DC needs to start moving away from putting Batman in titles

[Nite-Wing]

So normally I wouldn't have an issue with DC trying to take advantage of the bat brand and its immense popularity
Although sometimes it doesn't seem warranted
For instance the Metal event is being called Dark nights: Metal
Okay fine that's about evil versions of Batman attacking the DCU alright I'll cop to that title

Then you have Batman: The white knight
More or less a story where Joker is the protagonist and features more Harley Quinn than Batman as of issue #4
Probably should have been called Joker: The white knight

Then we move onto Batman and the Signal
Alright I get it you want Duke to succeed and just calling the book the signal wouldn't work
Still its about Duke and not Batman

It seems small but putting Batman in every title would guarantee sales but it will also create a lot of confusion
akin to when we used to have 5 batman solos all running at the same time

[DragonPiece]

Is that many people really confused about this to warrant changing not putting batman in the titles? I don't get the metal complaint, more people would buy into a batman book starring than the joker than simply a book called joker: white knight and like you said, batman and the signal helps identify what the book is and will get more readers.

If these are your best examples, I don't think DC needs to stop using Batman in the titles.

[Godlike13]

Or not. People like Batman.

[MajorHoy]

So, in other words . . . DC should stop trying to make money?

[MRP]

It's also for shelving purposes in the retail environment. Many shops shelve books alphabetically, so by putting Batman first in the title, those titles are shelved together to promote cross-purchases by fans of the character. A Joker White Nights book would not be shelved with the Batman books and thus might be missed by potential customers. If you are preordering in a catalog that lists them alphabetically, they will be listed together as well.

It's the same reason why Marvel changed Classic X-Men to X-Men Classic and West Coast Avengers to Avengers West Coast back in the day, so the books would be shelved with the rest of the X-Men and Avengers books respectively. It's not just about exploiting the brand, it's about how the product will be displayed in a retail environment. Especially when they get collected into trades and are outside the direct market on shelves in places like Barnes & Noble etc. where stuff is shelved alphabetically by title.

-M

[Frontier]

I dunno, it doesn't seem anymore bothersome then something like "Batgirl and the Birds of Prey" or "Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps."

Attaching Batman's name to something, by contrast, still seems to sell units .

[Nite-Wing]

So, in other words . . . DC should stop trying to make money?

Would you read a book called Batman: Outsiders rebirth but note its all about the Outsiders besides Bruce
Its a clear sales tactic and a disservice to other characters at some point
Some characters in order to build their own brand need to stand on their own name. Even if they fail its better they fail then cover up that failure with Batman

The White Night example is especially glaring because Joker and Harley have their own brand and can carry a book without Batman in the title

[JasonTodd428]

I don't see what the problem is to be honest and I'm not sure why anyone would be confused by it.

[Osiris-Rex]

Would you read a book called Batman: Outsiders rebirth but note its all about the Outsiders besides Bruce
Its a clear sales tactic and a disservice to other characters at some point

So in other words DC is doing it to make more money than they would otherwise.

Some characters in order to build their own brand need to stand on their own name. Even if they fail its better they fail then cover up that failure with Batman

The White Night example is especially glaring because Joker and Harley have their own brand and can carry a book without Batman in the title

So DC should stop trying to make as much money as possible and instead push other characters that probably won't make as much money on their own.

[millernumber1]

So, in other words . . . DC should stop trying to make money?

Haha. Yup. I'm part of the problem, too - I like seeing Batman in things, and am more likely to buy stuff with him in it. Thus, they keep doing it.

[oasis1313]

I think The Signal should have his own solo title with no "Batman" around.

[Barbatos666]

White Knight really doesn't need Batman in the title, yeah. If DC doesn't have faith in Harley and Joker too then yikes. I never had a problem with it usually but DC is publishing like what? 8 Batman mini series currently? in addition to team books and twice monthly shipping flagships books as well as one shots, special and annuals. Having all these books is just cannibalizing the fanbase. Signal I think really would just benefit from Signal cause Batman readers have 7 other limited series books at the least. Just Signal would atleast standout in a sea of Batmans'.

[skyvolt2000]

I don't see what the problem is to be honest and I'm not sure why anyone would be confused by it.

When you look BIG picture-it's easier to see why it is an issue.


How many unsold Batman books PACK bins and back issues piles in stores? Because store owners over order books.

How many pack used book stores like Half Price books? At half or lower the price.

How many can be found at cheaper prices on Ebay versus stores?

What about grab bags or blind boxes?

I got more owners who are tired of Batman books and they all say the same thing-I end up having too many unsold Batman books. Because everyone who wants them will find them for the price that they are willing to pay for.

So on one hand he sells but he leaves a lot of unsold stuff behind.

And this is not a dig on Batman because this is an issue with many others. To ME it makes no sense for me to bother with the Batman books (Duke is excluded) when they come out. It's cheaper to wait for sales.

So, in other words . . . DC should stop trying to make money?

How does that happen when you have others like Superman?

Not everybody buys Batman. I got a school full of kids who have ZERO interest in reading about Batman. If they are not buying it-shouldn't DC have something else to attract them?

One of the disadvantages of being a top seller is EVERYONE had EASY ACCESS to your books for FREE at the library.

[Daniel22]

I think you make an important point. It does help organization quite a bit to have a book called "Batman and the Signal", sitting right with the other Batman books, as opposed to "The Signal" maybe getting overlooked towards the bottom of the rack or end of the list.

Shelf placement is obviously less important now than in the past, but it still matters a lot. Remember when Image started and McFarlane went from "Spider-Man" to "Spawn", Jim Lee went from "X Men" to "YoungBlood", Larsen went from Spidey to "Savage Dragon", etc.. Those names were not an accident.

I've worked in grocery stores and in a comic book shop, and I was very surprised how much time and money is spent attempting to procure prime shelf real estate in both businesses.

[The Whovian]

Or not. People like Batman.

So, in other words . . . DC should stop trying to make money?

Attaching Batman's name to something, by contrast, still seems to sell units .

Agreed with all of these. Seriously, if you're DC, why would you not use Batman to sell comics? He's a money maker.