Is DC in trouble

[fin5]

Im saying this because it seems like dc is putting fewer books each week and now vertigo is goon

[kjn]

No. DC is in no danger of being shut down, it is profitable, and is key to holding a bunch of really valuable IPs.

Yes. The entire business around floppies is aging and has a very hard time gaining new readers (though DC is experimenting with ways to get around that), which is a strategic challenge. DC also seems to have severe management and leadership issues, though a lot of what we know is rumours and Burbankology. DC also suffers from a creative crisis, where even good ideas are stifled or developed into poor executions.

[jb681131]

Im saying this because it seems like dc is putting fewer books each week and now vertigo is goon

Well it's a good ideao !
DC and Marvel have too many books.
No one can read them all !
And the quality of each is not of hight quality.

Less books, but with a better quality would be perfect.

[Bruce Wayne]

DC had more books during the 90s and better quality control then. So that particular argument is a bust.

[kingaliencracker]

I can't really say how poorly or how well DC itself is doing as a company in terms of revenue and profit. I think sales are declining across the board and print is a dying medium, but I have to believe DC will stick around in some capacity, if just for their IPs.

Having said that, I think fan dissatisfaction with the current management team is really, REALLY high, and there's a strong belief that TPTB don't really know what they're doing. The New 52 more or less sputtering out just a few years into the reboot is somewhat proof of this, as is the failure to capture the momentum created by Rebirth.

[MRP]

DC had more books during the 90s and better quality control then. So that particular argument is a bust.

There wa sa larger customer base to sell to in the 80s as well, allowing each book to be more profitable and pay for a larger staff to handle more books. The circumstances within the industry have changed, and trying to do thing the way they did in the 90s (or the 80s, 70s, 60s, etc.) now is a surefire way to fail as the marketplace and customer preferences have grown and changed since then and the business practices you use have to adapt and change with the times or your business shrinks or fails. Comparing the way they did business or handled the line in the 90s to now is an apple and oranges comparison. The fact the customer base has shrunk and the product has gone form a mainstream product available at several outlets to a niche product only available at select outlets (and usually only through pre-order as it is non-returnable and most retailers cannot bear the risk of buying in extra copies that might not sell and tied up their liquid cash flow) means they have to handle the line differently now than they did in the 90s, which means fewer books because there is fewer customers and less shelf space available.

-M

[H-E-D]

The entire American comics industry is constantly teetering, because it's a very niche market. One that resists expansion regardless of whether that's healthy for it or not.

Well it's a good ideao !
DC and Marvel have too many books.
No one can read them all !
And the quality of each is not of hight quality.

Less books, but with a better quality would be perfect.

I mean, only in comics does the audience have this idea that they should be reading the publisher's entire output. Yes, nobody could reasonably pick up every Marvel book each month. I don't see what's wrong with that.

[Bruce Wayne]

The Marvel Zombie Demo (the read everything crowd) no longer exists. They have either aged out or were alienated from Marvel by the Quesada years.

[cranger]

Right now they are trying to grow their presence in the book market. The direct market has for too long been trapped trying to outsell itself to an aging readership and done little to market itself to or structure itself for a younger readership.

While less books might look like a bad sign (I guess it is, but that sign is of the market as a whole) it should be seen as a genuine attempt to grow it's business by reaching new readers where they are.

[H-E-D]

Right now they are trying to grow their presence in the book market. The direct market has for too long been trapped trying to outsell itself to an aging readership and done little to market itself to or structure itself for a younger readership.

While less books might look like a bad sign (I guess it is, but that sign is of the market as a whole) it should be seen as a genuine attempt to grow it's business by reaching new readers where they are.

I think the Ink and Zoom books are the best idea the Big Two have had in ages. (Though they're dropping those imprint names)

[CaptCleghorn]

Do any of us really have a good idea of how DC Comics is doing? Number of books is one metric, but sales and licensing as well as digital and trade publications have a lot to do with it. But without seeing or even knowing what's used by management to judge the business, the most we can say is "DC doesn't do as much I like as they used to." or statements like that.

[TheFalcon72]

The entire American comics industry is constantly teetering, because it's a very niche market. One that resists expansion regardless of whether that's healthy for it or not.



I mean, only in comics does the audience have this idea that they should be reading the publisher's entire output. Yes, nobody could reasonably pick up every Marvel book each month. I don't see what's wrong with that.

A few months ago I was at a club enjoying a lunch with my wife. The club had a very small comic and cosplay convention. Being a comics reader for a couple of decades I decided to have a look at the convention. (Yes I would live my wife to dress as Wonder Woman, but it's not going to happen).

I was surprised by the number of young people in cosplay costumes. Some were pretty fantastic from a great captain marvel, to a very impressive tony stark with just one arm having the ironman costume. Other notable costumes were the characters from the animated spider-man movie.

I think DC's marketing people need to develop a strategy to engage with other forms of pop culture fandom. I really line the comic book industry. A healthy market is just important got DC but it's also important for the smaller publishers such as Image, Valiant, Boom Studios etc.

[MajorHoy]

Im saying this because it seems like dc is putting fewer books each week

Considering how some of those books were doing, dropping them is not a bad idea. And by reducing some titles from a twice-a-month to once-a-month schedule, it may reduce some of the strain on writers and artists.

and now vertigo is goon

Vertigo has been a mere shadow of what it once was for quite a while now.