You are the new EIC, what would YOU do?

[Superfly Frankenstein]

Totally an imaginary story, but let’s say the powers that be have put YOU in charge of the inner workings of the DC Universe. You get to decide basic foundations and how certain things are being handled. Also, your job is to find a way to sale more units than Marvel and expand what works while decreasing what don’t. What would you do?

For example: I’ll start with my ideas.

There would obviously be different spokes in the wheel of the universe.

The first spoke I would deal with is the Superman side. Bendis just started, so let him do his thing and see how it turns out, but I would ask him to kinda expand things. He keeps the two flagship titles, but give us more. Utilize other characters. Give us an anthology book that focuses on people like Steel, Guardian, maybe bring back Gangbuster. Make it DC Comics Presents . Shunt Jon back and forth through time. He can spend some time in the present and have him be in the future too with Superboy and the Legion of Superheroes. Keep Kon in Young Justice with a possible solo in the future.

Now, Batman. Let’s go back to right before New 52. There are two Batmen. One is Bruce, who deals with the more dark, detective work as well as JLA work and some overseas stuff, much like Batman Inc. Then you have Dick palling around with Damian as Batman and Robin. Keep Tomasi and King in charge of storytelling. Bruce keeps Batman and Detective while Dick and Damian gets Batman and Robin. Also, let’s have a Red Hood title as is and maybe transform Tim into Nightwing and keep him in Young Justice while Damian still leads Teen Titans. And of course Batgirls. Batgirls has Oracle back but with Cassandra and Steph in the batgirl suits.

Justice League corner: We keep the same brain trust and line ups in JL, JLD and JLO. We also launch a well needed JLI. Have Booster, TED, Fire, Ice, Shazam, Crimson Fox, Mr Miracle and Big Barda. Also, a JLA title featuring Steel, Green Arrow, Black Canary, Vixen, Atom and Hawkman.

WonderWoman keeps her title as well as Aquaman, Morrison keeps Green Lantern, and we get s GLC book with Guy in the lead. We have Flash with Williamson in the lead, but also an All Flash book.

We got Titans, Teen Titans, a new JSA book, Shazam and all the Wonder Comics titles and other pop ups.

Still got the titles that are around now like Batman Beyond, Deathstroke,etc.

We get a Worlds Finest with Supes and Bats. We get Brave and Bold as Batman team up. Give us a Firestorm book, Martian Manhunter, a Showcase title with alternating stories and heroes.

Also, by 2020, I would mandate a flowing, connected and non confusing timeline.

Now, what do you think and what would you do?

[Jon Clark]

Well the first thing is that I am not making books to appeal to anyone on these boards. No offense, but I think anyone making creative decisions needs to decide which they are going to follow- their own ideas or the market. And unfortunately I'm the one with the job so I'm making books I want to read and trusting that the sales will follow.


As I've stated in other places, my idea would be to semi-revive the multiverse. Put out different imprints each set in a different universe with trade dress to distinguish each.

A line set on a Legacy Earth (think the original Earth 2 idea) where heroes have been around since 1938 and there can be books set at any point in DC's history (though starting off we'd limit it to either the 1940's or 2019). Another line set in the current DCU. And a third line set in a new universe where readers are in on the ground floor of a universe,

So the Gold line would focus on the JSA for the most part, at least in the beginning. A JSA title set in 2019 featuring a generation past the Infinitors. A Society book focusing on the team in the Golden Age. Everthing else from this line would be one-shots or mini-series (no more than 12 issues long) either featuring members of the team in solo/team-up tales or filling in bits of history between the main titles that spin out of those books.

The Main line would be the classic JLA and Titans and most solo hero books.

The DC Tommorow line would be a dozen mini-series set up to establish new versions of the heroes as if it were 1956 again. So just as Barry Allen was a reworking of the Jay Garrick Flash, we might have Emma Randall as a single mother who discovers she has the ability to move at fantastic speeds becoming the Flash of this new line or Sam Carver who finds a lantern that enables him to reshape matter and becomes the Green Lantern. We also might see a Clark Kent who uses his amazing powers to become a public hero and media star known as Superman. The only limits would be that once a story is told, it is set in stone (There won't be multiple takes on a new Batman or introducing a version of Bruce Wayne in say a Superman story that won't match up with the one later starring as Batman). Once we get Three or Four successful relaunches we'd create a new (but differently named) version of the League as the first on-going monthly with successful characters getting their own continuing books as time goes on.

[Miles To Go]

I kind of like the model used for Doomsday Clock...place an event one year in the future and build to it through the comics, that way you don't necessarily drift aimlessly, so I'd make that an annual thing.

[Robanker]

If I could swing it by top brass to ensure they don't screw the initiative halfway through, I'd make an open promise to readers that we're going to give the events a rest for one year and see if those sales can transfer to other books. No weekly series, no big gimmick books to cash in on an election or something. Just the usual books and minis focusing on properties that can't sustain monthlies. If the rest of the line's sales rise because fan's entertainment dollars don't go elsewhere, we'll reduce our big event books overall. If it fails, that will provide invaluable data that, essentially, fans need a gun to most character's heads to pick their books up and the event books are here to stay.

Other than that, I'd make it clear to creators that we're not trying to have a house style to our stories, and they can pitch dark, fun, light or whatever they feel will make for the best story. I'd remove limitations on things such as relationships, legacies and the like. If it doesn't fit our current DCU, we just wouldn't write about it. Do we only want one Flash? Just write about Barry. Wally can be in Keystone and doing his own thing, we just won't follow him for a while. Too many GLs? Space is a huge place. They're doing something, maybe in a mini.

You'll notice I'm not marking creative changes. I don't think heavyhanded editorial telling writers "get this character to point A, kill characters B, C and D" is the right way to go. We'd have some things we wouldn't change (Clark Kent is Superman, The Waynes were good people who got shot in an alley, etc), but editorially-driven hit pieces and events don't usually get one over on the readership and just lead to reader fatigue.

Additive is the way to go. Build the universe. Don't shrink it and your fanbase alongside that.

[Ascended]

First things I'd do?

Find ways to break into new demographics with new distribution models, release schedules, the whole thing. Recruit hard from outside the industry to bring new voices to the table. Then take a hard, long look at the company's long-term options and push as hard as possible to reach that potential. I feel like the industry is too focused on short term gains. With comics selling like they do I understand why, but if you can't plan for the future you'll never have one. And they are way too insular; working in comics is an exclusive club that is really hard to join and it's killing the talent pool.

My goal would be to have the way DC comics are created, shipped, consumed, and viewed totally changed by 2021. I'm talking strong push into digital spheres (not just Comixology), regular in-continuity OGN's pushed in bookstores away from the "spinner racks" and a few other formats that would take too long to get into here, with additions to the digital experience beyond just scanning panels into a computer and putting them into a slideshow. I got tons of ideas for this but I'll keep them to myself since I'm actually working towards that kind of cross-media format with my own project.

I'd change the entire DC webpage. Last time I visited that site it was horrid. I'd make that site the center of the DCU and include fun extras like articles written by Lois Lane, interviews with Booster Gold, live-action reporting done by Amy Adams and whoever it is who plays Linda Park or Iris on the CW shows (I dont watch them anymore so I dunno what's up there), all done in-character of course. As well as exclusive previews and interviews and all manner of junk. Visiting the DC site should be like stepping into the DC Universe itself and I wouldn't be happy until that happens. I might even shut the whole thing down for a couple days with a "site unavailable due to Crisis Event" put on screen to hype a new big story. (probably not but it'd be a fun gimmick to think about trying).

I'd try to work a deal with the larger media stuff like the movies, cartoons, and games, to advertise the comics during their air time. Man, I'd need to spend so much money those first few years I'd give WB execs high blood pressure, but I could make the DC logo matter again if they let me invest in the IP's and the brand. And that's smart investment; DC's biggest names are so huge and have been such a staple of our culture for so long we're basically born knowing who the Trinity is.

I could write a whole marketing plan on this, but CBR isn't really the place for those details.

From the creative end of things.....I'm the EiC; I dont have time to govern how each single book is written or what direction they go in. But I'd make it a big part of my first year in the position to bring in talent from beyond the usual crowd. Authors like Steven King and JK Rowling, musicians with a love for the IP's and/or medium, unknowns hanging about DeviantArt hoping to break big, actors who can also write (I hear Ed Norton did a lot of re-writes to Incredible Hulk, for example). I'd try to get new, fresh voices on the books and the characters and then hype the hell out of it. These big names from beyond comic circles would bring their own fans to the projects, and hopefully some of those fans would stick around.

The only caveat to that is Nightwing and Superman. Nightwing's an IP with tons of growth potential and one of the highest sales floors in the industry that I know of. I'd ensure that Dick Grayson got his due. And Superman wouldn't be treated like an afterthought anymore either. And I'd just try to hand Wonder Woman over to Patty Jenkins and call it a day.

Honestly, I'd probably piss off all of you. Given how badly things like same-day-digital went over with us hardcore established fans (we all hate change no matter what) I'm not sure if me being in charge of DC on any level is something you guys would want. But I'm pretty sure I could bring in a whole new generation of fans to replace us.

[superduperman]

First thing I'd do is have Olsen get me a coffee!

Bring back the JSA. All Star Squadron. Full on WW2 era title.

JSA. Legacy characters. Including PG. Not sure what her history will be yet but I want her there. Probably refugee from another universe where she took over for Superman.

Tales of the Multiverse. An anthology title that showcases different universes from around the multiverse. Creators will have pretty much free reign to do whatever they want here.

New Teen Titans with Conner and Tim and Cassie as the trinity of that group. With Cyborg and Nightwing and Starfire in mentor roles.

New Superman origin. I'm sick of this waiting for years to clear this up.

I'd keep Bendis on the main books. If for no other reason than I like his idea of one "down-to-Earth" book and one cosmic book approach.

Keep Supersons. I like this concept. Jon would show up here probably more than the main books.

New Legion book with a teenage Jon as Superboy.

[Robanker]

First things I'd do?

Find ways to break into new demographics with new distribution models, release schedules, the whole thing. Recruit hard from outside the industry to bring new voices to the table. Then take a hard, long look at the company's long-term options and push as hard as possible to reach that potential. I feel like the industry is too focused on short term gains. With comics selling like they do I understand why, but if you can't plan for the future you'll never have one. And they are way too insular; working in comics is an exclusive club that is really hard to join and it's killing the talent pool.

My goal would be to have the way DC comics are created, shipped, consumed, and viewed totally changed by 2021. I'm talking strong push into digital spheres (not just Comixology), regular in-continuity OGN's pushed in bookstores away from the "spinner racks" and a few other formats that would take too long to get into here, with additions to the digital experience beyond just scanning panels into a computer and putting them into a slideshow. I got tons of ideas for this but I'll keep them to myself since I'm actually working towards that kind of cross-media format with my own project.

I'd change the entire DC webpage. Last time I visited that site it was horrid. I'd make that site the center of the DCU and include fun extras like articles written by Lois Lane, interviews with Booster Gold, live-action reporting done by Amy Adams and whoever it is who plays Linda Park or Iris on the CW shows (I dont watch them anymore so I dunno what's up there), all done in-character of course. As well as exclusive previews and interviews and all manner of junk. Visiting the DC site should be like stepping into the DC Universe itself and I wouldn't be happy until that happens. I might even shut the whole thing down for a couple days with a "site unavailable due to Crisis Event" put on screen to hype a new big story. (probably not but it'd be a fun gimmick to think about trying).

I'd try to work a deal with the larger media stuff like the movies, cartoons, and games, to advertise the comics during their air time. Man, I'd need to spend so much money those first few years I'd give WB execs high blood pressure, but I could make the DC logo matter again if they let me invest in the IP's and the brand. And that's smart investment; DC's biggest names are so huge and have been such a staple of our culture for so long we're basically born knowing who the Trinity is.

I could write a whole marketing plan on this, but CBR isn't really the place for those details.

From the creative end of things.....I'm the EiC; I dont have time to govern how each single book is written or what direction they go in. But I'd make it a big part of my first year in the position to bring in talent from beyond the usual crowd. Authors like Steven King and JK Rowling, musicians with a love for the IP's and/or medium, unknowns hanging about DeviantArt hoping to break big, actors who can also write (I hear Ed Norton did a lot of re-writes to Incredible Hulk, for example). I'd try to get new, fresh voices on the books and the characters and then hype the hell out of it. These big names from beyond comic circles would bring their own fans to the projects, and hopefully some of those fans would stick around.

The only caveat to that is Nightwing and Superman. Nightwing's an IP with tons of growth potential and one of the highest sales floors in the industry that I know of. I'd ensure that Dick Grayson got his due. And Superman wouldn't be treated like an afterthought anymore either. And I'd just try to hand Wonder Woman over to Patty Jenkins and call it a day.

Honestly, I'd probably piss off all of you. Given how badly things like same-day-digital went over with us hardcore established fans (we all hate change no matter what) I'm not sure if me being in charge of DC on any level is something you guys would want. But I'm pretty sure I could bring in a whole new generation of fans to replace us.

I'm with you on some of those fronts, and despite how I drag my feet on digital (I'll always prefer print), I absolutely believe the industry needs to embrace it further. Digital exclusive series should not be a dirty word! A digital mini for, say, the Metal Men can save a lot of money on print and allow other low-selling IPs to move units. If it kills in digital, release it in print or just as a trade!