Posted in: Batman, Comics, DC Comics | Tagged: Batman, dc comics, joker

Why Do DC Digital Comics Cost A Dollar More For Cardstock Covers?

Published Thu, 01 Apr 2021 08:55:39 -0500

Well here's a thing. Yesterday, Bleeding Cool ran an article looking at DC Comics' recent correction of solicited prices of certain Batman and Joker comic books. Far more than a typo, this had extended to comic book store's ordering schedules and prices for a number of months, before correction. This left Batman as a monthly comic for $4.99 and $5.99 for a cardstock cover variant. And The Joker as a $5.99 comic with all-cardstock covers, from issue 2 onwards.

But it also left an anomaly. The digital comics price from DC Comics generally matches the print-published price. An understandable move, that may, in some way, protect comic book stores. Digital price matches the print price, on the date of sale. And prices will generally come down at a later time or in a sale.

But when a comic like The Joker jumps to all-cardstock covers for a dollar more, then the digital comic version also jumps a dollar for… no apparent reason. You can't get cardstock digital covers – what are you paying another dollar for?

It's not just these comics that these anomalies pop up. Take the Watchmen collection by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons (thanks Brian in the Comments). It is available digitally in two versions, one from the trade paperback and one from the deluxe hardcover, with the exact same contents. Yet the first is half the price of the other, which just has a few additional sketches in the back.

The Joker #1 was $4.99 digitally because it has a standard cover option on the print edition. The Joker #2 will be $5.99 digitally because it does not. Worth looking into, DC?

JOKER #1
(W) James Tynion IV, Sam Johns (A) Guillem March, Mirka Andolfo (CA) Guillem March
$4.99
Following the events of Infinite Frontier #0, The Joker is the most wanted man in the world! But the Clown Prince of Crime is several steps ahead of law enforcement—and he's on the run overseas. James Gordon, facing retirement, realizes this is the manhunt of his life and the last piece of a storied career…but what mysterious and deadly forces are also in pursuit of The Joker? And in the backup story, following the events of the smash hit Punchline #1, DC's most controversial new villain navigates the infrastructure of Blackgate Penitentiary—while on the outside, Harper Row takes up the mantle of Bluebird to stop her brother from falling under Punchline's influence. In-Store: 3/9/2021

JOKER #2
$5.99
(W) James Tynion IV – Sam Johns (A) Guillem March – Mirka Andolfo (CA) Guillem March
As the dust settles on Arkham Asylum and tragic recent events, The Joker is the most wanted man in the world—and powerful forces are lining up around the globe to hunt him…but where exactly is the Clown Price of Crime? Jim Gordon, facing his twilight years haunted by the madman, knows where to start the hunt, and he's been given the go-ahead to pursue him… but will he be willing to pay the price? And what shocking revelation will Gordon stun Batman with before he departs? And in the backup story, within the walls of Blackgate Penitentiary, Punchline has become the target of the Queen of Spades from the Royal Flush Gang. It'll take everything Punchline has just to survive, while on the outside, Bluebird digs deeper into Punchline's horrific past! In-Store: 4/13/2021

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