I assume you're talking about the lack of the 'dot' between the 4 and the 99, making it look like it costs $499? However, I think Marvel assume that we'll know it's only $4.99 due to the 99 being smaller than the 4. Nice facsimile, though there's a bar code box on the bottom right-hand corner (our pov) which isn't in the image you've used.
Honestly, Kid, it never occurred to me that shoppers would ever assume Marvel would try to market an issue for a whopping $499! As you say, the distinction between the dollars and cents is perfectly clear. (But just in case, maybe I'd better start saving up!)
Oh, I assumed wrong then. Though, that being the case, I don't quite get what point you were making, as reprint editions have been collectable in their own right for a good many years. Mostly, these facsimile mags are very nice (often with better reproduction than the originals), and are already selling for more than their cover price on ebay and elsewhere. Did you see the FF #1 facsimile? It was a cracker.
These are complete through and through as far as I can tell. I'm a bit of a sucker for these and picked up this very one -- the cover is too dang awesome. Just this week I got one from DC with Green Lantern and Green Arrow and it had it all including a letter from Carmine Infantino explaining why this comic had raised its price to twenty-five cents, pretty much the same month as this Defenders debut I think.
Tiboldt, I doubt that the creators get residuals, because the comic was originally produced under the old 'work for hire' system (whether it was actually called that at the time or not), but considering that printing costs are much higher now, I don't think the facsimiles can fairly be considered expensive. At least, not until they're sold on ebay at triple the price.
Reprints are all well and good. Most of the sixties stuff I got are actually reprints from the '70's and 80s, but not all of them. I got some original '60's F.F., Avengers, Thor, Hulk, etc. but those can get pretty spendy, so it was nice that there was stuff like Marvel's Greatest Comics, Marvel Triple Action, etc. Still, nothing beats the original. The feel of the paper, the crazy ads, heck, even the smell of it. Modern comics are too slick by half. They just don't have that funky feel to 'em.
Kid, you've certainly raised fair points--I collected many of the reprint titles myself, though I can't imagine seeking them out as a speculator or to simply fill in gaps in issue numbers. (If I'm going to make that effort, I'd rather invest my time and $$$ at comic-cons hunting for the originals, which, unlike the reprints of old, are intact and have none of their content edited for space.) The marketing push on these "facsimile" (yet not a facsimile, given its price tag) issues astonishes me. Here's a company which has made such an effort to break with the constraints of its past and forge new roads for its characters, only to, in an incredible about-face, find a new angle to market that past and pounce on it along with its competitor. I would have loved to have sat in on that conference and listened to the rationale of how that could be made to fly.
That said, and as others on this subject rightly point out, the main draw of these issues is that between the pages of their stories they provide a glimpse into the machinery, ads and all--something those who weren't around to take advantage of in collecting the original copies, and who have developed the fondness for comics reading that we all share, can find very appealing. In addition, the buyer may prefer a glossy new issue to own, rather than a copy that carries a rating of "very good" or "fine" that they might discover in a longbox at a comics dealer. Many people shell out a good deal of money for a piece of history, in whatever form it comes in--and while in this case it's only a reproduction of history, they may not mind the difference. I suppose it's a little like buying a reproduction of a Van Gogh, or avoiding an antique shop in favor of ordering a reproduction of the piece you're looking for. To the naked eye, there's no discernible difference--something Marvel and DC are arguably (and one could say literally) banking on.
I think there's no doubt that the originals are best, CF, but they're not always affordable so close copies are the next best thing. Some of the differences annoy me though, like Marvel now removing the Comics Code stamp from their facsimiles, and DC removing the date. That said, it's still nice to look at a bunch of comics beside you and see a brand-new Amazing Fantasy #15 (or whatever) sitting atop the pile. And in most cases (except when they're scanned from printed issues) the reproduction is clearer than the originals. DC use newsprint paper for their facsimiles (though glossy paper on their dollar reprints), which I prefer to the shiny paper that Marvel uses.
So originals are best if you can afford them, but the facsimiles are not without their own charm and appeal. Hell, I even like the True Believers issues. There's always been a market for reprints, like the Marvel Epic Collections, Omnibus editions, etc., but single-issue reprints are nice little collectables for people like me who live in the past, and who prefer to read an individual comic over a collected edition of comics. (Though I like them as well.)
I'm not familiar with these facsimiles but it looks like a neat idea if it includes original ads and all. However, I agree with m.p.- there's nothing like the original, including the smell, and I also think modern comics are too slick, but I guess I'm just a dinosaur.
10 comments:
I assume you're talking about the lack of the 'dot' between the 4 and the 99, making it look like it costs $499? However, I think Marvel assume that we'll know it's only $4.99 due to the 99 being smaller than the 4. Nice facsimile, though there's a bar code box on the bottom right-hand corner (our pov) which isn't in the image you've used.
Honestly, Kid, it never occurred to me that shoppers would ever assume Marvel would try to market an issue for a whopping $499! As you say, the distinction between the dollars and cents is perfectly clear. (But just in case, maybe I'd better start saving up!)
Oh, I assumed wrong then. Though, that being the case, I don't quite get what point you were making, as reprint editions have been collectable in their own right for a good many years. Mostly, these facsimile mags are very nice (often with better reproduction than the originals), and are already selling for more than their cover price on ebay and elsewhere. Did you see the FF #1 facsimile? It was a cracker.
It does seem a lot for a reprint comic, especially since $0.25 is equivalent to about $1.58 today. Do the creators get residuals?
Is a complete copy, adverts and all? How does that work?
These are complete through and through as far as I can tell. I'm a bit of a sucker for these and picked up this very one -- the cover is too dang awesome. Just this week I got one from DC with Green Lantern and Green Arrow and it had it all including a letter from Carmine Infantino explaining why this comic had raised its price to twenty-five cents, pretty much the same month as this Defenders debut I think.
Rip Off
Tiboldt, I doubt that the creators get residuals, because the comic was originally produced under the old 'work for hire' system (whether it was actually called that at the time or not), but considering that printing costs are much higher now, I don't think the facsimiles can fairly be considered expensive. At least, not until they're sold on ebay at triple the price.
Reprints are all well and good. Most of the sixties stuff I got are actually reprints from the '70's and 80s, but not all of them. I got some original '60's F.F., Avengers, Thor, Hulk, etc. but those can get pretty spendy, so it was nice that there was stuff like Marvel's Greatest Comics, Marvel Triple Action, etc.
Still, nothing beats the original. The feel of the paper, the crazy ads, heck, even the smell of it. Modern comics are too slick by half. They just don't have that funky feel to 'em.
M.P.
Kid, you've certainly raised fair points--I collected many of the reprint titles myself, though I can't imagine seeking them out as a speculator or to simply fill in gaps in issue numbers. (If I'm going to make that effort, I'd rather invest my time and $$$ at comic-cons hunting for the originals, which, unlike the reprints of old, are intact and have none of their content edited for space.) The marketing push on these "facsimile" (yet not a facsimile, given its price tag) issues astonishes me. Here's a company which has made such an effort to break with the constraints of its past and forge new roads for its characters, only to, in an incredible about-face, find a new angle to market that past and pounce on it along with its competitor. I would have loved to have sat in on that conference and listened to the rationale of how that could be made to fly.
That said, and as others on this subject rightly point out, the main draw of these issues is that between the pages of their stories they provide a glimpse into the machinery, ads and all--something those who weren't around to take advantage of in collecting the original copies, and who have developed the fondness for comics reading that we all share, can find very appealing. In addition, the buyer may prefer a glossy new issue to own, rather than a copy that carries a rating of "very good" or "fine" that they might discover in a longbox at a comics dealer. Many people shell out a good deal of money for a piece of history, in whatever form it comes in--and while in this case it's only a reproduction of history, they may not mind the difference. I suppose it's a little like buying a reproduction of a Van Gogh, or avoiding an antique shop in favor of ordering a reproduction of the piece you're looking for. To the naked eye, there's no discernible difference--something Marvel and DC are arguably (and one could say literally) banking on.
I think there's no doubt that the originals are best, CF, but they're not always affordable so close copies are the next best thing. Some of the differences annoy me though, like Marvel now removing the Comics Code stamp from their facsimiles, and DC removing the date. That said, it's still nice to look at a bunch of comics beside you and see a brand-new Amazing Fantasy #15 (or whatever) sitting atop the pile. And in most cases (except when they're scanned from printed issues) the reproduction is clearer than the originals. DC use newsprint paper for their facsimiles (though glossy paper on their dollar reprints), which I prefer to the shiny paper that Marvel uses.
So originals are best if you can afford them, but the facsimiles are not without their own charm and appeal. Hell, I even like the True Believers issues. There's always been a market for reprints, like the Marvel Epic Collections, Omnibus editions, etc., but single-issue reprints are nice little collectables for people like me who live in the past, and who prefer to read an individual comic over a collected edition of comics. (Though I like them as well.)
I'm not familiar with these facsimiles but it looks like a neat idea if it includes original ads and all. However, I agree with m.p.- there's nothing like the original, including the smell, and I also think modern comics are too slick, but I guess I'm just a dinosaur.
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