How could DC Comics sales be revived?

[Ascended]

yes, nothing maintains interest like getting one GN and then waiting a year for the sequel.

If DC began really pushing into the OGN market, and running it with a regular product supply, we'd stop seeing the books come out "whenever" and stop seeing such long wait times between volumes.

I assume that right now, DC waits to see the returns on the OGN's before approving the next volume. As a primary part of the publishing line they'd have to be more consistent than that, and keep stuff in the pipeline. They wouldn't really have any other choice, their expenses kind of demand a steady release schedule.

I'd think that two "full size/six issue" OGN's a year is perfectly viable. Same amount of content we get from the floppies. And I don't think maintaining interest would be that difficult a job either, people wait months between tv shows, they wait years between movies and novels. You'd just keep people's attention with early design work, previews, and interviews, same as novel authors. And it seems a growing number of people are already trade-waiting comics, and graphic novel sales are increasing. It'd be a different kind of medium than us Wednesday Warriors are used to, but I don't see any reason for it to not work. It's already working, and with a little adjustment and a sped up production timetable it could function as a larger part of DC's output.

I figure a publishing line of OGN's would include titles meant to carry a ongoing narrative (Batman season 1, season 2, etc) and between those they could drop some self-contained, stand alone stuff (Elseworld Batman, etc) to keep people engaged while they wait for the "core" story to reach the next installment.

[skyvolt2000]

Why are people acting as if DC hasn't had LGBTQ content for a long while now? It's not a new concept.
Batwoman
Midnighter
Hellraiser

How did those sell?

Orlando's Midnighter run featured his relationship a good deal along with action and humour.

That run was everything. LGBTQ representation done right. It was even written by a Gay man but fans did not turn out for it and DC didn't promote it much.


Really bummed when that got cancelled.

So annoying hearing some go on and on about LGBTQ rep but they let the great title we did have fail. Same goes for titles featuring under represented groups.

It sometimes feels like a big percentage of comic fans like to complain just for the sake of it.

We have to financially support these titles/characters to help them thrive.

Batwoman got derailed by editorial and she hasn't gotten a fair shot since.

Hellraiser is really Hellblazer and that book tends to do better as a trade or at least the 300 issue run always did.

Midnighter I think DC Rebirth derailed that run.

[skyvolt2000]

Can you expand on what the core audience wants and like?

Genuinely wanna know.

How are you going to find your core audience.

You can't limit it to say comic book stores. Because guess what not everyone has access to one. At my old school-I had 3 within a 15-20 minute drive. My new school-I don't have that.
Certain demographic communities don't have comic book stores.
You can't limit it to say the libraries-I can list you a BUNCH of DC titles that you can NOT get to check out. Don't get me started on Image. 90% of those titles are not there.

This messageboard? NO. Because not everyone who buys comics bothers to come here.

Survey at schools? NO. Because not every title is there. No way on EARTH will a school order any Black Label book at DC nor Sex Criminals.

Comic Cons? We have 1 comic con that MIGHT have 2 events here in Dallas. The other ones do it in Plano or Lewisville. Those are long drives on one of the WORST Freeways in the nation. Don't let SMU have a football game or the State Fair is going on.

Go by sales??? Here is the issue with that...

Online surveys NO. We have seen what review bombing has done to anything thing not straight white and male. Along with the mess known as Round Robin.

How many here trade wait?
How many here (like me) have NO issue ordering books from Ebay? Some are from stores and others are people who bought them and now selling them.

How many books are actually selling all their copies versus those who get big orders and leave large unsold copies?
If your store only sells 2 copies of Savage Dragon are you going to order more than that? No unless it was a milestone issue like Savage Dragon #300.
There are some titles that no one will come back for because they will get the trade instead of hunting down single issues.

There is no perfect way to do it. You just can NOT let one group dominate and try to be the ones who get pandered to.

I would say forget the core audience and go back to basics.

No more trade waiting. If a story can be told in 1-4 issues do it.

Choose who can best be served by an OGN versus a 12 issue mini.

Do season runs. Let Hal have a 4 issue run and then take a break for 6 months and do another.

If someone has a movie like Black Adam. Nothing is wrong with giving him a mini and say 4-6 one shots that can be collected into one volume before the movie comes out.

Need new blood in terms of talent- Do a one shot with that writer and ENCOURAGE feedback and something that can be used to verify a purchase.

[The Darknight Detective]

They can start by shrinking the batman line. Lead to freeing up extra dollars. If people get bored enough with not getting enough comics to read they will then branch to other lines. But if their extra cash is all taken up by batman books then that will never happen as inflation keeps skyrocketing.

In all seriousness: are there examples of companies (any type) successfully doing what you propose (defined as least making up the deficit after the change)?

[skyvolt2000]

In all seriousness: are there examples of companies (any type) successfully doing what you propose (defined as least making up the deficit after the change)?

Yes and NO.... Just NOT the way Punjabi_Hitman puts it.

The concept is you are so desperate for something you take whatever is there.

This is how it happens tv wise.

Example of this would be when My Wife and Kids and Bernie Mac show got aired at the same time. Black people complained about being forced to choose.
My Wife and Kids won that rating battle. Bernie Mac Show NEVER recovered.

Married with Children and Blossom were top 10 shows in black households their ENTIRE runs.
Why? Both aired after a very popular black show Fresh Prince for Blossom and In Living Color/Martin/Roc/Living Single for Married with Children-who sometimes had Living Single or Martin air after it.


This concept NEVER works for books.

You just lose a reader.

When New 52 Static got axed. I did NOT touch another DC book until Luke Fox took over as Batwing. 15 months.

If NOT for Miles Morales the last Spider-Man book I bought would have been in 2003.

20 years and counting with Superman.

Axing Batman books is NOT going to make someone read another DC book. It is more likely to send them to another company.

Which is why we are seeing NOn DC books beat up on DC books.

[The Darknight Detective]

Yes and NO.... Just NOT the way Punjabi_Hitman puts it.

The concept is you are so desperate for something you take whatever is there.

This is how it happens tv wise.

Example of this would be when My Wife and Kids and Bernie Mac show got aired at the same time. Black people complained about being forced to choose.
My Wife and Kids won that rating battle. Bernie Mac Show NEVER recovered.

Married with Children and Blossom were top 10 shows in black households their ENTIRE runs.
Why? Both aired after a very popular black show Fresh Prince for Blossom and In Living Color/Martin/Roc/Living Single for Married with Children-who sometimes had Living Single or Martin air after it.


This concept NEVER works for books.

You just lose a reader.

When New 52 Static got axed. I did NOT touch another DC book until Luke Fox took over as Batwing. 15 months.

If NOT for Miles Morales the last Spider-Man book I bought would have been in 2003.

20 years and counting with Superman.

Axing Batman books is NOT going to make someone read another DC book. It is more likely to send them to another company.

Which is why we are seeing NOn DC books beat up on DC books.

I agree with you. With TV shows, switching from one free show to another is no big deal, but spending your cash on something you really don't want is another thing.

BTW, I liked Bernie Mac better.

[Restingvoice]

Yeah that only work if the person involve is already interested in checking out other books or characters
Me for example my priority is lore so I will go where the lore goes, with bonus buying characters I like
So let's say they move Batman lore to Justice League, I will go there, but I would probably already buy JL to begin if the main DCU lore is usually there... but if the characters I like gets no continuation in any book, I will not buy other books

---

These days I get my favorite Bat fam interaction from the free WFA, so I don't even look forward to mainline comics to get Bat fam itch. I'll only be there just for the lore and if the plot is interesting... and whenever the mainline comic has an interaction not found in WFA... such as Damian and Connor Hawke

What mainline comic has over WFA is the actual superhero plot and conflict, since the webtoon only focus on the civilian life.

[Aahz]

Example of this would be when My Wife and Kids and Bernie Mac show got aired at the same time. Black people complained about being forced to choose.
My Wife and Kids won that rating battle. Bernie Mac Show NEVER recovered.

Married with Children and Blossom were top 10 shows in black households their ENTIRE runs.
Why? Both aired after a very popular black show Fresh Prince for Blossom and In Living Color/Martin/Roc/Living Single for Married with Children-who sometimes had Living Single or Martin air after it.


This concept NEVER works for books.

But the difference is that you don't pay for individual shows, and had back than to watch what was on. Now in the age of streaming I don't think that it is even going to work for TV shows that well anymore.

And the thing is floppies are just to expensive to just buy something you are not into, and reading one is usually not going to take up that much time that people are will have excessive amounts of free time if they a couple less each weak.

I think if DC puts out less Batman books, they are simply going to sell less books, or at best increase the sales of the remaining Bat books a bit.