How do you give feeback to DC Comics?

[Bored at 3:00AM]

I really have no idea.

All I said is that a better system should exist.

Now, DC did make a comprehensible survey back at the start of the New52, but I doubt they took the results into account much, based in their output. But hey, at least it was something.

If memory serves, the variety of titles from many genres was a direct result of that survey and, guess what, none of those titles managed to survive long because there was a big difference between what people said they wanted and what they were actually willing to pay money for.

From what I've heard, the Western, war and fantasy comics DC put out at the start of the New 52 were all of good quality, yet the market simply wasn't there for them, despite what DC's market research indicated.

Like I said, it's all reading tea leaves sometimes.

[BohemiaDrinker]

If memory serves, the variety of titles from many genres was a direct result of that survey

That can't be right. The survey happened after the new 52 launched, while the whole "titles in many genres" bit was there as part of the marketing package from day one.

That said, I"m not belittling DC here for following or not following the survey (and, for that matter, I don't really think "surveys" are really the way to go in a long term project anyway). Just putting out there that there should be a more efficient way to reach the final audience, and vice versa.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

That can't be right. The survey happened after the new 52 launched, while the whole "titles in many genres" bit was there as part of the marketing package from day one.

I can't really recall, so you're probably right on that.

That said, I"m not belittling DC here for following or not following the survey (and, for that matter, I don't really think "surveys" are really the way to go in a long term project anyway). Just putting out there that there should be a more efficient way to reach the final audience, and vice versa.

Well, if you have a better idea, I'm sure they'd love to hear it.

[BohemiaDrinker]

Well, if you have a better idea, I'm sure they'd love to hear it.

Even if I did, I doubt they would. I cost too much. XD

[Bored at 3:00AM]

Even if I did, I doubt they would. I cost too much. XD

Say what you will about DC, they do seem willing to spend money on the future--although obviously not as much as you'd be asking for .

Bendis's most recent Word Balloon podcast interview gave some real interesting insight into how seriously DC is taking their Masterclass program to help teach the next generation of writers. None of this is for PR or public consumption. This is being done in order to make future comics better. Not just DC comics, but all comics. I don't know if this was Didio, Lee, Johns or even Nelson's idea, but it shows a level of commitment and love for the medium that I don't think enough fans give DC editorial credit for.

It's very easy for us to sit at the back and throw spitballs at them when they &%$# up and play backseat driver without a full appreciation for the limitations and internal problems they have to deal with behind the scenes. Hearing Bendis talk about being as raw as possible about his own faults as a comics writer in front of a class of young writers and his own peers gave me a new appreciation for the work that DC is doing outside of the limelight. I particularly enjoyed hearing how Tom King perked up as soon as heard Bendis start talking so honestly about his greatest failures

[BohemiaDrinker]

Say what you will about DC, they do seem willing to spend money on the future--although obviously not as much as you'd be asking for .

Oh, money I could negotiate. But the price of my expertise would include Wally West back and least somehow respected as a character. They wouldn't pay.

Bendis's most recent Word Balloon podcast interview gave some real interesting insight into how seriously DC is taking their Masterclass program to help teach the next generation of writers. None of this is for PR or public consumption. This is being done in order to make future comics better. Not just DC comics, but all comics. I don't know if this was Didio, Lee, Johns or even Nelson's idea, but it shows a level of commitment and love for the medium that I don't think enough fans give DC editorial credit for.

My understanding is that it was a Snyder idea that they decided to bank on. But I didn't look too deeply into it, so it might something else.

It's very easy for us to sit at the back and throw spitballs at them when they &%$# up and play backseat driver without a full appreciation for the limitations and internal problems they have to deal with behind the scenes. Hearing Bendis talk about being as raw as possible about his own faults as a comics writer in front of a class of young writers and his own peers gave me a new appreciation for the work that DC is doing outside of the limelight. I particularly enjoyed hearing how Tom King perked up as soon as heard Bendis start talking so honestly about his greatest failures

Well, kinda. When they make the same stupid move for the 10th time, I think it's pretty reasonable to go "Dude, just stop!"

[Bored at 3:00AM]

Oh, money I could negotiate. But the price of my expertise would include Wally West back and least somehow respected as a character. They wouldn't pay.

You might be surprised by what's in store for Wally West. I suspect there's more going on in Heroes in Crisis than meets the eye. That said, I can totally understand why hardcore Wally fans wouldn't have much confidence in DC to do right by the character these days

My understanding is that it was a Snyder idea that they decided to bank on. But I didn't look too deeply into it, so it might something else.

If so, then I give Snyder plenty of props for this idea. From what I've seen on Twitter, he seems like a class act.

[BohemiaDrinker]

You might be surprised by what's in store for Wally West.

I might.

I'd also love to be.

BUT I haven't been wrong about this in ten years or so, so, you know, that's why I call it "the same ol' crap". ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Ascended]

It's very easy for us to sit at the back and throw spitballs at them when they &%$# up and play backseat driver without a full appreciation for the limitations and internal problems they have to deal with behind the scenes. Hearing Bendis talk about being as raw as possible about his own faults as a comics writer in front of a class of young writers and his own peers gave me a new appreciation for the work that DC is doing outside of the limelight. I particularly enjoyed hearing how Tom King perked up as soon as heard Bendis start talking so honestly about his greatest failures

This is very true. Arm chair quarterbacking is.....well, it's arm chair quarterbacking. And I don't think we give DC nearly enough credit for the stuff they get right. I mean, they really have done a lot of things that have made the industry better. And a lot of their attempts that fail, like the New Age line, are still worthy attempts where DC did everything they could possibly do the right way and the market just didn't respond (which is always a risk and you never know what'll catch on until you try). Sometimes I think we're too hard on DC. Sometimes I think some of the problems we have with DC aren't problems that are DC's fault, but the fault of us fans (like the failure of the New Age line). Especially when you consider that DC isn't its own company; they have to answer to WB too.

However, all that said, Drinker is right about DC making the same mistakes over and over again. A lot of lessons, they just refuse to learn. And they deserve criticism for it.

[Dr. Ellingham]

1. As this thread demonstrates, most of the feedback on this forum is specific to how DC is handling specific characters. Longtime / invested fans want their favorites treated in a specific way - typically however that character was handled when the reader was younger.

That's always been the case, and DC management knows that comes with the territory. Older readers want the current output to resonate and reflect the emotions they felt towards the books of their youth.

2. If you're like me - over 35 and can remember the comics from before current management - you're no longer their target audience and never will be again. Whatever you think about particular characters, the crossovers, the deaths, the relaunches and reboots - it just doesn't matter to DC.

[BohemiaDrinker]

However, all that said, Drinker is right about DC making the same mistakes over and over again. A lot of lessons, they just refuse to learn. And they deserve criticism for it.

As I said, there are specific people with an specific view. That doesn't really resonate, but boy, they will keep trying until it does!

1. As this thread demonstrates, most of the feedback on this forum is specific to how DC is handling specific characters.

Pretty much.

Longtime / invested fans want their favorites treated in a specific way - typically however that character was handled when the reader was younger.

That's always been the case, and DC management knows that comes with the territory. Older readers want the current output to resonate and reflect the emotions they felt towards the books of their youth.

Not really. This is the way Didio puts in interviews, but it misses the point, by far.

2. If you're like me - over 35 and can remember the comics from before current management - you're no longer their target audience and never will be again. Whatever you think about particular characters, the crossovers, the deaths, the relaunches and reboots - it just doesn't matter to DC.

Yet, that's who they come running to when shits hits the fan, like they did in Rebirth. Not to mention, according to ICV2 (which is as trustworthy a source as there can be regarding this stuff), 27% of the reader ship is between 35 to 44 years of age. Expand that to the 25-44 age group, and you'll have staggering 64% of the readership. Should DC focus exclusively on these people (mainly, us)? HEll no. Go after younger readers, I've been championing this for years. But that's a giant slice of the people who actually buy your product to say "well, yeah, **** your favorites, Dan wants his childhood back ¯\_(ツ)_/¯".

[byrd156]

1. As this thread demonstrates, most of the feedback on this forum is specific to how DC is handling specific characters. Longtime / invested fans want their favorites treated in a specific way - typically however that character was handled when the reader was younger.

That's always been the case, and DC management knows that comes with the territory. Older readers want the current output to resonate and reflect the emotions they felt towards the books of their youth.

2. If you're like me - over 35 and can remember the comics from before current management - you're no longer their target audience and never will be again. Whatever you think about particular characters, the crossovers, the deaths, the relaunches and reboots - it just doesn't matter to DC.

I'm 20 and I have no idea who they are targeting. Certainly not kids or long time fans.

[Buried Alien]

Dan wants his childhood back ¯\_(ツ)_/¯".

...which was...when, exactly? The current comics don't look like the Golden, Silver, OR Bronze Age, though it has bits and pieces of them.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[Ascended]

...which was...when, exactly? The current comics don't look like the Golden, Silver, OR Bronze Age, though it has bits and pieces of them.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

That just shows how DC is trying to have its cake and eat it too (a habitual problem with the management). They want to be all things to all people, but when you try to do that you end up appealing to no one.

I don't think DC itself knows exactly who to target anymore. There are new formats and mediums available that weren't possible a few years ago, and with those new distribution systems DC has access to totally new audiences.....but they still need to keep the established fan happy because we're the sure-bet and we're what keep the lights on. And they don't seem to know how to get the attention of those new audiences and hold it long enough to build a life-long fan either, and they don't seem to know how to compete against the other entertainment options competing for those audiences. The industry is at a crossroads, and even though DC helped get us here they dont seem to know how to proceed. But then, I don't think anyone knows, this is territory we've never really been in before. The introduction of tv and video games and home movies were just warm ups for the fight with the Internet.

[BohemiaDrinker]

...which was...when, exactly? The current comics don't look like the Golden, Silver, OR Bronze Age, though it has bits and pieces of them.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

The 70's, mostly.

And I disagree about current comics (and specially the New52) not resembling the the later silver to bronze age. Sure, storytelling, art, marketing, etc, have all changed considerably (and reproducing that stuuf ipsis literis would feel dated AF by now). But the DCU configuration and the tone of it, I'd say, are pretty spot on. Configuration specially.

Of course, the "childhood" bit was tongue in cheek and not necessarily literal. Just pointing out bias.