This week’s DC comics see the second in what is apparently a series of four insert comics advertising Subway – the third such insert in the last month, factoring in the Super 8 one that ran a few weeks ago. While these are free comics – which should be a good thing, right? – I doubt I’m the only person who’s been finding them oddly abrasive and annoying as I leaf past, trying to pick up where the “real” story left off.
DC has a history when it comes to insert comics – In the late 1970s and early 1980s, series like The New Teen Titans and All-Star Squadron debuted as 16-page inserts in other titles before being spun out into their own series, and a decade later, DC tried out new talent in a series of “Bonus Book” inserts that appeared across the line (I remember that Gordon Purcell, who went on to draw Star Trek comics for a long time afterwards, had his first published work in one of those, but did any other creators from those go on to become regular comic professionals?) – so it’s not as if these inserts have come from nowhere with little warning (They’ve even done advertising inserts before; I can remember ones for both Masters of the Universe and MASK toys, although both properties went on to become licensed DC series for awhile afterwards).
But in the past, DC’s insert comics have been for the most part limited to appearing in one book, as opposed to the entire line, which feels… I don’t know, better, somehow – Perhaps it’s because it makes the insert feel more like a special event rather than an overlong advertisement, or perhaps it’s simply because it means you don’t get bored seeing the same thing over and over again if you’re buying multiple DC books that week.
It remains an odd thing to begrudge, though; they’re free comics. At the very least, we can just ignore them, and at the most, they might be fun (I didn’t hate the Super 8 one, although I did hate that it didn’t have an ending as such). So why do the recent inserts feel so irritating?
June 24th, 2011 at 2:25 pm
The Subway advertorials are something to ignore for me. I don’t get why anyone thinks these will sell sandwiches, but they don’t bother me.
And I liked the Super 8 insert, with its cool Ross cover and actual A-list talent doing the job. I might even see the movie.
June 24th, 2011 at 2:40 pm
“So why do the recent inserts feel so irritating?”
Because you’re a Quiznos fan, duh!
June 24th, 2011 at 4:45 pm
Because it’s something you have to actively ignore. It’s like when you’re watching TV and every commercial break it’s the same commercials playing. You’ve already seen it, it was annoying, and it keeps coming back. Think of anything you hate and it will more than likely fit with that last sentence.
June 24th, 2011 at 5:00 pm
I think the real question nowadays is “Why are they still placed in the middle of the book?”
Just put them at the end of the main story. The people who will either read them or not won’t change either way, they’re still there, and DC gets the money they wanted from the ad revenue.
June 24th, 2011 at 5:08 pm
I agree, they’re stupid and annoying.
Why are they annoying?
Because I would probably eat at Subway even without the stupid inserts. I like Subway. I’m a total brand loyalist to Subway and consider it as my favorite ‘fast food’ place anyway. I’m probably reading a comic or graphic novel while I eat my food at Subway anyway. They don’t need to advertise to me anymore.
June 24th, 2011 at 6:54 pm
Those inserts are more than just annoying.
All those extra pages add weight and size to the comics, which when multiplied over so many books adds up to increased shipping costs for stores and mail order customers. Increased costs are not good.
June 24th, 2011 at 8:45 pm
I had no idea about it’s history! Interesting …
June 25th, 2011 at 3:43 pm
Stupid and annoying. Gives the book more thickness without adding story. I wish they’d stop it.
June 25th, 2011 at 4:14 pm
I pull these center story-ad inserts out and toss them so they can only annoy me once.
June 25th, 2011 at 5:41 pm
@Evan Meadow “I think the real question nowadays is “Why are they still placed in the middle of the book?”
@greg geren “I pull these center story-ad inserts out and toss them so they can only annoy me once.”
That’s exactly why they are in the middle of the book. The middle spreads you can remove carefully without damaging the book. You couldn’t do this if the “insert comic” was in the back.
June 25th, 2011 at 8:34 pm
While still annoying, I find this to be less offensive than say, Peter Parker & Mary Jane eating at an actual McDonalds in the story of one of the Spider-man annuals from 4 or 5 years ago. I thought that was going too far, and thankfully was the only instance of that type of BS I’ve come across.
June 25th, 2011 at 9:13 pm
They are annoying, and they, along with the inane ads that also take up space in the floppies, are yet another reason I’ve pretty much dropped buying floppies and mostly buy trades now. No ads, more durable, and they come out to about the same prices as the individual floppies that make up the trade anyhow. Hell, buy them from Amazon and you’ll like get them even cheaper.
A few years ago, there was this insert comic with Batman teaming up with Cal Ripken, Jr., defeating a bad guy with a particular brand of chewing gum. Considering how few kids read comics anymore I had to wonder “Who the hell is this ad for?”
June 26th, 2011 at 10:12 am
Those ads help pay for those ‘floppies’, which in turn help pay for those trades everyone waits on (supposedly); and I’d guess Subway paid a premium for the centre insert, instead of at the back where you can ignore them.
June 27th, 2011 at 6:30 am
Marvel did something similar maybe ten years ago with an insert in the middle of the book that had Spidey interacting with someone or other to sell…was it Pizza Hut? Something.
Like Terence says, the ads support the company. DC holds books at lower sales figures than Marvel, and is pricing the majority of the line cheaper than Marvel – this is the price you pay for holding the line at $2.99.
June 27th, 2011 at 3:51 pm
You mention DC inserts in the early 80s (New Teen Titans and Night Force come to mind), but what’s going on now is totally different.
The old inserts were to whet your appetite for a new ongoing series: “Teen Titans re-invented!”; “The classic horror team of Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan!” Exciting stuff to look forward to.
The inserts now just shill for Subway Sandwiches. SERIOUSLY, the recent insert with the football players ends with the line “You worry about the coach. I’ll finish my delicious sandwich!”
June 28th, 2011 at 6:55 pm
“Those ads help pay for those ‘floppies’, which in turn help pay for those trades everyone waits on (supposedly); and I’d guess Subway paid a premium for the centre insert, instead of at the back where you can ignore them.”
But, Terence, I don’t give a shit about any of that… Sure, those ads supposedly pay for the floppies. The same floppies that now cost $3 or $4 a pop. I’m not paying for those overpriced books and then having to deal with a bunch of ads strewn throughout.
So, yeah, I “trade wait” for the comics that I actually still buy. I can get them for about the same price, or less, than if I bought the full run of monthlies that make up said trade. And they’re more durable too.
If all that is somehow hurting the publishers, well… They hurt themselves a long time ago by abandoning the grocery stores, drug stores and newsstands. As sales continue to dwindle, it wouldn’t shock if, with time, trades and digital comics end up dwarfing, and eventually killing, the monthly floppy comic book.
As much as I love my collection of old comics, I wouldn’t be bothered at all if the floppy went the way of the dinosaur. One way or another, characters like Batman, Superman and Spider-Man will still be around. I’m not criticizing any of you that still buy monthlies… I understand it. I just don’t like that anymore, personally, and the publishers made it that way for me with their pricing, and the clutter in the books.
Ads from 30 years didn’t seem as loud, annoying, or just plain ugly as many of them are now. Charles Atlas, “Street Ball with Rick Barry and Dr. J,” and the single page Hostess ads where Batman would capture Penguin with a fruit pie, all seem so charming by comparison.
As an aside, I remember the Teen Titans insert from about 20 years ago… I might still have the book that I had it in! That was good fun, and it promoted a book that I was then interested in reading. That’s a different scenario from the paid ad inserts.