The Most Successful Unsuccessful Titles?

[Aahz]

I'm very suprised DC doesn't have a Batwoman book lined up to publish when the show starts.

I guess they realized, that people that get interested in the comics because of the show are more likely to buy trades.

[kingaliencracker]

The Fourth World universe tends to be really popular among fans and in adapted media, but the titles themselves have never sold well, usually being cancelled after a year or less.

[chamber-music]

Black Lightning has a tv show but can't support a solo title.

[Frontier]

I guess they realized, that people that get interested in the comics because of the show are more likely to buy trades.

Not to mention how long it took them to give Supergirl a new book after her show's success.

[Jim Kelly]

They don't even bother to make the comic book like the TV show or the movie, most of the time. Not that I was always in favour of that. But if people want to read comics about the character that they saw on the screen, they're out of luck. The obvious solution is just to do a series of comics based on the other media version--separate from whatever version exists in the DC universe. Even better would be to create a whole trade paperback of new stories that could be sold in the bookstore now--rather than fooling around with doing a floppy series first and then collecting that into a TPB later.

[Arnoldoaad]

No mentions of Manhunter

deeply disappointed

[Nine Crocodile]

Not to mention how long it took them to give Supergirl a new book after her show's success.

Which was odd, considering how quickly they ended the last one when the show was announced.
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[Electricmastro]

No mentions of Manhunter

deeply disappointed

Would be cool to see Kate be in another Manhunter volume, yeah.

[Frontier]

They don't even bother to make the comic book like the TV show or the movie, most of the time. Not that I was always in favour of that. But if people want to read comics about the character that they saw on the screen, they're out of luck. The obvious solution is just to do a series of comics based on the other media version--separate from whatever version exists in the DC universe. Even better would be to create a whole trade paperback of new stories that could be sold in the bookstore now--rather than fooling around with doing a floppy series first and then collecting that into a TPB later.

Although they actually did try and match the show a lot with Supergirl's Rebirth comic, if not as an exact match.

[Jim Kelly]

When I was a kid, I was happy that so much of the Batman comics were like the 1966 BATMAN television show--although with a few aggravating differences. By the time the WONDER WOMAN series came along, I was not happy that they changed the comic book to fit the TV show and I don't think the comic book was even then exactly like the TV show. So, I'm now of the mind that there should be two titles--one that's in the DC universe and one that's very faithful to the TV show. When they try to satisfy two different audiences, they fail at both. The Johnny DC comics that adapted the animated shows got it right.

[Jim Kelly]

I recall how, when the Ron Ely TARZAN was on TV in the 1960s, for a brief time Gold Key would alternate issues of TARZAN OF THE APES, where one issue would be about the TV Tarzan--with of photographic cover of Ely--and the next issue would be the Russ Manning Tarzan--with a George Wilson cover painting. Maybe DC should do that with some of their characters.

It would have worked for WONDER WOMAN, when they were forcing Greg Rucka to do two issues a month (which ultimately caused him to leave). Just give the guy a break and make every other issue a Gal Gadot Wonder Woman comic--with Gal in a photographic cover and some other writer and artist team adapting the movie version of the Amazing Amazon.

[Pohzee]

Omega Men was a very unsuccessful title that ultimately found success. But most of the answers on here seem to be the opposite of that, so I’m kind of confused.

[Air Wave]

When I was a kid, I was happy that so much of the Batman comics were like the 1966 BATMAN television show--although with a few aggravating differences. By the time the WONDER WOMAN series came along, I was not happy that they changed the comic book to fit the TV show and I don't think the comic book was even then exactly like the TV show. So, I'm now of the mind that there should be two titles--one that's in the DC universe and one that's very faithful to the TV show. When they try to satisfy two different audiences, they fail at both. The Johnny DC comics that adapted the animated shows got it right.

They did move the setting of the comic book to Earth-Two WWII era Wonder Woman to better align with the TV show during its first season.

[Air Wave]

Omega Men was a very unsuccessful title that ultimately found success. But most of the answers on here seem to be the opposite of that, so I’m kind of confused.

That would be among the most unsuccessful successful titles. This is for the most successful unsuccessful titles.

[Air Wave]

Well, out of all these mentions Cyborg, Batwoman, Swamp Thing, Firestorm, Titans, Black Canary, Green Arrow, Lobo, Black Lightning, Martian Manhunter, Atom, Blue Devil, Huntress, Mr. Terrific, Zatanna, Jonah Hex, Doom Patrol, Green Lantern, Aquaman, Hawkman & Supergirl have all turned up in other live-action media. The Fourth World is about to. And the Legion, Spectre, JSA & Dr. Fate all kind of have. Am I missing anybody? These all seem like obvious choices for movies once we get through all the biggies. And we've kind of had a World's Finest movie as well.