I’ve bitched before about book publishers printing some novels in trade paperback format in order to boost the price, but now it looks like even manga publishers are getting in on the action.

For example, I recently picked up TokyoPop’s Battlestar Galactica: Echoes of New Caprica. It’s yet another one of their OEL (original English language) manga anthologies, featuring stories from a variety of creators. However, unlike their other manga, for example, the BSG volume is physically larger…and the price is a few dollars higher! Adding insult to injury is the fact that the page count is actually lower than most of their other manga. So now you’re getting less content for a higher price! That’s incredibly irritating. (I should also note that their regular manga volumes have increased in price by a dollar, but that’s unfortunately the reality of the business world.)

Fortunately, I was able to use a 30% off coupon at my local bookstore when I purchased the book, but the point is that I shouldn’t have to. Comic book prices soared into the realm of the ridiculous a long time ago; it’s a shame that some manga publishers are now trying their damnedest to follow suit.