DC UNIVERSE ENDING - AND THEN RESTARTING?!

[fastballspecial]

The problem with the Lee & Johns combo is that Lee won't stick it out past 1 year. And then we'll be left with a second tier artist again (and I'm being kind with second tier as many of DC's artist are very sub-par).

 

Once that happens, the book will be in double digits and people will drop it shortly after.

 

On the flip side, JLA starts over every few years now so nobody really cares. The last volume was pretty awful from start to finish.

 

Pat

 

Dont care I will leave when they leave until then I will enjoy every issue it just doesnt happen very often. DC and Marvel both live in the now anyway.

 

 

[bane]

Well I guess it gives DC the chance to issue 52 new covers, with 52 1:25 variants, 52 1:200 sketch variants.

 

The eBay sellers are rubbing their hands already.... which CGC 9.8 will appear first?

[Boozad]

Well I guess it gives DC the chance to issue 52 new covers, with 52 1:25 variants, 52 1:200 sketch variants.

 

The eBay sellers are rubbing their hands already

 

I doubt it. Have you seen how many are still sitting there at stupid prices?

[Raphael]

One of the things I am curious about is whether or not DC can maintain a regular shipping schedule with their top talent on their top books.

 

Does anyone remember when Wonder Woman and the Flash were rebooted a few years back? Shipping delays killed those books. I hope they can avoid that this time around. I also hope that Jim Lee can stick to a monthly book.

 

I'm definitely interested to see where this goes. DC certainly has me for JLA and maybe an arc of Batman and Green Lantern. Ultimately the quality of the stories and books will determine if I stick with it for the long run.

[Zonker]

He said another one of his customers did some digging(research I guess)and he had read that in this new U, Thomas Wayne is actually Batman, that Bruce and Bruce's mother were the ones that were killed. I don't know if this is actually going to be the case or not, but if that is the kind of stuff that they will be doing in regards to character origins, then I say everything is up in the air at this point.

 

That LCS owner must not read the books he sells, otherwise he would have known that "digging" was actually simply a retelling of the plotline of a recent story arc...

 

 

...that's the exact payoff for the 1st issue of Flashpoint.

 

[Gricomet-migration]

If this revamp was going to bring a bunch of new readers into comics then maybe a re-boot would be a necessary evil. But is there a plan here by DC to get those new readers? Not really. Digital books will mostly be bought by the same people that buy physical now and a few articles in the popular press/blogs isn't going to convert people to being comic readers. Look at the Obama Spider-man issue for instance.It got main stream press, got some people outside of comic readers to buy it and in the long-term no real effect on Spider-man sales. We have seen similar patterns with things like the death of Captain America. If you want comic books to become more mainstream it requires more strategy and more marketing budget. I don't see a plan by DC to do that now and thus it seems to be an event that will off alot of long time fans but without a real benefit to the industry. I do hope they some how prove me wrong though.

[Hawkman]

If green lantern and detective go back to #1, i'll stop buying them. Then it'll just be walking dead.

[followtheleader]

Personally, I think it's a fairly ballsy move.

 

I agree with whomever posted it, the bigger news is the digital. This move could re-shape the industry or really hurt DC.

 

To me, Marvel's intelligent move was to test the waters while keeping normal continuity (like with Ultimate Spider-man). They really caught lightning in a bottle. Problem was, they dumped the freshness of it when they became too scared of ruining it. Went from the unknown to a replica of the normal continuity book.

 

X-men was a bit of a failure from the beginning because it felt exactly the same but with minor changes. Colossus being gay, Wolverine appeared super young (they changed to the normal age later, etc. Show me different/additional/lesser powers, maybe a less boyscout Superman, more modern/realistic villians,etc.

 

Pat

[AKA Rick]

Renumbering is probably not a good long term move. It may attract curious fans. Instead, they should scale down from their 50+ titles, and release quality books featuring actually good stories and aesthetic artwork by the writers and artists that can not only draw fans, but keep them as well.

 

Instead of multiple Batman titles and Superman titles, just have one of each per month, but have really good stories. The last real epic storyline that I stands the test of time was the Batman "Hush", and that didn't require having a #1 first issue to sell or get noticed.

 

All of these recent (in the last decade) all-to-frequent crossover with Infinite-this, Identity-that, Blackest, Countdown, Flashpoint, etc. all seem fairly uninspired ways of selling a bunch of books and forcing temporary title sales boosts.

 

#1, first issues are gimmicks, and as seen with Marvel's "regrets" of doing than and then flip flopping back to the original numbering, there's something to be said about longevity in a series and the prestige in having that legacy continue. To kill a series in the name of short term gains of having yet another #1 issue seems short sighted and foolish.

 

I think Marvel had it right in the 60's with one title per character, and then a few team books, producing quality stories with good artwork and continuity that was easy to follow.

 

 

[Boozad]

Instead of multiple Batman titles and Superman titles, just have one of each per month, but have really good stories. The last real epic storyline that I stands the test of time was the Batman "Hush", and that didn't require having a #1 first issue to sell or get noticed.

 

I agree they should cull the number of titles and drop the obvious drek, focusing on top notch story telling. But for me the only good thing that hyped Hush so much was Jim Lee art and an RRP. I really don't think too much of that storyline.

[Reno McCoy]

Well I guess it gives DC the chance to issue 52 new covers, with 52 1:25 variants, 52 1:200 sketch variants.

 

The eBay sellers are rubbing their hands already.... which CGC 9.8 will appear first?

 

If I read the letter to retailers posted around the comic sites, Didio said that there would be five variants a month, with at least one happening each month. That's the plan for at least the first three months of this new relaunch.

[ignimbrite]

Wait a second.....is Ted Kord coming back!?

 

 

[john72tex]

Wait a second.....is Ted Kord coming back!?

 

Did you hear that somewhere? or are you just speculating?

 

According DC's The Source, The same 3 creative teams are coming back on 3 of the Green Lantern books. Instead of Emerald Warriors, Tony Bedard and Tyler Kirkham will launch The New Guardians. There will also be a Red Lantern book as well. I'm releaved they aren't bringing in new creative teams.

[ComicConnoisseur]

Well I guess it gives DC the chance to issue 52 new covers, with 52 1:25 variants, 52 1:200 sketch variants.

 

The eBay sellers are rubbing their hands already.... which CGC 9.8 will appear first?

 

If I read the letter to retailers posted around the comic sites, Didio said that there would be five variants a month, with at least one happening each month. That's the plan for at least the first three months of this new relaunch.

They had to keep the variant money machine still rolling to keep the lcs`s happy. It`s been the lcs`s who have inflated the monthly print runs to get the variants to Ebay or sell at a higher price.I am beginning to think the monthly comic book is in worse trouble then the mid-1990`s comics saleswise, and this is a last gasp effort by DC to save the monthly floppie.

Really if they wanted to Warner could close 95 percent of the line and just publish Batman,Superman,Green Lantern and Justice League books a few times a month.

[AKA Rick]

DC should look at history within their own industry and that from their counterparts in sports cards... manufacturing collectibles such as these limited edition chase variants for every single release makes 'em less special.

 

Before, variants were used for 2nd printing and anniversary/commemorative/special issues. Now, even random issues of b-grade titles like Aquaman through Zatanna have variants.

 

It's the retailers who end up suffering and being potentially put out of business for having to order a certain number of "common" issues to get the "retailer incentive" and then those common books eventually end up in the $.25 to $1 bins.

 

If the publishers don't treat the retailers correctly, they're killing their suppy chain.

 

Ultimately, if the publishers want to really screw the fans for money, as they seem to want to do every month, they should just mimic what the trading card industry does and then distribute the comics in security sealed silver mylar bags (you can't see the contents inside) that you don't know what cover you're getting, have some "crash numbered" (individually numbered), some of them as "variants", some of them "signed with the signature COA hologram sticker", and then do a "1 of 1 version" utilzing the original art used for the cover or the printing plate (and that can be handled by just using redemption coupons). And of course "original sketch covers" featuring hand drawn art by varied artists.

 

Heck, they could take it up a notch and just pre-CGC all books, seal 'em up and sell them in the same mystery styled chase format. That adds a new element to their game. This is not a new concept. The sports trading card business had done this over a decade ago with their "graded" series release (using the Beckett Grading Service (BCGS) which is that hobby's counterpart to CGC).

 

Then they'll (the publishers) have fans/collectors running to the stores, buying 'em in a frenzy, ripping open these polly bagged books to chase the golden ticket... comic store retailers can keep sealed editions (just like how they have back stock of older trading card unopened packs) that retains some sort of value and interest) and the publishers are maintaining addressing the whole "value" prospects to those collectors, investors and gamblers within the hobby.

 

The true fans of the comics and readers will end up benefiting if they just want to read the books since most of those who chase these golden ticket books will quickly discard the common books as trash or in the $1 bins, where collectors can pick 'em up for pennies on the dollar to the original issue price.

 

 

[Ringfinger]

Unbelieveable.

[Ian_Levine]

 

And I would agree, but somebody must be buying the poor books for them to keep churning them out.

 

Yes - me.

 

And I'm not happy at all.

[ComicConnoisseur]

DC should look at history within their own industry and that from their counterparts in sports cards... manufacturing collectibles such as these limited edition chase variants for every single release makes 'em less special.

 

Before, variants were used for 2nd printing and anniversary/commemorative/special issues. Now, even random issues of b-grade titles like Aquaman through Zatanna have variants.

 

It's the retailers who end up suffering and being potentially put out of business for having to order a certain number of "common" issues to get the "retailer incentive" and then those common books eventually end up in the $.25 to $1 bins.

 

If the publishers don't treat the retailers correctly, they're killing their suppy chain.

 

Ultimately, if the publishers want to really screw the fans for money, as they seem to want to do every month, they should just mimic what the trading card industry does and then distribute the comics in security sealed silver mylar bags (you can't see the contents inside) that you don't know what cover you're getting, have some "crash numbered" (individually numbered), some of them as "variants", some of them "signed with the signature COA hologram sticker", and then do a "1 of 1 version" utilzing the original art used for the cover or the printing plate (and that can be handled by just using redemption coupons). And of course "original sketch covers" featuring hand drawn art by varied artists.

 

Heck, they could take it up a notch and just pre-CGC all books, seal 'em up and sell them in the same mystery styled chase format. That adds a new element to their game. This is not a new concept. The sports trading card business had done this over a decade ago with their "graded" series release (using the Beckett Grading Service (BCGS) which is that hobby's counterpart to CGC).Then they'll (the publishers) have fans/collectors running to the stores, buying 'em in a frenzy, ripping open these polly bagged books to chase the golden ticket... comic store retailers can keep sealed editions (just like how they have back stock of older trading card unopened packs) that retains some sort of value and interest) and the publishers are maintaining addressing the whole "value" prospects to those collectors, investors and gamblers within the hobby.

 

The true fans of the comics and readers will end up benefiting if they just want to read the books since most of those who chase these golden ticket books will quickly discard the common books as trash or in the $1 bins, where collectors can pick 'em up for pennies on the dollar to the original issue price.

 

Wow! A real interesting thought there, imagine Marvel or DC selling 9.8 or 9.9 books? Example Someone pays a little extra to Marvel or DC to make sure they get their highest graded comics.

That would be a game changer in the modern market. Good post.

 

[ignimbrite]

Wait a second.....is Ted Kord coming back!?

 

Did you hear that somewhere? or are you just speculating?

 

According DC's The Source, The same 3 creative teams are coming back on 3 of the Green Lantern books. Instead of Emerald Warriors, Tony Bedard and Tyler Kirkham will launch The New Guardians. There will also be a Red Lantern book as well. I'm releaved they aren't bringing in new creative teams.

 

Complete hopeful Speculation.

[KEY ISSUES Comics]

All stories will be grounded in each character's legend - but will relate to real world situations, interactions, tragedy and triumph.

 

Translates as "we want to be more like Marvel".

 

. Over 50 new costumes will debut in September, many updated and designed by artist Jim Lee, ensuring that the updated images appeal to the current generation of readers.

 

Who the hell are they referring too?

Those who enjoyed MARVEL'S HEROES REBORN. JIM LEE gets to do it to DC now!