As most of you probably know, the much-awaited Iron-Man DVD hits stores on Tuesday, September 30th. I'll be nabbing the "Ultimate 2-Disc Edition", of course...but which one should I buy? Realizing that offering the lowest price for the identical product is no longer enough to attract more customers, several major retailers will be offering exclusive versions or unique deals with their Iron-Man DVD sales. Take a look at the five exclusives below, then...following the descriptions...help me out by voting on which one you think I should buy!
1. Walmart: The 2-disc Ultimate plus an exclusive digital comic book titled "Iron-Man: Security Measures", by Christos Gage and Hugo Petrus. The comic book purportedly ties directly into the movie offering backstory offered no where else. The story centers around Nick Fury, Director of SHIELD (Samuel L. Jackson in the cameo role at the end of the film after the credits) and his perspective of the events in the Iron Man film. It also depicts how he and Tony Stark almost crossed paths several times prior to their fateful meeting depicted in the film. This bonus disc also includes a paper version of the digital comic and behind-the-scenes photos and interviews. Price: $22.99
2. Best Buy: Buy any edition of the Iron-Man DVD and get a free lithograph (I'm not clear what the size is). There's also a gift set which includes the Ultimate 2 Disc Edition movie, a mini bust and a $50 gift card to SideshowCollectibles.com, all for $39.99
3. Circuit City: Access six free digital Iron Man comics with art by Adi Granov with purchase of the Ultimate 2 Disc or the Blu Ray editions. Price: $22.99
4. Costco: An Iron-Man DVD Gift set featuring the Ultimate 2 Disc edition and three Iron Man Bobble Heads for $39.99. From the looks of it, the bobble heads correspond to the three different suits of armor appearing in the movie.
5. Target: A deluxe DVD package shaped and molded like the Iron Man mask and additional bonus footage included as well. Price: $22.99
So, whattaya think? I'm leaning toward the Target package (that helmet case is just too cool). Click on your vote below to give me your recommendation. Who knows...maybe you'll sway me.
UPDATE: It looks like the Target DVD is the one for me! I was leaning that way anyway, but 57% of you who voted convinced me that was the right choice. The poll is now closed, so thanks to everyone who participated!
Tough one. I'll probably lean towards Wal-Mart, myself (the fact that I have a gift card in NO way colors my judgement). However, if I had a Costco near me, I'd probably hit them up because those bobble heads are awesome.
-M
Posted by: Matt | September 28, 2008 at 09:51 PM
For men, It's gotta be Targe or Wal-Mart. I don't care for things like bobble heads or lithographs. I'm a sucker for extra footage or additional comics, though.
The digital comic sounds cool. What type of bonus footage does the Target one have? If it's something like the ComicCon panel or whatever, I'll likely get the Wal-Mart, but if it has some more deleted scenes or behind the scenes stuff, then I would go for the Target one.
Posted by: Ivan Wolfe | September 29, 2008 at 07:31 AM
Well, hopefully the extra footage is something worthwhile. I'd hate for it to be the ComicCon panel. Probably just something they nabbed from the cutting room floor that the director really wanted to get back in there. Considering how expensive CGI effects scenes are, my guess is that the extra footage will probably be a 100% live action scene, probably something with Downey as Stark (which is fine with me).
Yeah, I'm not a big action figure/gewgaws kind of collector, so that one didn't have much appeal to me...especially with the added cost.
Posted by: Mark Engblom | September 29, 2008 at 07:43 AM
When does Amazon start doing exclusives like this? I usually just do the "One-Click Pre-Order" thing when I see some new must-have DVD, so I can just forget about it until the package shows up.
But every once in a while, there's something really cool that shows up in some brick-and-mortar exclusive....
Target looks best to me. Key question: Would you spend 17 bucks for 3 Iron Man bobbleheads *separately*? Or 17 bucks for a mini bust and a 50 dollar discount off stuff that's already way expensive?
If the prices were closer, I might want that stuff, but not for 17 bucks.
Hmm, actually, I might be conflicted between the Walmart and Target versions. I wasn't looking closely enough to see that the Walmart comic book is an exclusive.
Posted by: suedenim | September 29, 2008 at 10:22 AM
I ordered the Amazon disc, too. But of the choices you offer, I think it has to be Costco-- I'm not big on figures, either, but an Iron Man bobblehead?? That's just too good. Especially since "bobblehead" is one of the nicer things characters in the Marvel 'verse have called IM lately. (:
Also, thanks for the Rocketeer reference in the earlier post-- that's a great comic, and I think it's also a very underrated movie.
Posted by: Brian | September 29, 2008 at 11:17 AM
I'll be snagging the Target version. I like additional footage and the helmet package is just too neat.
Posted by: De | September 29, 2008 at 02:13 PM
I say Walmart. I like the extra story in the form of a comic. Hopefully they'll do the same with the Incredible Hulk DVD. As well as the Thor and Cap films, so by the time Avengers comes out we'll have a cool little comic series showing Nick Fury behind the scenes of all the major characters leading up to the Avengers.
Posted by: Avengerfan | September 29, 2008 at 02:53 PM
I'll be going with the Wal-Mart one. I figure the bonus footage will end up on You Tube or something sooner or later, and I'm a sucker for exclusive comics. (Part of the reason I collect pack-in Minicomics.)
Posted by: ShadowWing Tronix | September 29, 2008 at 04:06 PM
Mark, I have chosen #5 for you because I, as well, will be purchasing that one due to the extra footage. As one of your loyal visitors to this site, my opinion should have some meaning to you.
Be like me, Ralph C.! Go to Target for the box that rocks!! :-)
(What would be super-duper cool is if one of them came with a replica, or real, Mego Iron Man!! Remember those???)
Posted by: Ralph C. | September 29, 2008 at 06:10 PM
"What would be super-duper cool is if one of them came with a replica, or real, Mego Iron Man!! Remember those???"
Now that's just wishing for too much! But really...that would be cool. Speaking of Mego replicas, I wonder why they haven't cranked out any of those yet. Or have they?
As for the poll, it looks like the results are confirming my leaning toward the Target exclusive.
Posted by: Mark Engblom | September 29, 2008 at 09:06 PM
I still haven't made up my mind. Is there anyone who bought this today who can tell me what the Target footage is?
Posted by: Ivan Wolfe | September 30, 2008 at 07:20 AM
I see in Previews that somebody's doing a "new" Mego-like Star Trek line, including some characters that they didn't do the first time. They seem to be pretty exact replicas, not sure if they're from the official Mego templates or what....
Posted by: suedenim | September 30, 2008 at 08:54 AM
Now the question of which format to buy, DVD or Blue-Ray??? I don't have a Blue-ray player yet, but I started purchasing CDs before I had a CD player.
When does the DVD become a waste of time? Buy the DVD now and then you have to re-purchase the Blue-ray later. Hmmmmm.
Posted by: Dan Lietha | September 30, 2008 at 11:39 AM
Well, the point is well-taken, but you don't *have* to re-purchase movies in Blu-Ray later. The Blu-Ray players should play standard-definition DVDs perfectly well.
Huh, they're starting to get cheaper, too....
Posted by: suedenim | September 30, 2008 at 12:02 PM