Marvel Comic Codes

MegaVoice

I believe that I have heard Shane mention on the podcast a few times about buying Marvel's digital codes. I am looking to sell my Marvel digital codes, and used Ebay in the past (their fees get in the way a little bit), but I was wondering if there are other sites where you can buy/sell the codes. I saw a place on Reddit, but thought there might be other sites. If anyone would like to comment or share, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks!!

bralinator

Looks like the Marvel Digital Codes that allow you to buy the floppy and get a complimentary copy digital copy of the same book are possibly being phased out. This February, their new plan is to giveaway two free digital comics with every physical comic bought in “an apparent effort to shore up the retail channel and combat sagging market share and aggressive pricing moves made by rival DC Entertainment.”

“Marvel is continuing our commitment by offering our fans the best value in comics along with honoring our cornerstone of the comic book industry – the retailers,” said David Gabriel, SVP of Sales, Marvel Publishing. “Our intent in evolving our digital code program is to offer our fans more value per dollar spent. Replacing the free digital copy, our BONUS DIGITAL COMICS will offer fans free entry points for current on sale collected editions and, in turn, invite additional and repeat traffic into our trusted retailers.” Beginning February 1st, Marvel fans that enter the doors of their local comic retailer will now be rewarded when they purchase Marvel titles with a digital code that unlocks existing moments into the Marvel Universe they may have missed in the past.

It turns out that people who buy floppy Marvel universe superhero titles in February will get codes to get free copies of, initially, Civil War II #0 and other past Marvel titles that might help promote current trade paperback collections. This will replace the current system where people get a code for a free copy of the digital comic they have just bought – which they can download, or sell online.

Forbes quote Jim Nausedas, Sales Director, saying “One of the free bonus digital comics offered in February will be Civil War II #0 in time to promote the CIVIL WAR II collection on sale that month… Then, each week, new bonus digital codes, available only in your local comic shop, will offer fans additional pathways into the Marvel Universe, promote Marvel’s monthly trades, and create repeat retailer customers and Marvel readers for life.”


More here: http://www.newsarama.com/32643-marvel-overhauls-digital-redeem-codes-in-print-books.html

mwhitt80

Yay? Good for them?

If Marvel wants to shore up digital sales and thier retail partnerships maybe they should rethink the whole marvel Unlimited and look at the prices on thier issues.

As long as I have MU I will skip 98% of thier physical products (I get the occasional trade or Omnibus. The only ongoing titles I get are Hulk books and ghost Rider), and never look at marvel on comixology.

Hex

Big whoop. That doesn't hold a lot of interest for me.
Although, I have to admit, I haven't downloaded the digital version of the comics that I have already purchased either.

bralinator

I doubt the retailers are going to think this is a "win" for them. They'll say it only serves to put more people in digital instead of floppies.

fredzilla

"It's also designed to build customer loyalty by introducing new readers to important backstory elements."

...because nearly every storyline in our universe is connected in some way and we're so bent on making them so convoluted any new-reader to the Marvel universe will be confused.

(Sorry, I don't mean to be so negative, but the last comic I read was Civil War II #8. I shoulda known better.)

bralinator

I'm curious what the retailers think about this. Members of the ComicsPro group meet annually with the publishers and distributors to talk about what is working and what doesn't work. Believe it or not, Rebirth was in some part spawned by those very meetings - retailers stating that consumers did not like the direction the books/stories were headed.

So if you talk to your retailer about this, or any example of some portion of the industry causing inconvenience or even pai for the end consumer, the easier it is for retailers and consumers to actually affect change.

matchkitJOHN

I have been mainly buying physical to get the digital. I liked to bin dive so I could get books for a dollar and I get the digital and I can ditch the floppy. Only books I was getting off the shelves were Dr. Strange, Silver Surfer and Black Panther. I guess I won't be getting those anymore.

How about they give you a choice of only one or two books outside the one you bought? I understand they want me to get new stuff but how about I get to pick? Giving me three of something I may not want is not meeting my needs. And my guess is that price reductions for back issues digitally will take even longer.

I hate when companies think they are doing me a big favor by giving me something I didn't ask for. But I understand that if Marvel realizes that they are only getting $4 for something shared by two people and they rather make $8 then I understand the business decision they are making.

I know @brydeemer loves getting digital codes so he won't be happy.

bralinator

Hex said:

Big whoop. That doesn't hold a lot of interest for me.
Although, I have to admit, I haven't downloaded the digital version of the comics that I have already purchased either.

I bet there are several people on the boards who would love those unused codes.

matchkitJOHN

bralinator said:

Hex said:

Big whoop. That doesn't hold a lot of interest for me.
Although, I have to admit, I haven't downloaded the digital version of the comics that I have already purchased either.

I bet there are several people on the boards who would love those unused codes.

It was nice that outside of variants that comics held some residual value thanks to codes.

Hex

bralinator said:

Hex said:

Big whoop. That doesn't hold a lot of interest for me.
Although, I have to admit, I haven't downloaded the digital version of the comics that I have already purchased either.

I bet there are several people on the boards who would love those unused codes.

Don't those codes expire after 1 year?

matchkitJOHN

Hex said:

bralinator said:

Hex said:

Big whoop. That doesn't hold a lot of interest for me.
Although, I have to admit, I haven't downloaded the digital version of the comics that I have already purchased either.

I bet there are several people on the boards who would love those unused codes.

Don't those codes expire after 1 year?

Yes. About 1 year.

AdamChapman

Very disappointed about the changes in this program. I really enjoyed it, and it made the higher pricepoint easier to swallow. The changes are just an advertising ploy, and take something that I used to enjoy and have ruined it in a big way. *Sigh* Less books I'll be picking up then. I'll just wait for the semi-annual Marvel BOGO sale on Comixology to buy the books I was getting digitial codes for. A few physical books I'll keep going with, but the list is definitely going to shrink.

bralinator

Some more insight as to why Marvel is making this decision:

Marvel’s new scheme, apparently, is to swap out the digital copy of the individual issue for a couple “classic” issues. Only it’s going to be 2 “classic” issues each week, so buy 4 different Marvel releases and get 4 copies of those two freebies. Now what they mean by “classic” comics is the first issue of a TPB collection. One of the first examples they give is Civil War 2, which is absolutely hilarious in how wrong-headed that is. Yes, give away the comic a Marvel reader is mostly likely to have purchased in the last year and that has not been well received. Is that really the best use of resources?

Now Marvel is *saying* they’re going to do this for the retailer and those previews will sell tpbs for the retailers. And this might be true… given a few assumptions.

+ That after the digital readers have been chased off to Amazon and Comixology, the remaining print readers will have interest in digital previews in meaningful numbers.
+ That those reading the digital previews decide to seek out a print copy of the tpb, not a digital collection, since they read the first issue in digital.
+ That the retailer they bought the print comic from has the classic TPB in stock – I don’t think that can be taken as a given assumption.

All good points, but this is where it gets interesting.

What Marvel isn’t saying is perhaps a bit more interesting and this is where there’s potentially a little gambling going on: this move breaks up those secondary exchanges (eBay, etc). The people buying discounts codes have three options:

+ They can go to a retailer and buy print for full price or the shop’s discount.
+ They can buy digital from Marvel/Amazon/Comixology for full price.
+ They can say “forget paying for single issues” and either start pirating or drop the habit entirely.

Retailers should be hoping they see some new customers and Marvel’s probably rooting for more digital sales.

Here’s the thing about digital. Marvel almost certainly makes more off a digital sale than they do a print sale. Diamond discounts go to 55% and sometimes higher with promotions BEFORE Diamond takes a cut. You walk in off the street and Comixology will give you a 50-50 split. Marvel’s exclusive so they almost certainly have a better deal. Perhaps 70% of list price or higher. And no printing costs. Yes, digital is Marvel’s friend.

So even if all they do is nudge the digital readers away from buying print for discounts, they’re likely to see an incremental bump in revenue. It would take a lot of people dropping a lot of books for them to take a loss on this, although it’s not impossible – remember, some people were doubling their comics budget selling those codes, so if they had a strict budget, they’re going to be buying half as much.

I still don't think this helps the retailers in any way, nor does it help the consumers who were enjoying those digital codes.

bralinator

Now I am reading that while Marvel is shifting from digital copies of the comic for free in their books, DC is actually going back to it. I can see people simply channeling former Marvel money to DC in light of Marvel's decision to drop codes after so many successful years with a similar initiative. Many readers will be glad to financially support the company that is most supportive of them.

http://www.cbr.com/dc-comics-raises-price-for-monthly-rebirth-titles-adds-digital-codes/

hauberk

bralinator said:

Now I am reading that while Marvel is shifting from digital copies of the comic for free in their books, DC is actually going back to it. I can see people simply channeling former Marvel money to DC in light of Marvel's decision to drop codes after so many successful years with a similar initiative. Many readers will be glad to financially support the company that is most supportive of them.

http://www.cbr.com/dc-comics-raises-price-for-monthly-rebirth-titles-adds-digital-codes/

That's actually the catalyst for me to drop two DC titles. Batman Beyond and Blue Beetle haven't really been knocking my socks off as is. Paying more for it isn't going to help my enthusiasm.

J_Dick

bralinator said:

I'm curious what the retailers think about this. Members of the ComicsPro group meet annually with the publishers and distributors to talk about what is working and what doesn't work. Believe it or not, Rebirth was in some part spawned by those very meetings - retailers stating that consumers did not like the direction the books/stories were headed.

So if you talk to your retailer about this, or any example of some portion of the industry causing inconvenience or even pai for the end consumer, the easier it is for retailers and consumers to actually affect change.

My LCS said Marvel was barely a presence at ComicsPro the last 2 years but he said they are scheduled for more time this year.

bralinator

As if to prove Marvel knows not many people care at this point about what free comic codes they're giving away, here's a Change.org petition to try and stop them. A whopping 650 sigs so far, and climbing.

Add your name: https://www.change.org/p/marvel-comics-stop-marvel-from-overhauling-digital-code-service

matchkitJOHN

For hitting 20,000 comics on Marvel Unlimited I got three digital codes for comics not released on the MU yet (probably something I already have and I think I do) and I also got a code for a free month of Marvel Unlimited to gift to someone. Message me and I will send it to the first person who contacts me. Enjoy!

Just got a request so it has been redeemed.

David_D

As a result of this change, for my February DCBS order, I bought a total of ONE (1) Marvel book. That month's issue of Star Wars. That felt like the one thing I wanted to read the month it came out.

I am a Marvel Unlimited subscriber, so there are other books I am enjoying, and will catch up on eventually via that service, like the two Bendis Iron Man books, Black Panther, Jessica Jones, Dr. Strange, Punisher, and Avengers. But those are books I have been getting on paper (and to trade the codes with the person I was trading codes with), and most of them I have been behind on reading on paper. They didn't feel urgent. So, might as well wait the 6 month or so window, and read them via MU. And instead spend that money and time on books from other publishers I can't get that way (and that I tend to be reaching for first, anyway).

This has got to be the least Marvel books, monthly, I have been buying in almost 20 years. But, so it goes. I've got nothing against them as a publisher. Hoping they rekindle that sense of read-it-monthly urgency. But that is not now, for me.

matchkitJOHN

I went to a comic shop today to treat myself to some physical comics. I got the last five issues of the new Champions. So with 2-5 I get the digital code for the comics. And with issue 6 I got the three collected editions. They are the Inhumans, X-Factor and I forgot the third.

I was thumbing through another issue of a comic I didn't get and I noticed it was the second trade for Power Man and Iron Fist. Now that's something I wouldn't mind having. I can see myself hitting dollar bins and snatching a comic to get a code for a trade that I would normally pay $10-15 for digitally.

David_D

matchkitJOHN said:

I went to a comic shop today to treat myself to some physical comics. I got the last five issues of the new Champions. So with 2-5 I get the digital code for the comics. And with issue 6 I got the three collected editions. They are the Inhumans, X-Factor and I forgot the third.

I was thumbing through another issue of a comic I didn't get and I noticed it was the second trade for Power Man and Iron Fist. Now that's something I wouldn't mind having. I can see myself hitting dollar bins and snatching a comic to get a code for a trade that I would normally pay $10-15 for digitally.

That's interesting-- I haven't tried any codes yet, since the code change, but the codes are to redeem entire collected editions? I had assumed they were just for the first issue of what would be in the collection.

bralinator

matchkitJOHN said:

I went to a comic shop today to treat myself to some physical comics. I got the last five issues of the new Champions. So with 2-5 I get the digital code for the comics. And with issue 6 I got the three collected editions. They are the Inhumans, X-Factor and I forgot the third .

Would you mind clarifying exactly what physical comics you got and what digital issues you downloaded out of those books? Are you saying that someone can purchase issue #6 of Champions and the free code inside is redeemable for complete collected editions of The Inhumans, X-Factor, and a third collected edition (collecting several issues)?

Have you redeemed them yet to confirm this?

fredzilla

That's not what the code information says. I looked at it closely and it does say it's the first issue of the collection. That way it will hook you. Personally, if it grabs me, I'll wait for a comiXology sale. No way in hell I'm paying full price for a digital book.

I was excited because one of the books that was listed was the Epic Collection for X-Factor, but even when I put in the code, an X-Factor issue didn't even show up. This whole program is lame.

bralinator

According to my source, all you get is Avengers & X-Men: Axis #1, Power Man & Iron Fist #6 (these are single digital issues), and from the 80's you get the complete New Mutants Graphic Novel by Chris Claremont and Bob McLeod.

Lame.

matchkitJOHN

bralinator said:

matchkitJOHN said:

I went to a comic shop today to treat myself to some physical comics. I got the last five issues of the new Champions. So with 2-5 I get the digital code for the comics. And with issue 6 I got the three collected editions. They are the Inhumans, X-Factor and I forgot the third .

Would you mind clarifying exactly what physical comics you got and what digital issues you downloaded out of those books? Are you saying that someone can purchase issue #6 of Champions and the free code inside is redeemable for complete collected editions of The Inhumans, X-Factor, and a third collected edition (collecting several issues)?

Have you redeemed them yet to confirm this?

Well the plan was to redeem them last night but wind storms here in SE Michigan has caused a brown-out so I got electricity and lights but no cable or internet.

matchkitJOHN

bralinator said:

According to my source, all you get is Avengers & X-Men: Axis #1, Power Man & Iron Fist #6 (these are single digital issues), and from the 80's you get the complete New Mutants Graphic Novel by Chris Claremont and Bob McLeod.

Lame.

Very lame. Giving you a whole trade for the price of one comic basically didn't make sense.

David_D

matchkitJOHN said:

bralinator said:

matchkitJOHN said:

I went to a comic shop today to treat myself to some physical comics. I got the last five issues of the new Champions. So with 2-5 I get the digital code for the comics. And with issue 6 I got the three collected editions. They are the Inhumans, X-Factor and I forgot the third .

Would you mind clarifying exactly what physical comics you got and what digital issues you downloaded out of those books? Are you saying that someone can purchase issue #6 of Champions and the free code inside is redeemable for complete collected editions of The Inhumans, X-Factor, and a third collected edition (collecting several issues)?

Have you redeemed them yet to confirm this?

Well the plan was to redeem them last night but wind storms here in SE Michigan has caused a brown-out so I got electricity and lights but no cable or internet.

Yikes! Sorry. That sounds like a very different night than what you were planning.

David_D

bralinator said:

According to my source, all you get is Avengers & X-Men: Axis #1, Power Man & Iron Fist #6 (these are single digital issues), and from the 80's you get the complete New Mutants Graphic Novel by Chris Claremont and Bob McLeod.

Lame.

Even though, as I have said earlier, I much prefer the old way the codes work, and it has changed my buying, at least I am glad to see they are not only using this to promote things from the last couple of years. That original New Mutants graphic novel is a good one, if I remember it right, and might be interesting to newer readers. I don't know if the strategy there is to try to give people a taste for reading older comics digitally (and, by doing that, continue to try to sell people on subscribing to the MU service), or if it is because there is some sort of New Mutants movie or TV show coming (I haven't been keeping track), and so they want to give that brand name a boost. An interesting choice though, even if, I agree, overall this is still a lame move.

bralinator

matchkitJOHN said:

bralinator said:

According to my source, all you get is Avengers & X-Men: Axis #1, Power Man & Iron Fist #6 (these are single digital issues), and from the 80's you get the complete New Mutants Graphic Novel by Chris Claremont and Bob McLeod.

Lame.

Very lame. Giving you a whole trade for the price of one comic basically didn't make sense.

Obviously your mileage may vary. New Mutants is a 35 year old OGN that I've already read and already own, so to me, its still lame. It was added to Marvel Unlimited back in November of 2007. So this should entice people who aren't using MU. If these codes were actually for collected editions on Inhumans Vs X-Men and X-Factor, as you first presumed, then I would've definitely been on-board. Clearly this new model is going to be received relative to the consumer's habits, but my grade is still the same - so far.

David_D said:

That original New Mutants graphic novel is a good one, if I remember it right, and might be interesting to newer readers. I don't know if the strategy there is to try to give people a taste for reading older comics digitally (and, by doing that, continue to try to sell people on subscribing to the MU service), or if it is because there is some sort of New Mutants movie or TV show coming (I haven't been keeping track), and so they want to give that brand name a boost. An interesting choice though, even if, I agree, overall this is still a lame move.

Last year, FOX Television had a put-pilot commitment out there for an untitled X-Men project, presumably it is New Mutants. No word on its progress, but I am guessing it's related. I still think it's lame, but this is their new marketing model. Keep the readers guessing.

Thanks for the update @matchkitJOHN. I admit, I'd rather have a collected edition, a one-shot, or a complete OGN than some random single issue from a series I'm not reading. Perhaps Marvel will tweak this model as time goes on. Maybe we can keep this thread open and refreshed each week as changes are made.

bralinator

bralinator said:

Last year, FOX Television had a put-pilot commitment out there for an untitled X-Men project, presumably it is New Mutants. No word on its progress, but I am guessing it's related.

I just learned that the new show is called "Gifted"