And the DC news keeps coming: Not only has DC confirmed that digital pricing for its DCU books will be $2.99 for the first four weeks of release before dropping to $1.99 thereafter, but it’s also announced the first combo pack for print and digital comics:
Those who want a physical copy of JUSTICE LEAGUE to read and collect, as well as the ability to download it onto their favorite device for easy transport, get ready. Each print edition of the comic book and an individual code for digital download will be wrapped in a poly bag and available for $4.99. Separately, the standard version will retail for $3.99 and the digital version will retail for $3.99.
“As we continue to expand our readership and make our titles more accessible to readers everywhere, we’re excited to provide our comic shop retail partners and their consumers with multiple formats of JUSTICE LEAGUE in one convenient place,” said John Rood, EVP Sales, Marketing and Business Development.
Combo packs have become increasingly popular for DVD/Blu-Ray releases in the past couple of years, and the idea has been raised by comic publishers before, but I’m pretty sure that DC is correct in claiming that this is a “historic first” for comics. The question now is, whether the same will be true of every DCU book going forward, and if so, whether the combos will outsell the “regular” print versions.
UPDATE: DC’s Bob Wayne has sent an email to retailers that explains, in part,
To clarify from my last note, we will be at “price-parity” for same-day digital. No DC digital comic will be cheaper than its physical counterpart at launch. Same-day (a.k.a. “Day/ Date”) parity pricing is for the first four weeks of release; thereafter, the digital titles will follow our standard pricing, with $2.99 comics dropping in price to $1.99, $3.99 comics dropping in price to $2.99, and so forth. Keep in mind that our goal with our 52 new #1s will be to ensure that the physical comic book is more compelling than ever!
The email also announces a series of retailer meetings DC will be holding across America in the next month, leading up to the release of the next Previews catalog, and includes this fascinating tease:
And by the way, let me just reiterate this point: this is the launch of the New DCU. It is not a “reboot.” I think you will soon discover why that is.
Not a reboot, but a new DC Universe? Let the (even greater) speculation begin…
June 2nd, 2011 at 2:52 pm
Not a reboot, right. Of course not! Shall we call it a reset?
June 2nd, 2011 at 2:59 pm
DCnu will simply be one of the 52 earths..my guess is within a year there will be a mysterious figure skulking around various books and it will be the current DC Bruce Wayne Batman trying to get home…this will be the new earth 1 and the current DCU will become earth 2….and it will all lead to Grant Morrison’s Multiversity
June 2nd, 2011 at 3:08 pm
Yeah, it’s pretty clear to me that DCnu will simply be another one of the 52 earths. Our old DCU will still be out there, it’s just that we won’t be seeing events that are transpiring there in the monthly comics…
I’m certainly willing to go along for the ride and see what happens!
June 2nd, 2011 at 3:11 pm
“No DC digital comic will be cheaper than its physical counterpart at launch.”
So DC has chosen to take the book publisher route? Thanks for nothing, DC.
June 2nd, 2011 at 3:11 pm
reboot, reset, redo,re-imagining, alternate timeline(which they won’t call it) or just cf.Johns is great and Lee as well as Lee, but this, with certain track records, does not bode well. When Johns, re-vamped, the JSA, did he do it with a “re-boot” of the whole universe? NO! When Johns began bringing back the LSH, which we all know and love, did he do it with a “reboot”? No!
Johns pulled all of those loose ends together and even tied up the other LSH teams froim their 3-boot fiasco.
What i know of Lee is “Heroes Reborn.” Epic Fail!
I have been negative about this, but i will give it the b enefit of the doubt. Johns best get to “splaining” himself or else me and DC part ways!
June 2nd, 2011 at 3:12 pm
Somewhere Franklin Richards and Onslaught are running around
June 2nd, 2011 at 3:13 pm
Gary A,
“….and it will all lead to Grant Morrison’s Multiversity”…
Good theory, you might have hit it on the “Nail”.
June 2nd, 2011 at 3:17 pm
Well, I’m going to disagree here. They made such a big deal about the last one being the FINAL crisis, I can’t see them going the multiple Earth route. Obviously this is all speculation so I can’t know for sure… but over the last few years they’ve been trying to eliminate the “Crisis” possibilities and also addressing “death” in the DC Universe and how it’ll be more permanent now. Also, they’ve been making it extra clear that Flashpoint is NOT an alternate universe, it’s THE DC universe we all know.
And after having time to think about all of this, I’m ok with all of this… at least from what I’ve heard so far. Clean things up and pave the way for the next 20 years. And if that means Superman and Batman no longer have their underwear on the outside, I’m fine with that. Not THRILLED, but I’ll survive.
June 2nd, 2011 at 3:30 pm
The combo pack is something that needs to be done to keep both sides happy, but the pricing needs to be adjusted. I appreciate the effort DC is putting forth here, but let’s have some time for this to even out…. and they better not screw up Batman in the process.
June 2nd, 2011 at 3:31 pm
lower price for the digital copies is music to my ears. And the solicits don’t sound terrible yet. I’m going to keep a very open mind to all of this.
June 2nd, 2011 at 3:32 pm
So is this all part of the plan for DC to market their characters consistently across all media, and the comics will now focus on the same Earth as that YJ cartoon? I sincerely hope not, but I’ve heard a lot of people did like the show….
June 2nd, 2011 at 3:35 pm
It’s not a reboot it’s the post-Flashpoint DCU. Everything changed “in a flash” and when it changes back things won’t be exactly the same. I’m cool with that.
June 2nd, 2011 at 3:41 pm
52 Titles
what if each or some of these titles exist on a different alternate earth? This would lead very nicely into Grant Morrison’s impending “Multiversity”.
June 2nd, 2011 at 3:44 pm
Well when Action Comics, Detective Comics and Batman all get renumbered back to a new # 1, as they say. Then it is a reboot.
Those 3 titles have never been reset back to # 1 and shouldn’t, if they don’t want fans to call it a reboot.
I just can’t see the need to tell stories permanently with a 20 year old Clark Kent & Bruce Wayne. And forgetting all that’s happenned before.
June 2nd, 2011 at 3:45 pm
By the way, what happenned with holding the line at $2.99 ? How much time did they give that to succeed ?
June 2nd, 2011 at 3:46 pm
I agree with whoever said this is a stunt similar to 52. I also agree with the person that said this will lead into multiversity. I think it’s all related. It’s a ballsy maneuver either way. In a way I would like them to restart the whole shebang but I don’t want to have to endure the same stories I’ve already read but told differently. If someone wants to tell a story involving Doomsday we’d have to see that hole chestnut told all over again (and I didn’t really like it the first time). I’m a wait and see on this one, I think.
June 2nd, 2011 at 3:52 pm
Saying it’s not a reboot is really just playing with semantics at this point. “It’s not a reboot! It’s the launch of the New DCU!”
Um. If GL and Flash and Batman are continuing on as they already are (as indications seem to say…) but other familiar concepts and characters are being refreshed in new and exciting (your words, not mine) ways, then…IT’S A REBOOT.
Even if you’re just shifting your publishing focus to showcase stories that are happening on one of the 51 other established Earths in the current DCU continuity, in effect ONLY telling us stories from THAT world, then…IT’S A REBOOT.
Pretending it’s anything but is a bit patronizing to your already-polarized and divisive audience.
June 2nd, 2011 at 3:53 pm
Wish DC would push Static Shock more! But overall I’m looking forward to this!
June 2nd, 2011 at 3:58 pm
So far from what I’ve seen, I have not liked at ALL… DC can say whatever they want, but this is still a REBOOT…
June 2nd, 2011 at 4:00 pm
Rafa-El, I’m going with either “mulligan” or “punt”.
June 2nd, 2011 at 4:02 pm
The original article at DC’s Source website mentions that JL #1 is oversized, which explains the $3.99 price point. The implication is that either (1) JL will be consistently oversized at $3.99 or (2) subsequent issues will be 20 pages for $2.99.
June 2nd, 2011 at 4:06 pm
2011-”this is the launch of the New DCU. It is not a “reboot.” ”
2009-”Don’t call them back-ups, we are referring to them as co-features.”
DC’s always with the semantics.
June 2nd, 2011 at 4:12 pm
The $2.99 price for the digital downloads is ridiculous. $1.99 is still ridiculous. If the digital download price goes 75% or better to DC directly, then anything over $1.00 is absurd.
I can understand the need to wait 4 weeks to release the digital stuff at a lower cost but to charge me $2 per book is not going to happen. I was very excited when I heard what DC was doing, looking forward to it, even… but now I’m right back where I was before the news came out: not buying a single issue of DC at all.
I *was* going to buy a few of the first issues of this “launch of the new DCU,” but now I’ve got to stop and actually take some time to think about that. If anything, it’ll be fore physical copies of the one, maybe two, title that I would find interesting enough to try out, but DC screwed the pooch here…
DC needs to price the online stuff (if only after 4 weeks of waiting) at $0.99. Why $0.99? That is the magic number. If I’m sitting in a waiting room with my smart phone and I need something to read, I’d go spend $4 or $5 to read 4 or 5 DC comics. Now, instead of me springing for 4 or 5 books without a second thought, I would consider whether or not I’d really need even 1 at the $2 price tag. $0.99 is the magic number. It’s simple, it’s easy, and unless you join the rest of the digital world of entertainment (music, for example) to hand stuff out at $0.99, then you’re not going to gain very many new readers.
So, DC, would you like me to drop $5 a month or less than $0? I won’t spend $3 for a physical comic book. I certainly won’t spend $3 on a digital comic book. I’d spend $5 for 5, but not $4 for 2. Lots of numbers, and it’s real simple: $0.99 is the magic number.
June 2nd, 2011 at 4:17 pm
It almost makes reading all the current DCU books seem kinda pointless. I mean what’s the point of a Green Lantern Corps aftermath when there really isn’t going to be an aftermath? Or is there? Who knows. I’m exhausted.
June 2nd, 2011 at 4:18 pm
Check out my TwitPic:
http://twitpic.com/561978
Could this be the “secret” behind the “New” DC/DCU Reboot?
Whatch’all think??
–J.
June 2nd, 2011 at 4:23 pm
DC didn’t “reboot” The Flash in 1956 they started a relaunch of the companies line of heroes. With this I guess they are doing the same thing. If that is true more power to them. But it HAS to be a real game changing move IMO. Another “stunt”, especially one of this scale, could absolutely kill. This will either be brilliant or the event that could cause the next comic buyer jump off. The 90′s all over again or he birth of another “Age”?
June 2nd, 2011 at 4:32 pm
Yup, LimeFlavored, you’re right on the button. I’ve been saying this on other sites and keep getting lambasted for it, but it’s absolutely the truth: $0.99 is the price point, with $1.29 for select titles.
That is the price point that will get people who are currently paying $0 to buy your product — whether those people are completely new readers or people who are pirating every currently published book.
iTunes killed the various mainstream music-sharing services by offering MP3 singles at under a dollar. It is more cost-effective for the consumer to simply spend a book than to search out ways to get it for free.
Whether or not the $0.99 price point hurts retailers is irrelevant. Fish or cut bait. By keeping the retailers more or less happy, DC virtually guarantees that selling new digital comics will be, more or less, a failure.
After six months, the 52 titles won’t sell more than about 30,000 copies each on average. Some at 60k, some at 10km just like it is now. Out of a $3 cover, DC realizes $1, or about $30,000 gross per book.
They can surely gross more than $30K per book at $0.99 digital-only in an era where any given new comic is pirated over 200,000 times.
June 2nd, 2011 at 4:34 pm
Not a reboot? Why call it a new DCU? It´s a retcon and maybe a rheroes eturn type of thig.Sad to see this after some great moves Dc made those years. Batman´s new comics and stories, LOSH once again a cool comics, Booster gold, Grenn Lantern fantstic stories. So, let´s erase everything and start over and don´t call it a reboot.lol
June 2nd, 2011 at 4:52 pm
The reason we’re still looking at $1.99 instead of .99 for DC Digital titles is because, frankly, everyone’s choosing to use ComiXology as the middleman instead of doing their digital in house. ComiXology is the new Diamond.
WHY ARE YOU PAYING THIS THIRD PARTY TO DELIVER YOUR PRODUCT?!?!? Is this why you let your head of digital go (as did Marvel)? Do you WANT another company to cut into your profits? You’re backed by Warner Brothers (or Disney), you can’t do this yourself? You’ve already got 30% going to Apple, which itself is ridiculous. Was a $1.40 too much for you and your creative teams to split?
June 2nd, 2011 at 4:57 pm
DC think they could reboot our memories, our pockets???
What a disappointing and a waste of time.
DC, bye, bye.
June 2nd, 2011 at 5:04 pm
Can’t you tell! That is classic Corporate-loser double talk! Here’s the translation: “Bein’ the CEO a this here corporation, we is puttin’ forward the new DC U! We are not doin’ a reboot! We love this here brand and believe in our product’s viability in the market! However, like any product, sometimes it needs a little tweekin’, a little repackaging . . . if you know what I mean.” It’s classic Trump talk. I hear it every day. How sad!
June 2nd, 2011 at 5:07 pm
A main reason why the costs of comics is so high is because you have fewer creators working at the Big Two than ever before making more money than any creators ever have before.
With every new exclusive contract, you pay X amount more for your comic.
You can’t promise your creators 6-figure salaries if comics are priced slightly over cost. Mark them up 400% or so, & you’ve locked in the hot new talent for 24 months.
I love comics, I really do. Almost every creator I have met has been beyond cool.
But never have I encountered an industry which so regularly screws over it’s biggest sponsors & audience, & not only survives, but also makes money. What’s that say about us?
–J.
June 2nd, 2011 at 5:15 pm
As long as I get a Hush-less, Man-o-Bats-less, Dicky-Bats-less, Jason-Todd-less, Damien-less, Batman-Inc.-less, Time-traveling-Bruce-Wayne-less, pre-laser-shooting-demi-god-Bats, pre-earthquake, pre-Azrael Batman, I’ll be happy. (What are the chances of that? HA!)
Be careful what you wish for, though. “Relevant for new readers” might be just another way of saying, “We’re aiming for the TWILIGHT crowd by telling stories based around younger superheroes in love.”
I’ve sat my rear-end firmly on the side of the line that insists this is a bunch of hot air about nothing. DC’s never cared about its continuity or developing a long-term relationship with its fans. That’s why we’ve got half a dozen legacy characters always running around. “I’m Batman!” “No, I’m Batman!” “Well, who are you?” “I’m Blue Beetle.” “Kid. I knew Blue Beetle. Blue Beetle was a friend of mine. You’re no Blue Beetle.” “Can I be batman?” “Nope. We got two-to-six of those already. We need an Aquaman, though. Wanna be one of them?” “Hey, look! Wonder Woman’s got slacks again!”
We’ve all been here before. Couple of times every few years.
“Hey, you. You collecting DETECTIVE for all these years. Aiming for that big, big number. Yeah, you. Um, f-word you, buddy. You shoulda quit a long, long time ago.”
June 2nd, 2011 at 5:19 pm
Don’t you see?? DC is doing this to FOOL Lloyd Braun!
–J.
June 2nd, 2011 at 5:42 pm
the problem is So Far dc has given me nothing I can’t do with out it all standard Crap. everything they have shown us so far is almost the same thing. I for one want to see Doom Patrol back with an on going for Animal Man, Metal Men and Adam Strange. what do we get Mr terrific (yawn)by the writer Of Titans. crap!
so far everything that has been shown with the exception on a Morrison’s Superman IS almost DC back the the seventies when any time there was a chance for some fun weirdness it was passed over for the same old things.it was when dc realized they were producing way to much stuff then suddenly canceled most of it. causing Marvel to get a lot of new talent.
the biggest problem is they are throwing away stuff that a lot of us wanted to read like the latest Run on J.S.A. It has been brilliant fascinating stuff it has been a title I look forward to reading every month what happen they pull a marvel Excalibur on it and kill the series with a cross over to relaunch it as crap. I guarantee we will the same winy excuse that ” we know every comic is someones Favorite” I get tired of hearing it because it not true. what they are trying to do is pass the buck instead of leaving the title alone they punish the reader
I have beenasking my self how could DC be this stupid then I remembered who is now the editor and chief of DC comics. Bob Harris,
the same Bob Harras when he was editor and chief of Marvel started the comics crash to begin with. he did thing like trick buyers by increasing the price of comics under the guys of glossy stock the stopped the glossy stock and kept the prices WAY up. he was the same guy who created the alternate cover so people felt the obligation to by more then one issue. he caused the over hyping of book under the ground they were going to be worth a lot of MONEY instead a lot them now line bird cages.
I know a lot of people will say Jim lee has a hand. the man worked with Harris at Marvel. Harris taught him everything. would I like to see this be successful yes but some of the idea they are doing here are dumb.
things like giving out the code with the comic book this sounds cool except what is to stop people from posting the code somewhere else. no offense when it come to money there is no honer system.
Decrease the price of the book in a month. this mean we will no longer be able to sell DC comic books folks because people will now just wait a month to get it. this decreases the value on eBay of every single comic book dc will now produce. think about it because I have and I think we will be heading for another crash
June 2nd, 2011 at 5:45 pm
I’ve read most of what DC puts for the last 20 years. Some good stories and some great stories but mostly filler crap. They are still my fave. A change is a good thing. Memories won’t be killed (is that possible?), although new bad ones can be made, but at least they are trying something different. Just remember if this fails it will all be retconned. Also .99 is the only way!
June 2nd, 2011 at 5:45 pm
Joe_Kach, Nice theory on the alternate Earth on that Twit Pic BUT, neither Superman has the new collars or younger appearance, And it doesn’t look like either Diana is sans Gold, wearing the Red, Blue, Silver Lee design. Just saying.
June 2nd, 2011 at 5:47 pm
I will buy the combo-pack. I love the physical books. I love digital books on my iPad. $1 more to have the latter legally? Oki-doky.
But all this reboot, restart, something-something? Yeah… I been reading comics since the early ’70s and have read comics from the US mediums entire history. This is just another thing. From what I’ve seen of what they’re rolling out it isn’t even that different than the last year of DC: JT Krul, Eric Wallace, JLInternational, Johns taking on another sales-lossy character and remakes him into an A-lister, yeah whatever… If they weren’t all #1s at the same time, it’d be business as usual. But as Steve Dooner put it so well, this a Corporate Spin Job to make it clear aht, after the recent reshuffling this is totally not business as usual. Except it is (yeah, redoing Hawkman’s origin and status quo – that’s NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE! sure). Hey, I’m not cynical, I’ll be buying and probably liking, but I’m not seeing anything too radical here.
June 2nd, 2011 at 5:47 pm
Ok, I’ll bite this one. Dc digital downloads. Start at one price and go down overtime. At my local comic shop, a common practice was for issue prices to drastically increase as certain books were deemed collectible and sought after. The death of captain America a few years ago, and the outrageous increases that the early ulitimate spiderman books increased, within days of release. But with the downloads, the price will decrease……
June 2nd, 2011 at 5:50 pm
I love all the “It’s too expensive online” stuff. As a retailer, I’m telling you that none of the reading public understands how much money DC makes on NON-RETURNABLE books they ship to retailers. This money has kept them in business when nothing else would. In the late 70′s when comics were dying and in the 90′s when the speculator bubble burst.
Between piracy and a .99 cent digital cost, DC, who say they are struggling with ways to keep comics affordable BUT meet the cost of the creators, will NOT make enough money to keep comics prodcuing monthly. Without the stores, or some physical retail outlet that is buying non-returnable, DC is looking at more models like the bookstores. When Borders went under they were buying 100% returnable and even then they stuck DC and Marvel with huge bills until Diamond just stopped shipping them books. Jim Lee was and is insane to think that digital was the answer, not from a creative stand-point, but from a financial one.
June 2nd, 2011 at 6:04 pm
Mr. Chris Walsh: I totally agree about the character designs. But, keep in mind that was from 2006. I doubt that was their plan at the time, but it would make sense as a “let’s go back & use this” for a launching point. Jim Lee did draw that page, after-all. I don’t think the costumes are a deal-breaker.
Think about it: “52″ New, number 1 issues, that can’t be a coincidence. The characters are all younger versions in that group shot. And “Flash found it”. Also, Flash, not Wally, who was the Flash at the time. Also, from Bob Wayne’s quote: “And by the way, let me just reiterate this point: this is the launch of the New DCU. It is not a “reboot.” I think you will soon discover why that is.”
I really think I’m onto something here…
–J.
June 2nd, 2011 at 6:08 pm
LAME.
Digital comics for the same price as physical ones is a HUGE rip off.
There’s no printing, paper, or shipping, the things that “justify” $2.99 and up for a Comic.
Digital comics should NEVER be higher than $1.00 for a normal sized book. Anything higher is just dishonest robbery and should not be paid.
Period.
June 2nd, 2011 at 6:12 pm
As a long-time DC reader, I have to say that this thing they’re trying to do SUCKS! I have so many questions about this reboot/reimagining/re-whatever that it makes my head swim. What’s gonna happen to SUPERBOY [where Jeff Lemire has given this superhero a indie/Vertigo feel], or LEGION OF SUPERHEROES [where Paul Levitz is bringing back the cool that this title had back in the 80's], or even TEEN TITANS [great storytellinmg and art]. Either way this total changeover will probably be the last straw that will drive me out of comics for good. DiDio, Johns, and company got a HUGE sell job ahead and whether my favorite titles will survive depends on whether I get on or jump off for good.
June 2nd, 2011 at 6:21 pm
From a retailer standpoint, this is the worst idea ever in the history of comics. The ramifications of 52 #1′s in a month is absolutely staggering and a potential industry killer. It’s Marvelution all over again, soon to be followed by the late 90′s all over again. Nice.
Here’s an idea: why not go after the Big Bucks and go the movie route instead? I’m not talking about ill-conceived “reboots” like Catwoman, Hellblazer and Jonah Hex, rather the likes of Green Lantern and Dark Knight.
Did Disney buy Marvel for their print revenue? Or their movie revenue?
June 2nd, 2011 at 6:31 pm
It’s absurd to make the claim that digital content must necessarily be cheaper than printed books. Paper comics don’t need constant electricity or A/C or back ups, paper comics don’t consume Internet bandwidth, paper comics don’t need tech support agents. There is a cost there. And that cost is likely more than a dollar a copy. it feels like complainers believe that once the comics are scanned, the cost is done and anything they charge is profit. The margins are smaller than you think, I’m sure.
People need to realize that digital goods are real goods and then we’ll see industries start taking digital formats seriously. Because they won’t until you do.
June 2nd, 2011 at 6:48 pm
Look at the price of single songs on iTunes. That is IMO is about a reasonable marker for what a single comic issue should cost. Same tech costs and same reletive “size” of the entertainment product. Story lines of five or six issues as they are collected in digital “TPBs” are comparable to an album and should be priced as such.
For years the comics industry has been constantly stating that the rising cost of paper and printing are over and over as the reason why cover price keeps rising. Now there’s a distribution method that requires neither. There’s no reasonable justification for holding to those higher prices except to subsidize the brick and mortar stores and that’s a just plain bad idea.
June 2nd, 2011 at 6:52 pm
Well said M.
June 2nd, 2011 at 7:06 pm
It’s been weird for me to try to pinpoint exactly what it is that they’re doing here, honestly. The clearest statement that I’ve come up with about what it feels like, so far, is that it feels like they’re trying to do what happened in the 60s when they introduced Hal and Barry and Katar and the Justice League… but without having to more-or-less collapse for a decade before it happened.
That said, there are some strange things going on here. On one hand, some of these certainly feel more reboot-y or elseworlds-y than I originally anticipated. Within the 11 titles that have been announced in detail we have books like Hawkman, Firestorm, Green Arrow, and Mister Terrific which sound like they’re introducing new/alternate/updated/rebooted/whatever characters based on the character concepts that already exist. We have others like Captain Atom that may have been lead into by stories in pre-Flashpoint books (where Cap has been feeling less and less human) but could also just be a new/reboot/alternative/elseworld/whatever version).
On the flip-side though we don’t see the pre-Flashpoint books doing “send-offs.” We haven’t been reading stories that gush over or wrap up the Perez or Byrne or Jimenez Wonder Woman runs, we’ve been introduced to a brand new direction. We didn’t get a cute, funny, Bwa-ha-ha send-off for this incarnation of the JLI cast where they all fondly remember Ralph and Ted and everyone else, we got a story that…. well… seems to lead into the formation of the team that is featured on the cover of the book that was just announced. We haven’t seen a wrapping up of the GL story so it can be streamlined into something simple, we’ve seen the continued expansion of it and have heard that there may actually be more Lantern-related titles in the post-Flashpoint world. We didn’t get a “aww, let’s hug Max and Bart and Wally and Jesse and Jay goodbye” story in the 12 issues of Flash. We got an intro to a new direction for Barry that seems like it must point well beyond Flashpoint.
So what do we have here? A clear reboot? Doesn’t seem it. A clear shift to another earth? Doesn’t seem it. A little tweaking here or there? Doesn’t seem it. The same DCU but new costumes? Doesn’t seem it. The truth is… I have no idea what it seems like is happening. I don’t know if the changes feel permanent or temporary or part of both.
Something strange is going on though. My nose smells a mystery and I need some more hints before I can even start to put the puzzle together…
June 2nd, 2011 at 7:18 pm
WHAT HAPPENED TO HOLDING THE LINE AT $2.99? Great slogan—it lasted a month.
June 2nd, 2011 at 7:23 pm
So e-comics are to be no cheaper in the beginning, and not much cheaper in the future…
Looks like I’ll be sticking with buying graphic novels for the forseeable future.
June 2nd, 2011 at 7:29 pm
Going to take this oPportunity to completely drop all dc titles
June 2nd, 2011 at 7:30 pm
.99 is not the magic price point for comics just because it works for iTunes (and some artists would say it doesn’t). There are many more revenue streams for a song. A comic book is not going out on tour or being licensed for an ad or movie. My feeling is that your paying for the story whether its a book or a computer file. I think the real issue is whether you can truly “own” your comic (as a file) or just have access to it online or in a specific device. If you can’t truly own it the should move to a subscription like Netflix.
June 2nd, 2011 at 7:33 pm
I don’t have a problem paying $1.99 for books on Comixology iPad and since I’ve been downloading the Batman: Arkham City and 99 cent companion book, I’m switching to digital in September.
They still have the program the digital book to read panel to panel, which is also cool. No more going to the last page and getting spoiled by the seeing the ending on the right and having to go back to the left page read what you skipped.
Even if your getting a pull/hold discount or buying floppies online at a discount your still paying more than $1.99 per issue. I’m happy to support Comixology and be able to pick-up my weekies at the office without having to run to the LCS and now I’ve got my whole collection at lunch or in a sales meeting +3.
I think the fact that there are 52 new #1 is a total hint at Morrison’s Multiverse. They should just tell all you that right off the bat (pun intended) so all you Morrisonite’s can change your bitching and think this is the greatest thing since… uh Final Crisis.
June 2nd, 2011 at 7:41 pm
They want to modernize the DCU and give more triumph and tragedy with real world issues. Let’s just call this for what it really is. It’s a Marvelization of DCU. Instead of big fantasy and godlike heroes they want to try and be more real world.
Just stay with what you do,why do you keep trying to copy another company’s form?? The rest of you DC fans will support this and come up with some other BS to say “oh it’s not a reboot,it’s a redefining” What a joke that company has become.
June 2nd, 2011 at 8:06 pm
I’m actually hoping it is a full-on hard reboot because all the continuity problems since 1986 have been caused because no one knows which past stories happened or can agree on the way they happened.
Whether it’s a full reboot of the current earth or we’re going to be following, say, Earth-27 from now on, we can’t have a situation where some stories from the past still have happened while others did not.
Maybe following a different Earth will allow DC to have its cake and eat it, too.
On the other hand, will comics fans accept that or will they always have it in the backs of their minds that they’re not reading about the “real” DC-Earth?
June 2nd, 2011 at 8:22 pm
No one said they were getting rid of “Holding the line at $2.99.” The first issue of the JLA is bound to be oversized and therefore cost a higher price.
June 2nd, 2011 at 8:29 pm
Wait a minute… now its NOT a reboot?! Guess I won’t be checking out these new titles after all. I initially found the news for September to be promising, when they said they would reboot things and everything would have a fresh start, and they would try to modernize things, etc. Now its starting to sound like they’re slowly backing away from that idea (perhaps they’ve been getting less than favorable opinions from readears). From this whole “its not a reboot” quote to these clues leading me to believe (though I could be wrong) that this is just another storyline or these titles will be taking place in yet another of the 52 earths.
God damn, what a total and complete mess this still is, and its just getting worse. What a whole whack of confusion. DC screws up yet again and they’re doing a piss poor job of trying to explain just what the hell they’re going for in September here. I’ve been away from DC titles for a while now, and this doesn’t want to make me get back into it.
What I was hoping for and what they SHOULD do is a total and complete REBOOT. Fresh start, because everything is ruined now. Make things more modern. Look to the future. That Justice League promo cover still looks like something out of the 60′s. Boring Hal and Boring Barry will still be GL and Flash. Aquaman still looks like pure cheese with that gay orange shirt. And even though the red underwear are gone, Superman’s outfit will still repulse the hell out of your average teen or young adult of today’s times.
Something else that I have the feeling which could happen: fans that DO try to give these books a shot could very well get screwed at the end. As a previous poster stated, all of this could just get retconned or swept under the carpet if DC decides to just go back to their “old” universe again. There’s a big risk involved with getting into these books. Mainstream comics are such a mess now, all because Marvel and DC have to live in the past and rehash everything all the time.
I think I’ll stick to my independants. Where storylines progress. Characters are modern, they change and develop. Characters die and stay dead. You get the idea.
June 2nd, 2011 at 8:37 pm
I’m in favor of a subscription service like Comics on the Web was for CrossGen, a monthly fee for access to everything. I’d pay that. I *was* paying that for CotW. I’m not dropping $2 for a book that isn’t Shazam (or Shazam Family). If I am, it’ll be the first digital issue and then I’d have to really put some thought into that.
$0.99 IS the magic number. If DC goes direct from them to us and charges $0.99, that is 100% profit. I’d buy 5 books for $0.99 each. I’ll be maybe 1, if its a Shazam title, past issue 1 for DC. There goes $ out the window for them.
Where is the new readership there? (I’d be a new DC reader, technically, as I’ve been out of the collecting game since 1998).
June 2nd, 2011 at 8:46 pm
I’m glad it’s not a reboot.
I don’t like Superman’s new costume.
That is all.
June 2nd, 2011 at 8:55 pm
I’m completely in support of a full reboot, and while I hate reading books on my phone/laptop, I understand why the same day digital release is happening. With that said, this is clearly not a full reboot. At this point, it appears that it’s COIE all over again. Big changes to Wonder Woman, Superman, and several “minor” characters, but Batman, GL, and Flash continuing in their previous mold. Inevitable headaches will occur, and they’ll be trying to clean this mess up for another 20 years just like COIE. SMH.
On another note, how much of this do you think was prompted by the recent Sigel lawsuit victory? I see big changes for Supes. BIG.
June 2nd, 2011 at 8:55 pm
I really was hoping for a reboot. I was planning on getting more than just JSA… Alas…
June 2nd, 2011 at 9:16 pm
I feel that this whole business of this so-called reboot needs to give more confidence that it may not happen again in future, at least dc should provide all the 52 #1 for free as part of a goodwill gesture to us long time readers. let us readers decide if they wish to follow up after we hv seen wat they are offering instead of us throwing money into every single new book
June 2nd, 2011 at 9:23 pm
I think its about investment. Most fan/readers catch on to a character or book they identify with and invest a portion of their heart in these characters. In many ways the munbering is both a tracking and an honoring of that investment. When the past gets ret-conned, rewritten or wholesale ignored it becomes somewhat insulting to the investment reader. By contrast Marvel has a modern history that is just as long as DC’s and while they have performed a few character reboots (ala Spiderman’s marriage/non marriage) but no line wide reboots. As a nearly 40 year comic reader I was reading Earth one and Earth two as a 7 and 8 year old and never had trouble with multiple Earths. If they felt it was such a problem they should have just ignored E2 and all the others for a few years and focus on E1, problem solved. Here we have ANOTHER reboot (3rd or 4th?) knowing that in a few years there will be another UNboot.
June 2nd, 2011 at 9:38 pm
so… if its not a reboot, what it it? I mean a reboot means a retelling of everything from square one, right? So if this isn’t a reboot, does that mean they’re going to instead edit the origins, and meanwhile pick and choose what parts of previous storyline they’re going to keep?
Isn’t that kinda what happened after Crisis on Infinite Earths? I mean, didn’t they essentially keep the same continuity as before, only they retold the origins of a handful of characters like Superman and Wonder Woman or deleted a bunch of characters until later writer re-introduced them?
Honestly, I think I’d be more comfortable with DC just reboot everything. I say this primarily because I’m worried about any possible continuity confusion that might happen from a history adjustment like the first Crisis. Remember what happened with Donna Troy? When they retold the Wonder Woman story after Crisis on Infinite Earths, they made it to where Diana only THEN arrived in Man’s world. But Donna and the Teen Titans already existed before she showed up. This created major continuity issues that took almost 20 years of stories to fix.
At least if this was a reboot there’s less chance of continuity confusion with any associated characters who stick around. I’d hate to see Donna go through another 20 years of identity origin issues again, or have convoluted explanations for why there are 5 Robins and 5 Batgirls around when Batman has only been active for a couple of years or something.
I’ll definitely give this a chance, cause I love these characters, but I can’t deny I’m not nervous.
June 2nd, 2011 at 9:44 pm
“And that cost is likely more than a dollar a copy.”
Sorry, but bandwidth is cheap. Electricity is cheap. Server space is cheap.
If you think all that adds up to “more than a dollar a copy”, you’re completely out of your gourd.
Laziness on the part of corporate executives? That’s what’s expensive.
June 2nd, 2011 at 9:48 pm
The one thing I would like to ask is…. when is Batwoman #1 going to be realesed?? The rest of DC universe can go to hell.
June 2nd, 2011 at 10:00 pm
did you notice that Hawkma’s mask is basically Wolverine’s hair and sideburns? and he also has claws as weapons…
June 2nd, 2011 at 10:27 pm
Well I just want to say that even though we have limited information about it all, I’m ENRAGED at the idea of things not staying exactly the same.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
See how angry I was just then?
It’s cause I care and I don’t need the whole story or to even READ the story to have an opinion on it. I’m awesome like that.
June 2nd, 2011 at 11:29 pm
It’s not a reset, it’s the start of an alternate universe and by 2013, this will be identified as Earth X (1-52, not previously assigned) to run parallel like an Ultimate or 2099 series.
June 2nd, 2011 at 11:34 pm
I love how all the .99 cent boosters are all hip to screw the retailers.
Some of you even said as much.
That’s freaking pathetic.
June 2nd, 2011 at 11:36 pm
if you don’t want to buy the comics at their current prices go back to either stealing them, not reading, or reading back issues.
As screwed as some fans are feeling I guarantee the non chain retail stores are feeling worse.
June 2nd, 2011 at 11:49 pm
can anybody explain why Green Lantern doesn’t have his power ring on Jim Lee’s Justice League?! artist’s mistake or is this the new ‘ringless’ Green Lantern?!?!?!?!
June 2nd, 2011 at 11:58 pm
@Pilapz
Mistake by the Inker Scott Williams thankfully
June 3rd, 2011 at 12:04 am
two words. new coke.
June 3rd, 2011 at 12:32 am
As a long-time DC reader this (non)reboot is no big deal as such – we have lived through several over the years. They have all failed in the past; usually because a fan/writer has felt the need to sneak their favourite storyline/character over the wall dividing old and new continuity and muddying the water between what is/isn’t part of the new order. I have no doubt this will happen again in the future.
For me the deal breaker will be which titles make it into the “new” DCU and how recognisable they are if they do. Already the drums are beating that there will be no JSA. Not just no longer around but never existed. That would be a breaking point for me and I would use this as a full stop where DC is concerned after 40 odd years of collecting their books. Thank god their are plenty of interesting indie books out there to soak up my cash.
Not that I think they care much if they lose old stagers like me – this is obviously aimed at attracting a younger, digital savvy horde, which is fine. Just not sure they are there in the numbers sought or needed and this has the risk of burning their bridges behind them if it doesn’t go the way they hope.
June 3rd, 2011 at 3:03 am
If all this leads into Multiversity next year, what does this mean from this September until then? Will all the current titles be put on hold for this relaunch, and then pick up from where they left off once Multiversity is over?
June 3rd, 2011 at 5:47 am
Have they officially said all current titles will no longer be published, or simply that 52 new titles will be launched? It seems to make a lot of sense to me that this would just be an “ultimate” line, and they’re just attempting to give it more gravitas by making it appear as a complete white-washing of the previous universe. Either way, I think it’s a dick move on their part.
June 3rd, 2011 at 6:50 am
Not a Reboot?
I was real excited to jump back in to DC big time but now it’s just a bunch of retcons with some stuff still in continuity and other stuff not?
Basically the same old DCU with more continuity nightmares that will lead to even more stories “fixing” those.
Pass.
That’s what ruined the DCU after the first COIE and I’m not playing that game again.
Looks like I’ll be spending the money I was budgeting for the REBOOT on something else.
FAIL DC.
June 3rd, 2011 at 8:12 am
I agree. They are just doing this to fool Lloyd Braun.
June 3rd, 2011 at 10:09 am
Read and collected since 1970, stopped after Crisis (because adult responsibilities prevailed) started up again in 2005 when DC decided to begin undoing Crisis. My timing was pretty good!
It looks a lot like a reboot. Been there before! No big deal. Lot’s of really great stuff has come from these events. It’s easy to start picking out all the changes and differences we don’t like, but remember, we weren’t given much warning that this was coming.
I am very unhappy with the idea of legendary titles losing their long running numbers (Action, Detective, Batman) because once you do it, you really can’t go back and undo it. Superman’s changes are a reasonable response to the ongoing litigation with the creators estates and remember we could still see another Superman in another publishers pages even more different than this one. If the past stories truly have no place in this universe then we should be open to seeing new tellings of some of the great ones. This could be smartest way DC could have decided to go.
The really sad part of this is for the collector. DC has now acknowledged that digital is the future. Collecting comics is changing into bits on a hard drive where there is no grading, plastic bags, backing boards or boxes. As someone who had to stop collecting comics, but never stopped loving the characters, this shock doesn’t hit so hard. This is the right time for comics to go digital. Tablets are a fine way to read and large desktop screens are a joy to savor today’s fine artists.
Remember, we are in the middle of a renaissance with DC employing some of the finest writers they have ever had. They are not going away, they’ve just been given a bigger box of crayons to play with!
One last question… does this mean Barbara Gordon is Batgirl again?
June 3rd, 2011 at 10:24 am
“I love how all the .99 cent boosters are all hip to screw the retailers.”
And as I ask of BMB: where were you when Tower Records went under? Where were you when Borders and Waldenbooks closed up shop after shop?
How dare anybody screw over the likes of Wizard by getting comic news on a website like Newsarama, rather than buying their magazine!
How dare anybody get their comics by mail order from whomever they want, rather than whichever store is physically located closest!
Screw the retailers? Go screw yourself.
June 3rd, 2011 at 12:41 pm
“I love how all the .99 cent boosters are all hip to screw the retailers.”
would you rather the entire comics industry dies? As sad as it is for retailers – it’s evolve or die time.
I also think you are making a leap of logic with the idea that every digital comic sale detracts from a retailer sale, it sounds like you got it from the RIAA playbook of every downloaded song is a lost sale. Let’s be adults and face the hard truths – people who want to download comics without paying for paper copies are already doing it for free- and sticking your head in the sand and blaming people who want reasonably priced digital comics whose revenues go back to the creators is just silly.
oddly enough – all 25 of the comics I bought in last weekend’s Green Lantern Sale were ones I already owned. So no retailers were harmed in the purchasing of these comics.
and I am in complete agreement with Silvanthalas – one 20MB download from comixology does not equal $1 in IT costs. Maybe if they were hosting them from the international space station or if their servers are made out of solid gold. Amazon Hosting charges 15 cents per GB for data out. So that’s about 500 comic downloads for 15 cents. Not seeing where the $1 is justified yet.
Now maybe they have differnt royalty payment deals…or other factors that are secret to us – but I am positive that the cost of printing/shipping are not equal to the costs of serving digital content. There’s a reason why so many magazines are going to digital delivery only.
June 3rd, 2011 at 6:29 pm
DC had a real chance here to take command of the future. They’re meekly sidling up to the post. Think about this–for each digital copy they sell, there’s no retailer or Diamond to take a piece of the pie, and DC pockets that extra 70% per copy. I say they should lower the prices across the board to 99¢ for digital *and* print copies both. What they’d save on the digital end would more than make up for on the printing end, the fans could afford triple what they used to and they’d be able to stick with more titles and give them a chance as long as creative holds up their end. The bonus to us would be Marvel having to follow suit. $2.99 and $3.99 for digital copies unfortunately means that I won’t be buying nearly as many I planned. My comic shop closed a few years ago and this was going to be my way back in. Maybe not now.
June 3rd, 2011 at 7:08 pm
total noob question here…what does DCnu stand for? :p
June 3rd, 2011 at 9:01 pm
This might have been easier just to use DC earth one line as the jumping point for newbies than reboot the current line/
June 3rd, 2011 at 9:02 pm
@pilapz
its the fan term for the new dcu post flashpoint.
June 3rd, 2011 at 9:22 pm
@ Ziyad: is it DC New Universe?
June 3rd, 2011 at 9:54 pm
DC’s justification for rebooting the DCU is to attract a younger audience for their products, an audience of consumer who grew up on Youtube, Twitter, Facebook, smartphones etc. But like tobacco company, you have to hook these people to your product while they are young and impressionable. Does DC really think that a 15-20 year old will start to read comics simply because it is available in a digital format? Is like trying to introduce cigarettes to a 30 year old adult, if you didn’t smoke at 13, than you will not start at 30. The same thing is true with comics, if they did not appeal to you at the age of 10, why on earth would you start reading it now that you are 20 and have other interest and distractions? The reason why Marvel and DC lost two generations of new readers is because they started selling over-priced books at the direct market since the early 80′s, that cater to a mature audience. Now those mature audiences are even more mature, with no new readers to replenish them. So basically, Marvel and DC have themselves to blame for making comic book collecting an exclusive hobby, as well as all the blunders of the 90′s.
June 4th, 2011 at 1:42 am
One of my concerns is the criteria that DC is using for new direction, it is to get younger readers to buy their titles. From what I have seen both at bookstores like Barnes and Noble where they have a relaxed policy about in-store pre-purchase reading and at libraries; many teens are reading Japanese Manga. So the question becomes will this move lure them away from Manga or entice them to at least try the DC line of titles?
What I think is going to happen is like any other big event in the past people will come rush into shops to buy the first issues due to the media blitz, but what will happen afterwards?
Maybe there will be an upswing in sales but will it be these new and younger readers DC wants, or will it be people with first issue fever. I am not taking sides as I do not know which way it will go.
One thing I have noticed in the comic shops by me is a lack of female readers. I know at one time Sandman was a big draw for female comic fans; perhaps DC should look into increasing its readership numbers by producing titles women will enjoy and buy?
I pretty much will sit on the sidelines for this one. If this turns into another Heroes Reborn I won’t have missed much, if it succeeds I will buy the trades to catch up.
More than DC I wish my friendly neighborhood comic shop the best of luck during this transition.
June 4th, 2011 at 5:30 am
So the Killing Joke storyline does not exist? The thing about Barbara Gordon is that she over came her disadvantages to become an even greater hero. To put her back in the suit is a mistake, I say. even though I miss her as Batgirl.
June 4th, 2011 at 11:18 am
What a Mess!
As a long time fan of the DCU, I was totally gutted when I heard about the ‘reboot’. Like many I have a fond affinity for these characters and 20 years of history since the original crisis when I jumped on board.
Over the years,origins have been changed so often though, that it has been increasingly difficult to work out what was currently ‘canon’ and what was not, so an argument for a proper reboot has existed for a long time now. However at least there was an underlying core of the DCU with stories and relationships accepted as ‘lore’.
I always accepted that, whilst I would be gutted, at some point DC would probably do something similar to Crisis and ‘reboot’ the whole line, although I always hoped that they would not. The real problem here is that this is not a proper reboot. They have had the ideal opportunity for this on several occasions which would have been a better fit, such as after Infinite/final Crisis etc.
Yet now, they are starting again, only their not! In a world wher marketing is ‘king’ DC have totally fumbled the ball. Although fans like myself would be gutted with a full reboot at least we would know where we were and be able to make a decision, start again or drop the DC line. Obviously the execs fearful of exactly this have panicked and we therefore have this mess or neither one or the other! Is it a reboot, a re- imagining, or an alternative world? What about history, was Luthor President or not, etc etc?
Fear of alienating core fans has led to a lack of clarity and has alienated the fans! well done DC!
June 4th, 2011 at 7:57 pm
This whole reboot/new universe, or whatever they want to call it, I’m just along for the ride. I’m to the point now where I understand that in 1942 when my grandfather was eight years old he was reading Superman and Batman, and that I’m 33 and if DC wants to keep pushing out Superman and Batman stories when I’m 53, they’re going to have to do things like this every couple of decades. It will piss off fans for sure but this is a business move that DC has to do. This is not the last reboot/relaunch that they’re going to do. In 2041 Bruce Wayne is still going to be Batman. These are characters who should have been put out to pasture a long time ago and the only way to keep them fresh for the next generation is to do things like this every now and then.
June 4th, 2011 at 8:34 pm
@pilapz
i think its new dc universe
June 5th, 2011 at 2:29 pm
OK, this will probably annoy half of you out there, and resonate with some too.
I’m another 20+ year veteran DC fanboy. My home no longer has space for more long-boxes, so I’m totally ready for the digital revolution coming in September.
The DCNu “relaunch” (not a reboot – I think I can see what’s coming – I’ll be proven wrong next Monday no doubt) is giving me the perfect opportunity to say goodbye to hardcopy comic books. I’ve got the tech (a 7″ tablet, and a good sized PC monitor) and I never seem to have the time to read all the books quickly enough, so the fact that a delay in buying them makes them cheaper is great!
I’ve been playing around with the Comixology website, even paid for the exclusive Batman Arkham City Digital Chapters. It’s pretty good, not great yet, but good. Yes there’s DRM, but how else can they avoid rampant PDF copies being passed around ? As a collector, when was the last time someone else read your copy of a comic?
I know this will have an effect on the comic book stores, but that’s nothing new. The store I worked in 20 years ago sold new and old comics, and books. Today’s store has more space dedicated to merchandise than comics, and the pleasure of hunting for that elusive back issue is long gone, now that everything is one click away on Ebay, Mile-High, or here in the UK, Silver-Acre.
I know I won’t have an asset to sell on anymore with digital downloads, but the market for those hard copies will dwindle. I’ve been a hardcore DCU and Vertigo collector for years, and when I get right down to it, it’s the stories I love, not the “having”. If you disagree with that last comment, please look for me on Twitter, I can sell you 15,000 DC books if you’d like?
Regarding the reboot/relaunch, I’m withholding judgement til I’ve seen the releases on Monday June 13th. I’m hoping for new/fresh, mixed with a lot of the old (otherwise how come we’re getting RED LANTERNS, GREEN LANTERN: NEW GUARDIANS, and presumably the BATWOMAN series delayed from April). I’m hoping for stories based in more than one universe, or is that still to complicated for average readers to understand? (Hey Marvel, how much money did you make from Ultimates?)
Rant over. Nothing to see here, go about your business.
June 6th, 2011 at 3:00 am
“LimeFlavored Says:
$0.99 IS the magic number. If DC goes direct from them to us and charges $0.99, that is 100% profit. I’d buy 5 books for $0.99 each. I’ll be maybe 1, if its a Shazam title, past issue 1 for DC. There goes $ out the window for them.”
That would mean DC has to create their own app for comics. They have to have a R&D team just for that app and that takes more money. Even if you argue that they can just use the file format developed by Comixology, they would still have to pay for licensing.
June 6th, 2011 at 9:32 am
“That would mean DC has to create their own app for comics.”
But which is going to be cheaper in the long run?
Paying the up-front for their own app, or constantly letting Comixology taking a cut?
They don’t even need an app, as CBR/CBZ is just fine for viewing comics. (Hint: music has moved away from DRM’ed files back to plain MP3s because DRM just gets in the way.)
They just need a system by which to sell the comics. And those are easy to get.
June 6th, 2011 at 1:35 pm
Reboot, retcon, restart, redo, do over, etc, etc (Heroes Reborn!). Whatever you call it its LAME! I see some really stupid looking costume changes, welcome back to 1994 thanks to Jim Lee’s great designs. Superman’s onesy looks completely stupid and Robin’s feathery cape is beyond that. Add in some things that are just plain ruining the good that was built up in continuity for NO REASON AT ALL! This is a massive failure already in my eyes just for the concepts alone. I’m all for change but drastic throw the baby out with the bathwater tactics are just pathetic and cheap. This will not result in new readers and will not result in a resurgence of comics, any comic company that thinks that is fooling themselves.
June 6th, 2011 at 10:04 pm
i agree with superman!! but for some odd reason, all i can think of right now is seeing kira from ds9 and enterprise’s t’pol getting all naked with each other.
June 7th, 2011 at 10:39 am
@mitchell
i think that this might be an easier way to attract manga fans because one of the complaints they have towards marvel or dc is that they dont know where to start from and the continuity is hard to follow. So starting things from 1 is a viable option for them.
I think this is a step in the right direction but it’s not a solution because there are still some problems to work out.
June 9th, 2011 at 6:23 pm
Yeah- DC is doing this for a few clear reasons.
1) The restart the whole DCU every 25 years or so- to cater to the new generation. They did this to my grandfather with the golden age, with my dad with the Silver age and now to me with the Bronze Age. The Digital age belongs to my 4 year old daughter and I’m cool with it. I had my run and It was a real treat seeing Dick Grayson be a great Batman alongside Damien Wayne. Wish it could have been for the next 25- but my daughter is entitled to her generations Bats, Supes, WW etc. Hope she has a blast and I’ll support this endeavor for her sake. In 25 years my grand kids will get another reboot. And so it will go when I’m long since dust.
2) Digital is the language of this upcoming generation. Comics must evolve or it will cease as a valid storytelling form. So us old fan boys have to support the change and pass the torch to these youngins.
3)DC doesn’t give a crap about speculators. Its the bottom line. No Printer, No distributor, No Retailer = more bucks fo DC. Its shameless but thats the funny book biz. I personally despise speculators- they nearly killed comics for all of us. Read the book for the characters, stories, art- not for the future market value.
Thanks for my 25 year ride DC its been a blast. From Crisis on Infinite Earths to Flash Point it has been a real joy following the DCU for my part. DC fans are such a great bunch of people- please give this next generation some real special and epic stories.
Note- Love that John Constantine will be in the Dark JLA title. Cool idea.
June 14th, 2011 at 3:29 am
I have just one Question as a 21 year old person who has read comics of and on for that time period and who loves the characters if not everthing thats come from Marvel and DC over the last ten years whats there about this that soposed to make me want to buy these new first isseus. Oh and I like supermans suit the way it has all was been, whats wrong with the red thights
July 6th, 2011 at 2:23 am
I really like this TV.
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