DC Unveils All-Star 'Black Label' Imprint

[The Dying Detective]

Not to get too off topic but how is Spider-Man not respectable in your opinion?

It's always crazy to think that so many of these characters started out as random, disposable stories in anthology titles. Although Spider-Gwen had the same beginning, so it does still happen sometimes.

Some have noticed that Spider-Man is being written like a man child at times these days that's why he isn't all that respectable. It really is weird to the humble beginnings of the characters when you consider how iconic they have become. I can't imagine to what demographic Spider-Gwen appeals to though. Too bad now these characters are on the verge of extinction if only there was some genius who can come up with a new way to revive interest in comics.

[PushaMan600]

I'm interested in both of the Batman titles, especially the Frank Miller & John Romita Jr, those two always made a good team.

[MRP]

I believe there is a Jim Lee is quote in the initial article saying something along those lines. Not that they're blatantly trying to create evergreen titles, but he does mention The Killing Joke, Watchmen, etc...

Here's the Jim Lee quote from the article, I added the bold for emphasis.

“Many of our perennially best-selling, critically acclaimed books were produced when we unleashed our top talent on stand-alone, often out-of-continuity projects featuring our most iconic characters, a prime example being Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns,” DC Entertainment co-publisher Jim Lee explained in a statement about the new imprint. “Creating DC Black Label doubles down on our commitment to working with all-star talent and trusting them to tell epic, moving stories that only they can tell with the highest levels of creative freedom.”

Coupled with John Cunningham's comments at the ALA presentation of the Ink and Zoom lines about finding new readers outside the traditional market and creating books that will find audiences outside the direct market, it's not difficult to peer between the lines a little to see that DC is starting to look at what brought them success outside the direct market in the past and looking for ways to extrapolate from that for the current marketplace.

When you broaden your scope from DC a bit, and see Mick Richardson (owner of Dark Horse) say this when asked about Miller's Xerxes project...

There are many reasons contributing to the lag in sales, it’s nothing new or even recent, comic sales have been declining for years. Despite the current market conditions, I expect the comics to do well, after all, this is Frank Miller. But in the end, the real success will come when the work is collected and the graphic novel is released.

source: https://www.bleedingcool.com/2018/03...ke-richardson/

You start to get a sense that publishers are realizing how soft the direct market is, especially in single issue sales overall and are starting to look to the future and where they can find growth and long term revenue streams. When looked at in that persepctive, a lot of the recent DC initiatives start to make a lot more sense and show a vision and a plan behind their development.

-M

[The Dying Detective]

Here's the Jim Lee quote from the article, I added the bold for emphasis.



Coupled with John Cunningham's comments at the ALA presentation of the Ink and Zoom lines about finding new readers outside the traditional market and creating books that will find audiences outside the direct market, it's not difficult to peer between the lines a little to see that DC is starting to look at what brough them success outside the direct market in the past and looking for ways to extrapolate from that for the current marketplace.

When you broaden your scope from DC a bit, and see Mick Richardson (owner of Dark Horse say this when asked aboout Miller's Xerxes project...



source: https://www.bleedingcool.com/2018/03...ke-richardson/

You start to get a sense that publishers are realizing how soft the direct market is, especially in single issue sales overall and are starting to look to the future and where they can find growth and long term revenue streams. When looked at in that persepctive, a lot of the recent DC initiatives start to make a lot more sense and show a vision and a plan behind their development.

-M

How interesting this is going to look to those on YouTube who have been ragging on DC for hiring Bendis and Kelly Sue DeConnick. Because it seems like DC does have a plan to save itself from extinction while Marvel has yet to conceive anything of note except a new relaunch.

[Carabas]

I'm interested in both of the Batman titles, especially the Frank Miller & John Romita Jr, those two always made a good team.

Read it again. Frank Miller isn't getting a Batman book. He's doing Superman.

[SiegePerilous02]

All of these at the very least sound interesting. The only one I'm really hesitant about is Miller on Superman, and I'm hoping Supes gets a second book announced as part of this. Seems unfair that Batman and Wonder Woman get two each. Might as well go all the way with the Trinity. The Wonder Woman ones are by far the ones I'm most interested in.

I'm probably biased as these are my three favorite characters at DC, but it seems pretty obvious why they went with them first for this imprint to get it off the ground: go with your biggest characters that you know will sell and worry about the rest later when you can take more risks with the line. It's not exactly rocket science. And there's also the fact that the creators they nabbed for this may have wanted these characters and have no interest in passing over them, at least not yet. You think DeConnick at all feels like she settled for Wonder Woman and would rather be writing a more obscure character? I imagine she's pretty hyped.

[kurenai24]

It'd be nice if they could find writers who were skilled enough to write more than just Superman, Batman & Wonder Woman.

Maybe the issue is that DC needs to find writers who are interested in writing more then Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman?

If I'm not mistaken, there was a writer who wanted to do something with John Stewart and another who wanted to do something with Cassandra Cain and DC told those writers no.

So from where I sit, DC only want their writers to write for the big characters.

[Carabas]

It'd be nice if they could find writers who were skilled enough to write more than just Superman, Batman & Wonder Woman.

anybody can do a passable Batman, but if you can write Superman and Wonder woman well, then you can write basically anything well. Because those are probably the two DC characters that are the hardest to get right.

[Confuzzled]

Love the return to an Elseworlds type storytelling, but I wish they publish similar prestige creator fuelled standalone stories that are in continuity too.

[Carabas]

Love the return to an Elseworlds type storytelling, but I wish they publish similar prestige creator fuelled standalone stories that are in continuity too.

Oh, I'm sure that if this works even half as good as intended, large parts of these stories will become canon.

[Agent Z]

anybody can do a passable Batman, but if you can write Superman and Wonder woman well, then you can write basically anything well. Because those are probably the two DC characters that are the hardest to get right.

I'd say their issues are more with editorial than with writers. Especially Wonder Woman. Besides it still would be nice for DC to put good writers behind more obscure characters.

[SiegePerilous02]

I'd say their issues are more with editorial than with writers. Especially Wonder Woman. Besides it still would be nice for DC to put good writers behind more obscure characters.

But if writers wanted to do something with more obscure characters, there isn't much preventing them from doing it in the main continuity. The more obscure the character, the more creative freedom they get, and they wouldn't need a whole other line to do it. To get this one off the ground, it makes sense to go with the characters you know are going to sell, at least initially. If this proves successful, they should move on to at least Green Lantern, Flash and Aquaman, if not even further down the line. Hell, they still need to catch up with pushing Superman and Wonder Woman (especially her, and especially now) as much as they do Batman.

There's also the fact that the good writers they get may not want to write more obscure characters in favor of these ones. I doubt Rucka had to have his arm twisted to write a mature reader's Wonder Woman tale.

[Carabas]

I'd say their issues are more with editorial than with writers. Especially Wonder Woman. Besides it still would be nice for DC to put good writers behind more obscure characters.

Looking at the solicitation I can see Jeff Lemire on The Terrifics, Dan Abnett on The Silencer, Neal Adams on Deadman, Tony Isabella on Black Lightning, Christopher Priest on Deathstroke, WARREN ELLIS on The Wild Storm, and, uhm, Garth Ennis on Dastardly & Muttley, with Bill Sienkiewicz cover? Really? DC, what are you smoking?

But like SiegePerilous02 said, the A-list talent will write whatever characters they want to write. DC isn't putting Bendis on Doom Patrol when he has his mindset on Superman.

[Agent Z]

Looking at the solicitation I can see Jeff Lemire on The Terrifics, Dan Abnett on The Silencer, Neal Adams on Deadman, Tony Isabella on Black Lightning, Christopher Priest on Deathstroke, WARREN ELLIS on The Wild Storm, and, uhm, Garth Ennis on Dastardly & Muttley, with Bill Sienkiewicz cover? Really? DC, what are you smoking?

But like SiegePerilous02 said, the A-list talent will write whatever characters they want to write. DC isn't putting Bendis on Doom Patrol when he has his mindset on Superman.

I guess. Then again, after hearing how even Gail Simone and Grant Morrison were forbidden from using certain characters, I'm not sure what to expect anymore.

[Frontier]

If I'm not mistaken, there was a writer who wanted to do something with John Stewart and another who wanted to do something with Cassandra Cain and DC told those writers no.

So from where I sit, DC only want their writers to write for the big characters.

DC has a history of dictating what characters writers can or cannot used but I doubt Kelly Sue DeConnick, Greg Rucka, Frank Miller, Scott Snyder, or Brian Azzarello would be involved in this if DC had to force them to use certain characters rather then ones they want to write.