Editor’s note: We’re very happy and excited to welcome DC Comics President Paul Levitz to Blog@Newsarama! He’ll be stopping by on a semi-regular basis to talk about comics and answer your questions. You can read his first post below and leave any questions for him in the comments section.
by Paul Levitz
Start by accepting that I’ve got one of the best jobs on the planet—if you’re a Newsarama regular that shouldn’t be a big leap. I’ve gotten to write comics, edit and publish them, and work with creators both of the comics I loved as a kid and of many of today’s best comics, as well as the creative people who translate our characters to other media. I couldn’t have envisioned this cool a role back when I was editing a fanzine called The Comic Reader and feeling like a kid with his nose pressed to the shop window looking at the goodies within.
So when Matt asked me to join the blogging community, he was inviting me to return to my roots, but with an access to information and knowledge that I couldn’t have thought of 35 years ago in my fanzine days. I’m not free to toss all of it around, of course, but hopefully I can walk the line in an entertaining manner. The good news about netiquette is I can count on you to let me know.
One of the pieces that caught my eye in this space recently was my old friend Brian Hibbs’ lengthy dissection of graphic novel sales. Brian’s a longstanding and passionate advocate of the form, and while I almost never agree with all his conclusions, he’s always got interesting points to raise. I thought he did miss a couple of observations about graphic novels in 2007, though. (None of which are as much fun as it was to watch Brian try to lead a Comics Pro discussion at DC’s recent retailer meeting–turnabout being fair play.)
Most notably, it’s an interesting moment in history when Watchmen sold (roughly) as many copies last year as a 20 year old backlist title as it did in magazine form when first issued. It shows both how far the graphic novel has come, and perversely how far we have to go. It’s amazing that almost 100,000 copies were sold in 2007, but it also shows how many people are just beginning to discover the graphic novel form. We recently did a major DC promotion with one of the bookstore chains, and as far as we can tell, it was the first time we managed to get Watchmen in virtually all their outlets.
It’s still easy to close my eyes and remember the enthusiasm in 666 Fifth’s yellow zipatone wallpapered halls as Len Wein bounced down them, showing off pages as they came in from Dave Gibbons. And now Dave’s had the fun of walking on the sands of the Mars he designed. Hard to believe how many years it’s been and that we’ve probably published more DC issues since than in the first fifty years of the company, but Watchmen still stands as one of our best ever.
Another interesting phenomenon is the difference in concentration between three types of graphic novels; manga, the strongest category in bookstores, seems increasingly dominated by a handful of properties; literary graphic novels (about 5% of bookstore sales and less in comic shops), by a couple of authors’ backlists with no major new hits in ‘07; and genre graphic novels (the strongest in comic shops) seem to spread the readers around to the most titles. This is an evolving situation, and as the number of literary titles being published expands, it’ll be particularly interesting to see how the pattern shifts. And the definitions of these categories are all highly debatable.
Much of the credit for this evolution in graphic novels goes to our fans, as they’ve grown up on titles like Watchmen, Dark Knight or Maus, and moved into the work world. When we launched some of the first graphic novel collections with Warner Books 20 years ago, their sales force was very reluctant to handle them, as comics weren’t real books. Last year, when we switched to the Random House sales force, we found longtime readers on the force as our advocates. And fans who became journalists have been incredibly effective at publicizing how cool comics can be.
The best of this is still several years in the future, I suspect. The comics creative community is now being encouraged/empowered to do material about a much wider range of subjects than previously. While there have long been individual projects along the wide spectrum of possibilities, few of them got the distribution or publicity to allow them to connect with a large audience. Most books in America have very modest sales, and graphic novels were in a weaker position than many categories. That’s changing rapidly, and as we see more diverse and ambitious publishing programs from traditional comics and book publishers, I think we’ll see still further expansion of our readership.
All in, American editions of comics (including graphic novels and manga) were somewhere over $800 million in sales last year…about or perhaps over the peak of the early ’90s if you adjust that time for the crates of copies bought by speculators and never read or even sold at any retail price. And that doesn’t even try to measure the fertile creativity of the world of webcomics, which had no direct equivalent 15 years ago. We’re in a much healthier pattern this time, and it should be sustainable growth ahead.
And on that cheery note, let me buckle on my Kevlar, and turn this over to Matt for a couple of questions his readers berated him for not asking last time I showed up here…
Feel free to leave any questions for Paul in our comments field; he’ll be back to answer them soon!
March 28th, 2008 at 4:14 pm
Why does Vertigo print on such crappy paper? The comics would look 50 times better on paper a step above what I line my birdcage with.
March 28th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
Well, welcome “board” Paul (as the heading currently reads)… This should be fun!
I’ll be back when I think up some good questions. Hope you’re up to the challenge!
Just kidding, I am looking forward to this.
March 28th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
Hands down, Mr. Levitz, is one of the most professional and upstanding gentlemen (a rare quality in our time) in the comic book industry. He’ll be a great asset to Newsarama!
Long Live The Legion
March 28th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
You alluded to other media adaptations in regards to Dave Gibbons and walking on the sands of Mars. What’s your take on projects in the pipeline and their importance to selling magazines and graphic novel?
Also, who’s arm do we have to twist to get a Sgt. Rock movie while Joe Kubert is still around to enjoy it?
March 28th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
Welcome to the ‘Rama, Mr. Levitz - I look forward to reading what you have to write… and feel free to share any unpublished Legion manuscripts you have lying around!
March 28th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
Mr. Levitz is a gentleman in every sense of the word, an incredible writer, and all around icon. Newsarama does well to have him in this position.
Long Live The Legion
March 28th, 2008 at 4:25 pm
Mr. Levitz I have to ask..
Why hasn’t Mike Grell’s run on Green Arrow come out in trades yet?
It seems to me like the type of run that might sell well in trade even thou its nor pushing 20 years old
Is it because of all the nudity and other stuff that made it “mature” or is there another reason..
Also Welcome to the ‘rama
March 28th, 2008 at 4:27 pm
I think you said Watchmen about 50 times! Any chance of reconciling with Alan Moore, with the new movie coming up? Yeah, I was just joking, that will never happen! Though in his defense, all previous adaptations of his books have been atrocious. Oh well, I look forward to the blog entries.
March 28th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
“All in, American editions of comics (including graphic novels and manga) were somewhere over $800 million in sales last year…about or perhaps over the peak of the early ’90s if you adjust that time for the crates of copies bought by speculators and never read or even sold at any retail price.”
It’s a bit unfair to include 2007’s manga sales when comparing comics sold last year to only American comics sold in the 90s, wouldn’t you say? I would love to know, what is the amount of money American comics collected in sales last year independent of manga sales? Or, conversely, what was the total amount of money in manga sales in 2007?
March 28th, 2008 at 4:33 pm
Paul Levitz is definitey one of the most grounded comic professional in the field today…! I think this is a great “trump” to a Cup of Joe…Newsrama, you’ve upgraded in my opinion…!
March 28th, 2008 at 4:33 pm
Why no co-credit for bill finger. you told john byrne you would implement but then again john byrne could be lying again…
March 28th, 2008 at 4:34 pm
What do you think about Spider-Man One More Day / Brand New Day man that’s all anyone wants to talk about lol!
And how about COMMANDING Dan Didio to allow Nightwing to beat the living snot out of Deathstroke man us Nighwing fans need this lol!
DC has the best books on the racks now with All Star Superman, so keep up the good work. ^_^
March 28th, 2008 at 4:36 pm
Looking back, What are your thoughts on the Humanoids deal? Do you think there’s more of a market for European material American comic and book stores now than there was a couple years ago? What are your thoughts on what worked, what didn’t, and what you wish had worked better?
Thanks,
scott.
March 28th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
Greetings, Mr. Levitz! And welcome back to the creative side of the job, if only in this form.
March 28th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
Great first posting by Mr. Levitz - welcome aboard. Can’t wait to read more from you in the future and glad to see that your insights into the industry are still as spot-on as ever.
March 28th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
Co-credit to Bill Finger? John Byrne yet again talks out of turn about something that does not concern him in the least.
The toothless old grump should focus on doodling more crappy commissions for his shrinking fans/sycophants.
March 28th, 2008 at 4:47 pm
What’s your opinion on the misogyny and gruesome violence that pervades the DC “universe” line of comics?
March 28th, 2008 at 4:49 pm
I do have a question about the quality of paper used for collections, especially hardcovers. I was really surprised by the newsprint-type used in the New Gods omnibus series. I was VERY disappointed that a light paper was used in the recent Giffen Justice League hc. I held that in one hand and marvel’s Iron Man Demon in a bottle in the other. The price was the same but the Demon was significantly heavier.
So…how is it decided on what type of paper to use in a hardcover collection?
Thanks!
March 28th, 2008 at 4:53 pm
Mr Levtiz, I’m wondering will DC be releasing anymore Justice Society trades that you and Joe Staton worked on?
Also, will you come back and actually write anymore comics? Your JSA arc was pretty neat.
March 28th, 2008 at 4:53 pm
Welcome. I’ll keep this question to the topic at hand: graphic novels.
It seems some years ago there was a hesitance to reprint the Dematteis/Giffen/McGuire “JL/JLI” books in trade. But with two HC books now out or solicited, what changed? Did the trend in having more books in hardback (and possibly their pricepoint) make this reprint more feasible, or was it a matter of strong fan demand?
And not a question but a comment: with my disinterest lately in every Superman book except “All-Star,” it’s nice to see so many of the Byrne-era books in print. You’re up to… 6 of those now? Hope they keep coming.
March 28th, 2008 at 4:53 pm
I’m a huge fan of the Vertigo Imprint and love books such as Northlanders, 100 Bullets etc.
How do sales (both single issues and TPB) contribute to determining which books stay and which go (ie Exterminators).
March 28th, 2008 at 4:58 pm
1) Do you think the production improvements and, along with them, cost increases that have been associated with the rise of graphic novels have made it more difficult to attract casual fans?
I mean, my first ‘new’ comic was a 1988 issue of Superman (the Exile storyline) that cost 75 cents ($1.35 in today’s money). I didn’t give a damn that the paper wasn’t glossy and that, I’m sure, there was misregistration in the printing (then again, I was six), I just wanted to read a Superman story.
I know that it’s probably far too late to ever go back, but couldn’t you get a lot more comics in a ton more kids (and adults) hands if they were $1.50?
2) When can we expect to be able to buy digital DC books?
March 28th, 2008 at 5:04 pm
Kenny, Publisher’s Weekly cited a report late last year estimating 2007 (domestic) manga sales to be “more than $220 million.”
March 28th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
Why has wildstorm gotten to drop in quality and seem to be softer pale imitation of itself?
March 28th, 2008 at 5:06 pm
BLUE BEETLE is the essence of everything that DC should be publishing right now. It’s one of the most accessible books for readers outside comic shops, particularly teens. It should be doing great with Latino audiences.
What are you doing to get this book — and books like it — out of comic shop isolation and into the hands of “regular folks”?
This is — or ought to be — one of the most important books you’re publishing!
March 28th, 2008 at 5:09 pm
Oh, and why is it unfair to include manga? Viz was selling manga TPBs in the 90’s; the interest in Japanese comics just hadn’t exploded yet.
And certainly it’s “fair” to include translated and reprinted European books like Persepolis, isn’t it?
A comic selling in the US is a comic selling in the US, wherever the content came from.
March 28th, 2008 at 5:13 pm
What is he going to be contributing? How bad things look at DC? How to run an entire line into the ground? I’ll be checking this out!!
March 28th, 2008 at 5:15 pm
Let’s not insult or attack other posters when asking questions, ok? A comment has been deleted.
March 28th, 2008 at 5:15 pm
Watchmen’s continued sales don’t show that people are still discovering graphic novels anymore than Dark Side of the Moon’s continued sales show that people are still discovering music.
March 28th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
“It’s still easy to close my eyes and remember the enthusiasm in 666 Fifth’s yellow zipatone wallpapered halls as Len Wein bounced down them, showing off pages as they came in from Dave Gibbons. And now Dave’s had the fun of walking on the sands of the Mars he designed. Hard to believe how many years it’s been and that we’ve probably published more DC issues since than in the first fifty years of the company, but Watchmen still stands as one of our best ever.”
Um…hm.
I think you forgot a name in there, Paul.
(And you wonder why Alan Moore thinks Paul has it out for him…)
March 28th, 2008 at 5:18 pm
Mr. Levitz
I’m interested to hear about Minx imprint. DC pushed it as alternative to manga. So now, looking at results of first wave of Minx books can you comment how successful this attempt was and will there be any changes in future plans based on those results?
March 28th, 2008 at 5:18 pm
Thanks Paul for writing and thanks for being one of the most professional men in comics. Look forward to reading what you have to say.
March 28th, 2008 at 5:28 pm
Glad to have you on board Paul! Just wondering do you think the relatively expensive price of comics is something that comes up for discussion a lot and whether you think it is a turn off for kids to buy comics.
March 28th, 2008 at 5:31 pm
Welcome, Paul! Thank you for making time for us here on Newsarama. I have to ask, though, why are so many of DC Comics’ 1980s titles being overlooked for color trade paperback collections?
The recent Alex Ross promo piece for the upcoming JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA ANNUAL #1 was another painful reminder that ALL-STAR SQUADRON and INFINITY, INC. have never been collected, not to mention the two AMBUSH BUG mini-series, George Perez’s run on JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA, your original run with Keith Giffen on LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES, SUICIDE SQUAD, BOOSTER GOLD, BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS, Mike Grell’s GREEN ARROW, CAPTAIN ATOM, FURY OF FIRESTORM, AMETHYST: PRINCESS OF GEMWORLD, the Mike Baron/Butch Guice issues of THE FLASH, Jim Aparo’s BRAVE AND THE BOLD, and BLUE DEVIL.
Also, why is it taking so long for trade versions of series collected in hardcover volumes to come out? The current GREEN LANTERN series, for example, just released issue #29 but the first trade paperback of the series isn’t even out yet some two years later. From a business standpoint, I would think you’re discouraging potential new readers that might jump aboard the monthly title if the previous issues were available in a more affordable format.
March 28th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
Mr. Levitz, don’t listen to the glossy paper boosters. Glossy paper is evil and the Fourth World collections are beautiful, ‘cept for the sticker shock part…
March 28th, 2008 at 5:44 pm
Welcome aboard Paul.
I really enjoy reading your varied interviews as you do that which I wish far more people would do - answer honestly.
There is very little spin in your responses, you genuinely care for the medium you work in and it comes across well.
Also, I’ve just been reading some of your writing in Showcase Presents: Phantom Stranger Vol. 2 - which I think were second only top Len Wein in quality (no offence meant!)
March 28th, 2008 at 5:46 pm
Ray,
Regarding the comment, “Dave’s had the fun of walking on the sands of the Mars he designed”, I think Mr. Levitz was referring to the fact that Dave Gibbons is a consultant and has been on the set of the Watchmen movie, and not the fact that he is solely enjoying the monetary benefits of the comic/graphic novel. Alan Moore wants nothing to do with the movie.
Alan Moore is upset that he does not own the rights to Watchmen, which he will do, when and if the book ever goes out of print. I would think he is still enjoying some monetary benefit out of the Watchmen book. Although it may be irritating that Alan Moore cannot own the rights to his creation… yet… but I certainly don’t think he believes Paul Levitz has it out for him.
March 28th, 2008 at 5:49 pm
“Also, who’s arm do we have to twist to get a Sgt. Rock movie while Joe Kubert is still around to enjoy it?”
…Howabout while those who served in WWII are still around to enjoy it? That kind of film would be a perfect patriotic tribute to their sacrifices during that war!
March 28th, 2008 at 5:51 pm
Paul,
It was disappointing to see that the DC/Humanoids venture of a few years ago didn’t get much traction in the US Market. I enjoyed 80% of the GN’s that you did publish in that venture and there seems to still be a lot of ready-made material there that is perfect for an untapped American market. Any reason to think that there could be another attempt at a American publishing/distribution model for Humanoids?
March 28th, 2008 at 6:01 pm
Mr. Levitz, here’s a question. I’ve heard DC and Mark Millar have, for the most part, patched things up. Has DC at all tried to make Mark any sort of offers to try and get him to come back once his Marvel Exclusive expires (or at least tempt him to not renew it again)
March 28th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
Mr. Levitz,
Could you answer why DC has never released a collection of Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld?
Beyond being (IMO) the finest work of Ernie Colon’s career, I can’t see why DC would pass up an opportunity to take advantage of the book and movie industries’ love for epic urban fantasies, especially when you consider that, basically, the original 12-issue maxiseries was Harry Potter long before there *was* a Harry Potter. And now that Harry has ended his literary run…
A Young Adult urban fantasy, perfect for reaching young girls (and boys) as well as teens who have no interest in superheroes? There should have been a hardcover collection long ago, and I think DC is still missing a bet if you continue to overlook this “gem” of a property. (Oh, like you wouldn’t have thought of that joke yourself…)
March 28th, 2008 at 6:19 pm
Paul,
I’ve heard talk about revamping the archives line, but most of what I’ve heard has been unsubstantiated rumors. Even if the details or the revamp/reinvigoration aren’t available yet, can you share with us what you’re trying to accomplish with the changes, and what (if anything) you’re trying to preserve?
Thanks a lot, and welcome!
March 28th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
I’ll try to make my question generic enough to be of interest to everyone… What is DC’s policy on collecting currently ongoing series? For instance, Shadowpact seems to get regular collections, but Aquaman didn’t. What decides what series get collections, and what series are left to rot?
March 28th, 2008 at 6:36 pm
Also.. Why hasn’t DC tried to get a Digital distribution system for comics going?
I honestly think there is a huge marked for it.. especially outside the US/Canada (As long as they are put online on Wednesday)
marvel has made a lame attempt (Hate web browser formated Comics)
March 28th, 2008 at 6:54 pm
Mr. Levitz,
Given the recent popular resurgence of the “classic” Wolfman/Perez NEW TEEN TITANS cast, are there plans to offer new collections of the classic series run, perhaps as part of the revamped archive collection series once referred to?
Also, are there any long-terms plans to revive the Titans GAMES graphic novel (once the creative team has the time for it). I don’t have to tell you the markets there for it!
Thanks for your time!
March 28th, 2008 at 6:55 pm
Mr. Levitz,
Given the recent popular resurgence of the “classic” Wolfman/Perez NEW TEEN TITANS cast, are there plans to offer new collections of the classic series run, perhaps as part of the revamped archive collection series once referred to?
Also, are there any long-terms plans to revive the Titans GAMES graphic novel (once the creative team has the time). I don’t have to tell you there’s a market for it!
Thanks for your time!
March 28th, 2008 at 7:09 pm
It’s dc_b0y!
March 28th, 2008 at 7:11 pm
“Why does Vertigo print on such crappy paper?”
Personally, I actually like the paper. It means my The Batman Strikes! and Justice League Unlimited come out at a 2.25 price point instead of the regular 2.99.
Or am I wrong? Are those books cheaper because of something else?
March 28th, 2008 at 7:14 pm
The fact that you put so much emphasis on the success of Watchmen in your first blog…brings up the question of Alan Moore’s dissatisfaction with DC.
The writer/creator of what is possibly DC’s greatest work will no longer work with either DC or the movie being made from his work.
My question is: Whose fault is that? Is Alan Moore just impossible to work with? Or is DC corporate incapable of reaching accomodation with exceptional talents like Alan Moore?
March 28th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
So now that the Siegels have their share of the copyright to Superman again, what’s the next step? Licensing, continued appeals, discontinuing publication of Superman books?
March 28th, 2008 at 7:42 pm
Hi Paul,
Are DC Archives dead?
In the past few years I’ve really learned to appreciate the archive format and I for one would hate to see it disappear. I think the non-gloss, high quality paper used is perfect. Personally I would much rather see more silver and bronze age titles continue in the archive format than in the current trendy omnibus style with more pages at a light weight paper stock. I’m no marketing expert, but I would have been much happier with “Kirby’s Forth World” in Archive format even at a higher price or more volumes. It would also be great to see Wolfman’s run on Titans and your own work on Legion completed in the same format I started with, as well as the rest of my silver age favorites.
Please don’t discontinue the Archives!
March 28th, 2008 at 7:51 pm
Are there any plans to release a Chronicles volume for the Golden Age Wonder Woman? It seems to me that Marston’s original run isn’t well collected outside of the Archives.
(Of course, I’d be happy with a “budget” Archive volume as was done for Superman and Batman.)
March 28th, 2008 at 7:55 pm
Paul,
How is DC going to fix what has happened with the mini-series Trials of Shazam?
1) The mini took close to 2 years to complete, thus having readers once again lose interest in the characters.
2) Why allow wholesale changes to the Marvel Family when their characters will be relagated to Team books or Crisis events. This series was supposed to be used to make them popular again, yet it has in my opinion only further hurt the franchise.
March 28th, 2008 at 8:03 pm
Paul,
When will DC start distributing comics via digital download?
Believe it or not, some people actually prefer the digital versions and would happily pay for them. Why not test it out with a comic like Manhunter or Blue Beetle? These are two of the best books out there, but the direct market is killing them. If you took them digital, I wonder how they would perform?
March 28th, 2008 at 8:04 pm
Thanks for doing this Mr. Levitz, I look forward to reading your blogs as soon as they come out.
Communicating with fans in this form underscores how important the internet has become not only in general but to DC specifically. DC is a top creative company and yet the website is very bland and holds very little information for a long-time fan or a newbie. People are driven to other sites for character bios, series summaries, and more. I would think that the more people that come to your site, the more ads they see for your products.
What about a dynamic entertaining website with homepages for every series? How about on-line letter columns? How about wallpapers for every character? Bios for every character?
How about digital distribution of new and old comics? With the rising price of oil, paper, and just about everything, is digital distribution being talked about more?
The saying used to be comics fared well in an economic downturn because they were a cheap entertainment alternative, but that isn’t true any more. Digital distribution could make that true again.
Sorry for going so long and thanks again for doing this blog.
March 28th, 2008 at 8:17 pm
Strange coincidence as I was reading for the first time today Mr. Levitz’s “welcome” in Stalker #1 (1975)!
He had a great remembrance of cramming in Joe Orlando’s tiny office to listen to Len Wein’s pitch for Justice League of America #100. The Watchmen remembrance is also wonderful to read.
Which prompts my question… can you collect more of these stories about DC’s behind-the-scenes history in a book?
Thanks for over 30 years of great comic books.
March 28th, 2008 at 8:20 pm
Mr. Levitz-
I’ve been a long-time DC reader/collector. I’ve seen many changes to the characters and the line, many I’ve liked…recently many more I’ve disliked. I understand change, the need to keep things moving & fresh.
But why all the violence? Why all the gore? Do you feel that DC Comics need to be some representative print version of all these graphic video games? Don’t you think that this repetetive maiming & killing contributes to a detrimental outlook to society? Or is it that your current crop of editors & writers are not up to the task of telling stories in any other way without the violence, and since your sales are up you feel no need to encourage or promote more creative ways of accomplishing character change? Don’t you think heroes should act like heroes?
And it can be done- as an example of what I consider good, look at your Justice league Unlimited cartoon series. Action, adventure, and excellent moral storytelling. Why can’t these same things exist in the pags of your comics as well?
March 28th, 2008 at 8:21 pm
Mr. Levitz-
I’ve been a long-time DC reader/collector. I’ve seen many changes to the characters and the line, many I’ve liked…recently many more I’ve disliked. I understand change, the need to keep things moving & fresh.
But why all the violence? Why all the gore? Do you feel that DC Comics need to be some representative print version of all these graphic video games? Don’t you think that this repetetive maiming & killing contributes to a detrimental outlook to society? Or is it that your current crop of editors & writers are not up to the task of telling stories in any other way without the violence, and since your sales are up you feel no need to encourage or promote more creative ways of accomplishing character change? Don’t you think heroes should act like heroes?
And it can be done- as an example of what I consider good, look at your Justice league Unlimited cartoon series. Action, adventure, and excellent moral storytelling. Why can’t these same things exist in the pags of your comics as well?
March 28th, 2008 at 8:28 pm
Hi, Paul -
What are the chances of seeing a nice collection of Len Wein and Berni Wrightson’s original SWAMP THING series? To further that, I’d also like to see the issues that came after them, particularly the ones drawn by Nestor Redondo. Hey, I’ll settle for a DC Showcase run in glorious black & white…that’d be cool!
Thanks for listening!
March 28th, 2008 at 8:31 pm
I sense that most questions are relating to “why don’t you reprint ?” So, I’ll try something more generic. With the better presence of bookstores as comic distributors and with almost every title getting its own paperback a few months later, it seems that Vertigo will be the first label to feel the pressure to move from monthly titles to “compiled” formats (just as in Europe). Am I right to guess that? How important is it for Vertigo its monthly batch as compared to their trade paperbacks? Are there any plans to test a new format of big quarterly books or such?
March 28th, 2008 at 8:40 pm
Hi Paul! When will that new line/imprint be announced? I’ve been anxiously refeshing Newsarama’s page every day now for the big headline ever since you teased us about it back in December.
Also, I hope the webmasters at DC will improve the company’s website soon. I personally think the site is in dire need of a redesign, even though I think it’s better organized and loads much faster than Marvel’s site.
March 28th, 2008 at 8:43 pm
Would a magazine format with current and old stories, creator interviews/bios, Who’s Who pages, pin-up art, etc. work today at places like Wal-Mart and Target or grocery store check-out stands?
March 28th, 2008 at 9:06 pm
I have found that those who want to read trades will read trades, and those who want to read monthlies will read monthlies. That being said, those who prefer to read trades still would like to be up-to-date with storylines (or at least as up to date as one could be when waiting for stories to be collected). That being said, what advantage is there to waiting 4, sometimes up to 6 months before releasing collections?
The easy answer would be that timely trades would take away from monthly sales, though examples like Kirkman’s Invincible and The Walking Dead prove otherwise.
Why punish readers for preferring a different format? Why should Shadowpact be up to issue 21 before the trade collecting up to issue 13 hits the shelves? What is the downside of putting that trade out around the time of issue 14?
March 28th, 2008 at 10:17 pm
Regarding Comics on DVD - The Gitcorp Products. Why doesn’t DC put out some of their library on DVD? I’ve heard it’s because of some creator compensation issues, but if you can put out your Showcase Black and White volumes, you should be able to do something similar in color on DVDs.
March 28th, 2008 at 10:27 pm
I’ve purchased and enjoyed all of your Swamp Thing TPBs from Wein and Wrightson to Moore and Veitch, but it has been quite a while since the last Veitch Swamp Thing collection. Will you continue to collect the Veitch books and have you considered having Veitch finally conclude the time travel story he started over 20 years ago in a future tpb?
March 28th, 2008 at 10:32 pm
Gordon,
Thank you for your answer. As for why I said it was unfair to include manga, I can give you two reasons, and obviously, feel free to disagree with me!
1) If someone is going to include manga sales into American comic sales, I feel they should include sales from all countries sold in the States.
2) If an executive at an American comic company is going to boast about sales and then lump their sales in with manga, it makes me wonder what the sales of the American books are.
I in no way meant to come off snarky or hostile and I’m sorry if I did!
March 28th, 2008 at 11:33 pm
So Paul, what do you think will be selling better five years from now: Jeff Smith’s Bone, or Jeff Smith’s Shazam?
March 28th, 2008 at 11:48 pm
Holy crap, Deppy!
OUCH!
OUCH!
OUCH!
March 28th, 2008 at 11:48 pm
Adding to the questions on trade paper quality, do you personally prefer the glossy paper of most trades today or would you rather the older work be reprinted on paper more closely resembling that of the original work?
For me, I’m disappointed when I check out a DC trade at the comic shop and it’s on lower quality paper (older or newer material). The Power Girl trade that reprinted the recent Johns issues along with your older work looked gorgeous: that glossy paper made the older work pop and appear so vital. I’d like to see that be the standard myself.
March 29th, 2008 at 1:11 am
Please Please Please
More volumes of Justice league of America Archives. Please…………..
March 29th, 2008 at 1:37 am
Mr Levitz
Please try to dont lose Geoff Johns in the near future. His stories are great. Green Lantern is one of the best titles right now out there. Also please try to keep out of DC all the lazy artists like the Kuberts and many others you know.
Thanks for all the great job.
March 29th, 2008 at 5:27 am
Hi Paul, thanks for joining Newsarama.
Just to echo some points, I agree that Amethyst could be a breakthrough property. I’d love to see collections of the original maxi and regular series (and a conclusion of the odd dangling plotline, such as her dad leaving her mom, her descent into evil, her current status etc).
More Swampy collections? Yeah, especially the pre-Moore stuff. I really enjoyed the Martin Pasko/Tome Yeates run, but it never gets referenced.
Cheaper paper? Yup. And why do some books have better paper for the same price point, eg Brave and Bold which, by all accounts,m isn’t the huge hit it should be?
Help make books hit by bringing back proper house ads. Oh, and the DC Nation page is just, week after week, a waste of space - I know the arguments about the net making it unnecessary, but please give us back the lettercol. It was a bonus, a reason to buy monthly rather than trade-wait, and letters were generally more considered than are posts to a website.
I’d also like to see less violence. Geoff Johns is particularly bloodthirsty.
March 29th, 2008 at 6:21 am
Hi Paul, Greetings from Jakarta!!Great to have you here on Newsarama.
Now Paul..yu’re ma man dude, that’s why I kindly ask you to make available the Absolute versions of All Star Superman and All Star Batman ASAP. The Absolute Books from DC are by far the ultimate in the Graphic novel experience, and i hope to see those titles in the best collected format in the not too distant 2009.
I’ve read most of the ‘must reads’ in the GN world,and though i did enjoy V for Vendetta and League of extraordinary Gents, i just didn’t feel it for WATCHMEN. Sinful huh? But looking forward to the movie though, as it will be visually stunning and then some.
All the best to you and DC comics, my fave publisher.
March 29th, 2008 at 6:24 am
Hi Paul, Greetings from Jakarta!!Great to have you here on Newsarama.
Now Paul..yu’re ma man dude, that’s why I kindly ask you to make available the Absolute versions of All Star Superman and All Star Batman ASAP. The Absolute Books from DC are by far the ultimate in the Graphic novel experience, and i hope to see those titles in the best collected format in the not too distant 2009.
I’ve read most of the ‘must reads’ in the GN world,and though i did enjoy V for Vendetta and League of extraordinary Gents, i just didn’t feel it for WATCHMEN. Sinful huh? But looking forward to the movie though, as it will be visually stunning and then some.
What comic book movie would you like to see on the big screen?
All the best to you and DC comics, my fave publisher.
March 29th, 2008 at 9:17 am
I’m not going to clog the blog with yet more questions, just wanted to say that Paul Levitz has always come across as one of the classiest and most stand up guys in the industry, and I look forward to reading more of this thoughts here at the ‘rama in the hopefully not too distant future.
March 29th, 2008 at 9:29 am
I’d like to thank Paul Levitz for personally intervening against the advice of his legal department to restrict the League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen: The Black Dossier to the USA. By linking to copies of the book on Amazon.com, I earnt a stack of kickback commission. Admittedly that was only half of what I earnt by buying up copies of The Elseworlds Eighty Page Giant and selling them back to Americans, but it’s still good.
Any plans to similarly restrict any other items in the near future? I have a new baby to pay for…
March 29th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
Rich Johnston, you are pure evil!
Funny as Hell, too!
But man, what are you trying to do, give Mr Levitz a nickname like Paul the Pulper or something? Sheesh!
March 30th, 2008 at 12:48 am
I actually thought this was a boring read. I’d like to thank Paul Levitz for destroying The Authority when it was the best book on the market and then driving The Boys from Wildstorm. Well played, Sir.
March 30th, 2008 at 4:02 am
He’s such a nice guy - it’s a real treat to receive a letter from him on DC stationary.
I wish they could get him to write another Legion story.
March 30th, 2008 at 5:54 pm
Mr. Levitz,
How might an enterprising young man go about pitching a story/series for the DCU?
Michael McDermott
March 30th, 2008 at 5:56 pm
Hello, Paul! Welcome aboard.
I’ve got 2 questions?
Is Final Crisis an attempt to alter status quo at some level (as all the previous Crisis series)?
How could a foreign writer (interested in writing comic books) get in touch with DC?
March 30th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
Will Countdown/Final Crisis be “it” (at least for a good long while?) for
DCU-altering, mega-crossover events?
I’m finally jumping on board for a weekly comic with this year’s Trinity, but I’m only doing it because it’s focusing squarely on the “Big Three,” and because it’s been promised this series will stand on its own. No crossovers.
I know the DCU reboots things ever so often… In my opinion, the post-Crisis (the first one) DCU was the best. So I’m not happy about the return of the various Earths, but I’m living with it and I’m choosing what books I buy accordingly. Can you say if this will be it, at least for awhile?
March 30th, 2008 at 6:34 pm
Paul, let me echo other people’s comments/question about better quality paper for collected titles/trades. I bought The Long Halloween a couple of years ago and before reading it through even once, the binding and pages started coming loose. It was really flimsy, so now I’ve put it away and I don’t touch it.
I should replace it at some point, maybe give my damaged copy away but I’m unwilling to buy the same version, for fear it’ll happen again.
March 30th, 2008 at 6:46 pm
Can some restraint be shown in the kinds of advertising that goes into the floppy, monthly books? I realize ads are a probably a necessary evil, but I’m DEAD TIRED of annoying, multi-page ads in the middle of my books. “MAD About Hunger” (selling hot dogs) and “The Batman and Cal Ripken, Jr.” teaming up to sell chewing gum come to mind.
Likewise, I strongly considered dropping all of my DC titles while those gross-out ads for the “Resistance: Fall of Man” video game ran for several months in 2007, in nearly every DC book I bought! Ick!! Only once did I see one of those ads run in a Marvel book that I bought. While I find Marvel’s ads for Spidey underwear and Hulk cologne (eww..) very silly, I’d much rather see that stuff than some of the ads DC runs.
March 30th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
One more for now:
What are the future plans for Martian Manhunter? I was seriously underwhelmed by his miniseries. What exactly happened at the end of the climactic battle, anywhere? We never saw!
Anyhow, I really hate the new direction J.J. has taken. Then he showed (briefly) in B&OUT only to take off right away. Will we ever get the “real” Martian Manhunter back? Thanks, Paul!
March 30th, 2008 at 6:54 pm
Whoops! I meant to say “What exactly happened at the end of the climactic battle, anyHOW?” Sorry about that!
March 30th, 2008 at 6:55 pm
Hi, Paul.
A question: Don’t you find it annoying that people who couldn’t possibly summon the backbone or courage to approach you and offer criticism to your face use this anonymous blog to take petty swipes at you and issue harsh, childish insults?
Do you find the comic book blogosphere’s complete inability to phrase mean-spirited and acerbic barbs as constructive and intelligent criticism to be CRUEL, DISGUSTING, or a combination of the two?
Do you find the comic book blogosphere’s propensity towards using sarcasm to mask their inner animosity to be more PATHETIC or SAD?
March 31st, 2008 at 2:36 am
Dear Mr. Levitz,
I enjoyed the Comic Reader when it was one of the few sources of information we fans could get. Thanks alot for it.
My comments center around Mr. Alan Moore… and issue of “try-out” books to expand the DCU.
My first comment is about,like another poster above, the “poor” working relationship with Alan Moore:
Whose fault is that? Is Alan Moore just impossible to work with? Or is DC corporate incapable of reaching accomodation with exceptional talents like Alan Moore?
Can ANY accomodation be reached?? Of course, many of us would like to see Alan working at DC and it seems so unfortunate that something can’t be arranged or settled.
Secondly, what happened to your books like Showcase and Brave & Bold that would give us a “look” at possible new characters and titles to the DCU??? I would like to see some “new” books and action heroes being tried from time to time.
The JLA, Flash, Green Lantern,…and so many other great titles got their start from those “try-out” issues. Is there any chance something like that may be tried again.??
March 31st, 2008 at 4:17 am
Greetings Paul,
Please bring back HAWKMAN, I love him!
PS: print it on any kind of paper you like but please make sure it’s in COLOR!
March 31st, 2008 at 9:39 am
Does DC have any plans to leverage the strength of the “Batman” brand into sales to kids? Mattel is making a lot of money by selling “Batman” toys to kids, so I find it curious DC isn’t capturing any of those sales - except for the 6,000 units a month of a Johnny DC Batman title.
Further, does DC have any plans to capture a larger fraction of the sales Shonen Jump currently has? How about the tpb’s of “Bleach?” As of October 2007, “Bleach” collections had sold 46 million copies.
March 31st, 2008 at 9:56 am
Hi Paul,
DId you read this weeks issue of the Flash? It was possibly the worst, most out of character, depiction of Wally West I have ever read. This series has been such a disaster I wish you would just cancel it. Something has to be done though.
March 31st, 2008 at 11:16 am
Something has been bothering me about this post and all the comments, and it just dawned on me what it was. No, it’s not disguising poor comic sales amongst manga sales to make them look more impressive, it’s Watchmen.
To make a blog gloating all about how wonderfully Watchmen sells for DC, when the original contract signing publishing rights to DC didn’t reasonable foresee the book being in print this long, is sort of classless. At the end of the day, two creators have been totally denied their rights to the property they created and only signed with DC to publish. Watchmen was never work-for-hire, despite what many deluded fanboys claim it to be, it was always intended to be, “we temporarily forfeit our rights to this work while DC publishes it.”
To say Paul Levitz has any class at all while he’s gloating about what amounts to intellectual property theft, or at the very least conversion, is ridiculous. It makes me wonder - without Watchmen or Leauge of Extraordinary Gentlemen, just how strong would those TPB and graphic novel sales be for DC?
March 31st, 2008 at 11:35 am
Dear Sir,
I admit I did not read everyone’s comment, so someone might have beaten me to the punch on this, but here goes:
All Star Superman is probably my favorite book DC is publishing at the moment. Even though it takes 3-4 months for an issue to come out, every one is a grand slam! Late issues aside, I have heard a rumor that DC is going to cease publication on both All Star Superman and Batman when the current runs by each book’s respective creative teams are finished with their storylines (Issue #12 for each series if I am not mistaken). Not just that, but the entire All Star imprint is being disbanded, with no future projects coming out, even the ones already announced.
Is this true? AS Superman is my favorite, so I will concentrate on that particular title.
I thought that the All Star concept was to allow high profile creators to take a character and write a story untethered to regular continuity. Morrison has certainly done that with great success.
Why can’t there be AS Superman Vol 2, starting with a new #1, written by Geoff Johns, Warren Ellis, or (dare I say it), Mark Millar or Brian Bendis? (Oh, C’mon. In Millar’s case he PUBLICLY STATED that one of his life long dreams is to write Superman).
Morrison’s run on AS Superman will always be there (Absolute AS Superman Vol 1? Eh?) Talk about trade paperback potential. It could be released in hardcover (already there), softcover, and Absolute edition.
Can’t someone else have a chance at Superman continuity free?
So, to recap in short (in case this question is actually used:
All Star Line: Completely dissolved after Issue #12? If so, WHY?
Someone taking over All Star Superman after Morrison leaves? Yes? Please? If you keep puting the best creative teams on AS Superman you can cobble together (writer AND artist), this could be a successful title for years to come.
Thanks for your time!
March 31st, 2008 at 1:46 pm
“To make a blog gloating all about how wonderfully Watchmen sells for DC, when the original contract signing publishing rights to DC didn’t reasonable foresee the book being in print this long, is sort of classless. At the end of the day, two creators have been totally denied their rights to the property they created and only signed with DC to publish. Watchmen was never work-for-hire, despite what many deluded fanboys claim it to be, it was always intended to be, “we temporarily forfeit our rights to this work while DC publishes it.”
–Comment #92, by “Kenny”
“Totally denied their rights”? How? When? Do you have ANY knowledge of the situation beyond Alan Moore’s whining and moaning? Have you ever READ a real contract, much less signed one?
“Intellectual property theft”? Man, good thing you’ve got internet to hide behind so your friends and family never have to find out how clueless you really are!
DC and Alan Moore have a contract. DC’s never stopped publishing WATCHMAN, as the contract stipulated. HOW is that theft?
I’ll tell you how: Because Alan Moore is a hypocritical crybaby who wants to retroactively change the terms because, in retrospect, knowing what he knew years after originally signing the contract, he wouldn’t sign it again today. Well, guess what: he signed it, knowingly and freely.
He’s a hypocrite because he made all these big, public pronouncements about NEVER working for the evil DC corporation again…and then keeps taking the company’s money under the ABC Imprint!!! Place as many corporate layers as you want between DC and ABC, in the end, it’s STILL Paul Levitz’s signature (or that of a corporate surrogate) on the checks and the money that comes from it is STILL DC’s.
I’m no corporate apologist for DC–I cheered this weekend when I heard about the verdict in the Superman case — but why is it that DC’s the bad guys for sticking to a legitimate contract that Moore was perfectly happy to sign 20 years ago? The company took the risk of publishing the material; if it had been a failure and a money loser and DC had demanded the contract be renegotiated so that Moore paid back his initial page rate (which is, after all, nothing more than an advance against future royalties), would Moore have gone along with that? Of course not! Has DC not stuck to its end of the bargain, not paid him his royalties on the 100s of thousands of copies that have been sold? (And let’s not forget that ALL of the WATCHMEN characters Moore “created” were actually re-does of existing Charlton characters that he came up with when DC decided they didn’t want him messing with Blue Beetle, The Question, et al!
(In fact, here’s an interesting question: what HAS Alan Moore ever created from scratch? Everything that comes to mind are either re-paints of existing models like the Charlton-to-Watchmen situation, existing characters like Swamp Thing, or pastiche, like Tom Strong [the Weisinger-era Superman family comics with a little bit of Doc Savage thrown in], Promethea [Moore's Sandman, just with breasts and an altered mythology] and Top Ten [HILL STREET BLUES in a SF setting]. And don’t tell me League of Extraordinary Gentlemen–once again, OPC (other people’s characters) reworked.
AND he’s a hypocrite because while he bemoans how DC’s been making unfair use of HIS characters, he has no problem whatsoever with making unfair use of OTHER PEOPLE’S copyrighted characters (Peter Pan, etc.) — in, BTW, what amounts to pedophile pornography — in LOST GIRLS.
“It makes me wonder - without Watchmen or Leauge of Extraordinary Gentlemen, just how strong would those TPB and graphic novel sales be for DC?”
–Comment #92, by “Kenny”
We’ll never know. Just like we’ll never know if Alan Moore wouldn’t have been fated to obscurity and the lunatic fringe if the big, bad evil corporation hadn’t take a chance on him. There was no guarantee his sensibility would translate into sales in the American marketplace. DC took a chance on Moore. Moore took a chance on signing the contract he did with DC for Watchmen.
How does that make Levitz the bad guy?
March 31st, 2008 at 7:00 pm
To T.T. — I can’t speak for all of Alan Moore’s work, but I’d guess all the characters in V For Vendetta are original creations. Aren’t they?
March 31st, 2008 at 7:20 pm
Hi again Paul,
First, let me echo Monte’s comments that I want to see the All Star line continue! Seeing how AS Supes and AS Batman & Robin are two of DC’s top selling titles (not to mention the Eisner awards for AS Supes), it seems unconscionable that you’d cancel these books! JMS has made it clear he’d like to write Superman… Couldn’t you begin a new All Star arc with him taking over the book?
Second, what’s with the current trend of collecting story arcs in multipart hardcover books? Case in point: Releasing the Ross/Krueger JUSTICE series in three different volumes? At $20 a piece? Or how how about “Superman: For Tomorrow” in two ridiculously thin volumes at $25 a piece in hardcover, $15 a piece in trade?
Seriously, Paul, I’d be buying a lot more collected works if they would be collected in more economical single volumes that are reasonably priced.
April 1st, 2008 at 9:50 am
Shaun,
I stand corrected. V For Vendetta is one.
The point of my little rant is this: fans have a tendency to view the comics INDUSTRY the same way they do the HEROES, in terms of good and evil, black and white. It’s not so simple. Alan Moore’s not a bad guy but neither is DC Comics. A contract is a contract; complaining about it after the fact because it didn’t turn out the way you WANTED it to doesn’t mean that the other party is evil or wrong. Just because Moore has a complaint about DC Comics doesn’t automatically make it LEGITIMATE because it comes from a creator you happen to like. Alan Moore is not perfect, far from. And WHY fans think the behind-the-scenes workings, the legal back and forth between a creator and the company is a topic for discussion is beyond me. Where I come from (you’ve probably heard about it; it’s called The Good Old Days), business matters were kept between the parties involved. My contract negotiations (or dissatisfaction) with Big Corporation were nobody’s business but mine and theirs.
Let’s keep it mind something that’s kind of disappointing but true:
Heroes not only usually have feet of clay, but they often wear ugly shoes as well.
April 1st, 2008 at 10:09 am
LOL, T.T. Nice comment about the feet of clay and ugly shoes.
For the record, I agree with you that neither Moore nor DC is “evil.” It’s business, and Moore made his decision. It might not be a bad idea for DC to revisit their business dealings with Moore, considering how much business he still brings them (and really will next year, thanks to the Watchman movie).
Who knows what great stuff might come out of a reconciliation? But, as you said, that’s between them.
April 1st, 2008 at 10:22 am
Some more questions Paul… Are you sick of me yet?
No, that wasn’t one of the questions.
First, going back to the fate of the All Star line. If AS Supes and AS Bats & Robin are really finished, does this also mean we’ll never get AS Wonder Woman and AS Batgirl? Huge disappointment, if true.
I also thought that an AS Flash book (featuring Barry Allen?) might make for a great title, esp. with so many people apparently so unahppy with the regular Flash book.
Second, can you explain (in your mind) the distinction between the upcoming Justice League (with GL/GA) book and the regular JLA title? Isn’t this new JL sort of serving the same purpose as Batman & The Outsiders? Does this mean Ollie’s leaving B&OUT?
Likewise, with Trinity starting soon, what will become of Superman/Batman? It’s always been a very disappointing book for me, although I’m really loving the current arc dealing with the eradication of kryptonite (personally, I’d like to see kryptonite GONE as it’s become such a story crutch). Is there room for both S/B and Trinity?
Thanks again, Paul!
April 2nd, 2008 at 1:27 am
Greetings Paul,
Could you please bring back The Wonder Twins with Gleek. I Love them very much.
Mini Series, One shot, Retro/Modern Anything wil do.
April 2nd, 2008 at 10:21 am
Wow, Gazoo… And here I thought I’d heard it all. Perhaps NOW I’ve heard it all.
April 2nd, 2008 at 6:57 pm
Hi Paul,
How come DC continues to just put out reprints of old books for Free Comic Book Day? Even though I no longer read Spider-Man after the OMD debacle, you have to admit they upped the ante when they put out a book of all-new material last year. Why not take the opportunity to create something new and use it as an enticement to bring in new readers, or entice existing readers to try a new book?
April 3rd, 2008 at 4:22 am
Greetings Paul,
Could you please start up a monthly Hanna-Barbera comic, I love all of their characters/cartoons from 1950’s to current day.
April 3rd, 2008 at 11:17 am
TT Power -
Moore’s objection isn’t the contract per se, it’s that DC chose not to renegotiate the Watchmen/V4V contracts in the light of new circumstances.
After Moore left DC, they chose not to repeat that situation by renegotiating contracts with other creators, such as Neil Gaiman on Sandman, so that the creators were happy to create more work for DC.
Other media has seen similar situations, such as the emergence of DVD and the internet, and owners and studios have renegotiated existing contracts with talent, in order to keep them on side and provide the companies with more material.
In Alan Moore’s case, DC just bought the company that Moore had moved on to instead.
April 3rd, 2008 at 3:57 pm
Welcome Paul!
My main interest at DC is in the “classic” material published in the 50s and 60s. I know we all may have slightly different definitions of what “classic” material is. For me it is stuff like Detective Chimp, Viking Prince, Angel and Ape, Anthro, Rima, SA Spectre, Flash, GL and others. Yours, or other professionals, fans, and “suits” may have a different idea. So, How is it decided at DC and by whom is it decided what fits into this new “classic” hc reprint line and what remains as slowly released archives? And what is left in the limbo of back issues?
Best,
Bob
April 7th, 2008 at 4:31 am
Hi Paul!
Nice to talk you again -after 30 years! - at SDCC ‘06
(and about the ‘missing’ cook at Eisners ‘07)
Now that DC has announced the new DC Comic Classics Library (HC I hope) series to begin in ‘09 (as a sorta replacement for its predecessor DC Archives series)..
..and simultaneously Underwood Books has announced the cancellation of their upcoming Comic Book Frazetta that they were gleefully touting at SDCC ‘07..
Let’s have The Complete DC Frazetta Edition hardcover:
It would include:
- all eight Shining Knight stories from Adventure Comics # 150, 151, 153, 155, 157, 159, 161, and 163 [total 48 pages]
- “37 Terrible Days” from All Star Comics #50 [3 pages]
- two 8-page stories from Gangbusters # 14 and 17 (”I Gallop With Danger” and “I Wrecked The Cattle Wrestlers”) [total 16 pages]
- four 3-page stories from Jimmy Wakely # 3, 4, 6, 7 (”White Indian Chief”, The Town Jesse James Couldn’t Rob”, “Million Dollar Tombstone”, and “Botalye: Immortal Indian Warrior” respectively) [total 12 pages]
- “Spores From Space” from Mystery In Space #1 [8 pages]
- “The Black Cougar” from Star Spangled Comics # 13 [10 pages]
- “Texas Trailblazer” (w/ Al Williamson) from Tomahawk # 2 [4 pages]
That’s 101 pages; and maybe more with any covers done [?] and educational intros/essays/remembrances, and the couple of Mad pages.. - and especially if there is any Fritz material from companies that DC has bought out in the last 50+ years - your steel-trap mind might even know better than the lawyers!
But even if not, nothing wrong with a slim HC treasury edition
[like Batman: Killing Joke] as long as its complete in what properties you can access
Regards, Manny Maris
April 11th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
Is there any way, we could see a Hardcovers or Absolutes of Morrison’s Doom Patrol, Moore’s Swamp Thing, Preacher, TRANSMETROPOLITAN,the Invisibles, Animal Man, DMZ, 100 Bullets, Johns’ JSA, Johns’ Flash, Justice, and Y The Last Man as well as an Absolute of Infinite Crisis ( two volumes: one featuring the build in mini-series, the second featuring the series itself also a Final Crisis absolute to fill out my absolute crisis set would be great) and 52. I just feel that a lot of these book are adult titles and should be available in a more adult format. Thanks for your time.
April 11th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
I’ve seen Showcase Strange Adventures solicited for December, with issues 54-73. Great news as far as I’m concerned - BUT FOR THE DC COLLECTED EDITIONS EDITOR - issue 54 has the SECOND HALF of an Otto Binder robot story that was started in issue 53, according to the Grand Comics Database: http://www.comics.org - Part 1 is The Millionaire Robot in issue 53 and Part 2 is Robot Dragnet in issue 54. It would be nice if the collection could start in issue 53 so that we don’t miss the first half of this story!
Thanks!