How could DC Comics sales be revived?

[Hulkout42]

Tone down on the damn Bat for one.

Give other heroes some attention with writers who don't suck for another.

Oh and most importantly...

STOP MAKING NEW CRISIS!!!

[Hulkout42]

What news headlines is she getting?
Who is she pandering to?

Didn't hear about any news outlets.

As for a section of the readership they possibly are referring to, the LGBTQ+? I mean Jon Kent, Tim Drake, Jackson Hyde, the gender reversed JL from another earth...it does seem like they want to get that demographics attention, though i am in the dark if the numbers show this is working for them or not.

[Aahz]

Fans will roll with a new version or a new re-telling, but not at the cost of the longer history we've spent years buying and investing in. Consider how people react to a legacy taking over a mantle in the main canon; people threw a fit over Simon Baz replacing Hal as GL, and we all knew it was temporary! But when they did a OGN with Tai, which didn't replace the core GL in the direct market, people were (more or less) cool with it. Because it didn't threaten the Sacred Canon.

I think the OGN usually only get massive backlash from the fans of the main continuity fans for what they do to established characters (Gotham High and I am Starfire being the biggest examples), other wise people don't seem to care that much.

[SebastianS]

In my case, it is telling that since the New 52 (2011) I reduced my DC pull list to:
a-43 issues of Red Hood and the Outlaws (v1) (40 regular issues + 2 annuals + issue 0)
b-12 issues of The Omega Men (v2)
c-13 issues of Red Hood / Arsenal
d-8 issues of Titans Hunt
e-38 issues of Titans (v3) (36 regular issues + 2 annuals)
f-1 issue of Dark Nights: Death Metal - Multiverse's End #1

So that's 115 issues over 11 years (on average 10.45 issues per year, less than an issue per month), with the last issue bought in September 2020.

[Restingvoice]

In my case, it is telling that since the New 52 (2011) I reduced my DC pull list to:
a-43 issues of Red Hood and the Outlaws (v1) (40 regular issues + 2 annuals + issue 0)
b-12 issues of The Omega Men (v2)
c-13 issues of Red Hood / Arsenal
d-8 issues of Titans Hunt
e-38 issues of Titans (v3) (36 regular issues + 2 annuals)
f-1 issue of Dark Nights: Death Metal - Multiverse's End #1

So that's 115 issues over 11 years (on average 10.45 issues per year, less than an issue per month), with the last issue bought in September 2020.

What was your purchase before and why it's reduced?
No books bought in 2021?

[SebastianS]

What was your purchase before and why it's reduced?
No books bought in 2021?

I am not listing here the books I am getting or I already have than are older than Jan, 1990. I am also not listing a bunch of crossover issues, or specials. This is in fact a very raw list of stuff I have:

From January 1990 until 2011.
Action Comics
Adam Strange (1990)
Adventures of Superman
Aquaman (v4)
Aquaman (v5)
Azrael
Batman
Batman and Robin
Batman Shadow of the Bat
Batman Sword of Azrael
Detective Comics
Genesis
Guy Gardner / Guy Gardner: Warrior
Green Lantern (v3)
Justice League Taskforce
Justice League America
JLA
L.E.G.I.O.N.
Legion of Superheroes
Legionnaires
Outsiders (v2)
Rann/Thanagar War
R.E.B.E.L.S.
Superboy (v3)
Superman
Superman: The Man of Steel
Superman: The Man of Tomorrow
The Darkstars
The Final Night
The New Titans
The Outsiders
The Titans (v1)
Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters (v1)
Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters (v2)
Underworld Unleashed (1995)
Valor
Zatanna
Zero Hour (1993)

Even though it is 20 years worth of comics, we are talking about approximately 3,500 comics (which gives an approximate 166 comics per year over 21 years, or 13.88 per month).

And that is not counting the equally big DC collection I am making with stuff that is older than 1990.

[skyvolt2000]

Didn't hear about any news outlets.

As for a section of the readership they possibly are referring to, the LGBTQ+? I mean Jon Kent, Tim Drake, Jackson Hyde, the gender reversed JL from another earth...it does seem like they want to get that demographics attention, though i am in the dark if the numbers show this is working for them or not.

They already had that with established LGBTQA+ characters.

The reasons those 3 get the attention is because of who they are linked to and in Jackson and Jon's case being Aquaman and Superman got more attention.

[Ascended]

I think the OGN usually only get massive backlash from the fans of the main continuity fans for what they do to established characters (Gotham High and I am Starfire being the biggest examples), other wise people don't seem to care that much.

Yeah, I think that Earth-1 Titans OGN (which I never read) got some flack over some of their choices too? Plenty of other books that didn't go over well too. OGN's definitely aren't free from criticism or commercial failure, but they are absolutely more welcoming to changes, alterations, and C-list heroes. Especially currently, when even some A-listers can't carry books in the direct market.

So, if we're talking reboot and going back to Day 1.....why not go full Silver Age and completely reinvent the characters and their worlds? Reinvent Flash the way Barry reinvented Jay. Might as well swing for the fences, right?

I'd probably keep Clark, Diana, Bruce, and Dick (and the central most elements of their worlds; Lois, Alfred, Hippolyta, etc). The true, eternal pillars of DC who persist through every upheaval and Crisis. Every other character gets rebuilt from the foundations and main character up.

[Restingvoice]

I am not listing here the books I am getting or I already have than are older than Jan, 1990. I am also not listing a bunch of crossover issues, or specials. This is in fact a very raw list of stuff I have:

Even though it is 20 years worth of comics, we are talking about approximately 3,500 comics (which gives an approximate 166 comics per year over 21 years, or 13.88 per month).

And that is not counting the equally big DC collection I am making with stuff that is older than 1990.

That's more than I expected thank you

The reason is the reboot? Your pull had Titans then you continue buying once they returned in Titans Hunt...

[skyvolt2000]

Yeah you say this all the time about popular characters. These stores always have discounted merch of popular characters like batman but things like Wallace or vixen fly off the shelf. Do you just go around checking bargain bins and shelves?

It's an annoying habit....

I always go to the clearances and toy section.

As for Wallace and Vixen.... here is what happens to them more than the others.

1) Online orders take the stock and thus it never makes the shelf.

2) Scalpers (some who are EMPLOYEES)

3) They are NEVER sold in stores. Target is REALLY guilty of this.

Example
Master of the Universe Origins Sun Man-No Target in the state of Texas sells him in stores.
Marvel Legends Sleepwalker is no longer sold at Target after June 2022. He came out Jan 2022.
Gamerverse Miles was NEVER sold at Target stores.
Marvel Rising Patriot-NEVER sold in ANY store. He was online only.

The thing is they don't tell you this stuff.

[KC]

Is DC and Marie Javins pushing to be more inclusive a bad thing? Would DC rolling back its trying to be more inclusive make DC sell more? the answer to both is no.

[Restingvoice]

It's an annoying habit....

I always go to the clearances and toy section.

As for Wallace and Vixen.... here is what happens to them more than the others.

1) Online orders take the stock and thus it never makes the shelf.

2) Scalpers (some who are EMPLOYEES)

3) They are NEVER sold in stores. Target is REALLY guilty of this.

Example
Master of the Universe Origins Sun Man-No Target in the state of Texas sells him in stores.
Marvel Legends Sleepwalker is no longer sold at Target after June 2022. He came out Jan 2022.
Gamerverse Miles was NEVER sold at Target stores.
Marvel Rising Patriot-NEVER sold in ANY store. He was online only.

The thing is they don't tell you this stuff.

Those last ones... is it because of online order or because the stores made a decision themselves like how some LCS won't worder certain books because they suspect their regular buyers won't be interested anyway?

[Aahz]

Is DC and Marie Javins pushing to be more inclusive a bad thing? Would DC rolling back its trying to be more inclusive make DC sell more? the answer to both is no.

Depends, I think If they had put more effort into increasing the sales of characters selling typically 20K-40K range, instead of constantly creating new diverse characters, DC would probably be in a better place at this point.

OK 5G was more of Dan Didio thing, but just imagine all the resources they put into that, had instead went into something the majority of fans actually want to read.

[HsssH]

It doesn't have to be new characters either. Kaldur isn't new but his push had lead to some real bad Aquaman sales.

[SebastianS]

That's more than I expected thank you

The reason is the reboot? Your pull had Titans then you continue buying once they returned in Titans Hunt...

Basically, my interest in DC started to wane with Infinite Crisis, because my favourite characters had been either killed off (Jean-Paul Valley), or taken in directions I wasn't (and still am not) particularly interested in (Kyle Rayner and Roy Harper).

I continued collecting DC, but slowly reduced the number of titles until Flashpoint. The New 52 reboot felt like a good jumping off point and I came back to certain titles because I had a pretty cool headcanon in which these titles made sense (Reed Hood and the Outlaws, Red Hood/Arsenal, The Omega Men). Going forward, I really think my time with DC is really coming to a definitive end, unless they really decide to favour characters I am most interested in (Kyle, Roy, Jean-Paul) in directions I am happy with (for example, Kyle doesn't need to be the last Green Lantern, but he thrives and is a much more interesting character when he is on Earth. And if he has to be special, make him take the Ion persona - I am not a fan of the Rainbow corp and White Lantern concept at all)