DC learning hard into Batman?

[Midnight_v]

There's no good reason the Flash franchise was still just one book after Barry came back, as both Barry and Wally could've supported a book, let alone a Flash family book or maybe even a Rogues book. Even with Rebirth, they could've just given Wally a book due increase goodwill among readers but DC just couldn't help themselves and did Heroes in Crisis instead.

I don't think so, no.
There can really be only one "fastest man alive" Imho.

I'm a lot of times the guy saying "No" to replacements" but this time I think it really should have been Wally West, I mean 23 years is a long time to be the main guy.

Further... it seems that because of his titans history he's the league-r who is the most likely to stand up to batman. He has a dynamic history.

And I can't help but think that to Dc... him being a 2nd Gen character eventually got him.

Lastly, barry's sacrifice meant something for a long time.

[The Darknight Detective]

People don't want to buy Batman comics
But people also apparently don't want to buy non Batman comics even more
Its a really tough situation to be in with a dwindling market made up of older jaded fans

I suggest DC kill off Batman entirely from say the comic books and continue his stories in a tv show/ movie format for the next 10-20 years
That should be just enough time for all these C-D list characters to gain oxygen and maybe enough popularity to be around when they do bring Batman back
Everything is even again at that point

How much would DC lose in the interim if they did this? Better question: could their comic line survive it?

[Rightoya]

.
They saw Cassandra Cain hold a 5 year run on a book and be DEEMED TOXIC.

I never understood what happened there by the way, why did they call the seemingly most popular Batgirl toxic?

[DragonPiece]

How much would DC lose in the interim if they did this? Better question: could their comic line survive it?

Last time they killed batman, they still had a lot of events going and batman stories like battle for the cowl, but I doubt anyone would see something like that as anything other than a gimmick. So I don't know if killing off any character is going to have the effect DC wants at this point.

[The Darknight Detective]

Last time they killed batman, they still had a lot of events going and batman stories like battle for the cowl, but I doubt anyone would see something like that as anything other than a gimmick. So I don't know if killing off any character is going to have the effect DC wants at this point.

But at least when DC "killed" off Bruce the last time, everybody with half a brain knew it was only temporary. If DC said he was gone completely for a couple of decades - no ifs, ands, or buts - I just don't see the readership taking it in stride.

[MajorHoy]

For the record, and I probably should have made this clearer in my first post, but I was talking only about comics, not other media like shows, movies, etc.

But these days, people in general are more likely to see those appearances in other media than they are to go to a comic book shop.
Here in the US, there's no other place to buy individual issues of comic books since DC finally dropped newsstand service a few years back. So no buying your first Batman (or even non-Batman) comic book at a convenience store or wherever else they have magazine racks.

Remind me again how many monthly DC books you're buying, Major...?

I kid of course, but for the record I actually do buy *almost* every current DC book that's not Batman. I make my contribution, the rest of y'all need to catch up!

I buy very few monthly DC comic books these days, but I buy more DC titles than I do Marvel titles. (I currently don't buy any Marvel comic books.)

What I said in that reply was for the benefit of all those people complaining that their favorite character(s) "doesn't have a comic book JUST BECAUSE DC is publishing so many Bat-books", and if DC reduced how many Bat-books it publishes then their favorite character(s) "would DEFINITELY have a successful comic book". (Yeah, right.)

People don't want to buy Batman comics.

Not necessarily true. I would like to buy Batman comics, but I haven't liked the writing they've had in the main Bat-books for the past several years.

Mr. Terrific's New 52 book just wasn't very good. Sometimes the product really is just subpar. Not the best example.

Still counts, though, when DC evaluates a character's past sales history. SOMEBODY at DC who gave that book a green light in the first place didn't necessarily think it was going to be "subpar".

[Nite-Wing]

But at least when DC "killed" off Bruce the last time, everybody with half a brain knew it was only temporary. If DC said he was gone completely for a couple of decades - no ifs, ands, or buts - I just don't see the readership taking it in stride.

Well that's the point
This is no gimmick killing
It would be like a sabbatical from Batman content
It could ruin them financially for sure but to soften the blow you would sell the rights to Batman media out to other companies in the interim

This is also just fantasy moves AT&T know what their most popular assets are
They'd sooner sell Wonder Woman or Flash than part with Batman in a manner like that especially with them still in debt

[Captain Nostalgia]

I'm optimistic that once the pandemic is over DC will start to release non orientated Batman titles that sell well...I think they're just holding off for now.

This isn't an anti Batman thread, (I quite like Batman) it's simply questioning the amount of Batman titles out there that are crowding out the rest of the DCU.
In a year from now, we can check out the sales, and if that 4th or 5th Batman title is selling better than Green Arrow, Aquaman or Firestorm, so be it.

I just find it a weird phenomenon....(I love Hal Jordan)...but I couldn't stomach more than 2 titles a month featuring him, I'd rather read about another hero,
so there must be something really compelling about Batman that people are willing to buy 4 to 5 titles a month where he headlines.

but as I stated before, Batman is the only hero at DC outside of Superman who is driven by the speculative market, so that probably has something to do with it as well.