First off, this is not meant as an exhaustive list. Much of the comics blogosphere has been discussing what ails DC institutionally, and how those problems could be turned around. I can’t offer too much more than what’s been said already. Instead, these are shorter-term goals which I think DC could reasonably and realistically accomplish.
1. Stick To A Schedule.
DC’s shipping problems are infamous by now, but it does have a number of titles which appear faithfully on a particular week. For Week One, these have been All-New Atom, Jonah Hex, Midnighter, Scalped, and Welcome To Tranquility.
Titles consistent over the other weeks include
- Gen13, Green Arrow, JLA Classified, and Stormwatch PHD in Week Two;
- Aquaman: Sword Of Atlantis, Checkmate, Flash, Hellblazer, and The Spirit in Week Three; and
- Blue Beetle, JSA Classified, Supergirl and the Legion, Wetworks, and (lately) Wonder Woman in Week Four.
All the Johnny DC titles have been on time as well this year.
Some books have also worked overtime, with Detective Comics, JSA Classified, and Wonder Woman putting out nine issues in 2007’s eight months, and Action Comics producing ten issues and an Annual. JLA Classified’s eleven issues (including three in January and two in February) are right there with it, though.
However, while it’s good to have the issues actually in-hand, it’s arguably better to have them come out on a recognizable schedule. “Week Three” might not have the cachet of “Must-See Thursday,” but there is something to be said for a reader’s anticipation of each week’s particular titles. More to the point, DC should be training us readers to count the days until the next issue.
Brian Hibbs also points out the “didn’t I just buy this?” effect, with which I agree completely. (As you may remember, I am one of those guys who remembers Batman as a Week Two stalwart.) Especially if variant covers and/or Internet previews are involved, I’ve had trouble either remembering what I bought the week before, or forgetting (until it’s too late) that I’d already bought a particular issue. Heck, yesterday I almost forgot to buy Amazons Attack. (Yeah, I know; but how else can I stay indignant?)
DC has eight titles which it will publish in one form or another until its doors close for good: Action, Superman, Detective, Batman, Wonder Woman, Justice League of America, Flash, and Green Lantern. Of those eight, only two maintained anything like a consistent schedule. The rest have been playing catch-up all year. It’s good that Atom and Checkmate are on time; but as we’ve seen, when Action and JLA are late, it’s a lot more noticeable.
2. Death Is Not An Option.
Lisa addressed the anti-fun conspiracy theory pretty well, I think, so I’ll just refer you to her site for that. Still, it is more than a little depressing that characters’ deaths are telegraphed in, if not outright selling points for, a lot of these events. The thought of Death of the New Gods closing the door on an entire “family” of characters just makes me ill.
Death is often cited as the ultimate reality check for today’s superheroes. These are dangerous times; the law of averages comes into play; and the stakes must be believably high. That last suggests that there would also be something of a backlash if DC didn’t kill a character or two along the way. Superhero comics are ostensibly all about creativity, but I suspect that even creative ways of keeping characters merely “inactive” would also get old after a while.
Indeed, the revivals of Donna Troy, Hal Jordan, Jason Todd, Hippolyta, and Tora “Ice” Olafsdotter now let DC claim that death need not be final. Still, this just helps fuel fan cynicism. If you think death is required to raise those stakes, you might not be satisfied unless all avenues of return are closed off. If you’d rather not see characters sent to the Great Beyond, then why kill ‘em at all if they’re just going to come back?
3. Think Outside The Main Line.
Following up on last week’s suggestion to showcase alternate-Earth Justice Leagues in JLA Classified, I’d like to see more “historical” stories (Satellite Era, Detroit League, JLI) in that title as well. I’d also like to see more period stories of the original Justice Socialites in JSA Classified, although I understand that title does more with individual stories of current members. More importantly, though, assuming DC is going to keep the Multiverse around for a while, let’s see at least one ongoing title set on a parallel Earth. The one I have in mind is an Earth-5 Marvel Family book. Still, I’d be surprised if DC weren’t anxious to see which of these upcoming parallel-Earth spotlights (e.g., in Countdown To Adventure and Search For Ray Palmer) sells well enough to warrant return visits. In fact, if some form of Earth-D now exists among the 52, I’d love to see more of it.
4. More Eclectic Collections.
If a new Batman and the Outsiders series warrants a Showcase volume of the originals, DC could do worse than to reprint collections of the original Blue Devil, Firestorm, and Nemesis stories. Each of those characters has been fairly prominent these days, and revisiting the old stuff couldn’t hurt.
A number of offbeat, fondly-remembered series, including Amethyst, Hourman, ‘Mazing Man, Major Bummer, and Young Heroes In Love, would also make fine trade paperbacks. The Showcase line should similarly continue to be relatively eclectic, through reprints of titles from other genres like Omega Men, I … Vampire!, and Blackhawk (I’m thinking the Pasko/Burchett series).
Oh, and (going back to No. 1, above) try not to cancel the collections you’ve already solicited.
Finally …
5. Five-Year Crossover Moratorium.
That’s right, five years — at least. DC’s credibility is pretty much zero when it proclaims Final Crisis to be just that. Much of that is due to the company’s perpetual-crossover mentality, going back at least to the start of Identity Crisis in the summer of 2004. (You could make a case that it goes back even to the death of Donna Troy in 2003, but Identity Crisis really kicked the whole thing off.) With the last issue of Final Crisis coming out at the end of 2008, that’ll actually cap about four and a half years of mega-crossover hijinx, but as you’ll see it pretty much works out.
There are two exceptions, but only two, and they come with conditions:
The first is for DC’s 75th anniversary in 2010. A twelve-issue limited series would be appropriate, but it cannot promise that a) everything we know is wrong, b) nothing will ever be the same, or c) the streets will run red (or whatever) with blood. If DC’s superhero continuity still needs maintenance after our current series of events, it’ll be on the level of rearranging the Titanic’s deck chairs. After all, the Sinestro Corps War is proving to readers that a big-event crossover can be engaging without rewriting the rules of the universe.
The second exception is for whatever weekly series is planned to follow Countdown. 52 showed how a weekly series could work, and Countdown seems determined to do the opposite. I’ll give DC a chance to make the third time the charm, but a) it must be discrete — no crossovers; b) it should play out in real time (i.e., a week’s worth of story in each issue); and c) it should not take place in the present. It could be a wartime Justice Society/All-Star Squadron adventure, it could happen during a pre-Silver Age year, or it could focus on the “Julie Schwartz Future” characters like Space Cabbie, Chris KL-99, Tommy Tomorrow, etc. As long as it’s not the main line’s “spine,” it’ll be OK with me.
I really cannot stress the moratorium enough. DC’s reliance on the crossover is approaching “we have always been at war with Oceania” levels. Annual crossovers were the norm for a few years after Crisis On Infinite Earths, but these past few years it’s just been too pervasive. I was ready for it to end with 52, and I’m more than ready for it to end with Final Crisis.
All of these suggestions are designed to get DC to exploit more fully its diverse publishing history. The mock DC schedule my spreadsheet spit out included anthologies, romance titles, horror books, and war comics. Sure, DC can say it has Minx for the girls and Vertigo for the mature stuff, and nobody reads anthologies anymore, but it’d be nice if the DCU titles were a little more inclusive.
Conventional wisdom has DC and Marvel both striving to please the particular tastes of what they see as their core audience. However, it doesn’t seem to be working for DC at the moment. Instead of compartmentalizing its efforts and balkanizing its readership, why not branch out within the area where most of its efforts are concentrated?
One of the publisher’s old slogans was “More Than Just Superheroes (But We’ve Got Them Too).” Time again to dust it off.
August 30th, 2007 at 1:06 pm
DC Items I have STOPPED purchasing multiple weeks ago:
Amazons Attack and related issues (since issue #1)
JLA / JSA Classified (ever since the middle of the terrible Amos Fortune crossover)
Countdown (I skipped the last 4 weeks)
- - - -
Stuff I do buy: Sinestro Corps; it even made me pick up the Green Lantern Corps again (which I dropped after the “Guy Gardner visits Floston’s Paradise” issue)
August 30th, 2007 at 1:31 pm
NO ONE should buy every JLA/JSA Classified story that comes out.
That’s just silly.
If it’s a creative team and a story you’re interested in, buy it.
If not, don’t.
August 30th, 2007 at 1:42 pm
Great article
August 30th, 2007 at 1:44 pm
Here’s a sixth way.
Don’t rely on a big-name non-comics writer to relaunch a character unless you have ALL the scripts in hand.
Random delays pretty much killed the momentum of the WW and Flash relaunches, as well as the Donner run. Re-inventing the annual to catch up is a patch, nothing more.
August 30th, 2007 at 1:45 pm
I am in complete agreement that there should be trade paperback collections of BLUE DEVIL, FIRESTORM/FURY OF FIRESTORM and the NEMESIS stories from BRAVE AND THE BOLD. I’d also add BOOSTER GOLD and SUICIDE SQUAD to that list for obvious reasons.
Oh, and that should be [b]color[/b] trade paperbacks, not cheap black-and-white where Blue Devil becomes Gray Devil.
August 30th, 2007 at 1:51 pm
I have stayed away from getting into the main line at DC due to all the crossovers. What incentive is there for a new or returning reader to get into Batman or Superman or JLA if its all going to change with the next big “event”? I do read the GL books and have been enjoying the hell out of the Sinestro Corps story. But that’s only because I don’t have to read 20 different crossover/tie-in titles to get the full story. I’ll probably read Final Crisis out of pure curiosity but I don’t imagine it will change my mind about picking up any new titles that I’m not already reading. And that’s a shame because DC does have a great stable of characters but all the crossovers and events have made them all but impenetrable for new readers to get into.
Long story short, yes a 5 year moratorium on huge across the board crossover events is a fantastic idea. Keep the crossovers limited to the “family” of titles, like the GL Sinestro Corps story or the X-books Messiah Complex. Go back to focusing on characters and their personal stories and dump all the universal implications “nothings ever going to be the same” nonsense that is bogging down the DCU.
August 30th, 2007 at 2:03 pm
Great suggestions, all. I find it very hard to believe these very things AREN’T being said in the DC offices. Of course, it seems the decision makers aren’t listening.
I’m thinking of waiting on the trade for Final Crisis, but by then would it even be worth reading?
August 30th, 2007 at 2:08 pm
Reason number 5 works for me. Let us (the reader) get reaquainted with characters like Booster Gold & Blue Beetle.
August 30th, 2007 at 2:10 pm
I happen to like the crossovers and what DC is doing. While Marvel is far outselling DC, DC is also selling more comics than it was 2 - 3 years ago.
The one thing that is hurting DC is the publishing of the weekly comics. Prior to that INfinite Crisis had DC up there with marvel. Then 52 came along and did well. But Countdown, as good as it is, is not and a lot of resources are being spent on creating these weekly series, resources that could be well spent on the main titles.
I would suggest DC take its core titles mentioned above and put it’s best writers and artists on them, and let the rest take care of iteself. Crossovers themselves don’t hurt DC, it’s mediocre stories.
There are a lot of fans out there that want certain things and DC cannot please all of them.
August 30th, 2007 at 2:14 pm
“we have always been at war with Oceania”
Made me laugh out loud. A trenchant remark in a very, very accurate article.
August 30th, 2007 at 2:14 pm
When a book falls behind schedule, put a fill-in artist on the book, NOT a fill-in story. Don’t disrupt the flow of a story simply because you have to have Artist A on the book doing that story.
August 30th, 2007 at 2:18 pm
Great Article. I love DC and only DC. I buy Countdown…yes I do…it’s gotten better. hope the company can showcase other earths with a number on the side of the cover. Lots of cool stuff coming out from DC.
August 30th, 2007 at 2:20 pm
I just find it funny that Gen 13 is now shipping faithfully. When I first started buying it as an Image title, it was quite awhile between some issues!
August 30th, 2007 at 2:22 pm
I am all for DC sticking to a schedule, except if it involves placing cheesy, second-rate creative teams on titles, particularly artists, just to keep them shipping monthly. This is what DC has been doing and I find it outrageous. Since the artist is in most cases the problem, why does not editorial determine how many issues an artist can actually produce annually, and then employ a second first-rate artist (as, for example, Marvel has learned to do; e.g., Captain America: Steve Epting and Mike Perkins; or Uncanny X-men: Ramos and Bachalo) to produce four or five issues annually.
I have another issue, one not mentioned here — the generally declining quality of DC’s books and stable of creators. To take Countdown as an example. I have no problem with weekly comics. However, in the case of Countdown, it is difficult to escape the conclusion in the that DC acted cynically toward its fans. 52 was produced by a group of first rate writers and several solid if not top-tier artists. The book sold spectacularly well. Not surprisingly, DC decided to follow up 52 with another weekly. But this time DC raised the price $0.49 per book while employing a group of artists whose greatest virtue is their page rate (I mean $$ and pages per month). Except for Jesus Saiz and Dennis Calero, the rest of the artists involved must be considered third tier in quality. The writers, who are in the uneviable position of having their stories delegated to them, are again not top flight creators. Having read the book to this point, it is hard to escape the conclusion that it is little more than a cynical cash grab. If DC is going to do a weekly, it should put the talent in place to make its fans’ investment in it worthwhile.
August 30th, 2007 at 2:31 pm
1. Books on time? Maybe they could adapt the same promise as the pizza shops “if it’s late, it’s free”, now there is a philosophy!
2. OK, this is an important one, how can they (the company) expect us (the reader) to invest into characters when they are just going to keep killing them. Every time they bring them back it just gets cheaper (though I’ll take a cheap Troia over dead Troia any day).
3. Outside the main line is OK, so long as they don’t forget about the heroes too.
4. I tend to read reprints lately because they are just better and than some of the crap on the shelves today.
5. I used to love a good cross-over or big event, but I am burned out! I can’t keep up, and honestly don’t want to!
August 30th, 2007 at 2:31 pm
Oh, PLEASE.
It’s a simple matter of logistics. 52 was a bear to put together, requiring tighter coordination. They went to a different method on COUNTDOWN (TV-style storytelling) and used quicker artists and no central layout artists. Simpler logistics. But it didn’t work. Simple as that.
August 30th, 2007 at 2:37 pm
Why should I care what makes you happy? What about me? 3 and 4 are horrible ideas which I hope never happen. Crossovers should be banned permanently. People who buy them make comics bad. The resulting bad comics make me happy, because people are getting the books they deserve. You’re not the only old, grumpy fan around here.
August 30th, 2007 at 2:43 pm
I agree on the 5 year moratorium for mega crossovers. Family crossovers are fine (ideally, once every couple of years if they last a couple months, but the term “Crisis” simply loses it’s resonance when it’s thrown around so often.
August 30th, 2007 at 2:47 pm
I disagree with setting a book in an alternate Earth. DC really limited itself by promising 52 Earths. What happens when they run out? I know it seems impossible for them to run out soon, but they seem to be working overtime to do it. 52 #52 alone introduced like 5 or 6 Earths. The Search for Ray Palmer is further showcasing Earths. What’s worse, all of these seem to be based on old ideas. Why retell the same stories when you only have a limited supply of Earths? The Search for Ray Palmer really gets me, since these are all Earths based on miniseries, meaning their story was already told. Was the Gotham by Gaslight Batman ever intended to meet Donna Troy, Jason Todd and a Monitor? In their upcoming Arena miniseries, DC promsies to show a representative of each Earth, meaning that after that mini-series that has been described by Didio as fan fiction, there will be no new Earths to explore.
I think that DC needs to take the focus off its alternate Earths. Make them special. Instead, the Titans, the Challengers of Beyond, Booster Gold, and the JSA all already seem to be exploring the worlds. If DC didn’t muck up Captain Marvel so much, then there wouldn’t be a need for an Earth-S. I think that DC’s new Shazam book for kids is the right route; tell the story you want and don’t worry about fitting it into the multiverse.
Also, I do not think a weekly series needs to occur in real time. What does this add, except hindering cliffhangers? A series will not seel weekly if it does not impact the universe, so setting it far in the past or future will not succeed. I think that setting the series in the present and real-time means that Robin will be 17 for another year. Which I think is his fifth year as a 17-year old. And has Jimmy Olsen aged a day since he was introduced?
August 30th, 2007 at 2:49 pm
What would make me a more happier DC fan is for DC to being more open to diverse characters from various racial and ethnic backgrounds and not used for shock value only. But is a regular participant in the DCU.
Cut down on crossovers or not use them in 5 years to give the fans a break from back to back crossovers. Other than that, DC is doing a great job and should keep it up.
August 30th, 2007 at 2:49 pm
Great article.
Hope someone upstairs is listening.
August 30th, 2007 at 2:50 pm
A good article.
August 30th, 2007 at 2:59 pm
In defense of DC: people, grow up. Yes there is a lot of character deaths happening right now, but if DC was killing characters wholesale like you’ve been complaining about, there wouldn’t be anybody left- and that just isn’t the case. On top of that, Marvel has (for decades) had the same problem that DC has (according to this article) about killing characters and bringing them back to life. Of course fans are cynical about it, but it’s the fault of both major companies, not just DC.
Now this isn’t to say that I don’t agree with this blog, but I think the blame here goes more wide spread than where the finger is being pointed here. Marvel had one of their biggest crossover events happen (Civil War) and the latter end of the series SHIPPED LATE. The Ultimates is a great book that everybody loves that SHIPPED LATE. Now, Marvel sees fit to cram another crossover down the throats of it’s faithful with piles of tie-in issues, and the Ultimate U is about to get Jeph Loebed with a crossover that might officially bastardize what makes it so unique. Maybe there are bigger problems with all of the companies than just DC’s lack of getting their books out on time, if at all (WildCATS?)
August 30th, 2007 at 3:00 pm
Amen!! What’s the point of having all these new universes to play in and explore if its all going away in the Final Crisis?? Give us time to enjoy the status quo between events…and time to be reacquainted with our favorite characters regular lives…not those lives in crisis!
Still, that said, will always love DC…and waiting for the trades does not lessen the great experience…in fact, it’s kind of fun to read a whole block of stories at once…and that’s how I’ll read Final Crisis, and the second half of 52, when they come out!!
August 30th, 2007 at 3:11 pm
If everyone is so sick of events and crossovers why do they continuously sell so well? If it’s simply because we as comic fans have no self control then that’s our own fault. You never have to buy anything you don’t want to. To say “no crossovers for 5 years” is just silly. What will that accomplish? To give us a break? A break from what? You don’t have to read everything. Buy some independents or something. Make a statement with your wallet.
It shouldn’t matter what kind of stories are being told, or whether they cross over or not. How about “no bad stories for 5 years” or “no late books” if a crossover or event is GOOD or if the story is COMPELLING then who cares what format it takes?
August 30th, 2007 at 3:29 pm
…You forgot one, Tom:
0) Fire Dan Didio. Get him out the door any way possible, and put someone in charge who knows how to properly balance the need to keep books, stories and characters fresh without sacrificing what the fans have come to know and love. Didio has proven he’s got clue not as to how to maintain this balance, and quite obviously gets his rocks off by killing off beloved characters *and* replacing them with lame poseurs.
…But apart from this one point, every point you made is valid, and some of the additional points - especially the ones about being far more selective about bringing in non-industry writers who can’t keep a deadline if their lives depended on it, and about not being afraid to use a fill-in artist if a BIG NAME ARTIST can’t quit playing World of Warcrack long enough to draw a page a day - are just as valid.
Bottom Line: The comics industry already does business like a drug pusher. They should know that while they can essentially getting away with constantly jacking up the price per fix, it’s not wise to totally disrupt the supply as junkies can get really dangerous when they’re in need of said fix.
August 30th, 2007 at 3:45 pm
52 wasn’t a crossover.
All your suggestions, with the exception of #1, would do far more harm to DC in particular and the industry general then they would help. We, the people who write and read ABOUT comics are not the majority. We are the minority. Comics is a business and, as such, needs to keep the majority happy. And the majority LOVE death, crossovers, and characters they know.
August 30th, 2007 at 3:56 pm
“When a book falls behind schedule, put a fill-in artist on the book, NOT a fill-in story. Don’t disrupt the flow of a story simply because you have to have Artist A on the book doing that story.”
What if it’s the writer causing the delay?
-J
August 30th, 2007 at 4:07 pm
Weren’t “Action’s” delays due to Adam Kubert falling behind, and not Richard Donner and Geoff Johns?
Whatever the case, D.C. has stumbled quite a bit, but never enough to make me go to Marvel. They don’t even have a Captain America over there any more!
I am enjoying Image’s “The Astounding Wolf-Man,” though…
August 30th, 2007 at 4:09 pm
This is a well-written article in which the author makes his point clearly. I have to respectfully disagree though, with putting the moratorium on crossovers. It’s like Joey wrote earlier; if comic fans hate crossovers so much, why do they sell so well? Is it because Dan Didio kidnapped your family, and promised to release them only after you purchased every issue of Final Crisis and all the tie-in issues? No, it’s because these are the things that many readers want to see, and purchase! These are comics; nobody’s forcing you to buy anything or put up with anything you don’t want to put up with. It’s not Dan Didio’s fault. Rather, I think that some comic fans want to have their cake and eat it, too. If you don’t like the current direction your “favorite” comic is travelling in, perhaps it’s time to back off from that comic, instead of keeping up with it and criticizing it. There are other readers, new, casual, and longtime, who’d be happy to pick up the comic you left on the stands. Even further, if you feel that strongly about it, why not come up with your own idea, and make your own comic? Who knows; it could go pretty far!
August 30th, 2007 at 4:13 pm
it’s meaningless to be complaining about it… Dand DiDio have stated that the crossovers and dead characters are going to continue because they sell, thats the true… i hate it… i hated infinite crisis, it wasn’t what i thought it would be. I hate conner’s death and bart’s… but when the stories came out i bought them. Dan Didio doesn’t even care about the readers, why? because no mather what we are going tu buy every damn crap DC sells… it’s so frustrating, i hate it and i really hate Dan DiDio, but he already know that and he doesn’t give a damn about it because no matter what we think he still has the entire universe in his hands (ok, DC universe at least… wait, DC’s universes…).
August 30th, 2007 at 4:16 pm
YES! A showcase presents Blue Devil has been on my want list since they started the showcase tpb line. Give me that and I will indeed be a very happy fan. I sure do miss the old “weirdness magnet” days.
August 30th, 2007 at 4:17 pm
Be careful what you wish for with the Classified titles: that Detroit league story was HORRENDOUS…and I say that as a great fan of the Detroit team.
August 30th, 2007 at 4:38 pm
I think I’ve finally hit on what bugs me about Countdown:
It would work a lot better as 4 monthly books than as 1 weekly book.
Split up the stories. I love the Jimmy stuff and the Trickster/Pied Piper stuff, but I really don’t care about the rest (and actively loathe any panel with a Monitor in it). If I could just buy, say, an issue of Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen and an issue of Pied Piper and the Trickster every month, I’d be much happier.
August 30th, 2007 at 4:41 pm
People, this problem is as simple as this. If you are tired of cross-overs, don’t buy them. If you like them, crack your wallet open and smile. I read more DC books than anything else on the market at this time, but the cross-overs, force-feeding me characters (I.E. Supergirl) in every book I buy has pushed me to drop a few. Now being a week or so late, thats not a problem. I was placed on this Earth before the Pepsi- Generation so I do remember what having a little patience is like, but when part two of a story comes out 6 months to a year later. I have to say, the book will be dropped. No matter how much I like the creative team. If the story is good, then waite until they finish it, and buy the trade.(Which normally comes out a week or two after the last issue of the Hyped Story Line) I buy more trades now than I thought I ever would because of the overwhelming lateness of a story I may get hooked on, but it never comes out when it is posted it will. If it was up to me, DC would Stockpile 4-5 issues of a Book/story by a creative team, and then would not publish that story until all completed issues are in hand. As for all this World Shattering/Universe altering/Kill-a-character-bring-them-back- form-the-dead crossover with every book on hand…. I just watch them on the shelf of my local comics store, and feel so sorry for the shop keep when he has to put them in the NOW 50%-75% OFF box.
August 30th, 2007 at 5:08 pm
Fantastic article. I agree with you 200%.
August 30th, 2007 at 5:26 pm
CROSSOVERS ARE HERE TO STAY
Unfortunately, the Big 2 have proven that the best way to increase sales is to have constant crossovers. DC is currently doing the Countdown crossover, the Amazon Attack crossover, and the Sinestro Corps crossover. Marvel is (still) doing Civil War, World War Hulk, Annihilation, Initiative, Zombie Worlds, Anticipation, Affiliation, Requiem, Redemption, House of M…
Sorry. Got a little carried away there at the end. But the point is that crossovers cause huge increases in sales. Putting a new creative team on a book only causes a minor, temporary bump.
CROSSOVERS ARE HERE TO STAY
August 30th, 2007 at 5:45 pm
I’d be happy if they would stop killing off my favorite second tier characters just to replace them with “improved” versions and bring back the ones they have recently sh!t canned. I’m down to the Super, Bat and Green Lantern books plus Jonah Hex and The Spirit. I’m trying my best to avoid the rest of the DCU and all the DC crossovers.
I’d be happier still if the entire regime at DC were soon gone.
August 30th, 2007 at 5:56 pm
I currently am not buying any DC titles at the moment, and many of the issues addressed here are the reasons for why. Numbers one, two, and five, especially, hit the nail on the head. The fact that there is a FINAL CRISIS coming up, alone, just has me so turned off.
August 30th, 2007 at 6:19 pm
“Dan Didio doesn’t even care about the readers, why?”
Bullshit. You yourself said you bought it. Sounds like he sold YOU on it. And you are the reader. You bought it.
I’m sorry, what leg do you have to stand on in this argument?
August 30th, 2007 at 6:23 pm
I like your ideas, except for your riders on future weekly series: 5 b) it should play out in real time and c) it should not take place in the present.
I don’t quite see the reasoning behind that. Was this based on practical grounds, or on personal preference?
My gripes with Countdown aren’t related to it’s being based in the present. On the whole I’m enjoying it. But I do feel that it:
* started sluggishly;
* didn’t include any (or enough) exposition on minor characters like Holly Robinson and Harley Quinn (a neophyte like me had to turn to Wikipedia);
* had story lines siphoned out and stuck in spin-off series;
The thing that really irked was that sense that the best stuff wasn’t going to be in Countdown itself but in a spin-off series, and that the weekly Countdown series alone wasn’t enough to get the full picture. Maybe that’s not the case. But DC certainly allowed that impression to form.
August 30th, 2007 at 6:31 pm
Oh and one other thing - editors of comics involved in any way in a crossover, have got to coordinate their stories. For example, the Flash editor should have made it clear to the Flash creative team that Trickser and Piper weren’t to be in the melee that put its collective boot into Bart Allen. Because that jarred so badly with the the “But we’re innocent” storyline running in Countdown. And then there was the absence of Wally at the funeral etc etc. I was really down in the mouth when I read the funeral issue.
August 30th, 2007 at 6:42 pm
Give us great stories with the characters we care about,Add to their history and what made them special instead of destroying their history and Re-Booting them or Killing them off and replacing them with an inferior product every time the new writer gets a wild hair up their arse,If the writer has a new idea for a character have him create a new character not shoe horn his idea into an existing character,Be true to the concept of the character’s that are already established if the character sold well before and is not doing so well now it’s proubly the fault of the current creators not the character,My number one example is the Pre-Crisis Legion of Super-Heroes one of DC’s top selling titles until they decided to destroy it’s history.
August 30th, 2007 at 7:01 pm
Before anybody comes up with a list of things for DC (or any company) to do to make fans happy, they also have to say how this will help sales. Yes people say they are fatigued and they want to stop so it will hurt sale but stop doing events is a sure way of killing sales. 52 was “self contained” they told reader that they did not have to buy another DC book if they did not want to. You know what people that had never brought a DC book before took them up on it the brought 52 and nothing else. When 52 was done they were done.
From what I have seen DC has a diverse main line. Fans do not seem to have diverse buying habits and “diversity” is a dirty word to some. If good books like Checkmate, Blue Beetle or Jonah Hex sold more then I do not think you would see as many “event tie-ins”.
Why does DC have to do something different so fans can buy the same thing they always do? This what got to me “A number of offbeat, fondly-remembered series, including Amethyst, Hourman, ‘Mazing Man, Major Bummer, and Young Heroes In Love” how is making more “fondly remembered” series like theses going to help DC? I want the good books the DC does to sell not to be showcase fodder. Checkmate and Blue Beetle should be read and enjoyed now not be just be collected and remembered fondly 10 years from now.
Should DC more new stuff? Yes, books like Jonah Hex and Gotham Central say no. I loved Plastic Man. It was 20 issues of pure fun. Where were the fun seeking people then? Where were people when DC uncanceled Manhunter?
Sadly it is more realistic to ask DC to change than ask fans to try something new. People freak out more about DC’s late books than Marvel’s. Fans want DC to crack the whip on teams for late books when the some of the teams know: they can make more money some place else, that very late book is a top seller whenever it come out and the fans will not buy a fill in. It is hard to make a “hard” schedule when fans a not flexible. Some fan logic says DC can fire the team off on its top sell book but they cannot buy Blue Beetle because it is not Ted.
Fans need to start asking how they can make themselves happy to.
August 30th, 2007 at 7:20 pm
You know what would make me happy?
More books like All-Star Superman. Published in their entirety as original graphic novels.
That’s about all I need from DC at the moment.
August 30th, 2007 at 8:07 pm
I like a bunch of the points in the article, but I do agree that we need to vote with our dollars on this as well.
Still want to read that mega crossover but don’t want to buy the mega crossover? Borrow a friend’s copy or just wait until you spot it in the dollar bin. Tired of delays but want to read the rest of the story? Borrow it from a friend or buy the rest of the story later in the dollar bin.
The money you save on not supporting titles that engage in practices you don’t like can go towards supporting titles that you enjoy or titles that you’ve been meaning to check out.
August 30th, 2007 at 8:07 pm
… except for your riders on future weekly series: 5 b) it should play out in real time and c) it should not take place in the present.
I don’t quite see the reasoning behind that. Was this based on practical grounds, or on personal preference?
A little of both. I thought 52 profited from the week-per-issue format in a way that Countdown doesn’t, by forcing 52 to tell tighter stories. I actually enjoy Countdown (and Amazons Attack, for that matter) more than you’d think, but Countdown’s story arcs feel so open-ended they’re almost insubstantial.
The “not taking place in the present” mostly distinguishes Weekly #3 from CD, but it also avoids another massive coordination effort which CD theoretically requires. Besides, the nature of DC’s timeline compression (i.e., how everyone keeps from aging) puts every year at a premium. I figured it would be better both creatively and practically to pick a year that was somewhat removed from the main timeline.
how is making more “fondly remembered” series like theses going to help DC? I want the good books the DC does to sell not to be showcase fodder. Checkmate and Blue Beetle should be read and enjoyed now not be just be collected and remembered fondly 10 years from now.
I agree, and I’m pushing for a more diverse reprint library primarily as a response to DC’s “30 Essential Graphic Novels” list from last week. Again, to me DC can only help itself by offering a wider range of options to its readers — giving them more things to buy, in other words.
August 30th, 2007 at 8:24 pm
my advice?
Reboot the universe: be new-reader friendly on all your core books. Unclutter the connections and don’t expect the reader to know the intimate backgrounds of a character.
STOP LOOKING AT THE PAST (=continuity) FOR NEW STORIES.
Decide who the Flash is and stick with him/her forever.
Only JLA and JSA books should be used for characters to play togehter in a shared universe.
NO SHARED UNIVERSE!
Only sollicit series when a complete storyline is completely done: inked and colored!
If you sell monthly books, play to the strength of it and not for the trade.
August 30th, 2007 at 8:52 pm
Ah Tom, Tom, why aren’t you a DC higher up, you make great points. Especially the one about crossovers. Please DC, no more!
August 30th, 2007 at 9:13 pm
Of course he doesn’t care what readers think… i mean, we aren’t blinddly stupid persons, but the truth is that no matter what they do, we are going to buy their books because we have done it for years and years and years, he doesn’t want to see happy readers, he wants to sell comic books. Where is my argument? in the fact that they(they=Dan DiDio and DC) killed Bart, they killed superboy, they killed Blue Beetle, Rocket Red, man… maybe you are fine with it but the truth is that comics aren’t as funny as they used to be before all the crisis crap happened…
August 30th, 2007 at 9:18 pm
Pfft. I dropped DC Comics the moment they announced the Black Canary/Green Arrow wedding.
August 30th, 2007 at 9:20 pm
Here’s my situation:
After OYL hit, I stopped buying over 20 DC ongoing books (and a bunch of mini-series)… down to 5 (with only a couple of mini-series). As of the recent JLA/JSA crossover, I’m down to 2 Vertigo books… and that’s it.
I don’t like the direction DC is headed in. Not everything that came after the Crisis On Infinite Earths was crap. Stop throwing out the good with the bad.
Conversely, not everything about the old Multiverse was great either (IMO). If it was (IMO), I’d be more open to the notion of it’s return (and I’m not). Personally, I prefer the idea that all the characters are on the same Earth… but that just might be me.
I’m sick of watching DC kill off all the characters I liked. It’s only made me resent the “untouchables” like Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman… and sends my interest in them into the toilet.
Stop all the tinkering from on-high. One sure way to take me out of your stories and your universe (making “suspension of disbelief” near-impossible) is for DC to continue making their “editorial mandates” less subtle than swatting a fly with an atom bomb. I WANT to keep the dream alive of seeing Barbara Gordon walk again and put on the batsuit. I don’t need DC to broadcast to the readers that they don’t like a character… especially when that character turns up dead a short time later. Don’t expect me to embrace your commitment to “diversity”… when for that diversity to happen, I have to lose a character I’d have listed as a favorite.
Every character has his/her fans. When a publisher kills or otherwise destroys a person’s favorite characters… it’s one less reason for them to buy that publisher’s comics. It’s also one more reason for them to NOT embrace the replacement character.
August 30th, 2007 at 9:51 pm
I stopped buying DC after Wonder Woman became a murderer. I occasionally check in and see it just the same horrible place. I agree whole heartedly with all the points and the idea of firing Dan DiDio. On the front page here at Newsarama it mentions how DC has been getting a lot of flack but it certainly hasn’t been from this website. Matt Brady has yet to interview Dan DiDio into an accounting of why he gets his jollys killing off characters. Or even “We need a rape”, which he has reportedly said when Infinite Crisis was being planned. I encourage all to not read or buy DC until changes…real changes…are made. Dan DiDio runs DC like W. Bush runs the White House. Doing anything he wants and never listening to a single complaint or idea he doesn’t agree with. Thanks Tom, I’ll be sharing this piece around where I can.
August 31st, 2007 at 4:31 am
Geez, Michael in comment 53 sounds like a total crackpot and I have really forgiving standards for allowing lots of conspiracy theories and inapt analogies.
Tell you what Michael; I’ll keep reading whatever entertains me and you can go rant at your local comic shop, which I’m sure so looks forward to your visits esp. now that you’ve quit buying product from one of the big two publishers.
August 31st, 2007 at 5:04 am
I think that you could make a case that DC will always have a Legion of superheroes title until it closes its doors. Except for a breif period in the 70’s and a couple of short 2-3month gaps in the 90’s, The Legion has consistantly been published and DC knows that The Legion will always bring in steady revenue.
August 31st, 2007 at 5:08 am
Can someone explain to me how a moratorium on crossover events will help DC? A moratorium would give us DC fans a breather and might allow DC editorial to focus more on the individual titles but would it help increase sales?
Assuming DC did impose a 5 year moratorium to these cross-overs, what will happen when Marvel rolls out its crossover events for the next five years? Assuming those Marvel crossover events are well-received by fans, readers will just flock to Marvel books while DC sales will take a beating. DC will be accused of being complacent, that their books have become boring, and that DC lacks foresight.
DC needs BETTER PLANNED and LIMITED crossovers. Nothing like Infinite Crisis or Countdown to Yet Another Crisis but more like Sinestro Wars. Put emphasis on good story telling and limit the tie-ins and the spin-offs.
August 31st, 2007 at 6:12 am
Bring back Barry Allen as the Flash for good!
August 31st, 2007 at 7:16 am
#4 is an excellent point. I had no idea who Nemesis was until he was in Wonder Woman and really grew to love the character with Jodi writing him. I’ve looked up his bio on fansites and I would totally buy a Showcase of Nemesis in comics.
And for JLA Classified, I would also think “historical” or “lost” tales of past leagues would be cool. Or do like JSA Classified and feature an arc on one character. It’d be a great way to feature a character who can’t hold a title on their own.
I would buy a “Classified” arc of Vixen (another character I didn’t know until recently with the cartoon and relaunch of JLA)
Lastly- lower the price or add more pages. 3 bucks for 32 pages is kind of a ripoff when Oprah gives you like 300 pages.
August 31st, 2007 at 8:06 am
Oprah?
August 31st, 2007 at 8:11 am
I agree and disagree with some of the points made here. Let’s get right down to it. DC and Marvel are NEVER going to stop doing company-wide xovers. Why? BECAUSE THEY SELL. Period. They know that we will continue to buy them. My only hope is that these stories are well-written, original, and come out on time (Marvel failed on these points with Civil War and DC almost did with Infinite Crisis). I am really surprised at all the negative reaction to Countdown. I have actually enjoyed some of the plot-threads going on in the book (Mary Marvel, Trickster/Pied Piper, and Holly/Harley Quinn) while the Jimmy Olsen plot is just plain stupid. I still feel despite how slow all of this is going, there is going to be a payoff. Looking at the solicitations for books coming out in October and November, I see some exciting stuff that will be gracing our shelves. If there is one thing DC is getting right, it is the impending wedding of Green Arrow and Black Canary. Having two super-heroes getting married and actually having their own book is a great idea. I know it’s been done before but these two in particular have not always seen eye to eye and should make some great stories in their book. Marvel, who won’t listen to fan reaction, insists on breaking up Peter and Mary Jane (or not having them married). I foresee big drops on the Spider-Man books (or should I say book since Marvel came up with the unoriginal stupid idea of a three times a month Amazing Spider-Man. This was already done with the Superman titles years ago. Been there, done that). My overall point is still that big events, crossovers, major storylines running through titles is never going to end, just give us some good stories that are coming out on time.
August 31st, 2007 at 8:46 am
tom’s going to “turn around” DC by rejigging the SHOWCASE titles to be more obscure and banning crossover events? that is a complete and utter hoot. thanks for giving a concrete demonstration that you have no idea what you are talking about from a business point of view.
August 31st, 2007 at 9:17 am
Books I’ve stopped purchasing at DC:
Everything but All-Star Superman
—
Stuff I buy:
All-Star Superman
August 31st, 2007 at 10:27 am
I just want them to decide whether or not Pied Piper has a jazz beard. The artwork in “Countdown” is not only crappy, its distractingly inconsistent from issue to issue; does no one furnish these people with design sheets??
August 31st, 2007 at 10:32 am
And Again, it boils down to this.
BUY THE BOOKS YOU LIKE AND LEAVE THE ONES YOU DON’T ALONE.
The Sales stats you see are not the number of books you see the Fans actually buying, but the number of books purchased by the retailer, who as many of us know have those Outstanding Dollar Bins where the greater percentage of these books end up if they sit on the shelfs or bins after a period of time.
August 31st, 2007 at 10:38 am
“I agree, and I’m pushing for a more diverse reprint library primarily as a response to DC’s “30 Essential Graphic Novels” list from last week. Again, to me DC can only help itself by offering a wider range of options to its readers — giving them more things to buy, in other words.”
DC has a diverse line-up. Space, Magic, Teens, Sci-Fi, Espionage, Adventure and Crime drama is all there in the main DC. DC making it does not mean fans will buy them. There are “fun” books at DC. Blue Beetle is a great book and it seems to be a book the fun seekers love to hate.
DC does a lot of diverse quality books that are on time. The problem is the fans focus on the late books that sell though the roof. When you look at fans buying habits this is what a diverse DC line – up would look like to many of them: Batman: Gotham King, Batman Kung Fu Master, Bruce Wayne in Love, Batman: Galaxy Quest, and Batman: Future Dawns. I would love Doom Patrol, Question, Omega Men, Tales of Suspense and Tracy 13 but I bet the 5 “diverse” Batman book would do better and would not anger some vocal “long time” fans. There is a small pool of bankable talent. They cannot do every thing. Even if you put the talent on the new stuff it does not mean fans well take a look because most have a narrow view of thing. Ever try getting a Daredevil reader to look at Criminal or a Birds of Prey Fan to read Welcome to Tranquility? It is almost impossible.
DC does need to get their best selling material out on a consistent schedule. Still, companies can diversify all they want but if the people they are selling to are not diverse in their buying habits it will not do any good.
August 31st, 2007 at 11:18 am
Personally, I would love for DC to stop making it seem like it’s all about the Big three and the rest are wallpaper.
I don’t mind them being showcased as the premier super heroes but really, that the whole DC UNIVERSE revolved around them!?
I love those three as much as anyone but it does degrade the likes of Green Lantern, Flash and the rest to
At least Marvel knows how to develop other characters beyond Captain America, Hulk and Spiderman. If they thought like DC thinks, we wouldn’t have the likes of Wolverine, Daredevil, Iron Man and the rest enjoying the status they do today. They’d be expendable guys in the background.
August 31st, 2007 at 11:24 am
Oops. I deleted a chunk of text from my previous post. It should be…
“I love those three as much as anyone but it does degrade the likes of Green Lantern, Flash and the rest to be given a chance to fluorish.
And I’d love for other characters to survive long enough to be given a chance to prove themselves. Blue Beetle? Look at how Booster Gold is doing today! I’m glad they are supporting Manhunter and THAT is a step in the right direction. But a cursory look at the characters they’ve offed shows so much wasted potetntial: Kid Flash/Impulse, Azrael, Kon El, Ted Kord, The original Question… and now the New Gods.
So DC can’t sell a book without killing someone?
Also, please stop making all the other villains look stupid when they’re not in their own books. Why are Piper and Trickster looking like such incompetents in COUNTDOWN when they have proven quite capable in the past!? Trickster went head to head with NERON!
At least Marvel knows…
August 31st, 2007 at 11:29 am
I don’t know about a five year moratorium, but DC definitely needs to be more judicious with its crossovers. I’m okay with The Sinestro War since I collect both GL titles anyway (although I may drop GLC), but I stopped collecting Batman a few years back because of the annual three to six month cross over arcs that tied into all of the “Batman Family” titles. If they had just bounced between Batman and Detective, I would have been okay with it, but they stretched over into Robin, Catwoman, Nightwing and even Azrael.
I agree with the importance of sticking to a schedule. That’s what a schedule is for.
I also agree with the comment made by one of the posters about collecting only those issues of JLA/JSA Classified that are of interest to you. JLA Classified is basically a nostalgia title so why buy an issue that doesn’t interest you? I dropped JLA Classified when they did the Detroit League arc.
August 31st, 2007 at 11:50 am
Damn, I hope DC keeps doing what it’s been doing since Identity Crisis, because sales on their books are higher than they’ve been in 15 years!
August 31st, 2007 at 2:55 pm
These are all pretty terrible ideas and I hope that DC continues to ignore the “blogoshere” and message board commentary.
August 31st, 2007 at 7:59 pm
I’d sacrifice a moratorium on crossovers for a moratorium on continuity pr0n. As someone who has only been reading superhero comics for a little over a year, I can vouch for Civil War’s ability to bring a n00b into the Marvel Universe. When I asked an avid DC fan what made their crossovers worth reading, he said “Every DC crossover is about fixing what they screwed up in the last crossover.” Suffice to say, all the money DC is getting from me is coming from their imprints; meanwhile, several regular Marvel books have found their way onto my pull list.
August 31st, 2007 at 10:04 pm
I agree almost 100% Thanks to crossover madness and creator “bouncing” I’ve dropped all DC titles except “Birds of Prey” and “All Star Batman”. All Marvel, except the Ultimate Universe titles, went away because of Civil War. If the mega crossover in the Ultimate Universe I’ve head about actually occurs, it, too, will be history. I’m down to under a Jackson a month for the first time since 1992.
September 1st, 2007 at 2:53 pm
I can’t wait for Ultimate Final Crisis, followed by the two weekly series Ultimate Countdown and Ultimate 52. Then we can look forward to the 8 billion tie-ins/new-ongoings that will create. At this rate, I’ll be spending a hundred dollars a week on comics.
September 2nd, 2007 at 12:22 am
#
Geez, Michael in comment 53 sounds like a total crackpot and I have really forgiving standards for allowing lots of conspiracy theories and inapt analogies.
Tell you what Michael; I’ll keep reading whatever entertains me and you can go rant at your local comic shop, which I’m sure so looks forward to your visits esp. now that you’ve quit buying product from one of the big two publishers.
Comment by del gorky — August 31, 2007 @ 4:31 am
#
I love that you think I’m a crackpot yet chose to respond to me not with any reasonable arguments against my points but just by calling names. Tell you what Del,if you can prove that A)Dan DiDio is not the worst editor DC has ever had in both sales and general critical response, and that Newsarama has ever given him a truly tough interview (and not his lackeys) then you can call me a crackpot. So far, I don’t see where I’m anything but the holder of an opinion you disagree with.
September 3rd, 2007 at 12:06 pm
To DC:
1. I don’t care how you do it or how much money you have to pay them, but just make sure that Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely stay on All-Star Superman FOREVER.
2. Put Geoff Johns into your DC dungeon and chain him there. Lord knows what will happen to your company if he somehow jumps ship. I mean, half of the quality books you put out each month is made by him, fer cryin’ out loud!!
3. If you wanna kick Marvel’s butt in sales ( or at least, TRY to ), promote the hell out of your Vertigo titles, like Fables, Y:The Last Man and Hellblazer because they seem to be the only good stuff you produce these days ( asides from All-Star Superman and the Sinestro Corps War series, of course )
September 5th, 2007 at 12:12 pm
Interesting article and interesting posts….but, since the world revolves around me, let me tell you what DC needs to do.
Just end All Star Batman & Robin. Stop the insanity.
Stop crossovers. Sorry, I can’t afford to chase down eveery issue of the crossover. Having an important event like a characters parent die happen in a book other than the title book is idiotic!
Multiverse? Ugh. Maybe I am like the cheese and I stand alone, but I could care less about the multiverse. I enjoy the kind of heroes and stories that take place in an almost “real world” where I can imagine a guy in tights swinging by my window outside the cubicle.
Finally-well, not finally completely but I’ll cut it short because I don’t want to bore you too much….
Reboot Robin. A potentially great character that has been for the most part driven right into the ground. I have the entire run. Love the character. But the stories have just painted poor Tim into a nothingness corner. Call it a day and start over with a Grade A (or even Grade B) team.
September 7th, 2007 at 1:09 am
I personally have no problem with crossovers, as long as they’re done well. A decent number of the DC ones of the last 20 years (wow, I’m old) were very entertaining (Bloodlines, Armageddon, Countdown and parts of Millennium notwithstanding), as I can defend since I just found a whole bunch of them in my collection (damn, INVASION was great!). Let’s just get back to good ideas DC, events don’t have to be overblown extravaganzas.
All the deaths are really annoying and unnecessary. Blue Beetle-Ted Kord’s death was a blow, but esp. after reading the 1st issue of the new Booster Gold I see how effecting his legacy is. If you’re gonna kill off popular A or B-list characters, please just make it really mean something.
As for bringing back the dead, my friend said something to me last week that made perfect sense:
Why bring back Jason Todd when
the reason you killed him off in
the first place is because the fans
thought he was too annoying…then
make him even more annoying than
before?
‘NUFF SAID!
September 7th, 2007 at 2:58 pm
Great article. Some thoughts of my own:
I’d make Event Moratorium *10* years with the anniversery being the one and only exception. After that, only one every five years (if at all. Frankly I got sick of this shit the first time around with Crisis and Secret Wars) With one series and one creative team for it.
No alt. covers! That is an annoying hold-over from the 90’s speculator boom. For that matter the artists doing the interiors should be the artist doing the cover. Let me know what I’m buying instead of trying put an Alex Ross cover on a Bob Fillinguy issue.
Death is not an option. I totally agree. My addition would be that neither is gore. Reading a comicbook with Superman or Captain Marvel characters in it is not the place we should be seeing intestines and eyeballs being ripped out. It’s cheap, gratuitous, and stupid. If DC wants to gore that badly, they should pony up the cash for buying a horror movie property to license under a new banner.
Before anything is done with the Multiverse, decide who the hell the Earth (and the people in it)we’re reading about in mainline is. THEN I’ll be happy to travel the Multiverse.