You Get What You Pay For
First of all, I just want to say up front that I love Newsarama.
If it weren't for Newsarama, how would I get my daily fix of comic book
news, previews, press releases, etc.? But is it just me or are
Newsarama's articles becoming more and more unreadable? Case in
point,
this
recent article analyzing order numbers for August 2003 books.
Look at some of these snippets I've chosen to nitpick out of context:
- But is that demand “real?” That
is, had the entire overprint not been sucked up by a large order, would
the puzzler be able to supply all the retailers who needed reorders from
their initial overprint? ("The puzzler"? Is
that Riddler's long-lost cousin? I'm assuming they meant
"publisher," not "puzzler.")
- Since he/she is not buying the
comic with their normal discount from Diamond, the issue’s price has to
be market up at the store. (Assuming that should be "marked up.")
- If the comic is pants, that is,
to be of dubious quality, then sooner or later, readers will stop buying
it.... (Newsarama's now including lessons in British
slang? This feels like a forced effort to be "hip" or "edgy.")
- While the title is consistently
the highest selling “Sigilverse” title for CrossGen, it’s numbers got a
serious boost from it’s $1.00 cover price. (The its/it's
distinction remains a perennial problem for Newsarama.)
- The OGN Batman: Hong Kong,
illustrated by renown Hong Kong artist, Tony Wong.
(What? What did the OGN Batman:
Hong Kong—illustrated by renown [renowned?]
Hong Kong artist, Tony Wong—do? Where's the verb?)
- Again, as noted previously,
CrossGen’s printing problems and two weeks of not shipping books caused
the publisher rank at #5 in dollars and #5 in units. (I
think they meant "caused the publisher to rank." Again, as noted
previously, remember, moreover, that I'm being nitpicky here,
furthermore.)
- Ultiamtes #12 (Obviously a
cheap knock-off of the popular Mark Millar & Bryan Hitch series.)
- Way of the Ratt (I've
heard good things about Way of the Ratt, but I'm waiting for CrossGen's
big crossover event, THE GWAR.)
Anyway, I'm going to chalk this up to me being cranky. I really
do appreciate that Newsarama is doing more and more of these analysis
pieces (as opposed to just throwing up press releases on the site), but
I think the articles would have more impact if they weren't marred
by typos and other errors. (Cue embarrassing errors of my
own.)
