DC Universe relaunch in September 2011

Danscomics · Post by **Danscomics** » Tue May 31, 2011 4:45 pm

Gee, and I was biting my tongue on this until tomorrow since their email said it wasn't going public until tomorrow morning.

The same day digital stuff has been going on with DC titles for a while, just not every single one of them. It sounds like us retailers have more to worry about than we originally thought though. Retailers have been saying for a while that digital issues weren't going to make a difference to our market because those that would buy the digital issues have already been lost to pirated copies. However, judging by the response here, we haven't even begun to see a decrease in our sales base yet. Too bad the publishers still plan to cut us out when it comes to digital issues, I for one would love to be able to sell them in addition to print issues.

As for the renumbering, the most disappointing part for me is the loss of the historic numbers like with Action Comics and Detective Comics. It seems silly to me to lose that history. I'm not planning to use the renumbering as an excuse to change my purchasing habits.

TNPredsFan · Post by **TNPredsFan** » Tue May 31, 2011 5:25 pm

BobBretall wrote:BTW,

I think I am going to buy every one of DC's #1s. I am not going to pre-order even a single one of the #2s.

I'll read the #1s as they come out and decide which ones earn a slot on my pull-list.

This could blow up spectacularly in DC's face. How many folks are going to drop titles due to the reboot? I wasn't impressed with Flashpoint #1, so if they screw up (or worse, cancel) the titles that I care about, then it will be much easier for me to drop DC titles post-Flashpoint.

Comments on the DC Nation Facebook page on the announcement were overwhelmingly negative the last time I checked. DC has blocked comments on their blog for a couple of months now.

cgenro · Post by **cgenro** » Tue May 31, 2011 5:36 pm

As a long time DC fan I think this is fantastic news!! I am really excited to be on the ground floor for this launch and can`t wait to hear what titles will be part of this new universe. I`m with Bob on this one as I will most likely pick up each of the new #1`s and make my decision from there.

I really feel people are really over reacting. The only people who care at all about the numbering for Action and Detective are the hardcore fans who to me are being selfish as for many readers, two of my friends being an example seeing a large number can definitely be a turnoff. Who care is the issue currently being published is #901 or #12?? To me long time fans get so bogged down in trivialities and really fail to see the big picture as to what DC is trying to accomplish here.

I actually read as well and this is direct from DC that some characters will get a total reboot but others I`m assuming the big shots such as Batman and Superman will remain largely untouched.

yensid4disney · Post by **yensid4disney** » Tue May 31, 2011 5:39 pm

Not certain how I feel about this yet.

I like the idea of rebooting Justice League with Johns and Lee. That is just a no-brainer that makes a ton of sense to me. I am also interested in seeing which titles make the cut going forward. Will Detective and Action be renumbered? How many different Batman titles will reboot?

I am very cautiously optimistic about the idea of releasing everything day and date digital. If they try to charge everyone $2.99 per issue for the digital version, then I think this will be a humongous failure. If they instead go for the $1.99 or even $1.49 per book, I believe that they will be able to reach a wider audience.

Unfortunately, I don't believe that 99 cents is a realistic price point anymore. Too many other publishers have not gotten on board at that low of a price point, and when you have to cover your expenses (which a major publisher has more expenses than the smaller companies), I just don't see that happening.

Of course, I have been wrong before.

yensid4disney · Post by **yensid4disney** » Tue May 31, 2011 5:40 pm

Oh, also just thought I'd throw out a new idea.

Is FLASHPOINT the way DC plans on un-marrying Superman?

Discuss. . . .

80sJunkie · Post by **80sJunkie** » Tue May 31, 2011 5:47 pm

This is big news, but I don't think I have been excited by a numbering change in 20 years.

I'm not a digital comics reader, but I can see how digital comics is a big deal. Might even get me to covert if they do it right, but I would prefer that they included a free digital copy with pre-ordered books.

HassanT · Post by **HassanT** » Tue May 31, 2011 5:53 pm

This is huge. But it is more a relaunch and not a complete reboot based on what DC Entertainment's Senior Vice President of Sales, Bob Wayne: "We have taken great care in maintaining continuity where most important, but fans will see a new approach to our storytelling. Some of the characters will have new origins, while others will undergo minor changes."

I expect that Batman and Green Lantern franchises will have minor changes while Superman and Wonder Woman will have major changes.

As a long term DC fan I am excited about this. Why? It is a sign that one of biggest comic book publishers are trying to think outside the book, as opposed to the same all thing.

I am also really excited about Johns and Lee on JL. And Morrison is still on Batman.

HassanT · Post by **HassanT** » Tue May 31, 2011 5:53 pm

yensid4disney wrote:Oh, also just thought I'd throw out a new idea.

Is FLASHPOINT the way DC plans on un-marrying Superman?

Discuss. . . .

I would think so.

TNPredsFan · Post by **TNPredsFan** » Tue May 31, 2011 5:59 pm

yensid4disney wrote:Oh, also just thought I'd throw out a new idea.

Is FLASHPOINT the way DC plans on un-marrying Superman?

Discuss. . . .

I would almost guarantee it.

atomic99 · Post by **atomic99** » Tue May 31, 2011 7:01 pm

I figured the rumors would probably be true when, on Adam Hughes' Yahoo site, they mentioned about a lot of work coming (Hughes doing maybe 4 covers a month?) but they were keeping a lid on it because they said not all fans would like it.

Meh. I would say this would be a GREAT jumping OFF point for me but I'm only down to ONE regular DC title anyway (Teen Titans). Jumping onto any new titles will require interesting and talented teams of creators, not yet another reboot and retelling of the same old stories with the same creators as before. Don't just rearrange the chairs on the deck of the Titanic, you're still gonna hit that same old iceberg. NEW talent & BETTER talent, DC!

So what was wrong with the OLD reboot after Infinite Crisis? You know, the one where Johns and Morrison were the guiding hands? So if that one didn't sell, then why let Johns do it again? Meet the new boss.
Same as the old boss.

Johns and Lee on JLA. That gets the DC base all giddy like a bunch of school girls. But we all know these guys are all too busy with their new exec jobs to do a monthly book. Especially Lee. Good luck with that.

But these titles have all been rebooted before. So I just don't care. And it just isn't that historic. But I am a fan of history and I'd hate to see 70+ years of building on ACTION and DETECTIVE go just for a quick 6 month boost in sales. That's what desperate comic book editors and executives do rather than stop worrying about rebooting and just get on with telling some good stories. I suppose they'll be there to renumber when 1,000 approaches though.

Am I being selfish? Am I one of those 35-50 years olds with continuity issues that some on comic book forums like to whine about? Maybe. But we're also the old farts that help prop up the comic industry. There are not enough of you young folk to keep the industry going. Because someone is still going to have to buy all 10 of those Batman titles again.

And can we finally dispel the old line that DC has Legacy characters?

Sorry, all, if I sound like the bitter old fart here. The truth is, with only one DC title, I'm not all that invested in the DCU other than old back issues and trades. So, other than trashing the numbering history on ACTION or DETECTIVE, the bigger problem for DC is lack of passion, good or bad, which is more where I sit (despite my rather lengthy rant above. lol)

This is HISTORIC!! Yeah, kinda like how Final Crisis was 2 years ago, Infinite Crisis was 5 years ago, Zero Hour was 16 years ago, Crisis was 26 years ago, and the next reboot in 5 years. Zzzzzzzz. The DC base will get energized but, unless they get better talent or new talent with interesting directions, expect the same old sales for DC in a year.

Enjoy your funny books, kids!

BobBretall · Post by **BobBretall** » Tue May 31, 2011 10:22 pm

atomic99 wrote: Zzzzzzzz. The DC base will get energized but, unless they get better talent or new talent with interesting directions, expect the same old sales for DC in a year.

I'm going to wait until I see the September solicits before I make an assumption like this. I think they will have new talent and at least be trying to take things in interesting directions. That's kind of the point of the relaunch.

comicm · Post by **comicm** » Tue May 31, 2011 10:31 pm

I think the renumbering and revamping is not surprising. The big news is the digital same day release announcement. I am very curious to see if this has impact to the print copies and what the impact will be to stores if Marvel follows suit

80sJunkie · Post by **80sJunkie** » Tue May 31, 2011 11:02 pm

How well did the DCU reboot of the 80s do after Crisis? Can't really hope for more than that.

The more I think about it, the more interesting the idea is. There is both a creative reboot and a media reboot. I guess what it really boils down to is if they can find compelling stories to tell and if they can get those stories to new readers. Big if.

DC has been telling some great stories for a long time now, but sales have apparently stalled. After All-star and Weekly Comics, what other ideas do they have up their sleeves?

Webhead · Post by **Webhead** » Wed Jun 01, 2011 1:32 am

I give DC props for trying something this bold but I have a feeling this is going have the same effect when a single title gets renumbered or their is a death. Sales will jump but slowly drop back to their previous sales levels.

comicm · Post by **comicm** » Wed Jun 01, 2011 4:55 am

We should be thankful for what DC Comics is doing. They are trying to adapt to a declining market month in and month out. They see the trends and they are trying everything as fans of comics to keep the industry going. First they rolled out holding the line at 2.99. I for one was hoping this would double the sales or triple the sales and so far it has not. Dan, Geoff and Jim love these comic books and characters as much as we do and they are going to make these changes worth our while. They know the audience and we should be excited. They are also taking steps in the digital realm which is very innovative as they are the first to releasing all of their line digitally on the same day as release. As fans we should be excited because this may gain a new fanbase. The print comics will still be there. I just hope that retailers will survive this. Will the experiment work? I hope so but at least they are trying to keep the hobby we love going. Again thank you DC Comics and you will always have my support.