Think of things this way: you have a red-hot summer crossover that was originally underordered. You also have an industry (direct market) that's got the biggest case of goldfish memory I've ever seen. Seriously, copies hit the shelf and have, what, a month of shelf life at best? Fans are conditioned to treat anything that sits in the shop longer like the plague. Having extra copies for people who are new to the story can't hurt sales on the issues that follow, especially for a fledgling title like GL Corps.

A couple more questions: Are there different ads in second prints? Is there any more or less incentive to advertise in second print runs? Do creators make more if their issue has more print runs? Do creators make nothing extra if their issue has more print runs?

New printings DO make sense for something like Jeff Smith's Bone though. I you see an issue of a comic but don't want to come in in the middle of the story, the first issue is still right on the shelves for you to pick up.

As in how much print time a title is alloted at the actual printer. A title like GLC isn't going to get as much time at the printer as Action or Batman. It probably gets even less time for a second printing due all kinds of scheduling conflicts 'reprinting' must entail. so I can be a bit understanding that GLC had to back to the printers. GLC didn't get that much time at the printers the 1st or 2nd time.

plues well they can hype 2nd printing sell out. expect 3rd printing.

They can print (for example) 10,000 copies for 20,000 dollars, or 20,000 for 45,000 dollars (making the number up but work with me). So if they want 20,000 copies, its more cost effective for them to do two print runs of 10,000 rather than one of 20,000."

I think you have this backwards. I'm not sure if it is in your understanding or just in the way you expressed it but economies of scale usually refers to each unit costing less the more units you make. If DC makes 20,000 units, it should cost them less per unit (lets say $35,000 for 20,000) instead of more (your example has it at $45,000). This is for reasons such as the machines can be run continously and all of the copies can be made straight through. This saves time and thus employee cost, set-up and break down work, and more. Therefore, it will be cheaper per unit the more you make.

They can print (for example) 10,000 copies for 20,000 dollars, or 20,000 for 45,000 dollars (making the number up but work with me). So if they want 20,000 copies, its more cost effective for them to do two print runs of 10,000 rather than one of 20,000. Did I express that right? NOt too mention having the ability to say the first run sold out and increase demand for the second run. i think the multiple covers is a marketing ploy, but its not as sinister as people are saying.

I thought thats why most trade's are 6 issues long. Thats the maximum amount of pages that can be put together and still have a positive margin. After that, they still make money, but for each further page you get a negative return.

They saw the first orders weren't enough so they did another printing. Then THAT didn't meet demand either so they did a third. I think there was STILL demand for the fourth one. DC doesn't know if the retailers are being conservative or over-confident with their orders. I think it would be foolish for them to say "Well, people on the internet like it, lets print twice as many copies".

That being said, yeah, the multiple cover thing must be a factor.

Second, I have a feeling that they're playing to the secondary market. There's no way these comics can so consistently underestimate the demand for major issues. So yeah, I'm basically accusing them of intentionally short-printing these issues, and then sitting back while frenzied eBay speculators snap them up. (Much like short-packing an action figure.)

It's a symbiotic thing. The rapid sell-outs and secondary market hysteria creates artificial demand for these titles, which naturally leads to multiple printings.

It all reminds me of the early '90s and the ceaseless hologram/die-cut/foil-embossed/poly-bagged/trading-card included crap that pretty much killed the industry for a decade. Only this time, it's more subtle.

What do you guys think? Am I off-base?

Since no second printing has surfaced at the store (but apparently people have gotten them in other places) I can only assume that DC delibrately created a shortage since I'm sure my store would have gotten copies if they could have.

As a regular reader, I'd just like to get the issue at this point.

That how I remember it, anyway...

How many printings did Joss Whedon's Fray have?

How about the Death of Superman?

Those II and III and even IV and V variants of the books were automatically worth nothing to collectors. They were only being issued because of the publicity being drummed up by the media and thus the extra attention and sales from people who didn't usually buy comics.

Now a third and fourth printing in this case? It's either Extremely poor planning, seeing as this event hasn't really galvanized the mainstream media. Either that, or double dipping with variant covers.

Often times they'll get extra sales from the collector's market for sticking a new cover on a second printing, no? Even a lot of double dipping. Those would be additional sales for not much extra cost, right?