Marc-Oliver Frisch, who provides analysis on DC’s sales figures every month over at The Beat, takes a look at DC’s recent convention announcements on his own blog, from additional Countdown spin-offs like Salvation Run and Arena, to the Vertigo and Wildstorm announcements, and of course, Final Crisis:
The publisher’s big announcement was Final Crisis, of course, a long-rumored project now revealed to be a seven-issue limited series by writer Grant Morrison and artist J.G. Jones. Final Crisis is by and large expected to provide some sort of closure or bookend to DC’s current approach to their superhero line as one big, sprawling crossover where everything is connected with everything. As much confidence as the creative team inspires (fuck it, it’s by Morrison; I’m going to buy the thing), the DC Universe clearly isn’t working, neither commercially nor creatively, and I’m skeptical whether they know what they’re doing with this. It may well be that the line is heading for a radical makeover that will set things right, but I’ve yet to see any evidence that the people in charge at DC have an inkling of how to fix things. Either way, Final Crisis won’t be completed until November 2008, mind you, so even if they’re going somewhere worthwhile, it’s still more than a year away.
His impressions of Vertigo and Wildstorm’s announcements were just as bleak.
August 16th, 2007 at 7:08 am
Was the lack of any really big announcements that they are just trying to let this thing run its course with the attitude that the fans will eventually come around? Or do they simply not know where to go now that this thing is set in motion and doesn’t seem to be going anywhere? It’s a shame really, because there is enough talent at DC that people should be flocking there in groves. Morrison and Dini on Batman, Busiek and Johns on Superman. JLA, JSA, Nightwing, and Teen Titans all in what should be capable hands. Brave and the Bold with Waid and Perez. Some of these creative teams are like the fantasy creative team for me, and yet because of the crossovers and the messes with delays, I’m only buying three of those titles and two are on the edge of being dropped.
August 16th, 2007 at 8:19 am
I’m curious to see what he thought of Marvel’s convention season announcements. Regular readers of Frisch have seen a bit more of a bias against DC, and it really shows in this blog entry. Sure, DC’s got alot wrong with it these days (Didio’s outta control), but I don’t see what they’re doing as anything radically different from what Marvel’s current strategy is (throw everything against the wall, see what sticks, then tie them all together with a web of crossovers). Like I said, it should be interesting to see what Frisch says about Marvel, typically garnering more praise in his monthly analysis.
August 16th, 2007 at 8:19 am
Is DC really headed for a company-wide reboot?
August 16th, 2007 at 8:30 am
Busiek keeps saying that it was DC’s best year ever financially last year.
It may not be doing as well as Marvel but I’m fairly sure it’s doing better than it was 5 years ago.
August 16th, 2007 at 8:55 am
Interesting article. Some criticism was very well deserved. What I found really interesting know while I was checking out the rest of his blog is that he worked for Marvel(Don’t know if he still does any work for them). That raised my “silly paranoia for no reason” flag. I’m sure it’s not the case but it calls into question his comments on DC due to a possible conflict of interest.
August 16th, 2007 at 9:17 am
“Like I said, it should be interesting to see what Frisch says about Marvel, typically garnering more praise in his monthly analysis.”
Quick correction: Paul O’Brien writes the “Marvel Month-to-Month Sales” column at The Beat, not I.
And if Paul’s comments on Marvel seem more favorable than mine on DC right now, I’d like to think that’s simply because Marvel are doing better.
August 16th, 2007 at 9:58 am
Of course, Paul is routinely accused of having an anti-Marvel bias in the comments sections following his analyses. In this way is a strange equilibrium maintained between the columnists.
August 16th, 2007 at 4:57 pm
“Is DC really headed for a company-wide reboot?”
They certainly seem to be revamping/reimagining/relaunching alot of titles/characters lately, so it seems unlikely. I mean, what would be the point, if they’re just going to relaunch the whole line in a year?…oh yeah, sales.