DC Comics That Tried (And Failed) To Be Iconic

[Lee Stone]

I think calling it "a throwaway filler project" may not be doing justice to it.

I'd go with something like "low-key mini-series".

I'm not saying it was bad.
DC, at the time had very little interest in the JSA.
The mini-series was really well written and drawn, but it was something DC 'was just putting out'. It was more like a 'try-out book' for the creators to keep them busy and not let them wander off.
The JSA was probably chosen because it would have the least impact (ha, pun) on the then current DCU and could be unrelated to anything else while still showing off the creators' abilities with superheroes.

[The Darknight Detective]

^^^No idea if the book was trying to be iconic (though I can’t imagine any creative team going into a project and hoping it’s forgettable) but I wish it had been. It had all the ingredients to be something special, imo.

I was referring to the series that came after the mini-series, though I don't disagree with your sentiments. I just keep hearing the former publication was cancelled despite good sales, but I'm not sure they were really that good in context.

[MajorHoy]

I was referring to the series that came after the mini-series, though I don't disagree with your sentiments. I just keep hearing the former publication was cancelled despite good sales, but I'm not sure they were really that good in context.

I believe the numbers were good enough that they would have normally kept a series continuing, but off-hand I'm not finding any numbers for that period.

[The Darknight Detective]

I believe the numbers were good enough that they would have normally kept a series continuing, but off-hand I'm not finding any numbers for that period.

I think I have seen 70-75 K bandied about, which would be terrific today, but in '92 when everybody was buying tons of comics for their kids' education?

[Lee Stone]

I was referring to the series that came after the mini-series, though I don't disagree with your sentiments. I just keep hearing the former publication was cancelled despite good sales, but I'm not sure they were really that good in context.

The ongoing series was only launched because interest boomed in the team after the mini-series. And it was a decent seller.
Unfortunately, the main boss (I forgot which one) at the time didn't like the 'geriatric' heroes becoming popular and set about to get it cancelled.
And later they were killed off in Zero Hour so it couldn't happen again.

[MajorHoy]

I think I have seen 70-75 K bandied about, which would be terrific today, but in '92 when everybody was buying tons of comics for their kids' education?

Back then, there were plenty of DC and Marvel comic books that weren't selling 100K a month that wouldn't have been on the chopping block.

[Dr. Poison]

I think the best & most recent example of this is Naomi. She had a lot going or her(i.e. big name writer, solo book, Young Justice membership, TV show, Justice League membership) but she never really caught on.

[skyvolt2000]

I think I have seen 70-75 K bandied about, which would be terrific today, but in '92 when everybody was buying tons of comics for their kids' education?

Nobody was buying JSA for that.

Nor books like Green Lantern Mosaic that also sold.

Nor the Milestone books.

The books you are talking about was Image, Batman breaks his Back and Death of Superman and Hal Goes Nuts and X-Men books.

That are the MAIN books from that era packing bins to this day.


Based on what I could find

JSA series was outselling Demon, Star Trek TNG, Moon Knight, Green Arrow, Hawkworld and Wonder Woman.

The Fly from Impact was outselling all those books.

I think the best & most recent example of this is Naomi. She had a lot going or her(i.e. big name writer, solo book, Young Justice membership, TV show, Justice League membership) but she never really caught on.

Nobody was trying to make her iconic. All she did was embarrass DC about their poor treatment of black female characters. Much like Moon Girl and Riri have done at Marvel.

All three have done more than Storm (as a solo person) and Bumblebee and Vixen.

[The Darknight Detective]

Back then, there were plenty of DC and Marvel comic books that weren't selling 100K a month that wouldn't have been on the chopping block.

That might be very well true, but if the JSA was below average in sales, there would be more to the story than some silly reason (not you, Major, but Carlin) about old superheroes not cutting it.

[NathanS]

We have people involved saying as much.

https://www.cbr.com/comic-book-urban...s-revealed-13/

And it lines up with what they did in Zero Hour. A book with good sales is canceled and then a mere two years after bring the JSA from limbo, right as Mike Carlin is becoming executive editor of DC they kill off as many as possible, age the rest to the point where they can barely stand and have Jay rip off his lighting bolt symbol and declare they are all too old to be heroes anymore.

[Korath]

I guess the fact that no one has mentioned the New Age of Dc Heroes series yet shows how much they failed in their endeavour to become iconic. A shame, because a few of them (Sideways, the Silencer, Firebrand) were cool and deservee a new chance to life.

[The Darknight Detective]

We have people involved saying as much.

https://www.cbr.com/comic-book-urban...s-revealed-13/

And it lines up with what they did in Zero Hour. A book with good sales is canceled and then a mere two years after bring the JSA from limbo, right as Mike Carlin is becoming executive editor of DC they kill off as many as possible, age the rest to the point where they can barely stand and have Jay rip off his lighting bolt symbol and declare they are all too old to be heroes anymore.

I'm not debating Carlin's animus towards the JSA. All I'm saying is, if sales were lower than DC's average monthly sales back then, then a case for cancellation could be made.

[The Darknight Detective]

We have people involved saying as much.

https://www.cbr.com/comic-book-urban...s-revealed-13/

And it lines up with what they did in Zero Hour. A book with good sales is canceled and then a mere two years after bring the JSA from limbo, right as Mike Carlin is becoming executive editor of DC they kill off as many as possible, age the rest to the point where they can barely stand and have Jay rip off his lighting bolt symbol and declare they are all too old to be heroes anymore.

I'm not debating Carlin's animus towards the JSA. All I'm saying is, if sales were lower than DC's average monthly sales back then, then a case for cancellation could be made.

[The Darknight Detective]

We have people involved saying as much.

https://www.cbr.com/comic-book-urban...s-revealed-13/

And it lines up with what they did in Zero Hour. A book with good sales is canceled and then a mere two years after bring the JSA from limbo, right as Mike Carlin is becoming executive editor of DC they kill off as many as possible, age the rest to the point where they can barely stand and have Jay rip off his lighting bolt symbol and declare they are all too old to be heroes anymore.

I'm not debating Carlin's animus towards the JSA. All I'm saying is, if sales were lower than DC's average monthly sales back then, then a case for cancellation could be made.

[Batgrayson]

It looks to me that Johns really wanted to make something big with 3 Jokers, but it was so boring and simple and delayed.

I remember a review saying that in the same month we had Jason saying again "I am the dead Robin, I was break since the beginning and nobody helped me" and being angry with everyone , we also had the end of Lobdell's Red Hood run with Jason helping other people to advance, using his own experiences and wanted to be better.