"Ooooh, do you have the Spider-Man comic with Obama in it?"
Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 1:57 pm
Am I the only one who gets supremely annoyed with stuff like this? This is an excerpt from an e-mail thread I've had going all day where I've been chastising my non-comic-reading friends who are calling comic shops all over the place trying to snag a copy:
Am I the only one who feels this way? Or am I being bitter for no reason?I went to my comic shop this morning, worried that they'd sell out of the normal ASM #583. They had it behind the counter, limit of one per customer (which was smart because everyone in front of me wanted multiple copies, like the good little investors they are). The Obama cover variant sold out soon after opening at my store - though I imagine most stores are setting aside a lot of them to be sold on eBay for a premium well above cover price.
I'm filled with nothing but loathing for stunts like this. It's a cheap sales gimmick by Marvel - and it'll work. But all it does is grab the attention of all these people who treat comics (something very personal and meaningful to me) as the equivalent of some crappy plate with Obama's face that they sell for $19.99 on late-night TV. It'd be somewhat less annoying if they made a special standalone issue just for the "collector's item" people, rather than hijacking an issue of a book I read regularly.