Dumbass Decimal System

Just when you thought you had enough problems filing your funny books, Marvel's come up with another genius idea.

We've had zero issues, we've had -1, we've had Infinity, we've had 1/2...So where else can we go?

Decimal points. Yes, Marvel is bringing us decimal points.

Beginning next February, "Marvel: Point One" begins. Here's the official press release. Basically, a number of Marvel titles are going to have ".1" issues. E.g., Amazing Spider-Man #654.1, or Wolverine #5.1.

The official explanation:

Geared for new and long-time readers alike, the all-new Marvel: Point One initiative delivers the perfect jumping on points for the biggest super hero series in the world! Beginning in February 2011, select Marvel comic series marked with a “.1” after the issue number feature full-length, self-contained stories by Marvel’s top creators, laying the groundwork for the next year of storylines. From Invincible Iron Man to Avengers to Amazing Spider-Man, each Marvel: Point One issue of the associated series not only begin major new storylines, but also seamlessly introduces new readers into the dynamic Marvel Universe and its popular super heroes.

Hmmm...hey, Marvel press release writer! If these books are "self-contained stories," then how can they "lay the groundwork for the next year" and "begin major new storylines"?? Is there some other definition of self-contained that I wasn't aware of???

Anyway, these books are all going to be cover-priced $2.99, which, while better than $3.99, still seems a little expensive if you seriously want to attract huge number of new readers. Right?

Wrong!! Marvel math genius Tom Brevoort explains in Marvel's conference call introducing the concept:

Brevoort also compares the comic to the 9-cent Fantastic Four issue from a few years ago, saying new readers or readers who have strayed will find out, "What's going on, what the tone of the series is, what the direction is, with a fairly low buy-in threshold. One book, $2.99, and our expectation is hopefully you'll want to come back less than a month later for the next issue."...Brevoort adds that the Point One comics are "prime sampler material," and that some retailers kept the 9-cent Fantastic Four stocked for months.

Maybe, just maybe, the reason it sold so well and retailers kept it stocked for months was...because it was only 9 cents???

No, of course not. Obviously, eleven separate $2.99 comic books is a completely comparable situation to a single 9¢ comic book in its ability to entice new readers to just pick it up. I mean, just because it's 33 times more expensive, times eleven issues--that should make no difference, right? This initiative should still equally draw just as many people to try it, right? Hell, $33 really isn't much more than a dime, right??

Breevort "compar(ed) them to the Free Comic Book Day issues given out in recent years." Because, again, $2.99 is exactly comparable to free.

In a nutshell: Marvel is giving us "self-contained" stories that are actually the start of major new storylines; acting as if we should be grateful that they're giving us (a handful of) $2.99 comics; and trying to hypnotize retailers into believing that books costing $2.99 will move as exactly as well as something free, or 9 cents.

And they're doing it using decimal points.

Get ready in 2012 for Marvel: π. Amazing Spider-Man #3.1415927....