the first one is always free

Many people know I love comic books. This is no surprise to anyone, but lately Vertigo an imprint of DC Comics has started a new selling system. Vertigo is now selling their first issues of new series for only 99 cents. This might not sound like a cheap price since comic use to be 20 cents, but as long as I’ve read comics they have been 99 cents. Right now a normal comic sells for 2.99 or 3.99. Then special issues sell for about 5 or 6 bucks; 99 cents is cheap in today’s comic world. Well being a junkie for comics I can’t turn down a 99 cent comic. It’s so cheap and sometimes you can even get those even cheaper when they are discounted. Reading comics is like getting a junkie fix and when they give you the first one almost free you want more. Like last week Grant Morrison had a new comic through Vertigo called Joe the Barbarian. Normally I wouldn’t pick it because I don’t read Vertigo comics by the issue, but it was a buck. I also enjoy reading Grant Morrison; he’s one crazy comic writer. I also normally read Vertigo comics by the trade. Vertigo knows how to get me. This isn’t the first time they’ve done it either. The last one was Sweet Tooth. That’s one sweet comic. I read the first three issues before I had to stop. Vertigo has some really good series and they are marketing to the comic book nerds really well. I should know I’m a comic nerd. On top of the cheap first issue they also do a cheap first trade of the comics. The first trades are usually ten bucks instead of 15. They discount those trades to try a get a comic nerd hook a second time. It’s almost like they are selling crack. I see them and I must have it. I need my comic fix. I will be the first to admit, I’m a comic junkie. I’m a junkie all the way. Before I got married if I had to choose between buying food and buying comics; comics always won. Sadly that is no longer the case. I have to live in a very tight comic budget that doesn’t allow for many comics. My love prefers to have food in the fridge compared to comics in my hands. She might be right, but only time will tell.