More interested in older DC stories than newer DC stories

[DCStu]

I agree with the title of this thread. I still read new stuff - but I struggle with it. Sometimes I get to the end and realise I've taken nothing in. But give me something from the old days - like some good post crisis Batman and Superman - and I'm far more likely to be engaged.

[MajorHoy]

It should be considered that those old reprints (which I love, mind) are also selling for $1 US. It's not as if they're competing at the same profit margin. That said, the big appeal to the DC Universe app for me was back issues and Doom Patrol/Stargirl, so we'll see how this pans out. Hopefully they move the dial away from grimdark and longform content since DC is all about kneejerk reactions. Maybe they'll make one I care for.

Geoff Johns gave them an opening to move towards a less GrimDark direction when he did DC Universe: Rebirth, but DC decided to generally continue deeper into the dark, dank sewers instead.

[Restingvoice]

Oh, I realized I haven't shared my experience in my first post. Basically, the reason I went back to read older stories is that they're simpler. No events, a lot of them are one-shots, they're like magazines you can pick up, read, and then pick up a few issue number later and don't feel like you miss anything instead of today's serial where you miss one issue and somebody died.

I got fed up trying to track down continuity, especially when I found out they can't be consistent with the facts and characterization anyway. So there's no point. Better to read those old one-shots.

[kingaliencracker]

I've found myself reading more and more comic books from the late 70's and through the 80's.

Not that everything from this era is perfect, mind you. But I think comic books reached their zenith during this period.

[phonogram12]

Honestly, I think DC is on a bit of an upswing, lately. I really hate the fact that I'm reading more DC than I am Marvel, right now (although just barely). Young Justice, Dial H, the new Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen books are absolutely fantastic.

With older books (I'm talking '80s and older because for the most part I find most '90s books absolutely terrible) it's nice knowing what you're going to get, but sometimes I just like being surprised.

[Sam]

Wally West is my favorite character in comics. Jon Kent recently shot up the list to become number 3 on that list. So this year has really killed my enthusiasm for the DC Universe in general. Both Heroes in Crisis and Bendis's Superman run have left feeling betrayed and like getting invested in these characters is pointless, because DC isn't going to do right by them. They're just going to mess with them for shock value and for cheap drama. The worst part is there are titles I'm still enjoying (Justice League, Aquaman, Flash to name a few), but my lack of enthusiasm is poisoning the well.

With the older comics, I'm able to know what I'm in for. I can know when to get invested, and when something is going to be cut short. I know when a character is going to get screwed, and whether that character will recover. So yeah, I'm getting into the older stuff more, and the new stuff less. Hopefully, that will change, but...who knows.

[DrNewGod]

Assuming this is indeed what Didio is saying, it makes me wonder what the activity on the DCUniverse app looks like. Might modern fans who only follow a small number of current titles be exploring a lot of the old stuff since it costs them nothing extra?

[Restingvoice]

Found it! It's short so I'll just post the whole thing

During Thursday afternoon's Meet the DC Publishers panel at Comic-Con International: San Diego, DC co-publisher Dan DiDio seemed to express frustration over the publisher's "Facsimile" editions of classic comics - which are reprints of old issues presented as originally published, original advertisements included.

During the panel DiDio asked the audience how many of them read their Facsimile Editions. When no one answered the question with applause, DiDio responded “Good, that’s the one I was hoping we wouldn’t hear applause for.”

“We do these Facsimile Editions where we reprint older issues of comics including all the old ads and stuff…and in some cases these are selling more than the new comics with these characters. People are more interested in buying the stories from 30 or 40 years ago than the contemporary stories, and that’s a failure on us," he explained.

“We should be focused on moving things forward, always pushing the boundaries and finding new stories to tell. That’s how we’ll survive and grow this industry,” DiDio continued.

It was not immediately clear if DiDio's frustration was more focused on the facsimiles being published, or their own ability to create new comics that outsell them.

Writer Joe Hill, in attendance in support of his Hill House family of DC titles, had a different perspective entirely.

“I want to defend the Facsimile Editions for a minute," Hill responded. "The reason they sell so well is, if you’re an older reader who has kids who are going crazy for comics, you’re gonna buy the Facsimile Edition because those are the stories you knew and loved as a kid. So for people who didn’t know them, they’re not 'new', but they are new.”

https://www.newsarama.com/46103-dc-c...-editions.html

[phonogram12]

Found it! It's short so I'll just post the whole thing

During Thursday afternoon's Meet the DC Publishers panel at Comic-Con International: San Diego, DC co-publisher Dan DiDio seemed to express frustration over the publisher's "Facsimile" editions of classic comics - which are reprints of old issues presented as originally published, original advertisements included.

During the panel DiDio asked the audience how many of them read their Facsimile Editions. When no one answered the question with applause, DiDio responded “Good, that’s the one I was hoping we wouldn’t hear applause for.”

“We do these Facsimile Editions where we reprint older issues of comics including all the old ads and stuff…and in some cases these are selling more than the new comics with these characters. People are more interested in buying the stories from 30 or 40 years ago than the contemporary stories, and that’s a failure on us," he explained.

“We should be focused on moving things forward, always pushing the boundaries and finding new stories to tell. That’s how we’ll survive and grow this industry,” DiDio continued.

It was not immediately clear if DiDio's frustration was more focused on the facsimiles being published, or their own ability to create new comics that outsell them.

Writer Joe Hill, in attendance in support of his Hill House family of DC titles, had a different perspective entirely.

“I want to defend the Facsimile Editions for a minute," Hill responded. "The reason they sell so well is, if you’re an older reader who has kids who are going crazy for comics, you’re gonna buy the Facsimile Edition because those are the stories you knew and loved as a kid. So for people who didn’t know them, they’re not 'new', but they are new.”

https://www.newsarama.com/46103-dc-c...-editions.html

In theory I agree with Didio. His execution has often left a lot to be desired, though.

[Starter Set]

Well, as a huge fan of Gardner Fox i can safely say that yes, i do have a lot of love for older DC stories lol.

[Tzigone]

“I want to defend the Facsimile Editions for a minute," Hill responded. "The reason they sell so well is, if you’re an older reader who has kids who are going crazy for comics, you’re gonna buy the Facsimile Edition because those are the stories you knew and loved as a kid. So for people who didn’t know them, they’re not 'new', but they are new.”

With ads and all, there's probably a nostalgia/curiosity factor. And you at least know you found these appropriate to read when you were a kid, so don't worry they'll be too adult for your own kids, especially if they are younger. Single-issues stories might be good for before-bedtime for younger kids, too.

I like reading old letters pages to see if fans feel the same way I did about things. In Teen Titans, you have some fans asking for Speedy and others saying he should only guest. For Batgirl, you can see the responses to the run-in-her-tights issue or when she acting the guy she wasn't even dating was two-timing her for having a girlfriend or even a never-before-mentioned daughter of Gordon being introduced. You can see how fans felt about their characters during the silver-to-bronze shift. Which writers were and were not popular at the time. All of this with the understanding you have a filtered view, since the company selects which letters to publish. Still the letter that said instead of "straw through a door" or whatever the analogy was for Flash it should be vibrating molecules was fun. I've read the '90s Superboy, but not with letters, and I do wonder if they ever published any that had problems with Tana and Superboy, since she was a grown woman.

[OpaqueGiraffe17]

Assuming this is indeed what Didio is saying, it makes me wonder what the activity on the DCUniverse app looks like. Might modern fans who only follow a small number of current titles be exploring a lot of the old stuff since it costs them nothing extra?

Pretty much me right now. Lost most of my enthusiasm for the current direction of the dcu. But the comics on the app are giving me new appreciation for the classics.

[Stanlos]

For 25 years I've only wanted one thing from DC. And New 52 gave it to me. And then they took it away. I'm done rewarding bad behavior. I'm only buying pre-Crisis and out of continuity stuff from now on. The fanbase shouldn't be this divided to begin with. No wonder everyone is buying older stuff. At least with past stories everybody can get what they want. I don't think there is any way to make everyone happy at this point. Wally fans want him to be the official Flash again. Barry fans want HIM to be the official Flash. And if you don't think the fans from the TV show didn't add to the latter category, think again. I have no idea what DC has planned for the future or if there is another Crisis in the works but at this point I'm not sure I care anymore. They've broken my suspension of disbelief rule too many times. I shouldn't be giving DC any more of my money as is but I still love these characters enough to buy something. Which DC should be damn grateful for. I get that DC can't make everyone happy. But right now it looks like they aren't making anyone happy. That can't be a coincidence.

You "wanted" New 52????

Out of curiosity, were happy with character depictions in BVS and Man of Steel?

[godisawesome]

Assuming this is indeed what Didio is saying, it makes me wonder what the activity on the DCUniverse app looks like. Might modern fans who only follow a small number of current titles be exploring a lot of the old stuff since it costs them nothing extra?

I’ve found myself wholly using it for older stuff and the cartoons/movies, though that means mostly stuff from the 90’s/Pre-New 52. I’m most of the way through a re-read of the Stephanie Brown Batgirl series, dug up and re-read that LOTDK: Heat series for a flashback Batman/Catwoman story, and used it for some other classic tales as well.

As to Didio’s comment: “We should be focused on moving things forward, always pushing the boundaries and finding new stories to tell. That’s how we’ll survive and grow this industry,” well, maybe he should get out of his company’s way of doing that and focus on gathering more writers and putting storytellers in place of editorial yes-men, and stop shoving kill-lists into books to get rid of characters he doesn’t like.

There’s no good reason to have FabNic scripting for Scott freakin’ Lobdell: one of them is a great writer and the other is decent when given freedom and a blunt hatchet man when editorial books him for their preferred story. And as much as Heroes In Crisis feels like it was probably screwed up by King’s refusal to research actual mental-wellness centers for the sake of melodrama, there’s no good reason to order him to kill characters and valuable IPs.

Stuff like the new print lines seem successful because Didio doesn’t get his hands into storytelling elements and leaves it to the experts.

[Fromper]

During Thursday afternoon's Meet the DC Publishers panel at Comic-Con International: San Diego, DC co-publisher Dan DiDio seemed to express frustration over the publisher's "Facsimile" editions of classic comics - which are reprints of old issues presented as originally published, original advertisements included.

During the panel DiDio asked the audience how many of them read their Facsimile Editions. When no one answered the question with applause, DiDio responded “Good, that’s the one I was hoping we wouldn’t hear applause for.”

And that, in a nutshell, is the dictionary definition of self selection bias in polling. From his response, I wouldn't be surprised if he thinks this was a good way to "poll the audience" to see if they should keep doing the reprints. He didn't get an enthusiastic response, so he thinks that audiences aren't interested in those reprints. But the only people attending that panel are people who are interested in the new stuff, not old stuff. Fans who prefer the older stuff wouldn't bother to show up to such an event.