After decades trailing behind Marvel Comics in sales of monthly titles, DC, the grandaddy of comic companies and arguably home of the most familiar super hero characters is back on top!
I reported a few months ago that DC was wiping all history and continuity from their 70 plus years and starting over fresh and brand new with their titles even starting all titles over with new #1s. Robert and I have been crawling all over the new offerings for three months now and there is a lot to like... a whole lot to like. But before I was prepared to discuss them here, I wanted to know if the new beginning had any effect outside of my tablet. Wow, has it ever! DC now accounts for more than HALF of all comics sold by ANY publisher. Also, in the third month, when sales were expected to drop dramatically, DC now commands 17 of the top 20 titles sold and they keep selling out all issue runs, some going back to press as many as 4 times!
This is unprecedented in a world where all comics publishers have seen decreases month to month for almost 15 years. DCs intention was to open up their universe to new young readers by giving them a place to jump on and the ability to read these stories on their iPads and tablets, phones or computers as well as the traditional print version. While it remains to be seen how many new readers were brought in, it is pretty clear that many (like myself) who left comics years ago are coming back... and in droves. In a curious twist, in our family it is the technologically savvy Robert who prefers his super hero goodness on paper and ink while I only read my books on my tablet!
But how about the books? Having just gotten back into reading comics and Robert having just started reading them consistently month to month, we both had reservations about how DC could do this as well as whether they should have done this. DC stated over and over that this was a complete line wide refresh and a jumping on point for new readers. Then out of the side of their mouths they started saying that some titles would be little different than they were before and then leaked that some titles would even retain a lot of their previous continuity. Didn't sound so much like a fresh restart anymore.
No worries. Prior to this restart, DCs two best selling monthly book properties where the Batman books and the Green Lantern books. There was a lot of complex storytelling going on here and the fans were liking it, so why change what was working? And I have to agree. I am not a Green Lantern reader but I devour anything Batman (and have for forty years!)
But what of the others? I have to admit that this reboot made me realize just how much change was overdue for Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Arrow and the rest. These characters were tired and predictable with decades of continuity that actually pulled them down. Fresh origins, new storytellers and artists with new visions have made these characters and their books exciting again! Grant Morrison and George Perez have created a Superman relevant to our times who more resembles the character's creators efforts from the 1930s. Wonder Woman, who always had a mythology backdrop is now immersed in it. Green Arrow is much more of a costumed James Bond. Best of all has to be Aquaman, the perennial King of the Seas joke in the DC universe who now eats at seafood restaurants and proclaims that "I don't talk to fish!" If this isn't my favorite title I'm currently reading, I don't know what is... and I've never been visibly happy about reading an Aquaman adventure! And as mentioned before, all my Batman books are still intact and in many ways even better than before. If Bruce Wayne is doing something in this book, there might be a reference to it in this other one. Dick Grayson is just passing through this title while on his way to this other one. You believe that these characters all exist in the same universe!
But the biggest surprise may be that the new DC universe is less about super heroes than it was before. Many titles have no spandex or capes in sight and are much more concerned with combat or the occult... and even the return of the Western! One of my favorite new books is Voodoo which is very much like Men In Black in reverse! Demon Knights is comprised of nearly a dozen old DC characters from the Middle Ages. Men of War updates the old Sergeant Rock and brings him into the 21st century. All Star Western features tales of Jonah Hex with some surprising links to the present day DC universe. And much more...
DC comics rebirth has been a success on many levels and appears to have some staying power. Stay tuned for additional progress reports in the next few months.
I reported a few months ago that DC was wiping all history and continuity from their 70 plus years and starting over fresh and brand new with their titles even starting all titles over with new #1s. Robert and I have been crawling all over the new offerings for three months now and there is a lot to like... a whole lot to like. But before I was prepared to discuss them here, I wanted to know if the new beginning had any effect outside of my tablet. Wow, has it ever! DC now accounts for more than HALF of all comics sold by ANY publisher. Also, in the third month, when sales were expected to drop dramatically, DC now commands 17 of the top 20 titles sold and they keep selling out all issue runs, some going back to press as many as 4 times!
This is unprecedented in a world where all comics publishers have seen decreases month to month for almost 15 years. DCs intention was to open up their universe to new young readers by giving them a place to jump on and the ability to read these stories on their iPads and tablets, phones or computers as well as the traditional print version. While it remains to be seen how many new readers were brought in, it is pretty clear that many (like myself) who left comics years ago are coming back... and in droves. In a curious twist, in our family it is the technologically savvy Robert who prefers his super hero goodness on paper and ink while I only read my books on my tablet!
But how about the books? Having just gotten back into reading comics and Robert having just started reading them consistently month to month, we both had reservations about how DC could do this as well as whether they should have done this. DC stated over and over that this was a complete line wide refresh and a jumping on point for new readers. Then out of the side of their mouths they started saying that some titles would be little different than they were before and then leaked that some titles would even retain a lot of their previous continuity. Didn't sound so much like a fresh restart anymore.
No worries. Prior to this restart, DCs two best selling monthly book properties where the Batman books and the Green Lantern books. There was a lot of complex storytelling going on here and the fans were liking it, so why change what was working? And I have to agree. I am not a Green Lantern reader but I devour anything Batman (and have for forty years!)
But what of the others? I have to admit that this reboot made me realize just how much change was overdue for Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Arrow and the rest. These characters were tired and predictable with decades of continuity that actually pulled them down. Fresh origins, new storytellers and artists with new visions have made these characters and their books exciting again! Grant Morrison and George Perez have created a Superman relevant to our times who more resembles the character's creators efforts from the 1930s. Wonder Woman, who always had a mythology backdrop is now immersed in it. Green Arrow is much more of a costumed James Bond. Best of all has to be Aquaman, the perennial King of the Seas joke in the DC universe who now eats at seafood restaurants and proclaims that "I don't talk to fish!" If this isn't my favorite title I'm currently reading, I don't know what is... and I've never been visibly happy about reading an Aquaman adventure! And as mentioned before, all my Batman books are still intact and in many ways even better than before. If Bruce Wayne is doing something in this book, there might be a reference to it in this other one. Dick Grayson is just passing through this title while on his way to this other one. You believe that these characters all exist in the same universe!
But the biggest surprise may be that the new DC universe is less about super heroes than it was before. Many titles have no spandex or capes in sight and are much more concerned with combat or the occult... and even the return of the Western! One of my favorite new books is Voodoo which is very much like Men In Black in reverse! Demon Knights is comprised of nearly a dozen old DC characters from the Middle Ages. Men of War updates the old Sergeant Rock and brings him into the 21st century. All Star Western features tales of Jonah Hex with some surprising links to the present day DC universe. And much more...
DC comics rebirth has been a success on many levels and appears to have some staying power. Stay tuned for additional progress reports in the next few months.
