Welcome to the first installment of FOC Friday.

 

What does the FOC stand for? Final Order Cutoff.

 

What is Final Order Cutoff? First, a little reminder.

Comic book retailers order comics two months in advance on something that is called an Initial Order.

The Initial Orders are usually due by the last Thursday of each month.

 

Final Order Cutoff allows retailer to increase or decrease their Initial Order numbers three weeks prior to a comic book’s release date.

Here at Alter Ego Comics, we do our FOC on Mondays.

 

Why is FOC important? Because on most new series, retailers are shaking the Magic 8 Ball to figure out how many copies to order.

Too few copies and you’re disappointing customers.

Too many and you’re on the fast track to bankruptcy.

 

That’s why the Pull List system is so important in comic book shops.

A Pull List is a hold service that most stores offer, usually free of charge, to customers.

 

You simply ask your local comic shop (LCS) to add a comic or series to your Pull List and your friendly neighborhood retailer will order it for you and set is aside for a predetermined amount of time so that you don’t miss it.

Crazy, right?
Watch this video:

 

 

You see, despite our love of the fantastic, comic shop owners are not mind readers. 

We don’t know what comics you’ll be looking for each Wednesday (New Comic Book Day) unless you tell us.

 

Never assume that your LCS will have the first issue of series X unless you specifically ask them to order it for you.

With approximately 140 comics published each month from DC and Marvel alone, there’s just too much risk involved for most stores to order every new #1 issue.

 

Got that? Good.

 

With that out of the way, here is a list of highlights from this Monday’s FOC.

If you’ll be looking for any of them, make sure to let your LCS know by Monday morning so that they order a copy for you.

 

 

Batman #51 - Retailer orders on #50 are going to be higher than usual due to the wedding. So we’re going to need your help to order accurately on #51. 

 

DC Beach Blanket Bad Guys Special #1 - This is a summer-time one-shot featuring DC Villains in a fun way that’s $9.99. Here’s the solicitation:

It's summertime in the DCU and the bad guys are taking over! Beat the heat with 10 all-new stories by top comics talent starring DC's most spectacular super-villains! In this issue, find out what Mr. Freeze does on the hottest day of the Gotham City summer! Learn what made Grodd such a bad gorilla! Then, while in a small beach town, Deathstroke gets hired for murder by the last person he'd expect! And The Joker and Bizarro team up for a truly weird summer bromance! This is one of those books where you need to tell your LCS if you want it, because I’m guessing that most won’t be ordering too heavy on it.

 

Flash #47 (second printing) - The “Flash War” storyline has brought in some new readers and we sold out of this first part in a “Flash!” (Great, now I sound like Alex.) So if you missed it, let us know to order a copy of the second printing for you.

 

Injustice vs Masters of the Universe #1 (of 6) - Here’s the solicit: "Believing He-man and the Masters of the Universe defeated, a robotic impostor has seized control of Eternia-but not for long! After freeing his kingdom from this strongman's rule, Prince Adam learns not everyone is pleased to see the pretender deposed-but Adam knows the value of freedom. So when heroes from another dimension ask his aid in deposing a super-hero turned dictator, he agrees. Teaming up with Batman against the Superman of the Injustice Universe, He-man and his new allies face dangerous and familiar enemies in a battle where no world is safe!” I know that our Injustice readers are going to want this. But who else? Let us know.

 

Magic Order #2 - Did you pick up the first issue? Do you want to keep getting the series? Let us know 🙂

 

 

Life of Captain Marvel #1 - Here’s the solicit: "THE DEFINITIVE ORIGIN OF CAPTAIN MARVEL!

Carol Danvers was just a girl from the Boston suburbs who loved science and the Red Sox until a chance encounter with a Kree hero gave her incredible super-powers. Now, she's a leader in the Avengers and the commander of Alpha Flight. But what if there were more to the story? When crippling anxiety attacks put her on the sidelines in the middle of a fight, Carol finds herself reliving memories of a life she thought was far behind her. You can't outrun where you're from - and sometimes, you HAVE to go home again. But there are skeletons in Captain Marvel's closet - and what she discovers will change her entire world. Written by best-selling author Margaret Stohl and drawn by fan-favorite comics veteran Carlos Pacheco, this is the true origin of Captain Marvel.” Let’s be honest - Captain Marvel is not a top seller no matter how much Marvel wants it to be. But as the March 2019 movie gets closer and closer, more people have been asking about her. This is the place to start!

 

Archie Meets Batman 66 #1 - "Two iconic comic book characters meet up for the FIRST TIME in this historic crossover mini-series! A battle in Gotham City extends its reach into Riverdale-with Mr. Lodge becoming enemy #1 of the dynamic duo! Now it's up to Veronica to recruit some help and place a call... to the Batcave!” Archie is not a top seller for us, but Batman is. (Shakes Magic 8 Ball). 

 

That’s it for this week.

 

Thanks for reading, and remember, let your LCS know if you want any of the above by Monday morning.