Once upon a time Marvel and DC sold 22 story page comic books for $2.99. ... And all the $3.99 comics started shrinking. Until Ultimate Fallout #2 was 19 pages for $3.99.

That means that local comic shops are clinging to the shrinking market of print periodicals - that is, individual issues of comic books published monthly-ish by companies like DC Entertainment ...

Not even a superhero could save two of Los Angeles's oldest comic book stores. Torrance's Geoffrey’s Comics and Hi De-Ho Comics in Santa Monica are closing at the end of the year.