Comic Book Talk (3 Viewers)

[bonnjer]

I really kinda hate Double Play. I bypass it to go to Metairie because of how they jack up their prices on some stuff.

I haven't been to Double Play in a few years now. It was never my favorite place because it's so small. I guess they pretty much have a monopoly on comics in BR so they can do what they want to with prices.

I might have to take a drive to Lafayette to check out And Books Too.

It's been there for many years and has a good selection of new books and recent back issues. They do a lot of gaming there, too.

Excalibur in Shreveport used to be in a smaller building, but they moved just down the road to a bigger place and they have a large selection of new stuff, old stuff, and collectibles. Out of the three spots, it's probably my favorite with And Books Too coming in second. I just don't make the 2.5 hour trip to Shreveport all that often.

 

[GrandAdmiral]

I've always wondered who had the largest shop in the state.

 

[Sun Wukong]

I went to Double Play once, I think, and was pretty underwhelmed. I know there are other comic/game shops in BR, but Double Play was the one that was always hyped to the moon and back and...meh.

What I like about And Books Too is how spacious it is. So often comic/game shops feel super calutstrphobic, but And Books Too feels like a legitimately well laid out retail space. It feels like a comics/game space by way of an actual bookstore.

I really need to start going to Excalibur again, as it's closest. Shreveport/Bossier has had no shortage of upstart shops in recent years and I've tried to support a couple, but they always end up flaming out. Excalibur is really the only one that has persisted that does comics and games.

 

[GrandAdmiral]

So in two weeks, it's the Batman/Catwoman wedding. How many think King will actually go through with it? After issue #49, I'm really expecting the rug to be pulled from under us.

 

[bonnjer]

I really need to start going to Excalibur again, as it's closest. Shreveport/Bossier has had no shortage of upstart shops in recent years and I've tried to support a couple, but they always end up flaming out. Excalibur is really the only one that has persisted that does comics and games.

Have you been to Excalibur since they moved to their current location? I'm not sure exactly when they moved, but some time in the last year, I suppose. If you haven't been, it's not far from the old location. I think you'd like it because, although they have a lot of stuff, it's well laid out and easy to move around in.

 

[Sun Wukong]

So in two weeks, it's the Batman/Catwoman wedding. How many think King will actually go through with it? After issue #49, I'm really expecting the rug to be pulled from under us.

If that wedding happens I will eat my hat. (I don't wear hats, but still...)

Have you been to Excalibur since they moved to their current location? I'm not sure exactly when they moved, but some time in the last year, I suppose. If you haven't been, it's not far from the old location. I think you'd like it because, although they have a lot of stuff, it's well laid out and easy to move around in.

I haven't been since they moved locations. I'm contemplating heading up tomorrow and visiting for the first time in a while, actually.

 

[GrandAdmiral]

If that wedding happens I will eat my hat. (I don't wear hats, but still...)

So are you against the nuptials?

 

[Sun Wukong]

So are you against the nuptials?

Not per se. Actually, I'm for anything that makes Batman seem more like a normal person and not a total psychopath. My ideal Batman is like 70's Denny O'Neil/Neal Adams Batman, where there's darkness for sure but he's not nearly what he got turned into after Frank Miller/Alan Moore got ahold of him, We've been chasing that dragon for three decades since and ended up in some just weird places because of it.

So anything that kind of deviates from the norm, I'm cool with. I just don't think it will happen. There has already been one major comic book wedding fakeout this past week from Marvel. I'm betting we get another one.

 

[Jeff Miller]

my guess it's akin to music on LPs vs spotify
we developed an attachment to the physical thing as well as the content - if there was a youtube channel that just flipped through the pages of your comics, i'd be they'd be in to that

seems to me the mobile media addicted millennials just don't have the attention span for anything either. they bombard themselves with something different every 5 minutes they can't sit still long enough to actually read a 20 min comic, assuming they can read.

 

[Jeff Miller]

Not per se. Actually, I'm for anything that makes Batman seem more like a normal person and not a total psychopath. My ideal Batman is like 70's Denny O'Neil/Neal Adams Batman, where there's darkness for sure but he's not nearly what he got turned into after Frank Miller/Alan Moore got ahold of him, We've been chasing that dragon for three decades since and ended up in some just weird places because of it.

So anything that kind of deviates from the norm, I'm cool with. I just don't think it will happen. There has already been one major comic book wedding fakeout this past week from Marvel. I'm betting we get another one.

you should check the book The Question from the late 80's early 90's, outstanding storytelling by Denny O'Neil.

 

[bonnjer]

What DC's Giant Move To Walmart Means For Comics

Interesting. I may have to check out the Superman Giant book, especially if there's a 12 part story. That's old school stuff compared to the little 3 part stories we get now.

 

[GrandAdmiral]

Not per se. Actually, I'm for anything that makes Batman seem more like a normal person and not a total psychopath. My ideal Batman is like 70's Denny O'Neil/Neal Adams Batman, where there's darkness for sure but he's not nearly what he got turned into after Frank Miller/Alan Moore got ahold of him, We've been chasing that dragon for three decades since and ended up in some just weird places because of it.

So anything that kind of deviates from the norm, I'm cool with. I just don't think it will happen. There has already been one major comic book wedding fakeout this past week from Marvel. I'm betting we get another one.

At least Marvel still gave us one. Frankly, I more of a fan of the Gambit/Rogue relationship than I ever was of the Kitty/Colossus one. Kitty's a Peter whore. She's broken off weddings with Peter Quill, Peter Rasputin, and had a timely fling with Peter Parker as well. Just let it go already.

you should check the book The Question from the late 80's early 90's, outstanding storytelling by Denny O'Neil.

A lot of people claim Grant Morrison as the Batman writer, but to me, that title should always be reserved to O'Neil, just like I think Jurgens should have it for Superman.

What DC's Giant Move To Walmart Means For Comics

Interesting. I may have to check out the Superman Giant book, especially if there's a 12 part story. That's old school stuff compared to the little 3 part stories we get now.

It's not that old school. The New 52 was full of them, especially during Snyder's time on Batman. Hell, Super Heavy (the last arc with Gordon as Batman) took a year to get through.

 

[bonnjer]

It's not that old school. The New 52 was full of them, especially during Snyder's time on Batman. Hell, Super Heavy (the last arc with Gordon as Batman) took a year to get through.

Ah, see, I ended up skipping most of the New 52 stuff. I started out with it, but lost interest. I was thinking about back in the day when things like Secret Wars came out and that was once a month for a year.

Although I'm not too crazy about the $5 price, I'll seek out the first few issues to see how they are.

 

[GrandAdmiral]

Ah, see, I ended up skipping most of the New 52 stuff. I started out with it, but lost interest. I was thinking about back in the day when things like Secret Wars came out and that was once a month for a year.

Although I'm not too crazy about the $5 price, I'll seek out the first few issues to see how they are.

I wasn't a fan of the New 52 in any sense of the word. But I'm a Batman and stuck through it. I'm not sure what I'm going to do about the Walmart editions. I hear Bendis is doing Batman, and if it's anything like what he's doing in Man of Steel, it's going to stink. I've heard three more podcasts lately that thinks it's meh at best.

 

[Sun Wukong]

Hit up Excalibur today. Definitely enjoy their new(ish) location. Nice, clean layout, everything is well lit, very organized. Very much the opposite of the "fanboy clubhouse dungeon" that is too often the norm. Picked up some books as well. Good shop!

What DC's Giant Move To Walmart Means For Comics

Interesting. I may have to check out the Superman Giant book, especially if there's a 12 part story. That's old school stuff compared to the little 3 part stories we get now.

We'll see. There have been past attempts to boost sales and notoriety via these big box retailer channels and they never really pan out. Explanations vary as to why, but the most common one people seem to arrive at is that people really don't pick up comic books out of curiosity or as impulse buys and haven't for decades. People always say "Put them back at news stands and put spinner racks back in stores!" but they fail to realize that the reason they're no longer there is because the newsstands and stores don't want them there. They take up a lot of real estate and have a low profit margin. This is actually why DC started to move to Direct Market sales in the 80's, with Marvel following suit sometime after.

In short, comics have an audience (a graying, diminishing, but still extant audience) but that audience is getting comics via subscriptions, their LCS, or digital. Their needs are met. Trying to cast a wider net is admirable I guess, but historical data shows it doesn't usually result in many new fish.

But as with all things related to the economy of comics, there is a lot to unpack and I'm sure we'll end up with more questions than answers. Like when sales have been bottoming out for the last decade and people say "Well kids just don't like the medium anymore!" but Manga sales are booming. Or "Well, superhoes are old fashioned and kids can't relate," while the MCU is doing unfathomable business and kids are wearing Spider-Man, Captain America, Iron Man, Black Panther shirts, merch, etc...

So like...kids are definitely reading pictures with word balloons in still strong numbers (just not American ones), and superheroes are as culturally relevant and economically viable as they've been at any point in their existence...and yet superhero comics continue to slowly dwindle in sales. It's an interesting problem. I've got some theories on it, but I'll save those for later.