Tag: dc

Cancelled Comic: A Success for Comic Book Industry

May. 13 Comics, News Comments Off on Cancelled Comic: A Success for Comic Book Industry

News is breaking that DC Comics is cancelling Legion of Super-Heroes, Threshold, Dial H for Hero, and Demon Knights in August. We knew about two of these cancellations and suspected the other two. The timing is coincidental since I was just asked by someone this morning if a cancelled comic equals a failure of the creators, a failure of the publication company, or of both. Instead of considering a cancelled comic as a failure, I think people should consider it as a success.

Every one a cancelled comic: Demon Knights, Dial H. for Hero, Legion of Super-Heroes.

Every one a cancelled comic: Demon Knights, Dial H. for Hero, Legion of Super-Heroes.

Cancelled Comic as a Success?

I guess I try to look at some aspects of the comic book industry with as much optimism as possible. A simple run through of the comics in Overstreet will point out that there have been thousands of comics which have been cancelled over the years. Sometimes these comics have run their course. Sometimes a cancelled comic has lost favor with the fans and they have moved on to something else. At other times, the comic has lost favor with the publisher and it decides it needs to move to greener pastures.

Success from Failures

Yes, comic book publishers do often make the same mistake twice…but they often learn from their mistakes. If a comic needs to be cancelled, a publisher will have made a long and hard decision to end the run. Publishers take many factors into consideration before a cancelled comic is declared. These factors create the lessons which will guide creators and planners in the future.

It’s Better to Recognize

As fans of comic books and the comic book industry, we should all be happy when we hear about a cancelled comic. Sure, we might be upset because a title we liked hit the garbage, but would you rather a publisher spread itself thin with titles people are not buying or focus on the ones people are reading? Would you rather they try to focus on a comic which has failed or on a title which just needs that extra nudge to become great? Would you rather a publisher be held down by its uncertainty or allowed to soar because of the hard decisions it made in the past?

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Trinity War Triptych – True Meaning

Apr. 07 Comics, News Comments Off on Trinity War Triptych – True Meaning

The Trinity War triptych has everyone talking, but I am realizing that most comic book websites are missing key points in the picture. Too many people are reading into the action in the Trinity War triptych and not reading into the messages hidden inside.

The Trinity War triptych

The Trinity War triptych

What is Being Reported on the Trinity War Triptych?

Yes, it is interesting how Wonder Woman has her lasso around Constantine. Yes, it is interesting how the three factions of the Justice League (proper, Dark, and America) are fighting. These points, though, do not the key points of the collaborative picture at all. Am I the only one who sees the actual message?

Who Fights the Trinity War?

The original thoughts about the Trinity War pointed to a war between Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. Since the three factions of the Justice League are seen fighting in the triptych, many websites are discussing the “trinity” in the war being the Justice League factions. Why are they disregarding the idea of the Phantom Stranger, The Question, and Pandora being listed as the Trinity of Sin? Anyways, the picture clearly points to the three main players in the war.

Trinity War triptych focus

Trinity War triptych focus

Read the Picture

The Phantom Stranger and The Question are shown in clowdy form above the fighting. I read this as them not simply being watching the battle, but directing it as if the members of the Justice League factions are simply pawns in a greater battle. Where are they directing the battle?

If you were to draw a line from the Phantom Stranger’s eyes and from The Question’s eyes, you will note that they are both looking directly at the skull in Pandora’s clutches. If you were to draw a line from the Phantom Stranger to The Question, you will note that the shape created is an equilateral triangle. The equilateral triangle is a major symbol in Christianity since it symbolizes the equality of the Holy Trinity. Turn that and we have a triangle symbolizing the Trinity of Sin.

Reading Deeper

What is Pandora doing in the picture? As the world is fighting around her, she is protecting what appears to be a jeweled skull. It should be inferred that the Trinity War is centered on this skull. With Pandora’s own title coming out shortly, we should find out what the skull means within weeks.

I guess the amount of action in the picture has distracted most people from the true message of the Trinity War triptych. At least we appear to have an answer to the question about the Trinity War affecting more titles than just those in the DC Comics Dark Universe. The Trinity War will be fought the the Trinity of Sin with the factions of the Justice League being their pawns.

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WTF Certified – DC Comics Dropped the Ball

Mar. 30 Comics no comments

I remember a time, only a short time ago, when we were being bombarded with information about the DC Comics WTF Certified events. Speculation ran rampant online and in our Detroit comic book store about what might be going on in our favorite titles and what might happen to draw us to the titles we have neglected. We are now entering the WTF Certified period, and DC Comics has dropped the ball on marketing.

DC's WTF Certified

DC’s WTF Certified

WTF Certified is a Big Event?

By looking through the Diamond Previews last month, almost every page about DC Comics had something about WTF Certified. Where are the inserts for comic book stores to place inside bags to get customers excited? Where are the banners and window hangs to invite customers in? Where are the special imprinted bags with the DC Comics WTF Certified logos? Where is the WTF Certified swag? As of this writing, DC does not even have a headline or the slightest of teasers about WTF Certified on their website.

Marvel Off and Running

Did you happen to know that Marvel is in the Age of Ultron? Chances are good that you might have given a little chuckle reading the previous line. We have bag inserts, swag, window hangers, and Marvel has been talking about the crossover event nonstop. I have even heard the publisher is running ads on Serius Radio over the last few weeks. This is the type of marketing DC Comics should have embraced with WTF Certified.

What DC Needs to Do

DC Comics would love to reassume the top spot in the market, but the bronze ring is just out of reach. WTF Certified marketing is a perfect example of what DC could have done to prove tot eh fans and the market that it knows what it takes to reach for the ring. Sadly, this was not meant to be as DC forgot that sometimes you need to inundate readers with information to get them excited. Instead of being excited, I am asking “WTF DC?” And that, my friends, is certified.

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DC Comics On Wrong Path Already This Year?

Mar. 14 Comics no comments

Bleeding Cool is reporting a rumor that DC Comics’ big September event will result in 16 titles being eliminated with four weekly titles which will feature the four main company “families.” Speculation is sure to run rampant in the upcoming months about which titles will get the axe, but this article is not meant to speculate. It is meant to poke DC Comics in the ribs a few times and maybe cause them to wake the [Censored] up and smell the [Censored] coffee.

This content is censored.

This content is censored.

WTF is DC Comics Doing Now?

According to the rumors in the report, the sixteen titles will be replaced by four weekly titles with one each revolving around the families in the Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, and Justice League lines. The issues will have revolving creative casts. To make room, DC Comics will eliminate 16 titles, mostly from the bottom of the barrel and some (potentially) from the middle of the barrel.

Let’s Do Math

If DC Comics is going to eliminate 16 titles and replace them with four weekly titles, what the Hell are we gonna call it? The Newer 40? Note we are subtracting 16 from 52 to equal 36. When we add 4 more titles, we arrive at 40. Some company execs might be reading this and execs often prove they don’t know [Censored] about math.

Gravitational Pull

Does DC Comics honestly believe people are going to want to fill their pulls with weekly comics? The story style and artwork will be different with each issue, so there is little for fans to latch onto outside of the characters involved. Comic book readers gravitate towards comics which have creators they like and have become familiar with. This was proven years ago by such teams as Stan Lee and Jack [Censored] Kirby! One week, a strong team might be placed on the comic and a horrible one the next.

Market Stability

You cannot secure a place in the market if your purchase rate is going to go up and down week after week. Wake up! The market needs stability right now – not more ups and downs. DC Comics (Marvel you should listen up too), do you remember the up and down spikes in the 1990s? What happened to the [Censored] market when people got tired of the purchasing spikes? I kinda remember a market which got inundated with [Censored] and schlock which can’t even sell in $0.25 boxes today. Don’t do that to the market again.

What DC Needs to Do

Instead of simply axing sixteen comics, figure the[Censored] out why those comics are failing and breathe new life into them. National Allied Publications was founded in 1934 and was later rebranded as DC Comics. In almost 80 [Censored] years, the company has not learned how to resurrect a comic? Instead of shifting around the lines, DC should be focusing on getting readers involved again in their comics. I spent my entire life as a Marvelite, but the New 52 has won me over with most of my weekly pulls coming from DC instead of Marvel. Hey DC, if you can win me over, you can win over anyone if you just [Censored] try hard enough.

My Hope

I hope the elimination of titles and the introduction of weekly revolving comics is a rumor. Of course, nothing has come out from DC as contradicting it, so I am stuck being [Censored] [Censored] off about DC Comics going in the wrong direction. I just hope the rumors are wrong and DC Comics does not drop the [Censored] ball again.

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Pre-New 52 Reversion a Possibility for DC Comics?

Mar. 05 Comics, News no comments

Ever since DC Comics brought their characters in the New 52, fans have worried about a reversion back to the pre-New 52 days. Any little “disturbance” which comes along gets fans wondering. Fans need some kind of guarantee from DC Comics that the company will not revert back to the pre-New 52 storylines.

DC's WTF

DC’s WTF

DC’s WTF

One of the rumors I have seen floating around is that somehow DC’s WTF will hint at a possible reversion back to the pre-New 52 days. Maybe the reintroduction of Booster Gold will place some type of break in the new reality. We know that a team will disappear, but where will they disappear to? Could this simply something pointing to how Justice League Dark is trapped in another reality, or something more?

The War of the Trinity of Sin

War is brewing between the three members of the Trinity of Sin. The Question, Pandora, and the Phantom Strange could destroy reality in their upcoming battle. Could that send the comics back into the pre-New 52 era?

What DC Needs to Do

I would love DC to make some type of symbolic move to state once and for all that the New 52 is here to stay. They can state their intentions to keep the New 52 as the status quo, but there will still be rumors. Fans need a definitive action from the company to ensure the rumors or a pre-New 52 reversion finally die once and for all.

Why DC Need to Do It

I spoke with a customer recently who is leery about continuing with titles in the New 52 because of his worry about a reversion. He worries his collection might become worthless if the publishing company reverts back to where the storylines were a few years ago. For every one fan like this I talk to, I can almost guarantee there are hundreds more out there with the same concern. The concern will continue to grow until the pre-New 52 DC Universe is gone.

How DC Could Do It

May, during the war among the Trinity of Sin, the Trinity could open up a portal to the pre-New 52 era. Somehow, they would need to destroy it or completely lock it off. Either way, fans need to know that “door” is closed for good.

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