Volume 4 News!!

[Ratchet]

I think Pete knows what the sales figures were like on Vol.4, which could be the reason for the print count. Even if he only prints one thou, I'm pretty sure most of them would sell upon sale. Even at the price tag estimated, there'd be a fair number of people willing to shell that out (pun not intended). I mean, in the end, we're TMNT fans. I'm a Silent Hill fan, and I was paying fairly high costs for those comics, and TMNT often went from being 30 or so pages to reach nearly sixty odd at times. And given Pete has had stories probably partially ready to go because of the previews listings, chances are that those first few stories would be fairly hefty issues. Of course, I could be wrong...

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by Roseangelo

The problem is fundamental, but it has nothing to do with the movie and/or your personal opinion of it.

Here's the part where we go in our corners and put on boxing gloves, as usual, with "Eye of the Tiger" playing in the background.

[Roseangelo]

(moved this from a now older post)

Ok, looking up Vol. 4:

#09 - 7,000
#10 - 7,100
#11 - 6,800
#12 - 6,600
#13 - 5,800
#14 - 5,500
#15 - 5,900
#16 - 5,300
#17 - 4,900
#18 - 4,600
#19 - 4,500
#20 - 3,600
#21 - 4,000
#22 - 3,900
#23 - 3,700
#24 - 3,500
#25 - 3,400
#26 - 3,400
#27 - 3,300
#28 - 2,700

So am I off the mark on thinking that you break even with 3,000 copies? With the exception of #28, which slid off a bit, it looks like it had to be at least close to breaking even.

Edit: Now that I've looked up more, there's a definite pattern of a downward slope.

Edit: For comparison, Dreamwave's TMNT:

#1 - 32,300
#2 - 22,300
#3 - 21,600
#4 - 19,700

THIS is what a TMNT book is capable of!

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by Roseangelo

Edit: For comparison, Dreamwave's TMNT:

#1 - 32,300
#2 - 22,300
#3 - 21,600
#4 - 19,700

THIS is what a TMNT book is capable of!

Wow, that's actually fascinating. I had no idea Dreamwave's comics were turning that kind of numbers. Of course, by any comparison of other titles, losing over 10,000 readers in just 4 months is no laughing matter... more than likely what we're looking at here is stores getting behind an up and coming, somewhat proven studio... then more than likely ending up with a ton of unsold copies on their shelves (which was pretty much what led to Dreamwave's rapid implosion). Still, Dreamwave knew how to market themselves.

[VaughnMichael]

wow that's shocking Rose and I'm sorry to say I likie vol. 4 much more than the crap that dream wave was...it was going places though but it ended before it got a chance so still ended crappy.
Those numbers are crazy though for sure!

[Roseangelo]

Oh I pretty much agree. Dreamwave didn't last long enough for me to really form any sort of opinion on it. But it sure looked pretty.

[VaughnMichael]

Originally Posted by Roseangelo

Oh I pretty much agree. Dreamwave didn't last long enough for me to really form any sort of opinion on it. But it sure looked pretty.

I don't want to say my true opinion on it I'd be called a racist.
I was looking forward to the turtlebot story though I think that one would have really helped the series allot.

[Ratchet]

I think the Casey and the April issues are both really solid reads though. Kinda funny how it was Peter David that jerked Pete and Kevin around back in the day with Marvel, and here he is writing the Turtles.

[discordiatookie]

Here's hoping that Mirage get in Paypal or something to pay for this issue online (heh and all their back issues!) because being outside the US, its pretty crap for us to be sending money orders every time we want something. That's what I dig about PaneltoPanel, everytime I want something I just drop them an email and within a day or so they've got back to me with a paypal invoice that I can pay straight away.

I know that i'll be getting the issues everytime they are printed (I hate online comics, yeesh!) Just hoping that they're not printed to irregularly and are pretty big books (hell, i'd be happy with a nice sized quarterly book!)

[Roseangelo]

Originally Posted by Putrescent

I don't want to say my true opinion on it I'd be called a racist.
I was looking forward to the turtlebot story though I think that one would have really helped the series allot.

Knowing what you think, I'd say it is probably on the mark.

Anywho... this reminds me that I recently found on an old computer the text for the solicitation for Dreamwave #9 (yes, #9, not #8 ). I'll see if I can find it again...

Originally Posted by tookie

I know that i'll be getting the issues everytime they are printed (I hate online comics, yeesh!) Just hoping that they're not printed to irregularly and are pretty big books (hell, i'd be happy with a nice sized quarterly book!)

I think a $10 quarterly book would be quite reasonable.

[junkboy]

I think the best solution in my mind is :
Free online comics + actual printed TPBs after some time as it is done for Collected Books now.

Its just my idea but i do not think that Limited Edition comic thing will work. If by each month less and less ppl start to buy those printed comics they will start to come in lesser frequency, or really in a bad reputation from the standpoint of regularity.

We hardcore fans might try to grab the actual printed ones, yeah. but most ppl will read the online one and then will pass without buying the "real" comics.. where they are meant to be.. on paper...

[Raph's Girl]

Originally Posted by wind

I think the best solution in my mind is :
Free online comics + actual printed TPBs after some time as it is done for Collected Books now.

That's what NBC is doing with their Heroes comic. It's free to download (in PDF format) or view from their website (heroes.nbc.com) but DC Comics is making the TPB of the first 42 issues (each one is between 5 and 7 pages long).

[Time Mistress]

I see this as either an example of Mirage being on the cutting edge of comics like they were in 1984, or a failed expeiment waiting to happen. I don't see much middle ground here. But then it was taking a big risk that gave us TMNT in the first place so why not go for it?

[Revan]

Originally Posted by Raph's Girl

That's what NBC is doing with their Heroes comic. It's free to download (in PDF format) or view from their website (heroes.nbc.com) but DC Comics is making the TPB of the first 42 issues (each one is between 5 and 7 pages long).

apples and oranges

nbc can afford it because they advertise on their site and have lots of money

[CyberCubed]

Uh, Murphy just confirmed on his blog that neither Volume 4 nor Tales have turned a profit at all:

Originally Posted by Murphy

All good points, Summer. The thing with Mirage comics, though, is that outside of the TPBs, none of the comics have made a profit in years... and exist soley out of the good will of the non-profit motivated PL.

I guess that proves a lot of points here.

[junkboy]

I buy a huge variety of comics. Sometimes i think that Tales should not be my number 1 comic. Aspen Comics and IDW is kicking ass. I read their titles in a drooling state. But nope... TMNT is still best. Not cause that in a way they bring me to peace, they are indeed perfect...
We have been speaking that profit thing with my vendor. We,too thought that the comic was being published just for fans and not for profit... and now this is officially confirmed. I hope an accident does not occur to come for Tales too...
Sigh. please no online comics... (tho better than none ofc)

[DK2]

This is my 1rst post here and I have to voice my two cents. I'm happy about the return of TMNT Vol.4 series, but the future for it isn't good to me. I mean if we get the series off the TMNT site for free, then thats barely ok. Not fond of this idea though. If they charge for it, then I'm not OK. I have enough problems just trying to get paypal to work. And the price for the physical comic is very steep. I think something like this should at least be a double sized story or triple sized for this price. Laird has always stated he may publish the comic in other sizes, release shedules, or methods. I remember some odd issues of this series were extra sized with no added cost to us. I'm thinking at least the content should be more fulfilling. The price is just way too high. As far as I can tell, TMNT Vol.4 is still in limbo for me. I like someone elses thoughts on an earlier post. That they'll just wait for the Vol.4 trade books. I agree with this thought. But when they bring out those Vol. 4 books is a question? And when those collected books will catch up on the stuff we want from after TMNT V.4 #28 is another question. To me its not very optimistic about my being able to continue to get this series. Comics are expensive enough as it is. What is Laird thinking? His reasons to not go through Diamond is 1.) To give story outlines and ads 3 months ahead,
2.) The physical comic getting printed from after sent to the printer is 4-5 weeks.
These 2 things bugs him? It just seems a more lazy Peter Laird to me. How can these two things bug him that much? I think we should email them folks at Mirage with our thoughts, and perhaps if enough people voice concern, they may reconsider these ideas. I mean how can this be such a problem when they have Tales of TMNT at Diamond? This isn't causing them to change that book. Your dealing with Diamond anyway. I just don't get it. Why bother to post the comics online if your still willing to print them to some extent? I just don't get it.

[TristanHuwJones]

The extra printed copies are for the core fanbase who want to actually have the comics there in their hands. The digital versions are a cheaper, much more immediate option, a way which allows fans to get the comic pretty much as soon as it's finished, instead of the delay between the comic being finished physically, sent to the printers, shipping and then hitting shelves for readers to see. A comic can be totally finished and ready to read well and truly before it hits the shelves.

[VaughnMichael]

all in all it's just another brick out of the comic stores walls.

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by TristanHuwJones

The extra printed copies are for the core fanbase who want to actually have the comics there in their hands.

I don't know very many comic collectors that don't want to have a comic book in their hands.