DC UNIVERSE ENDING - AND THEN RESTARTING?!

[sd2416]

How many ongoing titles does DC have going now, before the relaunch/reboot/restart/alternate world thingy they are doing in September?

[Ares]

How many ongoing titles does DC have going now, before the relaunch/reboot/restart/alternate world thingy they are doing in September?

 

I think its 36

[Shaven Kev-migration]

Im not a DC guy...I was into some vertigo books that ended like Sandman, Swamp Thing and Animal Man. I'm reading Flashpoint and coming back for Swamp Thing and Animal Man for sure (even though I think they might get canceled in 12-24 issues). I'm also thinking about checking out some of the new #1s based on the creative teams more than anything else. So its not impossible that Its going to bring in some new readers.

[LarrysComics]

It's interesting to see what the most miserable collectors in the Hobby think about DC's historic relaunch. If I read you all correctly, everything Sucks.

Again.

 

Ha!

 

 

Fruitcakes.

 

Larry Doherty

Larry's Wonderful, Wonderful World of Comics n such.

603-944-1176 cell

larryscomicsinc@aol.com

 

http://larryscomics.net

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[seank]

It's interesting to see what the most miserable collectors in the Hobby think about DC's historic relaunch. If I read you all correctly, everything Sucks.

Again.

 

Fruitcakes.

 

(spam snipped)

 

There's quite a few books in the DC relaunch I'm looking forward to -- Sgt. Rock, Catwoman, Hawkman -- and I'm very happy to see Barbara Gordon returning as Batgirl. My initial dismay has changed to anticipation. No misery here, trollboy.

[sd2416]

I just realized that Voodoo has the character from WildC.A.T.S. in it.

[Boozad]

It's interesting to see what the most miserable collectors in the Hobby think about DC's historic relaunch. If I read you all correctly, everything Sucks.

Again.

 

Ha!

 

Fruitcakes.

 

Hey up tool, threatened anyone who doesn't agree with you lately?

[TheLiamSturgess]

It's interesting to see what the most miserable collectors in the Hobby think about DC's historic relaunch. If I read you all correctly, everything Sucks.

Again.

 

Ha!

 

Fruitcakes.

 

Hey up tool, threatened anyone who doesn't agree with you lately?

 

[UnRested Spectre]

Utter bollocks. This makes me feel like dropping DC altogether, but then I wouldn't be buying any comics at all.

Hiyo!

 

For once, I truly and sorely agree with you and have already taking the steps to do so... though this gives me the out to fully go buck-wild in getting all the back-issues DC Comics I have missed out on!

 

P.S.

Would have never happen if Dan Didio was replaced by Grant Morrison after Final Crisis... ANTI-LIFE JUSTIFIES THIS STATEMENT!

[sd2416]

From DC Women Kicking blog

 

DC tells retailers that only certain storylines getting rebooted

 

I’ve been reading with interest Bleeding Cool’s coverage of the DC Roadshow that took place in Burbank this week. And the more I read the more confused/frustrated I get. This is from Cape Town comics:

 

The presenters also assured us that the current stories still matter. On August 31st, the only two DC books being published will be Flashpoint #5 and Justice League #1 and you WILL want to read Flashpoint #5 first. There is a definite link between the end of Flashpoint and the beginning of “The New 52.” Additionally, the company’s most successful books currently, most notably the Batman and Green Lantern family of titles, will be continuing directly from their current storylines with little to no interruption. Another book they mentioned changing very little was Green Arrow. While some of the characters in these books may be in slightly different situations and/or costumes and be slightly younger or more inexperienced than they were in August, the storylines will remain intact.

 

So it’s not a complete boot to the universe, but a pick’m or ditch’m approach?

 

And what is their vision for all of this? Another blogger writes:

 

To set the mood, the “story” Dan Didio and Jim Lee were “selling” was that the DC executive team took a look at the comic book marketplace and saw that it was shrinking. The fact that no titles were selling 100,000 copies was a wake up call. They decided to do something bold and drastic to help and turn the tide. The solution they came up was an interesting one, especially considering Jim Lee’s background. The solution, Didio said, was to quit doing boring, talking head comics. To bring excitement and action back to the stands — without coming out and saying it, the implication was that DC needed to become 1990s Image Comics.

 

Back to the future, huh? Oh and those “new readers” - they are targeting 18-34 year olds. They didn’t mention anything beyond that demographic.

 

I hope someone at one of the roadshows asks if they are going to be targeting female readers. I’d love to know whether they’re a pick’m or ditch’m?

 

Here is a good article about the orders/return process

 

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2011/06/02/dc-relaunch-not-a-reboot-holding-the-line-variants-72-discounts/

 

With The New DCU – the September launch of our 52 #1s – we have created an event that we believe will generate unprecedented buzz, and, more importantly, unprecedented sales results for you. This is a shock to the system, no question, but we have the quality stories and the unrivaled sales/marketing support and the increased public attention to help you best absorb that shock and profit from it.

 

As a follow-up to my first letter, we wanted to provide some immediate specifics on September:

 

CONTENT

We know that you want more details on the creative teams and their title-by-title assignments for the launch. . (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.) We will send you an e-mail with more creative details next week, as a teaser in advance of the solicitation copy for Previews going live on the 13th. Once solicit copy is released, we will be sending you a short introductory video, starring our creators and our content. We will also be taking this act on the road, for a series of retailer meetings in markets including New York, Dallas/Fort Worth, Baltimore, Chicago, and Los Angeles, during the days leading up to the release of the physical Previews catalog. Stay tuned for more details, and send us a note to make sure you’re on the invite list.

 

DIGITAL

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!

 

Additionally, we will be offering you an additional special “combo pack” for Justice League. This is a Diamond-exclusive $4.99 physical polybagged JUSTICE LEAGUE comic which will contain a redemption code for a digital copy on the inside cover. So consumers will have three main ways to read Justice League beginning August 31st – $3.99 physical, the $4.99 combo pack, and $3.99 digital. As mentioned above, after four weeks the digital-only price drops to $2.99, per our standard price for oversized digital titles.

 

INCENTIVES

For optimal sales impact, each of our 52 titles will have one of three distinct incentives:

 

a) Variants

For variants, we chose our core iconic titles, the ones that you tell us your consumers want most. And of course, we sought out those titles with the most compelling visuals. At a minimum, this variant plan will be offered for September, October, and November. We will be offering variants on five different titles, with at least one each week.

 

· 1:25 variant

JUSTICE LEAGUE #1 - 8/31 in-store. This cover will have a 1:25 ordering incentive.

 

· Weekly targeted variant

FLASH #1 - 9/28 in-store. Retailers may order at FOC up to as many copies of the FLASH #1 variant as were ordered at FOC of their lowest-ordered DCU title for the 9/28 in-store week. (This is an example; each week will feature a title with a variant following this incentive pattern.)

 

b) Deep Discounting

For deeper discounts, we chose to spotlight potential break-out titles which can help you focus your staff and your customers. Books that have a compelling creator, an obvious jumping-on point for your readers, etc. We will be offering an additional 15% discount on six different titles for orders placed by FOC, effectively giving you a 50% to 72% discount spread, instead of our normal 35% to 57% spread. At a minimum, this deep discounting will be offered for September, October, and November. The lead title is WONDER WOMAN with five others that will be announced next week.

 

c) Returnability

We are backing up our commitment to you and this launch, by putting our copies where are mouths are. We will be offering 100% Returnability on all of the remaining 41 titles. Returnability across the rest of the 52 allows the breadth of these titles to get their fair chance with your consumers. This comes with a qualifier – your total post-FOC September orders in dollars for DC periodicals must be 125% or more of your May post-FOC orders for DC periodicals.

 

As with prior returnable programs, qualifying retailers will be required to return stripped covers from the returnable issues along with an affidavit of destruction to Diamond Comic Distributors at a date to be named later. Retailers will then be issued credit for each copy, minus 10% of the cover price. At a minimum, this returnability program will be offered for September, October, and November.

 

Call or e-mail me or my team with any questions.

 

Thank you for your enthusiasm, your patience, and your partnership. Come make history with us!

 

Bob Wayne

 

DC COMICS