DC Universe

The DCnU after 6

/ skoce / Leave a comment

It has now been six months since the DC relaunch, time enough for the shock and the new car smell to wear off, time to get enough issues out to really assess the quality of all of the books. At this point I am relatively satisfied with DC’s offerings. Some of the books have been disappointing, but those books have been offset by a similar number of positive surprises. Because I hate myself, I guess, I … acquired … and read the first six issues of every single one of the New 52. Then I rated them from best to worst. Actually, I’m going to go over them in the opposite order.

52) Hawk and Dove: This series is a mess. I don’t know what hold Leifeld has over DC that they keep giving him books not just to draw but to write, but they really need to put a stop to it. This is an incoherent, ugly comic with absolutely nothing to recommend about it. The original writer Sterling Gates ducked out early, and it only got worse from its miserable first issue.

51)Batman: The Dark Knight: There are two legitimately good Batman books in the relaunch and even the pedestrian Detective Comics is much better than this pile. It seems to be an artist showcase for David Finch, which is baffling because his art is aggressively terrible. He is also writing, or co-writing later, and the story is a muddle. Avoid.

50) The Savage Hawkman: I’ll give the Savage Hawkman credit for at least having interesting, if not especially good, art. But the story is a jumbled mess and Hawkman is still as big a mess as ever. Continue reading →

The Brave and the Bold

/ skoce / 2 Comments

So DC Comics has been making some pretty big news last week, huh?

Personally, I really like the idea. While it may turn out to be just a bigger version of the usual post-event shake up, I think this is a genuine attempt by DC to sell comics to more people than the usual comic book readers. There is overwhelming evidence that the general public not only likes superheroes; they love them. From blockbuster movies to video games to toys to clothes, comic book properties sell just about everything but comic books. DC, a perpetual number 2 in market, appears to have finally decided to bite the bullet and change the way they do things. So whether fans like it or not, DC is re-launching their comic line and pushing hard into the digital sales market. DC might save the dying comic industry with this endeavor, it is just as likely they flame out spectacularly. It is a brave and bold risk.

Fan reaction has been hilarious. It is the sort of petulant, entitled complaints one would expect from “comic book geeks.” (Which are not any worse than other sorts of geeks. For instance, check all the LeBron talk during the recent NBA finals. We are all geeks, the only difference is the subjects of our geekdom.) Not that there haven’t been thoughtful, insightful responses, but many fans are just angry about what DC is doing to their characters. Reading lots of reactions this week tells me that the fan base is septic, reacting to every proposed change with pessimism and bile. Kudos to DC for trying to break free from the anchor currently sinking comics.

Not that I’m convinced it will necessarily be successful. Is the audience actually there of for digital comics? Will DC ruin any chances of success by trying to have their cake and eat it too? This things make this a big risk.

DC’s pricing strategy is the only one that makes sense. People say they will only buy digital if it‘s $.99 , but most of those would probably not buy any no matter the price. But keeping them the same as print to start, 2.99, and dropping to 1.99 after a month is a good compromise. 1.99 is not too much, that is about the same as a bottle of soda.

DC has also claimed that they are actually going to try to market Comics to a wider audience. The Green Lantern App is a good start, but if they are really serious they should put an add in the trailers for the coming Green Lantern movie. With comics being available in more bookstores, like Barnes and Nobel and Hastings, it should be easier than it has in a long time to get comics. I have nothing against comic shops, but if they are the only way to get comics then the comics market will continue to shrink.

When every thing is said and done, though, what really matters is how good the books DC puts out. Below are my thoughts on each and every one of the 52 number ones as well as a quick rating of my interest in each title (Excited, Intrigued, Dubious, or Pass): Continue reading →