Is DC Even Trying Anymore?

DC Comics. Home to powerhouses like Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, The Flash...the list goes on and on. DC started in 1934 under the name of National Allied Publications. That is 88 years ago. I was in my late 20's when they started!

They are often referred to as one of the big two (along with chief rival, Marvel Comics, home to...well, you know if you are reading this). The problem nowadays, is that DC isn't a part of the big two. Outside of the Batman family of titles, it is on life support. And not even all of the Bat titles are doing well.

If you look at the top 100 sellers in the months of January through April, this is the high-level breakdown...

January DC had 26 titles in the top 100. 20 of those were Bat titles.
February DC had 26 yet again, with 17 being Bat titles.
March saw DC completely rebound (lmao) with 27 comics in the top 100. 18 of which belonged to ol' pointy ears.
April? 33 titles! WOW. Sit down. 21 were Bat titles.

Marvel is absolutely destroying DC. Outside of Batman, DC is not doing anything right. At all. They are writing comics for themselves, not for fans, clearly. Is there a wall at DC where they just throw crap and hope something sticks? This is a business that has a clear need for someone who can lead, not just manage. Huge difference, and DC is managing just fine. They are managing crap. They do not have the leadership required to rekindle the interest in even its core characters. Look at the Superman titles. Is there an excuse for what is happening there? Yes. Plenty. Is there a REASON? Nope.

Green Lantern? My favorite character/franchise. What in the hell? It's like watching Star Trek Discovery...there are a few cool parts, but largely no one gives a $#!+. It's entirely forgettable. 

While I enjoy Marvel, I have been a DC fan my entire life (well, for as long as I've been reading comics...probably not as an infant, where my prime focus was on food and not having a squishy diaper, I mean, come on).

It's hard to blame DC. Their parent is Warner, and they colossally interfere and place executive/creative ego over solid decision making. Marvel has actual cohesion, and Image has Spawn. And other Spawn titles. And other Spawns. This may look sarcastic as I type this, but they are legit fun books and are always visually incredible. 

So what is Marvel (and Image's Spawn) doing differently? It's less event-driven and they are absolutely more true to their characters. Marvel, for example, have created "woke" characters without fully overwriting their predecessors. That is great! Comics needs more diversity. 

Side note to Marvel...the best "F you" to the people appropriating the Punisher logo is just publishing nothing but stories where Frank Castle is laying waste to fringe right-wing groups. NOT that new, stupid logo. Stop.

Consistently well-written and drawn stories, fresh, NEW characters, and not alienating an older audience (who spends way more) are just a few ideas. Focus group a diverse reader selection, regularly. At this point I won't be surprised if the next big Bat event deals with alternate Earth Batmans who are warring with each other. Batman Right vs Batman Left. That way each political spectrum is covered.

Keep politics out of comics as much as possible. Readers do not want it, regardless of what a vocal minority of fans on Twitter may say.

Anyhoo, next blog will actually be why I love DC's Nightwing comic so much. Go figure.

Rebirth

Rebirth

re·birth

rēˈbərTH/

noun

noun: rebirth; noun: re-birth

1.    the process of being reincarnated or born again.

"the endless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth"

o    the action of reappearing or starting to flourish or increase after a decline; revival.

plural noun: rebirths; plural noun: re-births

"the rebirth of a defeated nation"

synonyms:

revival, renaissance, resurrection, reawakening, renewal, regeneration

DC Comics has had many “universe” shattering events in its time.  Some large (Crisis on Infinite Earths, Infinite Crisis, Final Crisis, Flashpoint) and some small (Armageddon 2001, Millennium).  If you see the word “Crisis” floating around, chances are high you are going to alienate somebody.

The next big event for DC, kicking off in May, is the highly anticipated “Another #$%^@ Crisis”.  It will highlight how our heroes handle their world’s lack of editorial foresight. 

But I kid.  Rebirth hits in May with an 80-page special written by Geoff Johns, and features an insanely talented group of artists in Ivan Reis, Phil Jimenez, Ethan Van Sciver, and Gary Frank.  With talent like that, they could price this at 20 bucks and I am in.

"Clark, what's with Eisenberg?"

The intent here is to incorporate elements of both the pre and post-Flashpoint universes.  I am excited to see this, because after pushing close to 20K (18K sounds like I am not committed) comics, the New 52 stalled me out.  My pull file at Mayhem comics?  Done.  Buying comics monthly?  Done.  Is Bruce Wayne still alive, dead, alive again, re-dead?  No idea.  Ok, I lied, I have been keeping up, but only thanks to various internet outlets.

In my post about Tim Drake (scroll down), I was starting to lose my taste for the New 52. It looks like DC is trying to change course, and I'm excited for the results.  Why?

Geoff Johns.  That's why.  If you liked Flash: Rebirth and Green Lantern: Rebirth, then my money is on his ability to respect the material while updating it.  The New 52 screwed up a lot.  Since cloning Johns is apparently not an option (yet, I have plans, kids), DC needs to be able to get back to the basics here.

3 Tips for DC from a 46 year old nerd:

1.) Good, character-driven (not action-driven) stories.  Don't leave out the action, of course, but we need to care about these characters.

2.) STOP fundamentally changing characters in crazy ways.  Alan Scott, for example.  I sincerely enjoy a diverse character set, but have it make sense.  I'd have rather seen Alan Scott come out of the closet than just being handed an all-of-a-sudden gay Alan Scott who was (pre-New 52) straight, married, and a father.  Or, and here's a crazy idea, create diverse characters?  I'm still waiting for the announcement of...

Superman is now an Indonesian Transsexual!

Seriously, knock it off.

3.) Before you create the next event/crisis, and completely alter the fictional universe, have you tried a focus group to gauge customer reaction?  If you have, shame on the last focus group.

Lastly, diversify your talent.  I'm not talking men/women, etc.  Diversity includes people and mindsets that represent all walks of life.  One name rings a bell: Chuck Dixon.  It is great to see some of the talent coming on board for Rebirth, but one horrible thing that comics (and other artistic mediums) falls victim to is allowing egos to rule over business decisions.

Take measured risks.  I am eager to say "Welcome back, DC."
 

Dear Critics

Finally!  I have been freed from an Albanian terrorist organization and am free to blog!  This translates into being lazy. Sorry, Albania!
 

In the last installment, we talked about Ben Affleck and his turn as Batman. There was a lot of speculation and hate. Rest assured, he was the best Caped Crusader.  Sorry, Clooney.

We have finally seen a DC Comics movie that lives up to DC Comics.  The critics are destroying this movie like it starred Ryan Reynolds in a green suit.  One of the biggest complaints?  It's joyless and too dark.  Excuse me?  In Man of Steel, my biggest beef was the insane amount of property damage.  This had to be dark.  The source material led us to this.  Critics, you are stupid.  Sorry, critics!

Finally, this is a good time to resurrect this blog, as there are so many projects out and coming up.  DC Comics "Rebirth" project is right around the corner, and I am excited to see what is up.  So to the 2 people that read this, sorry two people!

Plug time: Field of Geeks!  It's a podcast.  Download the app Podbean (for free) and search for Field of Geeks.  It's worth it, great guys on there talking about all the fun stuff.  Even I am a guest on there, occasionally.  Sorry, world!

Bats vs Supes: 5 out of 5 baths with Amy Adams.