Possible major changes coming from DC Comics

[Korath]

Damn, if it's true we can kiss goodbye to The Silencer and The Terrifics pretty soon I guess. And my hope of having an Electric Warrior's ongoing, and an actual Duke Thomas one too...

[Somecrazyaussie]

To be honest, I wouldn't mind a cull. I don't wish to see titles cancelled as there are people who genuinely enjoy them, but too many titles just feel rudderless at the moment. I am a big Green Arrow and Titans fan. However the former has been lacking since Percy left and the latter has been neutered beyond belief. So the fact both are being rested is welcome news.

A character should only receive an ongoing when a creative team comes along who: A) Actually WANT to write that character/s, B) Have a genuine long-term plan for said character or C) they are a guaranteed seller. Otherwise it is best to just mini-series periodically (which I often am more inclined to try as I can budget for them and it is a short-term commitment.)

22 titles seems to be rather modest. But the article over on BC stresses the fact that number doesn't include the other titles being published under other imprints. Instead, they will be published alongside the (reported) 22 titles. So where does that leave us? Obviously Detective, Action, Batman, Justice League,
Superman and Wonder Woman are safe. Flash likely is as well. That is 7 titles right there. Which leaves 15 others left to be filled.

DC has a few options which boil down to being -

• Restricting certain characters to mini-series and appearances.
• Producing anthology titles with stories for characters who can't hold ongoings long-term (maybe something similar to MCP over at Marvel.)
• Grouping characters together and producing a series of team books with said characters (JLA only came into being so consumers could buy one title with all the characters rather than buying multiple ongoings.)

All have pros and cons. Yet all are perfectly viable options moving forward.

[Yoda]

To be honest, I wouldn't mind a cull. I don't wish to see titles cancelled as there are people who genuinely enjoy them, but too many titles just feel rudderless at the moment. I am a big Green Arrow and Titans fan. However the former has been lacking since Percy left and the latter has been neutered beyond belief. So the fact both are being rested is welcome news.

A character should only receive an ongoing when a creative team comes along who: A) Actually WANT to write that character/s, B) Have a genuine long-term plan for said character or C) they are a guaranteed seller. Otherwise it is best to just mini-series periodically (which I often am more inclined to try as I can budget for them and it is a short-term commitment.)

22 titles seems to be rather modest. But the article over on BC stresses the fact that number doesn't include the other titles being published under other imprints. Instead, they will be published alongside the (reported) 22 titles. So where does that leave us? Obviously Detective, Action, Batman, Justice League,
Superman and Wonder Woman are safe. Flash likely is as well. That is 7 titles right there. Which leaves 15 others left to be filled.

DC has a few options which boil down to being -

• Restricting certain characters to mini-series and appearances.
• Producing anthology titles with stories for characters who can't hold ongoings long-term (maybe something similar to MCP over at Marvel.)
• Grouping characters together and producing a series of team books with said characters (JLA only came into being so consumers could buy one title with all the characters rather than buying multiple ongoings.)

All have pros and cons. Yet all are perfectly viable options moving forward.

Action Comics and Detective Comics should both be turned into Superfamily and Batfamily books. Fold books that have trouble staying above cancellation like Supergirl, Nightwing, Batgirl, etc. into that and expand it to include more characters. Action should run with like a 15 page Superman story as it's lead and then a 10-15 page backup that features Supergirl, Superboy, Lois, or Jimmy Olsen that ties into the main narrative somehow. Give each character a 2-4 part story as a backup and rotate in another. But keep solid talent on them. Look at how many awesome stories have shown up in these quarterly DC holiday books recently. Same with Detective Comics. It'd probably pull in more readers from those individual books, and keep Detective and Action higher up the charts.

[Comic-Reader Lad]

Always lots of juicy gossip to be found in the comics industry, isn't there?

Anyway, Rich Johnson also says in the article:

Whatever is happening, look to the upcoming ComicsPRO comics retailer meet next week in Charlotte, North Carolina to set the scene. Looks like the January statistics have been delayed until then as well. DC Comics publisher Dan DiDio will be attending and he will have a lot to tell the assembled retailers.

So, we may have more definitive details (or at least more juicy gossip) following this retailer meeting. I'm sure there will be a lot of spin and damage control on DC's part, especially as DC is reportedly planning more non-Direct Market comics, but hopefully the retailers will ask good questions and the answers will allow some reading between the corporate lines.


And if it is true that DC will be scaling back to 22 superhero titles a month, that'll not only put the end to the New Age of Heroes (which wasn't long for this world, anyway), but perhaps also all the popup imprints that DC has. In other words, no return of Young Animal, and the end of Bendis' Wonder Comics, not to mention Geoff Johns' imprint never getting off the ground.

If these imprints do stick around, then look for some mainstream superhero titles like Deathstroke and Suicide Squad to get cut.

Either way, the next few months promise to be very interesting.

[Frontier]

I dunno.

Condensing the line just worries me because it tells me that we'll see even more characters and properties go into limbo and probably not get the time of day for a good long while more. I'm not sure if 22 comics can do justice to an entire comic universe.

Who wants to bet that, of those 22-series, Legion and JSA aren't one of them? Unless they fall under one of the other active imprints.

[The Kid]

I dunno.

Condensing the line just worries me because it tells me that we'll see even more characters and properties go into limbo and probably not get the time of day for a good long while more. I'm not sure if 22 comics can do justice to an entire comic universe.

Who wants to bet that, of those 22-series, Legion and JSA aren't one of them? Unless they fall under one of the other active imprints.

Yea this is pretty worrying

[Digifiend]

Pretty much, 22 ongoings plus minis, maxis, event books, other imprint books. Not really much of a difference. All I see happening is all ongoings below the 20000 mark getting prepped for cancellation.

I counted 25 ongoings last month, but we know three of them (Suicide Squad, Titans, and Green Arrow) are cancelled.

1. Batman
2. Detective Comics
3. Superman
4. Action Comics
5. Supergirl
6. Nightwing
7. Batgirl
8. Harley Quinn
9. Flash
10. Green Lantern
11. Teen Titans
12. Deathstroke
13. Justice League
14. Justice League Dark
15. Justice League Odyssey
16. Aquaman
17. Catwoman
18. Shazam
19. Wonder Woman
20. Red Hood
21. Hawkman
22. Batman Beyond
23. Suicide Squad
24. Green Arrow
25. Titans

That's ongoings only, and doesn't include imprints such as New Age of Heroes and Wonder Comics.

[Godlike13]

Thats probably be were the rumors originated from, that come may they are only going to be publishing 22 ongoings.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

While this would mean there'd be a lot less people employed by DC, I have no problem with trimming the number of titles put out monthly if it means quality over quantity.

My concern would be that we'd get far less experimentation.

The expansion of the Wallmart and Target market is interesting. Glad to hear it seems to be accomplishing its goal of expanding the audience.

[Frontier]

While this would mean there'd be a lot less people employed by DC, I have no problem with trimming the number of titles put out monthly if it means quality over quantity.

My concern would be that we'd get far less experimentation.

The expansion of the Wallmart and Target market is interesting. Glad to hear it seems to be accomplishing its goal of expanding the audience.

I think the idea of less experimentation is worrisome, but I also think the issue of characterfocus and slimming down will also be an issue.

I don't think it will help the criticism that DC only really focuses on the same major characters and teams again and again to the point where they're the only books that get mainline published.

[Somecrazyaussie]

Action Comics and Detective Comics should both be turned into Superfamily and Batfamily books. Fold books that have trouble staying above cancellation like Supergirl, Nightwing, Batgirl, etc. into that and expand it to include more characters. Action should run with like a 15 page Superman story as it's lead and then a 10-15 page backup that features Supergirl, Superboy, Lois, or Jimmy Olsen that ties into the main narrative somehow. Give each character a 2-4 part story as a backup and rotate in another. But keep solid talent on them. Look at how many awesome stories have shown up in these quarterly DC holiday books recently. Same with Detective Comics. It'd probably pull in more readers from those individual books, and keep Detective and Action higher up the charts.

Well, Nightwing can be folded back into a revamped Titans book (which will work if editorial can resist tampering with it.) Place Batgirl into a relaunched Birds Of Prey. Tim is over in Young Justice and Damien is front and center in Teen Titans. That just leaves Jason unaccounted for. But maybe they could fold him into a new Outsiders book.

Your idea does work though.

[Frontier]

Well, Nightwing can be folded back into a revamped Titans book (which will work if editorial can resist tampering with it.) Place Batgirl into a relaunched Birds Of Prey. Tim is over in Young Justice and Damien is front and center in Teen Titans. That just leaves Jason unaccounted for. But maybe they could fold him into a new Outsiders book.

Your idea does work though.

I mean, they can do that kind of condensing, but there's only so much you can do with characters if you stick them all into team settings/books. That's part of what screwed Wally over.

Nightwing's solo book actually sold pretty well until DC started really mucking it up. Ditto Green Arrow after the constant creative shifts. I don't think that says they shouldn't have solo books anymore.

[Somecrazyaussie]

I dunno.

Condensing the line just worries me because it tells me that we'll see even more characters and properties go into limbo and probably not get the time of day for a good long while more. I'm not sure if 22 comics can do justice to an entire comic universe.

Who wants to bet that, of those 22-series, Legion and JSA aren't one of them? Unless they fall under one of the other active imprints.

I can understand your concerns. It will definitely result in a multitude of characters placed in Limbo. On the other hand, I'd prefer for those characters to be dormant until someone comes along with a genuine vision for them instead of being used in books of low quality.

Fans have been theorizing on various forums that Legion could end up being launched under the Wonder Comics imprint. Especially given the teasers Bendis has been dropping on social media.

JSA will likely be a title in the main lineup.

[Somecrazyaussie]

I mean, they can do that kind of condensing, but there's only so much you can do with characters if you stick them all into team settings/books. That's part of what screwed Wally over.

Nightwing's solo book actually sold pretty well until DC started really mucking it up. Ditto Green Arrow after the constant creative shifts. I don't think that says they shouldn't have solo books anymore.

Not saying it will last forever. But a break for those characters is better than what they've been subjected to lately.

[Frontier]

I can understand your concerns. It will definitely result in a multitude of characters placed in Limbo. On the other hand, I'd prefer for those characters to be dormant until someone comes along with a genuine vision for them instead of being used in books of low quality.

Which on-paper I can understand, but the way things might be moving I'm not sure how likely it is that DC will be getting pitches or be actively interested in promoting beyond the core characters if they're condensing the line to begin with.

This just really seems like it won't be a benefit to anyone who's not a core, Big Seven, hero or a close affiliate.

Fans have been theorizing on various forums that Legion could end up being launched under the Wonder Comics imprint. Especially given the teasers Bendis has been dropping on social media.

I could see that as well.

JSA will likely be a title in the main lineup.

I wish I felt that confident.

Not saying it will last forever. But a break for those characters is better than what they've been subjected to lately.

I'd feel better about it if I thought the management that subjected them to that treatment wasn't still in-place, but as far as we are aware that isn't the case.