Could an anthology title like Adventure Comics work today?

[DrNewGod]

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DC has a lot of characters that seem to have small, dedicated fan bases, who, nonetheless, can't seem to maintain a title (I love ya Hawkman and Atom, but ya got issues). Might an anthology book be an answer to this?

I'm imagining a book running three features to an issue, rotating four-five characters thru the first two slots, and reserving the last for something relatively obscure (Rick Hunter, an update of Roy Raymond, Bat Lash, The Black Pirate, etc.). Stories might take a year, but could be collected for resale.

Is there any chance that would work in today's market?

[Lee Stone]

It could work, but it would need a regular Batman feature for retailers to stock it.

[GreenLanternRanger]

If DC would do it, I would read a monthly anthology title.

[OBrianTallent]

The problem is that DC would put two or three characters in the title and then charge six or seven dollars for it. People would then say they have only interest in one of the characters and not be willing to pay that high a price for it. Case in point...DC's attempt to revive the Sword of Sorcery title with Amethyst. There were may who said they liked the character but didn't want to pay the $4 for the book.

[DrNewGod]

The problem is that DC would put two or three characters in the title and then charge six or seven dollars for it. People would then say they have only interest in one of the characters and not be willing to pay that high a price for it. Case in point...DC's attempt to revive the Sword of Sorcery title with Amethyst. There were may who said they liked the character but didn't want to pay the $4 for the book.

Is that a page count/cost thing? I wonder if it could work if the features were constrained to 7-8 pages each?

[Ascended]

Given how poorly DC Comics Presents sold, and Brave & The Bold before it, I have to say it doesnt look good. Sure, those werent anthologies exactly, but they were the same sort of thing.

I think if you got a really good creative team together, with a strong premise (beyond just random hero team ups or showcases) and had a major character to co-star in the title, it might work. But even with Batman headlining, you'd have to do something pretty impressive for it to survive in today's market.

I think you'd have to get a high profile writer like Gaiman or Ellis or Moore, or steal someone from Marvel like Bendis, to have a hope of lasting more than twelve issues.

I'd support it if it were good, but I dont think the odds are very favorable. Hell, even JLU, which is basically what you're talking about, is dancing with cancellation.

[t hedge coke]

I love anthology books. And, really, I love 7-8 pg comics. But, I don't think anthology comics do well in the American market, and haven't for the last twenty years or more. There's a rare exception, usually a miniseries, but even then, the sales bar is, I would assume, reflexively lowered.

[MajorHoy]

I love anthology books. And, really, I love 7-8 pg comics.

Problem with 7-8 page comic book stories / chapters is . . . what would actually happen (if anything) in those 7-8 pages? Back in the last century, you could get a decent amount of story in 8 pages because the panel count per a page was more like six-or-eight panels on a typical page (not counting the larger opening page panel). But these days? You'd be lucky to average four-to-five panels per a page, and not as much happens per a typical panel because it takes multiple panels to show what a one-panel narration box told you back in the old days.

[t hedge coke]

Problem with 7-8 page comic book stories / chapters is . . . what would actually happen (if anything) in those 7-8 pages? Back in the last century, you could get a decent amount of story in 8 pages because the panel count per a page was more like six-or-eight panels on a typical page (not counting the larger opening page panel). But these days? You'd be lucky to average four-to-five panels per a page, and not as much happens per a typical panel because it takes multiple panels to show what a one-panel narration box told you back in the old days.

Plenty of modern comics manage to do a good gag in three panels.

But, even... Warren Ellis led the charge on decompression, right? But he's also done fantastic one page and eight page comics in the last few years. The Batman Inc Special managed to have mostly really good shorts. Brian Bolland's Heart Throbs two-parter (a four page story and a one-page alternate perspective) is maybe ten years old now, but it's still a thing of beauty and wit. Marvel occasionally does a mini of short comics, and they're usually, like Girls Comics or the post-Dark Reign one, pretty solid collections.

I'm not convinced modern talent can't or wouldn't do it. I just think, unfortunately, it's not what the largest audiences want, these days.

DK3's mini comics are probably mostly going to kick ass, but without the bigger story, I doubt they'd sell. I don't know.

[skyvolt2000]

image.jpg

DC has a lot of characters that seem to have small, dedicated fan bases, who, nonetheless, can't seem to maintain a title (I love ya Hawkman and Atom, but ya got issues). Might an anthology book be an answer to this?

I'm imagining a book running three features to an issue, rotating four-five characters thru the first two slots, and reserving the last for something relatively obscure (Rick Hunter, an update of Roy Raymond, Bat Lash, The Black Pirate, etc.). Stories might take a year, but could be collected for resale.

Is there any chance that would work in today's market?

If you get a creative team that does not write for trades you might get away with a 7-8 page story.

The 90s DC Showcase cost the same price as the other books.

Let that book serve as your character building for some of your main books.

Look at We Are Robin-you could get away with 7-8 pages of story in a DC Showcase book with them.

Same with Teen Titans. If that book flat out refuses to develop anyone then let another book do it.

Heck let that book be your new talent hunt book to introduce folks to your readers. So you can stop all this "I don't know any female, LGBT or minority writers/artists" mess. You got a place to at least introduce them.

[skyvolt2000]

Problem with 7-8 page comic book stories / chapters is . . . what would actually happen (if anything) in those 7-8 pages? Back in the last century, you could get a decent amount of story in 8 pages because the panel count per a page was more like six-or-eight panels on a typical page (not counting the larger opening page panel). But these days? You'd be lucky to average four-to-five panels per a page, and not as much happens per a typical panel because it takes multiple panels to show what a one-panel narration box told you back in the old days.

Erik Lawson's Savage Dragon includes back ups at 3-4 pages and even a 1 page gag page.

[LoneNecromancer]

No. You get books like this that just alternate characters via story arcs and no one buys them. Even if it's with a bunch of various characters with small fanbases it'll still run into a lot of the same problems.

[DrNewGod]

It strikes me that top talent would be a key. You'd have to approach them with a bonus + do any story you want that doesn't break the toys. If the main features rotate, you'd need that for a draw. The beauty is, that would still leave at least one feature for a new talent farm project.

[Lee Stone]

Of course...
There's people that will pay three or four dollars just for a cover.

What if they were to introduce, ahem, variant back-ups?
Say Justice League #48 regular for $3.99 and Justice League #48 Deluxe with an 8-page Captain Marvel story by Johns for $4.99..?

[Mr.Majestic]

The last good one would've been what? Marvel Comics Presents? They mostly made sure they always had one do not miss story in there. Damn Weapon X was good. I still cant believe they got BWS to do that.

Dark Horse Comics Presents was also pretty good. With Sin City and Aliens stories it was pretty awesome.