Lateness

[HipHopHead]

I find it ironic, that I hear complaints about "lateness" of certain books, while the complainers are "behind" in their reading.

[Trev]

I find it ironic, that I hear complaints about "lateness" of certain books, while the complainers are "behind" in their reading.

For some reason, all the "meh" books that fill the back of my reading are on-time, and the books I really want are late.

Maybe it's savvy marketing. Or maybe I only want what I can't have?

[JohnMayo]

I find it ironic, that I hear complaints about "lateness" of certain books, while the complainers are "behind" in their reading.

The difference is that reading comics is a hobby while publishing them is a business. The publishers get to set the expected release date for the comics. if they are late, they have no one to blame but themselves.

(And, just for the record, aside from the three comics Bob and I are discussing tomorrow morning that I plan on reading today, I'm current on my reading...)

[Wood]

Well let's be honest, fanboys love to complain and that's definitely a part of it. But there's also different kinds of lateness.

1) If a book is a few weeks late, but doesn't have an impact on any other stories or continuity, it doesn't bother me at all

2) If a book is late and, as a result, there's a good chance I'm going to unintentionally read something in another release that spoils what's yet to hit my doorstep, that pisses me off

3) If a book's release schedule is so erratic that it completely pulls me out of the momentum of the story [e.g., RASL], I will then either move to reading it in trade or punt the series altogether

[Frank Castle]

Lateness really doesn't bother me. Sure, i'll roll my eyes but nothing changes really, I'll read the book when it is in my hand. If the company wants to be late, like John said, that is their fault.

What bothers me more than lateness is solicating an issue at 2.99 then to change the price to 3.99 a few months later. When they do that, I should have the option to cancel the book and get a refund!

[JohnMayo]

Well let's be honest, fanboys love to complain and that's definitely a part of it. But there's also different kinds of lateness.

1) If a book is a few weeks late, but doesn't have an impact on any other stories or continuity, it doesn't bother me at all

2) If a book is late and, as a result, there's a good chance I'm going to unintentionally read something in another release that spoils what's yet to hit my doorstep, that pisses me off

3) If a book's release schedule is so erratic that it completely pulls me out of the momentum of the story [e.g., RASL], I will then either move to reading it in trade or punt the series altogether

I agree with all of this. I don't really care of a book is a week or two late. I do care if the story is undercut by some other comic mentioning key plot points before I had a chance to read them as they happened. This was a huge problem with Civil War.

[HipHopHead]

To elaborate of the issue of lateness, I was looking through the January 2009 Preview Guide. David Lapham caught my eye on his 30 Days mini-series and his Vertigo Young Liars. As far as I know his books are timely, but when he was publishing Stray Bullets at El Capitan, the wait time (lateness) was annoying.

I know Lapham was doing everything (writing, drawing, publishing) at El Capitan, but this leads me to question Kirkman on creator owned being profitable (successful). Kirkman's success is not the cookie cutter he is preaching. Bendis' Powers had 3 books in 2008, but his bread and butter, pretty much was produced without a hitch (sans the ending). For example, Rick Rememender (read: Fear Agent, Gigantic) going to Marvel to write Punisher (which I expect to be good).

[JohnMayo]

To elaborate of the issue of lateness, I was looking through the January 2009 Preview Guide. David Lapham caught my eye on his 30 Days mini-series and his Vertigo Young Liars. As far as I know his books are timely, but when he was publishing Stray Bullets at El Capitan, the wait time (lateness) was annoying.

I know Lapham was doing everything (writing, drawing, publishing) at El Capitan, but this leads me to question Kirkman on creator owned being profitable (successful). Kirkman's success is not the cookie cutter he is preaching. Bendis' Powers had 3 books in 2008, but his bread and butter, pretty much was produced without a hitch (sans the ending). For example, Rick Rememender (read: Fear Agent, Gigantic) going to Marvel to write Punisher (which I expect to be good).

Kirkman seems to be the exception, not the rule, when it comes to creator owned properties being successful. "Rarified air" and all that.

You've point about lateness cutting into the success of creator owned properties is a valid one and work in both directions. Sometimes being late cuts down on the success of the property. Other times, the lack of success of the property requires the creator to work a day job which can cause lateness on the project.

As far as Kirkman's "on time in 2009" promise, keep in mind that the first couple of issues being released by Kirkman in 2009 are items that had to be resolicited because they failed to come out on time in 2008.

[Skyhawke]

Kirkman is the exception to the rule because he gets to do his indie books full time without having to supplement his income with a daytime type job to make sure the bills get paid.

[Trev]

2) If a book is late and, as a result, there's a good chance I'm going to unintentionally read something in another release that spoils what's yet to hit my doorstep, that pisses me off

Didn't this just happen with Avengers:The Initiative? I could have sworn I got 2 issues of this post SI #8 that had to do with the Initiative teams around the country battling Skrulls before the invasion was repelled. Seems like these issues would have taken place between issues 7 and 8 of SI.

Or am I that far behind in my reading that I neglected 2 issues of A:TI and jumped straight to SI 8?

[Trev]

Kirkman seems to be the exception, not the rule, when it comes to creator owned properties being successful. "Rarified air" and all that.

LOL. Anybody catch the 'rarified air' joke in Incognito this week?

[JohnMayo]

Kirkman is the exception to the rule because he gets to do his indie books full time without having to supplement his income with a daytime type job to make sure the bills get paid.

Kirkman was have success with his creator owned works before, during and after working for Marvel as a writer. So, at least for a while, he did have a day job that cut into the time available for him to write his creator owned titles.

[JohnMayo]

2) If a book is late and, as a result, there's a good chance I'm going to unintentionally read something in another release that spoils what's yet to hit my doorstep, that pisses me off

Didn't this just happen with Avengers:The Initiative? I could have sworn I got 2 issues of this post SI #8 that had to do with the Initiative teams around the country battling Skrulls before the invasion was repelled. Seems like these issues would have taken place between issues 7 and 8 of SI.

Or am I that far behind in my reading that I neglected 2 issues of A:TI and jumped straight to SI 8?

You are correct. This did just happen with Avengers: The Initiative which shipped an issue or two wrapping up the Secret Invasion storyline after Secret Invasion #8 was released.

[JohnMayo]

Kirkman seems to be the exception, not the rule, when it comes to creator owned properties being successful. "Rarified air" and all that.

LOL. Anybody catch the 'rarified air' joke in Incognito this week?

Yes, I did catch the quote. It kind of took me a bit out of the story to be honest.

[Koete]

Speaking of lateness, what happened to Four Eyes? We got one issue and it feels like it's been 2 or 3 months and we haven't gotten a second issue.