This is the sort of deal I’ve been hoping to see out of the major publishers for a while now and it’s no surprise that Marvel is the first on the boat. It was announced last week that, starting in March, the will be offering some of their best selling and most important titles for the low, low price of a single dollar. This would be even bigger news if they were also placing these issues in grocery stores, gas stations or anywhere else kids would be able to get their hands on them where they wouldn’t normally go to a comic book store. It launches in March, here’s the official details:
Marvel is proud to announce the all-new Marvel’s Greatest Comics imprint, spotlighting Marvel’s most-acclaimed series with new printings of these must-read issues priced at only one dollar each! This bold new venture, launching in March 2010, offers a perfect jumping on point for new readers as well as provides retailers with a great low cost first chapter to some of the hottest selling MarvelCollected editions. And to really get things going, the first title from this line, Invincible Iron Man #1, is free! “We’re proud of the books Marvel publishes and now not only are we giving retailers a great way to promote our top collections, but also giving consumers a chance to sample some of our top comics, maybe for the first time and at an unbeatable price,” said David Gabriel, Marvel Senior Vice-President of Sales & Circulation. “Marvel’s Greatest Comics represents one of the best values in comics today and with Free Comic Book Day only months after the initial launch, retailers will want to be well stocked.” Retailers can check upcoming editions of the Marvel Mailer or with Diamond Customer Service to find out how they can qualify for the free copies. The titles launching in March, at one per week, are: March 3: INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #1 March 10: CAPTAIN AMERICA #1 March 17: WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ #1 March 24: THOR #1 March 31: PUNISHER MAX #1 Stay tuned for more details on Marvel’s Greatest Comics at www.marvel.com!
Now DC, Image, and Dark Horse get on the ball and get this going we might be one step closer to having a comics readership that lasts at least another generation.