One of the foremost reasons why new readers are said to experience difficulty in getting into monthly comics is attributed to the "made for the trade" nature of comic books. Great swaths of people just don't have the patience to go to a comic store every week to read a narrative that is stretched out to. 6 months or even longer.
Personally in my opinion, it would be much more sustainable model for the the generality of monthly DC publications to consist of one shot narratives in contrast to overly long arcs that don't warrant the amount of issues that are dedicated to them.
While this might seem extreme in today's enviroment, this has been done before. This form of storytelling was the norm in the 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, and to a lesser degree, 80s and 90s.
Does this mean there will be no subplots? No. Does this mean that continuity will take a backseat? No. All this direction would signify is a more welcoming experience for potential readers wherein every issue is -- more or less--- a jumping on point.
What do you think? Should comic book single issue be more self contained?