which is unfortunate because that is where I would like to live.  I want to try new and different things, but I can’t because I have a terrible Spider-man addiction.  Oh well.  Bye-bye, Thunderbolts and Hulk!

  19. Seems to be Marvel’s answer to people not liking families of books–just publish the single titles you’ve got multiple times a month. It’s absolutely right that fans are looking not for jumping-on points, but jumping-off points, and “Point One” and these twice-a-month ventures are giving the fans just what they want in that regard. Now, I’m a Hulk fanatic, not so much a Spidey one (although yeah, I kind of run a Spidey podcast now), but still, what was two issues in a month became three, and now four. (I’m hoping Parker’s HULK, excellent though it is, won’t double-up shipping more than this month and the month of “Planet Red Hulk,” although, hey, probably dreaming.)

    Sales’ll suffer in the longterm. I’d really rather Marvel release one high-quality issue of a series in a given month than stretch themselves thin with multiple art teams tripping over each other and each writer having not nearly the lead time needed. (Although hey, I’m sure that being paid by the page, those writers may not precisely be complaining. Two issues a month = double the $$.)

    ~G.

  20. I’d been considering dropping Avengers Academy, and the the upcoming doubleship (May, I believe) cemented it’s fate.  I was one the fence at the cost of 1 issue a month, but at 2 issues it just doesn’t do it for me. 

  21. I’m one of those guys who doesn’t pre order or even do a pull list at a store…it zaps the fun out of comics for me. Every monday i come to this site and see whats coming out, pull a few things and decide to buy a few of those.

    A few weeks back i noticed that Amazing Spiderman was shipping back to back weeks. It was cool cause i loved the series, but i also was mad cause it put me over budget and messed me up because i wasn’t mentally prepared to read another Spidy issue that fast (hey i work that way).

    I still got it, BUT i do know that i’m very very hesitant to jump on and try different series especially when i know they double ship. It works against them that way. If they actually spaced out some of the issues i’d be able to fit them in better. There are lots of series that i see on the stands that come out too frequently for me to afford. So Brightest Day and Generation Lost are one of those fun/pain in the butts due to their schedules…AND the bi weekly schedule has also lessened the enjoyment because i’m not always interested in reading that story that week. Usually a full month is good to get me hungry for the story again.  

  22. It looks like Marvel is double dipping on their $2.99 books more so then anything else. Maybe they want to try and get more money out of the fans instead of raising the price up to $3.99. Cause if prices are raised, good lord it seems to be the end of the world. But publish two books in one more for fans to pay more then usual? Then it’s a great idea.

  23. @TheNextChampion  –its funny  how hung up we are on cover price, but buy 2 issues a month and just shrug it off. And i think Marvel is banking on the completist/addiction/impulsive nature of comic buyers to make the strategy work. 

  24. @wallythegreenmonster  it could be that as a consumer we are ok with getting 2 issues for $6, rather then 1 issue for $3.99; at least I know I am.

    This is really a non-issue. If it’s a book I like, 2 books in a month is great; if it’s a book I don’t read then I don’t care, but more power to those that do enjoy those books. I really don’t see how anyone loses.

  25. @RocketRacoon  — i totally agree…i was just saying that Marvel knows people don’t want to miss out, so the strategy will make up for lackluster sales in other places. 

  26. A comics publisher doing something harmful in the long run to make a quick buck … WHY I NEVER

  27. The list of Marvel titles I buy has dwindled to Thunderbolts, Hulk, X-Factor, Uncanny X-Force and the Annihilators mini.  That’s mostly due to price point and lack of interest in most of their other titles.  I see three of those are on this list and I don’t mind one bit.  As long as the quality doesn’t drop two issues a month can be a sweat spot (see JL:Generation Lost) and my comic budget is pretty elastic.

    If I bought more titles it might be a problem.  Shipping frequency is just another thing to factor in with price, content, how much I enjoy the title on a monthly basis, etc.

    Also, I’m thinking I’d rather read/buy 20 titles twice a month than 40 titles once a month.

  28. If all of those titles come out on June 1st and 29th, it seems fine to me.  I don’t know why that isn’t the norm in five wednesday months, rather than those wonky fifth week events.

  29. I saw Spidergirl’s writing on the wall but I still hate to hear it.

  30. This IS corporate thinking, stack them high watch them fly. Marvel is doing a fine job of showing a disregard for their readership and the market itself. I am irritated that they will keep as many books at 3.99 as they can, even though the market is saying 2.99. Then compound that with multiple issue months. I do not see any evidence of long term strategies, it is get as much as you can now. As a reader, I am tired of being milked after nearly 30 years…so i am and will continue to cut my purchases and it will be done based on cost and fatigue. Make Mine Marvel…

  31. Here’s the thing, if I’m buying a book, I’m not lukewarm on it. I pretty much love it consistantly. So I’m happy to buy another issue. However, if I’m broke? I’ll wait. I’ll buy it next week or the week after.

    No biggie.

  32. Man am I glad I don’t read any of that shit!

  33. @kennyg  You’re missing out on some really awesome books!

  34. no complaints from me but arnt the doing this with ult spiderman, seems like every other week

  35. This is another classic comic move. Bi-weekly publishing schedules have been going on at the big 2 for decades now during some of the summer months, especially on Marvel’s side. Marvel is also experimenting with Annual crossover stories again. It’s nothing new, but it is interesting to see old publishing methods used in the current economic/market scene.

  36. I already dropped all my Marvel books because I simply can’t afford that shit.

  37. Well it’s gonna work on me whether I like it or not.

    For some reason Deadpool and also Herc (I think) are being shipped twice a month. So I guess they win in the end… 

  38. the other week i bought 3 Marvel books and thought how Marvel’s pricing policy just prevented me from buying another 2.99 book. I was annoyed to say the least. There is Marvel stuff that i pick up in the store and put down because i just don’t want to go down that road with more 3.99 books…..and thats even more of a no brainer for me if it double ships. 

    @bschatz —sounds like you have a healthy shop. All the ones i go into are continually DECREASING stock by ordering less stuff. Which is partially why i don’t have a regular shop, and bounce around week to week. Less Quantity, less diversity…even the big titles, i’m shocked at how few they keep on the racks. 

  39. I’m with Rocket Racoon. if you like the books then it is good, if you don’t it is indifferent. Completists only have themselves to blame if they are buying stuff they don’t like.
    @JohnnyNormal – how can you be so unequivocal about “the amrket saying $2.99” when it has not helped DC’s sales in the least? 

  40. I don’t look to far ahead. I don’t read previews. If I see extra stuff in my bag at the LCS, I will either put it back or think seriously as to whether I will be dropping the title.

  41. I don’t mind as long as it’s only with certain books. I can afford to pick up a second issue of X-Factor in a month at times, but if it was every book I read, I would have to re-evaluate my pull list.

  42. I don’t mind the double ship for my favorite books either.  It concerns me, however, that from a creative standpoint, it has got to just wear out the creators.  I would hate to see Hardman and Parker leave Hulk because they get burned out on it sooner, you know?  That’s just got to be creatively draining to create more than 12 issues a year. 

    If the quality remains with the double shipping, I don’t see it being bad for Marvel, but if the secondary issues suck, then it would really build more ill will with fans.

  43. As long as they don’t ship the exact same week I don’t mind.  Sometimes I would rather get a story sooner then later.
     

  44. @Neb  –thats a good point..i often wonder how much better something like Brightest Day or Generation Lost could have been (art wise) if they weren’t cranking it out with different artists to maintain the schedule. 

  45. It’s basically impossible to gain new readers anyway, so I don’t see what the problem is.

    In the ’80s and ’90s Marvel OFTEN double-shipped titles throughout the summer months, so there’s definitely precedent for this.

    If Marvel can actually get two quality issues of certain titles out, more power to them. I JUST started reading Uncanny X-Force, and am happy with it, and was delighted to learn that I’d soon be getting new issues fast and furious over the next few months. Thinking about that actually solidifies me as a new reader of the floppies. This is more like how serialized fiction is supposed to be. If you go back to the 1800s, authors like Dickens were putting out WEEKLY new installments of their novels.

    Also as a comparison, over in DC land they’ve been struggling to get issues of Batman Inc and Batman Dark Knight out once every two months. One of Marvel’s big strengths is that they can schedule issues on time and still have them come out with high-quality art (for the most part).

    No one really questioned whether quick shipping was “pennywise and pound foolish” when it came to Amazing Spidey for the last few years. Nor did they question it with 52. People even stuck around for Countdown. As long as the quality’s there, the readers will be pleased.

    Frankly, I think it’s odd to even bring the question of new readers into this. There are no new readers, contrary to what initiatives like Marvel’s “point-one” thing seem to insinuate. We have to think waaay out of this box to even consider how to possibly attract new readers. Whatever happens with floppy issues in comic shops is irrelevant to new readers, because over the last decade we’ve seen that new readers aren’t being hooked through that route anyway.

  46. Amazing Spider-Man is supposed to ship twice monthly. Although a month or two ago it was shipping weekly.

  47. I love Pennywise.