What?!? How did that not work!?!

[DrNewGod]

Was there a title that didn't make that just shocked you?

For me, Busiek's Power Company. Everything about superheroes was being questioned. Busiek gave us an answer that blended DC history with new characters. Yet it didn't catch fire.

You?

[Menacer]

How Major Bummer didn't generate more then 15 issues I'll never know. I recommend buying the Super Slacktacular book or ebook.

[Riv86672]

Power Company and Major Bummer are good choices.
I liked both and they had a lot of potential.

For me...

DC finally got a Hulk type character right. I very much enjoyed him smashing his way through the Suicide Squad and JLA, and felt he could have explored a lot of the DCU we don’t usually get to see. Ah well.

[Vampire Savior]

I'm kinda' surprised but not really surprised that Zatanna's books never seem to catch. Kinda' surprised because everyone seems to like her. I don't know that I've even encountered someone who had negative things to say about her (I won't be surprised if they suddenly show up). Not really surprised because the character seems to be mostly known for wearing fishnet stockings, having a missing dad, and speaking backwards. Not the strongest selling points. Furthermore, she's not connected to any of DC's major heroes, which really shouldn't matter, but it does.

It seems to me people may like the idea and look of this stockings wearing magic woman, but apparently not enough to regularly follow solo stories with her.

[The One and Only]

Was there a title that didn't make that just shocked you?

For me, Busiek's Power Company. Everything about superheroes was being questioned. Busiek gave us an answer that blended DC history with new characters. Yet it didn't catch fire.

You?

I wish I picked up on that book when it was coming out. Especially with on of the members of the team being a surviving clone of Manhunter Paul Kirk.

[Riv86672]

I'm kinda' surprised but not really surprised that Zatanna's books never seem to catch. Kinda' surprised because everyone seems to like her. I don't know that I've even encountered someone who had negative things to say about her (I won't be surprised if they suddenly show up). Not really surprised because the character seems to be mostly known for wearing fishnet stockings, having a missing dad, and speaking backwards. Not the strongest selling points. Furthermore, she's not connected to any of DC's major heroes, which really shouldn't matter, but it does.

It seems to me people may like the idea and look of this stockings wearing magic woman, but apparently not enough to regularly follow solo stories with her.

Nicely put.
How characters everyone likes don’t sell has always intrigued me.

[BatmanJones]

With everything Robinson's written since, I get how it didn't work. But, leading up to it, I thought Cry for Justice was a slam dunk. I couldn't WAIT for that book.

Beautiful art, though.

[Vampire Savior]

Nicely put.
How characters everyone likes don’t sell has always intrigued me.

I think she has the same problems a lot of characters face. Comics fans really value a (good) mythology to dive into. They eat that stuff up. Zatanna, while being a pretty cool character, doesn't have enough of her own established world. She's usually just lumped in with "magic DC" (which, frankly, in my opinion isn't a very fascinating landscape, though it's always had the potential to be), or as a member of the Justice League.

All that said, Amethyst does have her own world and mythos, and she also struggles to find an audience at DC. I believe Amethyst's struggles are due to different factors, though. She was a hero marketed to girls from a boy's superhero company. Now, There's nothing wrong with that, but I think it needs to be handled just right to succeed, and not like just another DC Comic. I don't think DC has historically been the best at marketing to girls. Amethyst was never in good with the typical DC audience, but Zatanna actually is, likely due to being a member of the JLA during the satellite years. Thus, from my view, Zatanna's big hindrance is the lack of a compelling world and mythology.

[AdamFTF]

I am continually puzzled by the fact that OMAC never seems to make it past eight issues. The Kirby series was great. And the New 52 version was probably the most fun book of all the ones I tried in that entire New 52 thing.

But . . . eight issues. Every time.

[DrNewGod]

I wish I picked up on that book when it was coming out. Especially with on of the members of the team being a surviving clone of Manhunter Paul Kirk.

Yeah, that's my favorite of all the Manhunter's in DC's library. I hate they haven't released The Power Company on digital anywhere (as far as I know).

[Ascended]

Speaking of Manhunters, I don't get why Kate Spencer's book struggled so much. It was probably one of the best things DC was publishing at the time, and the fanbase was so loyal their letter campaigns saved the book from cancellation *twice.* Then she got a backup in 'Tec.

But most fans just could not be bothered.

I also thought Breach had tons and tons of potential. Cool sci-fi horror with a Captain Atom vibe (the book originally started out as a Cap. Atom relaunch) but I guess it was just too weird for readers?

[Midnight_v]

Speaking of Manhunters, I don't get why Kate Spencer's book struggled so much. It was probably one of the best things DC was publishing at the time, and the fanbase was so loyal their letter campaigns saved the book from cancellation *twice.* Then she got a backup in 'Tec.

But most fans just could not be bothered.

I also thought Breach had tons and tons of potential. Cool sci-fi horror with a Captain Atom vibe (the book originally started out as a Cap. Atom relaunch) but I guess it was just too weird for readers?

I think both of those books have the same problems... Someone who wants a new book has to be actively LOOKING for that type of book right then, and them being spin offs/retellings/Legacies actively turns away the majority of the people checking for the originals.

I bought breech, but quickly realized "This should be an untold captain atom story. How very unoriginal" (I didn't know at the time it was a retelling) and dropped it. Not because it was bad but more like.... because... "Seriously? This is a little will have a short run and never get used again" The new look isn't an improvement, and people read serialized comics for the depth of AND continuity of the story. Not that the story can't change or evolve but the retelling things and off in their own little universe things have such a short shelf life.
Despite all the complaining about long form serial narratives Naruto has rolled into boruto and there's sooo many issues of it, and thats great most readers seem to want a rich history .

Kate Bishop is based on "Manhunter" an ip that wasn't exactly burning down the presses itself to begin with, and frankly I'm sure that dc comics doesn't understand the appeal of to his fans to begin with.

I mean this guy with flowing sleeves, a katar, a pistol, and flipping ninja stars, STEEL CAGES on his legs, CLONES?! I mean this is the probably the greatest meme character to come out of his era he's like NTH-Man the ultimate ninja from marvel fighting M'GubGub". Paul Kirk or "Kirks" should always be in dc showing up doing random things, saving the day, assassinating people, fighting outrageous monsters... he's like a pulp hero bridging a weird gap of 80's karate kid/GI Joe/Gremlins to 90's Power Rangers/Guyver/Twin Peaks/Matrix hero and so Paul Kirk is the Stranger Things by way of Doc Savage a book that should have been written by a Alcoholic British Guy on an acid trip*.

You can't replace that **** and normalize it very easily so Kate Bishop would have been 1000x times better served by existing away from that ... "Legacy?". Not big enough a fan base to make waves with, and not enough people checking for a NON-bat family vigilante mid-tier hero in DC right now.

I'd hoped leviathan would tie it all together but *Throws up hands* surprise! Its Mark Shaw.

(~_^) (^_^) (*_*)!

Ironically enough, if you think about it... the Cool Sci-fi horror with a Captain Atom vibe should be the Manhunter(s) vibe.

[Ascended]

Ironically enough, if you think about it... the Cool Sci-fi horror with a Captain Atom vibe should be the Manhunter(s) vibe.

....that's a good point. Huh. Never looked at it that way.

Like the description of Kirk/Paul/Paul/Kirk being this weird mesh of 80's-00's trends too. That is totally accurate, and probably why I never got into the character.

Yeah, Breach was supposed to be a Cap. Atom relaunch. I'm not sure why they changed their plans, other than maybe they figured it was too big a deviation from the norm so Cap's fans (all six of them) would throw a fit....but I don't know why they thought shifting gears and introducing a new character would be any more successful.

I think we all knew that book wouldn't stick around, even though it was pretty damn good, but it was a fun ride while it lasted.

[Lee Stone]

The Impact Comics line.

[DrNewGod]

The Impact Comics line.

I was especially fond of The Black Hood.