Comics, there's a lot of them. There are literally hundreds of comics that drop each month from over a dozen publishers. These range from full-blown graphic novels, anniversary issues variant covers and of course your monthly issues. Now if you've ever been to your local comic shop I'm sure you've had someone ask if you'd like something on your pull or even if you want that special cover preordered for you. Now typically these preorders don't require any sort of deposit but instead just a commitment to pick up said book(s) upon release. To some, it may come off as abrasive or even pushy but I can assure that is not the case. As a former employee at my local shop, there are so many reasons why we ask this of you.
Did you know that comic shops have to order their books for each week an entire month in advance? Sometimes, even more, when it comes to those fancy prestige formats from DC Black Label. Let's start off with a little comic shop terminology. FOC. Comic retailers order via one distributor and their FOC each and every week. So what is FOC? FOC stands for Final Order Cutoff. What that means is once FOC comes by those numbers are locked in. Some shops can get away with ordering a few extra issues if they're still in stock but you're probably not guaranteed those issues upon release day, but rather a few weeks after. Shops do their best to rely on the numbers from their subscribers but what about that gorgeous Artgerm variant or that new first issue everyone keeps talking about that you might pick up outside of your weekly pull. Well, you're probably not the only one thinking that and with this mindset that can lead to shops running low on a particular issue and missing out on those much-needed sales. I hate saying this but from first-hand experience, comics are a huge gamble and put small and newer shops at such a risk. It feels like more and more shops are ordering fewer copies to help curb the risk of being left with unwanted issues years later. Not everyone can be Midtown Comics and order a ton of stock.
Speaking of limited stock and the importance of preordering your comics is that you're pretty much guaranteed a particular issue or variant once you've preordered (aside from maybe some of those wild incentive variants). This means you'll no longer have to worry about rushing to your local shop first thing Wednesday morning, picking up your books at your convenience and can avoid eBay scalpers later on. It also means you won't have to worry about missing out on a first printing of a new series or even a key issue. From a former retailer perspective, it honestly feels like Diamond (the sole distributor for comics) isn't stocking comics the way it might have used to. This means more and more comics are seeing second and even third printings. Preordering your comics helps you avoid later printings unless of course, you're into that sort of thing. Please don't feel obligated to subscribing to an entire series either especially if you don't know what you're getting into. Even if you just preorder the first issue of a new series and decide to subscribe later on it's a huge help to publishers and retailers alike.
Something I personally didn't realize until recently is that series can actually get the ax due to low orders on FOC. Recently, Spell on Wheels 2 from Kate Leth, Megan Levens, Marissa Louise and published by Dark Horse had its single issues canceled due to low preorders and will luckily be published in an original graphic novel format instead. Publishers use the preorder numbers entered from retailers via FOC to determine how many copies of a title to publish, if at all. That being said it makes me wonder how many other smaller series and even smaller publishers were left vulnerable, and instead were just straight-up canceled. That being said these numbers affect your favorite ongoing series too! So if you love a series make sure to subscribe to keep the title going.
So what happens when you preorder a comic. Well lots of things actually, it's kind of a domino effect. You get the books you want, and in turn not only are you supporting the demand of a particular title but you're also helping to keep a small business afloat. Don't know what's coming out? Well, let's fix that. Previewsworld.com is a great and free digital resource available to you that lists everything releasing within the next three months. Previews also has descriptions, additional variant covers as well as preview pages for selected series. It also includes fun and quirky comic-related merchandise including apparel and collectibles, all available through your local comic shop. Alternatively, comic shops typically have a physical version of the Previews Catalogue available for purchase and also usually have a store copy of the catalog which is available for you to browse while you shop. Personally, this is my preferred method of viewing just because there is so much to see.
What are you waiting for? Make sure you call, email, or even head out to your local comic shop and tell them all about the fantastic books you want to preorder!
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