Tag: dc comics

I See DC Comics Losing Market Share Right and Left

Oct. 21 Comics, News no comments

I have noticed a disturbing trend among many comic book readers and collectors who are dropping almost everything, or everything, they read from DC Comics. The anger is still resonating in the market at the Villain Month allocation. I have a strong feeling that DC Comics will fall hard in market share for September-October when we see the numbers in a few weeks.

Trinity of Sin: Pandora #1

My Monthly Pulls

Personally, I have dropped about half of my regular DC Comics pulls. After the disappointment which was Trinity War, I could not hold on for any more issues of Justice League, Justice League America, or Pandora. I was turned off to some titles by the hiatus from the story lines – such as Suicide Squad.

A Positive for the Market

Many of the people who have told me about dropping DC Comics titles are taking the opportunity to try out other titles from other publishers. For the market, this is a good thing. Too often, people will drop titles out of product anger and not pick anything else up. This causes the market to shrink – and that cannot be afforded by the market right now.

Uphill Battle for DC Comics

Right now, I see DC Comics having an uphill battle as they have to win back retailers who were discouraged by the Villain Month Allocation and win back readers who were upset by the titles, the execution, or the hiatus of their regular stories.

Next Month

While I have no clue how far down DC Comics will fall from their big numbers win in the September War, I do see them falling. I would be surprised if Marvel did not take back the top spot, especially with the traction the Battle of the Atom has been getting. DC Comics will still be in second place for market share, but I see the gap shrinking between DC Comics and Image.

No Surprise: DC Comics Cancels Vibe, Katana

Oct. 16 Comics, News no comments

DC Comics has officially announced that Vibe and Katana are both cancelled. This should not be a surprise to anyone since the company tried to make third-string characters into ones which could carry their own titles. They tried to catch lightning in a bottle, but went about it the wrong way.

DC Comics takes out Katana and Vibe

Too Early

Both Vibe and Katana were given their own series too early in the New 52. DC Comics should have realized that. Granted, we are two years in, but the characters did not have time to develop their fan bases. Wonder Woman, Superman, and Batman have generations of fans to fall back on. Constantine and the Phantom Stranger both had cult followings which had grown over the years. Swamp Thing is a staple of the Dark Universe and will always have fans to call his own.

The Variance

I am sure some of you are going to try to counter by “too early” statement by pointing out how my favored Justice League Dark got a series very early and has been able to strive in the Diamond Top 100. The example is different since the JLD relied on characters on the team which had already gained a following over the years (Constantine and Deadman). DC Comics made the right moves with that title by inviting Flash, Swamp Thing, and the Phantom Stranger into the pages to bring in more readers early on.

Who is Next for DC Comics?

I see Pandora getting the boot within the next few months now that the Trinity War is over. I dropped it after Trinity War because her story was not strong enough to keep me happy over multiple issues. I see many other readers doing the same. I fully expect her title to be the next on the chipping block.

DC Comics has been playing this game for a very long time. It should know that you have to build a character up to great heights before launching a title with it. They could have launched Katana and Vibe at the dawn of the New 52 since most of the comics were starting on a level playing field (outside of those with decades of followers). Now was not the time for the two titles.

Tags: dc comics, katana, katana cancelled, vibe, vibe cancelled

Thank You Letter from Dennis Barger to DC Entertainment

Sep. 25 Comics, News, September War no comments

A letter to DC Entertainment from Dennis Barger comics retailer,

Please read, THANK YOU FROM THE CO-PUBLISHERS

Dear Jim and Dan:

Oh, DC Entertainment – Bleeding Cool and some other sites used this artwork with permission by us – the creators. If you are going to use it in the future, please credit Wonderworld Comics, WonderWorldComics, or Robert Bowman.

I’d like to take a moment between calls number 15 and 16 first thing in the morning asking if we have 3D Joker’s Daughter comics to thank you for all your support for DC’s Villains Month. You know, like when you skipped the middle 2,800 miles of the US to have a Road Show Stops and let us know what was going on. Or when you had your sales reps call me and tell me to up my order wasting my time because apparently you knew these would be allocated. Oh, and at the SDCC Diamond Retailers Lunch when you had Bob say he had placed the orders ahead of time and we should increase our orders and that there might be slight allocations. Especially for the time my managers and I sat around for 2 hours strategizing about how many we should order. The best part was when you Dan announced at Boston that there would be allocations before FOC was due. But my favorite time you helped me out was by announcing “The Allocation” totals 5 minutes before you closed on a Friday and that we had to put a strategy in place by Monday to place 2D orders to make up for your failures in production or ordering.

From the time you started to talk about this initiative with us, we knew it would be a half-assed and thrown together venture, but we gave you the benefit of the doubt. We also had very little concerns over ordering and allocations because you kept using the word slight. I fully appreciate you dictating to us what we have to do and how we were incorrect in our frustrations and through every stage of this process pretending like this was a good thing. And while you had bumps along the way, I hope, in the end, after you post record September profits, counting your piles of money from getting retailers to order 133% more of your product then we wanted to. Your assertion “that when it is all done the outcome was positive for all involved” has missed the point entirely.

We, the retailers, are your customers. You have inconvenienced us, you have forced us to do more work to get what we actually wanted from you, you have forced us to give you more money than we wanted to and you have forced me to make decisions that I did not want to make as to who gets them. Funny, your choices to treat us like this have forced us to treat our customers similar to this and they feel the same way I do right now. They wanted the books, they expected us to order them and have them in stock, they didn’t expect to have to go through the extra time of going from shop to shop looking for them, they didn’t expect to have to pay $10 or more from comic shops to get them and unlike you I am sure as hell not going to write them a letter like you just wrote to me, gloating about how much money I made this month off of my customers misery. “We listened to you”, did you? “and have learned from the experience” like you’ve said for the past 2 years?

As we continue to look at ways to excite our customers with comics from publishers that know what they are doing in terms of supplying their distribution chain and invigorate the market of the other 70% of the comic book industry I will try to remember that I actually like both of your skills as creators, but just really think you are piss poor managers of 3/10th of my stores product line.

Villains Month has been one of the most infuriating, disrespectful and unprofessional months I have ever had the misfortune of enduring in the 8 1/2 years I have been a comic retailers and I owe so much of those feelings to our “partnership” with you.

Again, thank you!

Your customer and apparent Partner,

Dennis Barger
Wonderworld Comics

Tags: dc comics, dc entertainment, dennis barger, september war, wonderworld comics

Villain Month Allocation Cuts Deeper Than Expected

Sep. 18 Comics, Detroit Area Comic Book Store, News no comments

An alarming discovery was made at Wonderworld Comics today when next week’s shipping invoice came across and it was found that the Villain Month allocation for week four will be deeper than previously stated for three of the titles. As of this writing, there has been no notification on the issue from DC Comics as to why the Villain Month allocation cuts are deeper than retailers had planned for.

Lower Invoice

Before Villain Month began, retailers knew how many issues of each of the 3D covers they would be allocated. Most retailers attempted to fill in the gaps through orders of the 2D covers. The first three weeks of allocations matched up with the totals our store had been previously been warned about. The fourth week is not.

The real villains of Villain Month?

What is Getting Allocated?

Bane, Parasite, and Doomsday are all getting cut deeper than previously reported to retailers. According to a message which is going out to retailers, they will receive 93 percent of what was promised on Bane #1, 90 percent of what was promised on Parasite #1, and 84 percent of what was promised on Doomsday #1.

Discouraging Timing

The message from DC Comics about the further Villain Month allocation is being received after the shipping invoice for next week. Retailers were forced to ask questions before the needed information was passed along by DC Comics. This is simply wrong for business. Instead of sending out something which will flag retailers, DC Comics should have sent out the information about the further Villain Month allocation first.

This Month Hurts

This month has already hurt comic book retailers enough. Hopefully, DC Comics (and the other comic book publishers) learn valuable lessons this month on making sure that they have enough product to cover the hype and to focus on communication with retailers. Constant communication brings strength, dissipates fears, and helps retailers do the job they are supposed to do effectively and effeciantly.

Tags: dc comics, villain month, villain month allocation

Why #FireDiDio Won’t Work [Censored]

Sep. 11 Comics, News no comments

#FireDiDio is one of the hot items on Twitter these days. The ever-growing outrage at DC Comics Co-Publisher Dan DiDio continues to rage online after the [Censored] hit the fan over the Batwoman marriage not happening in the pages of her title. Will #FireDiDio work? I really don’t think so.

This content is censored.

What’s Going On?

The bowl of [Censored] we were handed with Trinity War, the Villain Month allocation, the lacking storyline strength of the Villain Month titles, the exodus of creators from DC Comics, the loss of the marriage in Batwoman, and the asinine reasoning for DC Comics superheroes not getting married has opened the floodgates of fans who would love to see Dan DiDio lose his job (or at the very least theat he [Censored] [Censored]). I can tell you right now that #FireDiDio ain’t gonna work.

This Ain’t New

The “Fire DiDio” movement has been growing since about 2008. Whenever he commits some form of jackassery, the old fires are stoked again. Sure, #FireDiDio might be something from the last few days, but the flames are from a fire which started long ago and has been stoked many times over.

Why Won’t #FireDiDio Work?

For #FireDiDio to work, someone at the DC Comics offices would have to be listening to the masses. When the crowds got up in arms about the Villain Month allocation, DC Comics didn’t do [Censored]. Sure, you can say that they released the 2D covers, but I am 100% sure those were planned before. On top of that, they did not give retailers much time (only a handful of days) to prepare their corrected orders. #FireDiDio is just going to fall on deaf [Censored] ears.

When people complained to DC Comics about the Batwoman marriage changes, what did DC Comics do? They came up with a lame excuse about superheroes not being able to be married because of sacrifices. I guess Marvel superheroes are more rounded since many of them have been married over the years and still saved the [Censored] day. The cream came when Dan DiDio delivered the hacked-up message about marriage and then declared he would not change the storyline HE wanted no matter what WE wanted. Let us all take a moment to bow in [Censored] homage.

DC Comics Doesn’t Care

DC Comics could not care less about what the readers and collectors want. They just want to tell the story they want to tell. Instead of typing #FireDiDio, maybe we should be typing #FireDCComics. If they are going to give a flying [Censored] about what retailers, readers, and collectors want, maybe it is time for us to stop giving a flying [Censored] about them. #FireDiDio is not going to work because DC Comics is blind to the mistakes it is making. DC Comics is blind and it is deaf. We just need to hit them in the pocketbook to make them finally wake the [Censored] up.

Tags: #firedidio, dan didio, dc comics

DC Comics Stance on Marriage: Archaic or Rushed?

Sep. 09 Comics, News no comments

The current stance of DC Comics is that superheroes should not be married “as they have to sacrifice their personal lives and personal happiness.” Dan DiDio made the point of the stance clear this weekend when discussing the reasons why the creators behind Batwoman are leaving the company and why Batwoman is not marrying her love. I never knew DC Comics was so archaic.

Catholicism and Marriage

As someone who was raised in the Catholic Church, I have to think that this marriage stance by DC Comics is something which has caused for countless hours of debate in the Catholic Church. Priests and nuns are not allowed to marry because the Church believes they would not be able to balance a successful marriage with the responsibilities of the cloth. The Church has turned a blind eye to the fact that other religions around the world have clergy which are able to marry.

My Personal Calling?

In my personal life, I spent many years believing I would grow up to be a Catholic priest. It was the draw to have a family which finally caused me to leave my aspirations of a life of the cloth. I know of many other Catholics which turned down a potential “calling” in order to start a family and I know a handful of priest which left their callings to learn the love of a family. This point was not meant to spread any religious turn, but to point out how the Catholic Church has been called “archaic” for the same type of stance that DC Comics and Dan DiDio are currently showing towards marriage.

The Marriage Stance

If Dan DiDio truly gave the DC Comics marriage stance, why is the company sitting in the Middle Ages? Maybe they should read some titles by Marvel Comics where characters (such as the Reeds) have been able to have successful marriages and still be able to save the world, universe, or dimension for decades.

A Rushed Decision?

The DC Comics stance on marriage appears rushed to me. I have to wonder if this stance was created as a way to battle the outcry over the Batwoman marriage. If it were true that the company did not think superheroes should be married, why was Batwoman allowed to discuss marriage previously? I think this stance was rushed to deal with a backlash DC Comics didn’t expect due to tunnel vision. It appears DC Comics is trying to defeat itself in the September War.

Personal Happiness

One last point, anyone who is married will tell you that marriage is a sacrifice of personal happiness.

Tags: batwoman, batwoman marriage, dc comics, dc comics marriage, dc comics on marriage, dc comics stance on marriage

More Talent Leaving: DC Comics Falling Apart?

Sep. 05 Comics, News no comments

The exodus from DC Comics continues. Both W. Haden Blackman and J.H. Williams III are walking away from Batwoman as of issue #26. They say it is due to last minute changes which come down the pipes which have caused them to alter stories at the last minute. These changes, according to their posting today (see it here), cause them to not be able to tell the best story they possibly can within the pages of Batwoman.

In their post, Blackman and Williams stated that they had plans to tell the origin of Killer Croc – but this was scrapped. Also, the changes would cause for the marriage between Kate and Maggie to not be seen within the pages of the comic. All of these changes apparently happened at the last possible moment and have caused for a negation of their ability to deliver the best story to fans.

This is not the first time we have heard about issues between the brass, editorial staff, and creators at DC Comics. We have seen an exodus from DC Comic this year for irreconcilable differences between creators, editors, and brass. How many problems do we have to go over right now (Villain Month allocation anyone)) to prove that DC Comics is falling apart from the inside.

Yes, DC Comics has been making major strides in market share. Taking over market share for a month is a short-term goal. Why isn’t the company dealing with long-term goals? Keeping staff, and keeping staff happy is an important aspect if you want to achieve long-term success. Granted, they have had long-term success (the company did not just show up on the scene), but they need to worry about long-term success from here on out.

Comic book readers, collectors, and comic book store owners are mad at DC Comics right now because of all of the problems. Obviously, many of the creators who have worked with the company recently have been angry as well. All of this anger and madness points to a larger issue at DC Comics – control.

It appears that the root problem at DC Comics right now is control. They fight their own creators for control of the characters while not being able to control the launch of their biggest event of the year. Mind the fact that the company can’t even control the media leaks which happen. Every few days, something new appears to leak out of the DC Comics offices and into the press.

Someone needs to take control of the company before it completely falls apart. Maybe that person is someone on the staff. Maybe someone from outside the company should be brought in to reevlauate all of the processes and those who make the processes. They need to learn when control should be taken, and when it should be delegated. These are not mistakes a seasoned company like DC Comics should be making, but it is something that needs to end.

Tags: batwoman, batwoman creators, batwoman wtiers, dc comics

Ben Affleck as Batman Proves Consistency at DC Comics

Aug. 23 News, September War, TV & Movies 1 comment

Ben Affleck as Batman! Ben Affleck as Batman! Ben Affleck as Batman!

The big news last night was how Ben Affleck has been given the role of Batman for the Man of Steel sequel. I think this was a fitting decision by DC Comics and look forward to more decisions like this in the future. I love when a company proves it can be consistent.

Ben Affleck as Batman proves consistency at DC Comics

Super Hype / Delivery

Ever since the announcement at San Diego Comic-Con International, Batman/Superman has been lauded as the greatest movie endeavor DC Comics has ever undertaken. Fans wondered if the movie could end up rivaling The Avengers and the billion dollar take the first movie had. Delivering us Ben Affleck after all of this hype is consistent to current practice at DC Comics. It is very reminiscent of how the 3D covers were hyped earlier this year and then we were told that there were not going to be enough to equate to supply and demand. In the end, we have a limited number of happy collectors and Ben Affleck as Batman.

Research

I would have expected DC Comics and Warner Bros. to consider all of the past superhero movies made over the years while casting for the Man of Steel sequel. I would have expected them to see how certain roles were cast and how those castings impacted the market. I would have expected them to know what everyone else in the comic book industry knows – Affleck was in Daredevil and the movie is one of the worst superhero movies in the last thirty years.

Now, DC Comics has passed the blame for the lack of 3D Villain Month covers onto the printer by stating that there were not enough materials for the job. Sounds like a lack of research to me. At least they are consistent with not doing the proper research. In the end, we don’t have enough 3D Villain Month covers and Ben Affleck as Batman.

Reception

Yes, there are some running to the side of DC Comics in the “Ben Affleck as Batman” debate raging across the world, but the general consensus I saw across the comic book industry is shock and outrage among the DC Comics/Batman fans and elation among those who do not like the company. This is the same consensus which came out when the Villain Month allocation was announced. Consistency!

Don’t Get Me Wrong

I do not believe Ben Affleck as a bad actor. Granted, he was in Daredevil, Gigli, Armageddon, and Jersey Girl, but he has also given great performances and given us some memorable characters. At the same time, I still see DC Comics winning in market share and dollar share in the industry during the September War. Where the consistency comes into play is that DC Comics could have done so much better if certain steps were taken. DC Comics continues to settle for “on the mountain” instead of “the top of the mountain.” I look forward to more decisions like this because I have already been prepping my “Image Bumps DC Comics Out of Top 2 in Market Share” article to come out sometime in the future. In the end, we have a poor delivery on Villain Month and Ben Affleck as Batman.

Also See:

DC Comics Villain Month Shortage a Failure

Tags: ben affleck, ben affleck as batman, ben affleck batman, ben affleck dc comics, dc comics, man of steel sequel

My Decision on Villain Month for WWC and Myself

Aug. 21 Comics, News, September War no comments

After much deliberation, I have decided on how I will personally protest the mistakes made with the 3D covers for DC Comics Villain Month and how I will protest the mistakes on this website.

Forever Evil / Villain Month

Villain Month Protest on WonderWorldComics.com

During the month of September, and DC Comics titles part of Villain Month will be expect from consideration for my Pick of the Week. This also includes Forever Evil. These will not gain a primary spot for commentary on this page. To make sure that I have a decent number of comics to read during the month, I will be taking suggestions from you as to which comics from publishers outside of DC Comics. More on that within the next few days.

My Personal Villain Month Protest

I am not going to read any of the Villain Month titles during the month of September. While it was a difficult decision to come to, I am even going to be boycotting the Harley Quinn Villain Month title along with those from Justice League Dark, and the Batman Family. I am not interested in giving DC Comics any of my money during the month.

Not to Persuade You

This posting is not being made to persuade you from purchasing the DC Comics Villain Month comics. It is to point out to you the steps I am taking to make sure my voice is heard by the decision makers at DC Comics. By reducing the publicity given to the company by this site, I will be countering the old adage that any publicity is good publicity. No publicity equals negativity. At the same time, not giving DC Comics the $100 some dollars I would have spent on Villain Month products also takes a stab. You are free to join in my protest, figure out your own, or completely ignore any protests and purchase whatever you want. I would never want to take your options away from you.

Tags: dc comics, september war, villain month, villain month allocation, villain month protest

Villain Month Allocation Timeline, Questions, Results, and Outcomes

Aug. 14 Collector's Corner, News no comments

Anger is raging across the comic book community due to the Villain Month allocation by DC Comics. A few days ago, I gave a few theories about what could have caused the Villain Month allocation. Let’s take a look at the Villain Month allocation timeline, take a look at the problem, and delve into some of the possible outcomes the market may/will face.

Villain Month Allocation Timeline

The real villains of Villain Month?

The Initial Announcement: June 17 – June24

DC Comics made the initial (and official) announcement about Villain Month at the DC Comics Road Show. Remember, that was the road show to meet with retailers but bypassed most of the retailers in the country…but I digress. At the time, DC Comics pushed Villain Month as one of the hottest events of the year and shed light on the 3D motion covers which would drive collectors crazy with anticipation.

Come Comic Con: July 18 – July 21

At the Retailer Lunch at San Diego Comic Con International, DC Comics Senior Vice President: Sales, Bob Wayne announced that the DC Comics orders for the 3D motions covers had gone out the week before and for retailers to get their orders in as soon as possible. He encouraged retailers to “up” their orders. He also announced that “slight allocations might occur” during Villain Month. This was the first hint at a Villain Month allocation. Dennis, the co-owner of Wonderworld Comics, was at the Retailer Lunch and stated that he had “total faith that Bob Wayne would not under order and that Wayne would know to increase orders to equal demand”

Boston ComicCon: August 3 – August 4

Dan DiDio (Co-Publisher at DC Comics) reportedly told some retailers that there would be a Villain Month allocation and that it could be between 10-40% for certain titles. At this point, there was not an official announcement which went out to retailers, only stories quoting DiDio on select websites.

Last Day for FOC: August 5

FOC is an ordering term which relates to the last Monday retailers can adjust their orders for a particular upcoming week. Monday August 5, 2013 was the last day retailers had to adjust their orders for the first week of Villain Month. While there were rumors about a Villain Month allocation, nothing was officially released from DC Comics about any changes.

2D Covers on the Way: August 6

On August 6, retailers, readers, and collectors officially learned that there would be 2D covers for the Villain Month comics. At the time, I believed that the $2.99 cover-priced-issues were becoming available for those readers who did not want the motion covers or for those of us who wanted to read the story inside without potentially damaging the issue.

Villain Month Allocation Confirmed: August 9

In the late afternoon on Friday, August 9, retailers across the country received an email confirming the Villain Month allocation. They were told that they only had until Monday, August 12, to get their orders in for the 2D covers they wanted to fill in the gap from the allocated 3D covers.

Retailers Scramble: August 9 – August 11

Over the next weekend, retailers scrambled to try to figure out what to do about the Villain Month allocation. Retailers only had a matter of days to review and reformulate the Villain Month plans they had worked on over the summer. More on the problems this caused and the potential outcomes this could cause in a few moments.

Final FOC: August 12

This past Monday, the FOC went out and retailers had to confirm the number of 2D covers they will be ordering in replacement of the 3D covers they were expecting. DC Comics announced that retailers can order as many 2D covers as they want as they will be fully returnable. DC Comics also begins letting retailers know that the Villain Month allocation is happening because of a production issue caused by the lack of materials for the 3D covers.

Questions

If DC Comics hyped the Villain Month covers so much, why didn’t they make sure there were enough materials to make the tens upon tens of thousands of covers which we would be asking for?
If the Villain Month allocation was caused by a lack of materials from another company, why did DC Comics wait until Monday to tell retailers the reason? Standard operating procedure in business is to shift the blame as soon as possible. Why didn’t this go out in the initial email to retailers last Friday? Why were they not officially told something by DC Comics days before the FOC happened for the first week of Villain Month?
Did DC Comics scramble over the weekend to come up with a plausible reason for the Villain Month allocation?
If it comes out that too few were ordered in the first place, does that mean that Bob Wayne will be tossed under the bus?
Did the allocation hit all stores equally or did it only hit particular stores hard?

Problems

The first problem is that most readers and collectors who want the 3D Villain Month covers will not get them. Supply is nowhere close to the hyped demand brought on by DC Comics earlier in the summer.
From what I have seen by talking with various comic book store owners and by looking at the Villain Month allocation numbers for Wonderworld Comics – the allocation is actually lower in most cases than normal orders. Without boring you with a bunch of numbers, in many cases, we will be getting less 3D Villain Month covers than we would normal covers during a regular month. For example, we will receive less Joker #1 3D covers than we sell of regular Batman issues in a basic month.
Retailers are stressed out right now and are already worried about having to deal with angry customers for a problem out of their control.
Ebay is already becoming filled with orders for Villain Month covers selling at 5-10 times cover price. More on this in a moment.
Since retailers had a limited time to rethink their Villain Month plans, mistakes are bound to have happened.
A major problem is that there is a complete collapse of communication between DC Comics and retailers. DC Comics should have had a better contingency plan and should have had a better communication plan. Retailers are being left out to dry.
Forums and blogs are going crazy right now and shedding a ton of negative light on DC Comics. This does not bode well for the comic book industry as a whole when the #2 company in market share is being rocked. The theories about what actually happened, though, are interesting to read.

Possible Solutions?

Of course, the 2D covers are a fix for the Villain Month allocation, but not a significant fix. DC still has weeks before the third and fourth weeks of Villain Month covers have to be shipped. Other possible solutions include finding another company to make the 3D covers or figure out a solutions such as postponing certain shipments until orders can be fulfilled.

Potential and Plausible Outcomes

In most stores, only certain customers will get the 3D covers. Each store will work this out on their own. Some will probably only give the special covers to pull customers or their top customers. Others will sell on a first-come-first-serve basis. The responsibility falls on collectors and readers to contact their local stores to find out the particular policy. Right now, we are working on a plan on how we will work around the Villain Month allocation. More on that in the next few days.
Trust in DC Comics is being eroded. How will readers, collectors, and retailers trust the hype coming out from DC Comics about future special events? The Villain Month allocation is something which will be remembered for many years.
You know as well as I do that there are many fans and collectors who do not read about comic book news online. Retailers will have to deal with customers who blame them for the shortage. This can lead to the wholesale loss of customers for some retailers.
I can see security and theft being an issue at some stores due to the Villain Month allocation. Certain titles are already selling online for 10 times cover price, so this will bring out the thieves and the collectors who will push their way through the store in the hopes of turning a quick profit. This will not only happen the first week of Villain Month, but during each week of the month. This is an entire week of headaches.
Some retailers might not even put the Villain Month 3D covers out for purchase. Some retailers will hold onto their 3D covers since they know they can get more money for them online or at conventions. I would not be surprised if certain covers topped $50 within the coming months and I am sure that speculating store owners see the same potential to increase profits.
The execs at Marvel are probably getting better sleep than they have in months.
Fans, collectors, and retailers are going to backlash against DC Comics. We have to hope the rest of the industry is not caught up in the crossfire. I would hate to look back years from now and think that DC Comics harmed the entire comic book industry with the Villain Month allocation.

Conclusion

The Villain Month allocation is not only the biggest comic book news story of this month or this year. This is one of the biggest upsets and catastrophes in the history of the comic book industry. DC Comics wanted to make waves with Villain Month. The Titanic made a lot of waves too when it hit the iceberg. One day we will look back on the Villain Month allocation and say “That was when DC…”

Tags: dc comics, dc comics villain month, villain month, villain month allocation, villain month allocation timeline, villain month timeline

DC Unmakes Phantom Stranger = No Jesus

Aug. 08 Characters, News no comments

What if the Phantom Stranger never existed? Yesterday, I told you how Trinity of Sin: The Phantom Stranger #11 was my Pick of the Week, but I also told you that there was something about the issue I would comment on today. The final panels of the issue showed one of the most historically binding moves ever taken.

The Phantom Stranger

What Happened?

In The Phantom Stranger #11, the main character, Batman, Katana, and Deadman attempt to draw Doctor Light out of Heaven. If Doctor Light was alive again, Superman could not be guilty for his murder. Living up to his word, the Archangel Zauriel ceased the existence, past existence, and memory of the Phantom Stranger for attempting to pull another soul out of Heaven.

Disclaimer

In this article, I am going to assume religion because Judeo Christian beliefs are weaved into the mythology of the DC Universe. Any statement of religion, and “religious history,” is not an attempt to make you believe. The statements are meant to flow with the assumed history of the DC Universe and particular characters.

Why is this Important?

Remember, the Phantom Stranger is Judas Iscariot and is forced to travel until his debt of sin is paid. If Judas did not exist, there would not have been someone to hand Jesus over to the Sanhedrin. This would mean Jesus would not have been able to carry out His destiny and would have died being recognized as a prophet and not the Son of God.

On the Religious Side

Since Jesus simply died as a prophet, it would mean that the Apostles and other followers would not have had the same drive to spread the Gospels around the world. The Holy Spirit would not have come to them on Pentecost (since there would not have been a Pentecost). No force to spread the Word – no major push for Christianity.

Christianity teaches that Jesus died for the sins of humanity and reopened the gates of Heaven. If Jesus did not die in a torturous way, it would mean that the gates of Heaven had not been opened. This would mean that all of the dead would wait in Purgatory for the Messiah to open the gates to Eternal Salvation.

On the Historical Side

If the spread of Christianity never happened, it would mean the Emperor Constantine never unified the Roman Empire through monotheism. He would not have created the Holy Roman Empire using the power of Christianity to strengthen his empire. He did so in the real world because his empire had become too spread out and was falling apart. If the Phantom Stranger never existed, the Reich that was the Holy Roman Empire never existed either.

The next big issue comes in 1096. If there is no Christian Church unifying Europe, who would have fought in the First Crusade? There would not have been one and the Ottoman Empire would have spread across the Middle East and eventually Europe and Africa. The Muslim religion would have spread unabated by Christianity and would probably have been the dominant religion of the modern world.

What Else?

If Rome did not have the central power of the world through the Christian Church, the world’s banking system would not have evolved the way it did. The Medici, Bardi, and Peruzzi families would not have developed the banking system we have today. The Knights Templar would not have had the power from the Church to create the loan system which they developed over the years. Without an expansionist banking system, the world would have stayed in the Middle Ages.

Lack of Science

Another debatable point would be the lack of science if the Ottoman Empire would have spread without the existence of the Phantom Stranger. The Middle East now, which is essentially the remnants of the Ottoman Empire (especially in Iran), we don’t see the evolution of science. Without the Phantom Stranger in the world, we should not expect science to have developed as an oppressive fundamentalist government does not encourage the free thinking science needs.

Pay Attention DC Comics

If the Phantom Stranger (Judas Iscariot) never existed, we would have never gotten out of the Middle Ages. The Justice League should all be wearing armor and meeting in castles. Bruce Wayne would not be rich which would mean that Batman would not have the cool toys he does. It will be interesting to see how this plays out in the upcoming pages of the Trinity War. Either way, I am sure someone over at DC Comics did not do their homework.

Tags: dc comics, jesus in comics, jesus in dc comics, jesus in the dc universe, phantom stranger, religion in comics, the phantom stranger

My Wishlist for The CW DC Universe Interlocking Shows

Jul. 31 News, TV & Movies no comments

With The CW talking about a block of interlocking DC Universe TV shows, starting with Arrow, and then potentially Flash, what other shows would be good for the network? These are my personal favorites which I think would fit the network perfectly.

Justice League Dark #22 is my Pick of the Week!

Suicide Squad

The idea of having a team of criminals working for the government to clean up problems is perfect for TV. Now I am not sure if a character such as King Shark would translate well to TV, but Electrocutioner, Plastique, Cheetah, Deadshot, El Diablo, and many others definitely would. Of course, this would be a perfect opportunity to bring Harley Quinn back to TV as long as she was portrayed better than on Birds of Prey. No Captain Boomerang.

Justice League Dark

Justice League Dark is perfect for The CW since the network has shows which explore the paranormal and horror. Just think about how fit Constantine is fit for TV. Of course, they could bring in Deadman, Madame Zanadu, Zatana, and the rest of the team. Frankenstein might be a stretch, but not when you look at how the network has worked with vampires and werewolves over the years. Of course, this would probably kill the idea of a JLD movie, but I would much rather have a good TV series than a movie anyways.

Wonder Woman

I want to see this curse lifted. I am pushing for a Wonder Woman show. Make the next attempt stick.

The Phantom Stranger

Remember, this is my wish list. You could have the Phantom Stranger helping out new people in danger each week like he did in his original comic. The suggestion would be to not have him be Judas Iscariot on the show. Keep his past a mystery. Too many religious people could get up in arms, and I really don’t like writing about crazed religious people.

Gotham

There has been a rumor batted around about a show which follows the rogues in Gotham. Batman would appear here and there in blurs, but not be the main character of the show. The series would follow the wars of the different gangs. I love the idea. Make it happen The CW.

Katana

Why would I love to see a Katana show on The CW? The same reason I like seeing Katana issues come out every month. DC Comics is trying to make Katana into an important character. They are failing miserably. Sometimes I like to see DC Comics fall down and get humbled. A Katana TV series on The CW would be another instance for me to chuckle.

There you have it my friends. My wish list for the interconnecting shows I want to see come to The CW to fill out the DC Universe block.

Tags: dc comics, dc universe, dc universe tv shows, the cw

SDCC Announcements I Wish Would Have Been Made

Jul. 22 Conventions no comments

With all of the announcements made at San Diego Comic-Con this year, I have to say that I am at least a little disappointed that certain items were not announced. This year would have been even better for me if these announcements had been made. Of course, I can still hold out hope for these announcements in the near future.

Ok, there were a teases or rumors about a Flash movie and about a Justice League movie. I would have at least liked to hear these addressed.
What are some of the titles which are going to be released as part of Marvel NOW Two? Well, at least I can talk now about the titles I would want to see come back.
Why wasn’t there any talk about the Ant-Man movie? We still have not heard anything official about a Doctor Strange or Black Panther movie. Well, I can still hold out hope.
Has anything gone on with the new version of The Incredible Hulk for ABC?
When is the release of Marvel Avengers Alliance Season 2? I understand that they might not be able to give an exact date due to potential programming issues, but a ballpark would have been nice.
When can we find out more about the Hoax Hunters movie?
Some pages from X-Men: War of the Atom or Forever Evil would have gotten people ready for the September War.
AMC could not even give a glimpse at The Governor in the preview for The Walking Dead Season 4?

Tags: comic-con, dc comics, marve, sdcc announcements

Was Warner Bros. Rumor Filtering With Flash and Justice League Movie Announcement?

Jul. 22 News, TV & Movies no comments

On Saturday, word spread like wildfire about a Flash movie and a Justice League movie. This began hours before the Warner Bros. panel at San Diego Comic-Con which eventually released word about the upcoming Batman-Superman movie. DC Comics and Warner Bros. did not end up speaking about movies about the fastest man or the superhero team. While nobody knows exactly what happened at this point, I do have a series possible theories.

Will we ever see a Justice League movie?

What is Rumor Filtering?

There is an upper management tool called rumor filtering. Occasionally, upper management at a company will deliberately start a rumor to see how fast it spreads, determine who spread the rumors, and to gauge some feedback on the rumor. Learning how fast the rumor spreads helps to understand the lines of communication in a company. Determining who spread a rumor can weed out top employees who do not deserve the trust of upper management. If the reaction to the rumor is not as bad as possibly thought, it might be worth making some changes (such as cut-backs, reorganized labor forces, or other things people might look at negatively).

How Could Rumor Filtering Work for Warner Bros.: Communication Channels

It is possible that Warner Bros. and DC Comics might have wanted to see how fast they could get into the papers and online journals with a “major announcement.” If done hours before their panel, they could make sure word travelled quickly enough to be spread within an hour or two.

How would this benefit them? A few hours after the Warner Bros. panel, Marvel took the floor with their movie panel. DC Comics would want to make sure everyone was buzzing about DC Comics and their movies before Marvel took the stage. The “releases” about the Flash and Justice League movies could have been a way to make sure the Batman-Superman movie would be the buzz of the Internet before the Marvel panel got off the ground.

How Could Rumor Filtering Work for Warner Bros.: Weeding

It is possible that Warner Bros. deliberately gave this false information to a website, or to a few reporters, in an attempt to see if they could hold a secret. It could also have been done to discredit a certain website or sites. DC Comics has been dealing with a ton of leaks over the last eight months. The company looks negatively on many sites which publish those leaks.

Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that Site A was given the fake Flash and Justice League movie information. Site A publishes the information as fact and is picked up, with a backlink to the original story, by Sites B – ZZZ. Hundreds, if not thousands, of readers will know within hours that the original story was wrong. Many of those readers might not trust the original site reporting the story.

How Could Rumor Filtering Work for Warner Bros.: Gauge Response

Most of the articles which reported the Flash and Justice League movies as fact had comment sections. Up until the last moments before the Warner Bros. panel, the company had the opportunity to see the comments and enter forums around the Internet. Maybe the Flash and Justice League movie information got out to see what people thought. Maybe those movies are in the works and Warner Bros. needed to know if their panel this weekend was the best time to introduce the information.

How Could Rumor Filtering Work for Warner Bros.: Hide the Truth

One other way rumor filtering might have worked for Warner Bros. this weekend was to hide the truth. By getting everyone talking about Flash and Justice League movies, maybe they would have the chance to sneak in the Batman-Superman movie announcement without an issue. Maybe the shock value would be higher. Maybe, ten years from now, someone at Warner Bros. or DC Comics will write a memoir and talk about what happened with the Flash and Justice League movie announcements.

Tags: comic book rumors, dc comics, flash movie, justice league movie, rumor filtering, rumors, warner bros

Call to Action: Gerry Conway’s Comics Equity Project

Jul. 01 Comics, News Comments Off

Yesterday, a new blog appeared called the Comics Equity Project spearheaded by legendary comics creator Gerry Conway. The goal of the blog is to request that fans attempt to contact creators when characters the creators brought to life are used in DC Comics projects.

Time for a Call to Action!

Precursor to the Comics Equity Project

Back in the 1970s, DC Comics went down a revolutionary path by stating that creators of comic book characters could share in a piece of the pie. A small portion of money made by characters would be given to the creators.

Why is the Comics Equity Project Needed?

DC Comics does not spend time contacting comic book creators about how their characters are being used. Hence, most creators don’t know when their characters are being used. In Gerry Conway’s case, some of the characters he created were being used on the TV series, Arrow on The CW. He would not have known about the characters being used if fans had not alerted him.

What the Creators Get

When a creator contacts DC Comics to prove one of his or her characters is being used, DC Comics will give the creator a part of the money coming in from the character as long as the creator holds that type of contract with the company. This money is not retroactive, so the creator is only owed the money made after he or she contacts DC Comics.

The Comics Equity Project Remembers Creators

Even though we hold many comic book creators in high regard – as far as even considering many as heroes – most do not make money hand-over-fist. The Comics Equity Project gives us (the fans) the opportunity to show our support of comic book creators and to remind them that we are thankful for the characters and stories they created over the years. The Comics Equity Project is our call to action to support those which have given us countless hours of entertainment over the years.

To learn more about the Comics Equity Project, or to contact creators whose characters are being used at DC Comics, please follow this link.

Tags: call to action, comic book news, comics equity project, comics news, dc comics, gerry conway, gerry conway's comics equity project

Observations on Forever Evil and Villain Month

Jun. 30 Comics, News, September War Comments Off

Now that all of the secrets are out in the open, I guess it is time for me to make my observations on Villain Month and Forever Evil. This major attack from DC Comics during the September War is sure to shake everything up. There are some aspects of Forever Evil and Villain MOnth which surprise me, some which upset me, and some which just make me shake my head.

Forever Evil

The Forever Evil Promotional Picture

Where in the heck is Joker? He should be right next to Lex Luthor leading the masses. Also, note that both Harley Quinn and Deadshot, of the Suicide Squad, are both in the picture along with Catwoman – all of which are supposed to be superheroes now.

The Reasoning Behind the Higher Price of Villain Month Comics

The special 3D covers are more expensive to create than regular covers, but DC Comics did not need to put those 3D covers on in the first place. I am not going out on a limb by saying that most fans would have picked up a larger number of DC Comics in September without them. On top of that, DC Comics could not figure out a less-expensive way to create the tens of thousands of covers they are putting on the comics to save the reader money?

The Lower Criminals

I do like the idea of giving some extra face time to some of the lower criminals in the DC Universe during Villain Month. Joker’s Daughter, The Ventriloquist (he will never be a A-lister, or even a B-lister, no matter what DC tells me), Parasite, and Dial E are all welcome characters. It is good that DC Comics is not just touching upon the main evil characters from each title.

The Lost Titles

I wish DC Comics would have included some of the other titles in some major way during Villain Month. Constantine, the Phantom Stranger, Earth’s Finest, and the Suicide Squad are just a few of the titles which missed this bus. How many fans will feel disenfranchised during September?

Tags: dc comics, dc comics forever evil, dc comics villain month, forever evil, villain month

New Green Lantern Replica Rings Do Not Measure Up

Jun. 19 News, Toy Collecting Comments Off

I was excited when I found out that DC Comics was going to reissue the plastic Green Lantern replica rings because these are good sellers in the store and many fans have tried to collect each color for their shelves are mantles. When we opened the packages of the reissued Green Lantern replica rings, we noticed that something was very wrong. These are not reissues. These rings are different.

Green Lantern replica rings

What is a Reissue?

Typically, when you are talking about a product being reissued, you are talking about a product which is going back into production using the same molds and dyes. Sometimes, the packaging is slightly different (such as when a second print run happens in a comics), but that should be the only difference.

The Differences in the Green Lantern Replica Rings

In the picture, I placed one of the new Green Lantern replica rings next to an old one. The one on the left is darker and has a glossy finish. This makes the ring appear to be some type of metallic alloy instead of simply plastic unless you are very close to it. Because of the crisp appearance, it is a bargain at the low price point they are sold at.

The one on the right is the new Green Lantern replica ring. Notice that it is a light color of green and has a matte finish. You can tell right away that this is a plastic piece of costume jewelry from across the room.

This is Not a Reissue

The new Green Lantern replica rings are not a reissue of the popular collectible many stores have sold out of. It is a cheap knockoff of the original and should not be passed off by DC Comics as anything but. This is the sad second place replacement for those Green Lantern fans who were not quick enough to pick up the original.

Tags: dc comics, green lantern, green lantern replica rings, news

Differences Between Marvel and DC Comics: Locations

Jun. 14 Comics no comments

This content is missing.

Tags: comic book locations, dc comics, differences between marvel and DC, differences between marvel and dc comics, marvel

Man of Steel Needs to Carry All the Weight of Failures and Botches by DC

Jun. 13 News, TV & Movies Comments Off

Interesting article over on Yahoo! today about how Man of Steel holds the key to the future of DC Comics movie franchises. I have to agree with the point of the article about how we should expect more superhero movies out of DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. if the new Superman movie does well. There are a few points that the article did not touch upon which should be mentioned.

Man of Steel Must Carry All Weight

We have talked about Guillermo del Toro’s Justice League Dark project with Constantine and other members of the group, but even that might not come to fruition if Man of Steel falters. The project is the closest one to a definite on the Warner Bros. docket outside of a sequel to Man of Steel. The studio can talk all it wants about movies about the Justice League, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Batman, and anyone else all they want. If the Man of Steel does not shatter the box office this weekend, the execs at Marvel are going to laugh themselves to sleep.

A History of Planning

We all know about how many years DC Comics, DC Entertainment, and Warner Bros. have dragged their feet when it came to creating a Justice League movie or exploiting other potential movie properties other than Superman and Batman. We all know how they have planned this movie and that movie just enough to get fans to roll their eyes whenever an “announcement” comes about another movie franchise. Is it fair to rest all of this past planning on one movie? It should rest on the shoulders of the planners who could not exit the board room without a deal.

A History of Failures

The last Superman movie was horrible. Green Lantern was not much better. The “I-lift-things-up-and-put-them-down-on-my-knee” version of Bane in the last Batman movie was a disaster. If we take a look back over the past franchises, DC Entertainment has a strong history of not being able to make more than two good movies in a row. Superman 3 – whatever were all fluff as where any Batman movie which had a number higher than two attached with it. Can Man of Steel erase all of those failures and the history of discouragement?

My Hope

I have made it clear on this site and in our Detroit area comic shop that I am not a fan of Superman. I do hope, though, that Man of Steel is a resounding success. I hope that it redeems DC Comics, DC Entertainment, and Warner Bros. in the minds of comic book fans and of the general public. I want to see great movies in the future from DC, and if I have to push strong in support of a Superman movie in Man of Steel to get a Justice League, Justice League Dark, Wonder Woman and other movies…I will.

Tags: dc comics, dc entertainment, man of steel, new superman movie, superhero movies

DC Entertainment Retailer Roadshow is a Bad Joke

Jun. 07 Comic Book Collecting, News Comments Off

DC Entertainment has sent emails out to retailers about a Retail Roadshow. When I first got wind about this Retailer Roadshow a few days ago, I was hoping the schedule was wrong. Come to find out, the schedule I initially heard is correct that that DC Entertainment is ignoring a large majority of the comic book community.

DC’s WTF Certified

Where is the DC Entertainment Retail Roadshow Going?

There will be four dates in which retailers can meet with executives from DC Comics and DC Entertainment. They will be in New York City on Monday, June 17, and in Orlando on Thursday, June 20. They will then fly over the entire middle of the country and have a presentation in Burbank, CA on Saturday, June 22. They will travel up to Portland on Monday, June 24. There will not be any stops in any of the middle portions of the country.

Your Argument is Invalid

Someone might make the argument that those of us in the Midwest had the opportunity to speak with the biggies from DC Comics and DC Entertainment during C2E2 in Chicago. That would be correct. That does not mean retailers in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, New Mexico, or Colorado had an opportunity to meet with them. When will they have the opportunity for a meeting with the people at DC Entertainment?

Travel Time

On top of that, if the DC Entertainment Retailers Roadshow is important enough to send emails out to all retailers across the country, why isn’t DC Entertainment/Comics allowing all retailers to have the chance to attend? I would like to attend one of the Retailer Roadshows, but two weeks is not enough time to set travel arrangements. Of course, since the people at DC Comics and DC Entertainment have the Warner Bros. money behind them, travel plans can simply be made by a secretary on a moment’s notice. Not so for the average mom and pop comic shop in the country. Budgets would have to be rearranged and store schedules would have to be reset.

If DC Entertainment is going to give an opportunity to some retailers, it should be fair and give the same opportunity to all retailers. In turn, DC Entertainment should give the readers of all retailers the same opportunity to hear about what is coming up next from the owners of the stores they make their weekly purchases from. What I see is DC Entertainment attempting to force the perception of communication while staying as distant as ever.

Tags: dc comics, dc comics retailer roadshow, dc entertainment, dc entertainment retailer roadshow

Can Marvel Bounce Back After September?

Jun. 05 Comics, News, September War no comments

On Monday, DC Comics made their lead announcements about DC Comics Villain Month and Forever Evil, but where does that leave Marvel? September will be a huge month for the company holding second place in market share and DC will probably take over the standings that month. What will Marvel do to battle back?

Marvel’s market share is dropping

Could DC Comics Lead for One Month?

There is a good chance that DC Comics will only lead during the month of September and Marvel will simply have to wait until October to take back over. I see this as an unlikely chance, though.

Villain Month Could Be Biggest Month Since the New 52

I see Villain Month being the biggest month for DC Comics since the launch of the New 52. I know that I am going to pick up some extra titles since there are villains I like in comics I don’t traditionally read. Also, since Batman, Batman Detective Comics, and Batman & Robin are on my pull list, I am going to have to pick up extra copies of each since those comics will have multiple .1 issues in September. I have recently been getting into Flash and Justice League of America, so I will have to pick up their multiple issues as well. I am sure many other people will have the same problem. My readership of the comics I regularly follow will expand, and my readership of a few other titles I pick up for the villains may expand as well.

Forever Evil

With Forever Evil following Villain Month, DC Comics has a good chance of holding onto their lead as people try to see what the first major crossover event of the New 52 can offer. I see DC Comics continuing to hold higher market share into October and possibly November.

Is Infinity Enough?

Marvel’s Infinity is launching soon, but will that be enough to pull share from DC Comics and the independents? Realize, major crossovers are the status quo for Marvel and we have seen them pull off major crossovers year-in and year-out. Are people going to become tired of what Marvel gives us every year? Infinity needs to be one of the strongest crossovers in the last five years if Marvel wants a chance of staying on top this year.

Worst Case Scenario

Villain Month and Forever Evil have been rumored about for months. There is a strong chance Marvel has had more than enough time to plan. What makes me nervous is that Marvel is going to try to pull out extra stops in the fourth quarter. Could they make massive changes just to try to stay on top? Could they kill off characters out of desperation to hold the coverage on comic book sites like this during October? Only time will tell.

Tags: dc comics, marve, marvel comics, september war

Dan DiDio of DC Comics is a Sick and Twisted [Censored]!

Jun. 03 Collector's Corner, News Comments Off

After reading the announcements about the DC Comics Villain Month and the Forever Evil crossover event, I was reminded about how I think Dan DiDio is a sick and twisted [Censored]. How dare he help to oversee a company which would make me rethink my life-long claim of being a Marvelite? How dare Dan DiDio help make DC Comics a [Censored] company which I am interested in giving my hard-earned money to?

This content is censored.

Before the New 52

When I was young, the first three comics I read were The Defenders, Spider-Man, and The Phantom Stranger. These three comics started off a lifetime of loving comics. Over the years, I expanded to more titles, but found myself expanding more in Marvel because I could connect with those characters better. Sure, DC Comics still gave me Batman, the Phantom Stranger, and Flash – but that was about it. I always thought of DC Comics as a lackey behind Marvel. I expanded more into the independents than I did with DC Comics because the company always left a dry taste in my mouth instead of satiating or creating a hunger like Marvel did.

Dan Didio has Gone Too [Censored] Far!

It was bad enough that Dan DiDio took one of my favorite characters of all time (the Phantom Stranger) and changed him for the New 52. It was even worse when I realized that I liked all of the [Censored] changes he oversaw. Now, that [Censored] is working on two projects (Villain Month and Forever Evil) that I am looking forward to. Dan DiDio has gone too [Censored] far!

Dan DiDio Costs Me Money!

Every month, I find myself going through the racks at our Detroit area comic book store and picking out some different comics to try out. 3 out of 5 times, I find myself floating over to those [Censored] DC Comics titles and giving one a try. My [Censored] pull list is full of those [Censored] DC Comics titles. [Censored] Dan DiDio and his ability to direct a company towards storylines that I enjoy reading! The damn DC Comics titles in my pull outweigh the Marvel ones by an average of 2 to 1!

Don’t Argue With Me!

Some of you might say that some of the blame could be placed on Jim Lee or on the writers or on the artists or on other people at DC Comics. Wrong! Dead [Censored] wrong! Anger is easier to deal with when it is directed at someone you can connect a name or a face with. Anyone who reads comics should [Censored] know that! Everyone needs one arch nemesis. My arch nemesis is Dan DiDio and I will not [Censored] rest until the day he personally apologizes for making a [Censored] product that would pull me away from Marvel!

Update

Dan DiDio has personally apologized to me for making such a good product. I will continue to keep my eye on him, though.

Tags: dan didio, dc comics, dc comics dan didio, dc dan didio

My Opinions on Villain Month and Forever Evil

Jun. 03 Comics, News, September War no comments

So, the announcements were made today about the DC Comics Villain Month and the Forever Evil crossover event. This might come as a surprise, but I have some definite opinions on the announcements made.

DC Comics Villain Month

Note

I am writing this under the assumption that you have read the news statements so far. If you have not, you can read the news about DC Comics Villain Month by following this link, and read the statements about the Forever Evil crossover event by following this link.

My Thoughts on DC Comics Villain Month as a Whole

Personally, I love the idea of DC Comics Villain Month. The company has done a very good job over the years of making memorable characters we shudder over. They have also done a very good job in modernizing many of these characters. Give us the opportunity to look into the heads of these baddies in their updated form. September will remind us that a great superhero story is made up of a great superhero and a great villain. Give the baddies the time to shine.

The 3D Covers for DC Comics Villain Month

During the interview, it was stated that this type of cover has never been done before. Really? I have seen 3D covers before and know that they can either be impressive or annoying. The specific format for creating these covers might be new, but I have 3D covers in my collection from the 1990s. As someone who will usually have a few adult beverages while reading comics in the evening, I am a little nervous that the motion might cause undesired impacts.

The Prices of Comics During September

You might not have noticed this but the cover price on all of the DC Comics Villain Month titles are $3.99. This is a good way to squeeze an extra few dollars out of people during the month. From a retail aspect, I think it is great. From a collector’s stance – I see it as an annoyance. Unless there is a huge push for these covers in the future, I don’t see the price automatically increasing in value over the sort or long term. Obviously, DC Comics wants to reign supreme in all of the possible industry ratings over at Diamond. Too bad that “Drawing the Line at $2.99” was talking about a squiggly line.

The Printing of the Title

When I first started hearing about the possibility of villains taking over the comics during September, I was a little nervous about how the titles would be printed. Take Justice League for example. Would Darkseid’s name be the only title appearing that month, or would DC Comics use another method? I am happy that they are imprinting the name of the villain over the traditional title. This will help retailers and help fans know for sure which comic is for which line. Thanks, DC! You got that part right!

Why So Scared DC Comics?

Notice that there was not an announcement about the titles of DC Comics Villain Month coming out later in some type of trade format. I understand why. It might discourage some collectors from buying as many of the comics as they can carry. Smart move from a corporate aspect, but not from a comic book community aspect. Rumors have circulated about all of the covers being in one book or an omnibus collecting all of the DC Comics Villain Month issues. I don’t see that option as feasible because if each comic was 26 pages long, we would have an omnibus with over 1350 pages. A series of trades might be the most likely.

The Idea of the Forever Evil Crossover Event

I HATE company-wide crossover events that go into dozens of different titles. I hated it when they did it for Secret Wars II, and I still hate it all of these years later. The Trinity War crossover is one thing since it comprises about five titles each month. I am fine with that. I don’t like when companies decide that you car payment should go to them for a few months straight. Some people like it, but it is a Marvelish formula which has turned me off even more in the last few years. I was hoping we would never see it at DC Comics, but my nightmare is now a reality.

The Redeeming Factor of the Forever Evil Crossover Event

The one redeeming factor of the Forever Evil crossover event is that the focus will be placed on the villains of the DC Comics Universe (according to the original interview). I have always been a sucker for villain crossover and issues which take the focus away from the superheroes and give it to the bad guys and gals. I might end up having to start saving money now.

Tags: dc comics, dc comics forever evil, dc comics villain month, dc forever evil, dc villain month, forever evil, september war, villain month

DC Comics Forever Evil Crossover Event is Coming

Jun. 03 Comics, News, September War Comments Off

Buzzfeed posted an interview with Dan DiDio and Jim Lee where the two minds at DC Comics discussed the upcoming Forever Evil crossover event. Some very interesting points were made which you need to know.

This is Big News people!

What is the Forever Evil Crossover Event?

The Forever Evil crossover event will be the first major crossover event of the New 52. DC Comics Villain Month will lead into the Forever Evil crossover event and the event will focus on many (if not most) of the major villains in the DC Comics Universe. Forever Evil will be a seven-issue miniseries. There will be three other major events taking place in other titles which will draw these other titles into direct connection with the Forever Evil crossover event.

Who Will Be in the Forever Evil Crossover Event?

While DC Comics has months to announce the players in the Forever Evil crossover event, Dan DiDio did confirm that Joker and Lex Luthor will be present in the series and that Hush will also be appearing later on the event. I would go on the assumption that many of the villains used in the DC Comics Villain Month would also play some role in the event. The two DC representatives stated that the focus of the series will be on the villains and that some might not make it out alive. At least one major character will be changed forever.

When

While the definitive date for the Forever Evil crossover event has not been officially announced, we do know that it will happen sometime after Villain Month which would put it (at earliest) in the October time frame. We also do not know if the miniseries Forever Evil will be monthly, biweekly, or weekly. My assumption would be that it would either be biweekly or monthly. Only time, and DC Comics will tell.

Tags: dc comics, dc comics forever evil, dc forever evil, forever evil, forever evil crossover event, september war

DC Comics Villain Month is Official

Jun. 03 Comics, News, September War no comments

Dan DiDio and Jim Lee sat down with Buzzfeed and discussed the upcoming DC Comics Villain Month. They confirmed many of the rumors about the month and cleared up many of the points of speculation.

DC Comics Villain Month

DC Comics Villain Month is a Reality

After months of rumors and speculation, it can be confirmed that the DC Comics Villain Month will be coming in September. I received confirmation about the event a few months ago from someone at DC Comics, but was asked not to discuss anything until the official announcement was made. Remember, I am against posting spoilers on this site, so I had to live and die by the sword I wield.

The Focus of DC Comics Villain Month

During September, DC Comics will focus on the motivations and psychological inspections of the villains we have come to know so well. The goal will not be to humanize them (according to the interview) but to give us a deeper understanding of them.

What Will Happen During the DC Comics Villain Month?

Each of the New 52 titles will be taken over by a villain and will be renamed as a #1 issue for that particular character for the month of September. In the lineage of the comic, though, this will be a .1 issue. Hence, Grood #1 will actually be Flash #23.1.

The Interesting Covers of DC Comics Villain Month

The covers of DC Comics Villain Month will all be 3D. Jim Lee explained during the interview that the covers will be two-layer 3D motion covers.

The Titles Announced for DC Comics Villain Month

The titles officially announced so far for DC Comics Villain Month include (regular title in parentheses):

Two Face #1 (Batman & Robin)

Desaad #1 (Earth 2)

Creeper #1 (Justice League Dark)

Darkseid #1 (Justice League)

Ventriloquist #1 (Batman The Dark Knight)

Relik #1 (Green Lantern)

Cyborg Superman #1 (Action Comics)

Bizzaro #1 (Superman)

Grood #1 (Flash)

Poison Ivy #1 (Batman Detective Comics)

DC Comics Villain Month is a Transition

According to the interview, DC Comics Villain Month will be set up by the final events of the Trinity War crossover series. The events of the DC Comics Villain Month will lead into the first major crossover of the New 52 and will be entitled Forever Evil.

Tags: comic book news, dc comics, dc comics villain month, dc villain month, news, september war, villain month

Man of Steel Day is Coming on June 12

May. 22 News, TV & Movies Comments Off

June 12, 2013 will be Man of Steel Day in comic book stores across the country as the comic book world celebrates the release of the new Superman movie. I think this is a smart move by the comic book publisher and should give DC Comics a strong chance of gaining back some of the market it has lost recently.

Man of Steel Day is June 12, 2013!

What’s the Big Deal with Man of Steel Day?

Of course, many (if not most) of the comic book stores across the country will have free promotional bags to stuff your orders into, they will also have free copies of All-Star Superman #1 Special Edition which will reprint the first chapter of Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely’s famous tale about Superman. Many comic book stores will also have special posters to promote the movie.

What Else is Going On?

Some comic book stores will have special promotions on Man of Steel Day to promote the movie. Wonderworld Comics is putting on the finishing touches right now and we should have more information posted on this site and on our Facebook page very soon. Keep your eyes open for more information.

The Idea of Man of Steel Day

DC Comics needs to do something outside of the box to increase sales and gain back some of the lost market share. By making Man of Steel Day into as big of an event as possible, the publisher can get fans talking about the movie and about Superman in general. Will Man of Steel Day bring in shoppers who have never been to a comic book store? Not sure. Either way, it should make some news and turn some more heads towards comic book stores in general, towards DC Comics, towards the new movies, and towards Superman.

Tags: comic book news, dc comics, man of steel, man of steel day, man of steel movie, news, superman day

Justice League Movie: Too Many Hurdles for DC Comics

May. 20 News, TV & Movies Comments Off

We have been hearing about the possibility of a Justice League movie for many years, but with the continued success of the Marvel movies, DC Comics is getting a fire lit “down below” to produce a Justice League movie for the fans and for investors. There are interesting hurdles the company will face with this project which makes for a huge uphill battle which could have been avoided if DC Comics had come out with a Justice League movie four or five years ago.

Will we ever see a Justice League movie?

Coming From Behind

First off, DC Comics has to play catch-up with Marvel since the Marvel movies are consistently becoming the best at the box office when they come out. Movies like those in the Iron Man Series and The Avengers have set records which have raised the bar to such an amazing height that DC Comics would be David against Marvel’s goliath with a Justice League movie.

Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern

DC Comics has hurdles to overcome with four of the characters which would be expected for a Justice League movie. They are going to have to recast the best Batman and recoup the damages after a horrid Green Lantern. Man of Steel looks much better than the first new Superman move, so that character might have been redeemed (as long as the movie is as good as the preview).

A big hurdle for a Justice League movie comes when you look at Wonder Woman. The first recent attempt at creating a new Wonder Woman show was a complete disaster and the second is not putting hope in people’s minds.

The Rumor

I have heard people refer to a rumor that DC Comics will officially announce a Justice League movie in San Diego this summer. If they do not announce a movie, fans will become discouraged and mistake the rumor for being a rumor and take the non-announcement as a broken promise.

The Failing Market Share

I have discussed in other articles about the DC Comics loss of market share in the comic book industry. DC Comics needs a movie, or an actual hit TV show (Arrow is not a hit), to help restore market share. If they cannot deliver on either, I do not see the company having a chance to regain the top spot any time soon.

Note how all of these hurdles could have been avoided if DC Comics had not allowed Marvel such a lead and if they had tried to make a Justice League movie before all of the hurdles got into place.

Tags: comic book movies, comic book news, dc comics, justice league, justice league movie

Cancelled Comic: A Success for Comic Book Industry

May. 13 Comics, News Comments Off

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.

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?

Tags: canceled comics, cancelled comic, cancelled comics, dc, dc comics, demon kinghts cancelled, dial h for hero cancelled

Man of Steel Will Not Resurrect DC Comics Movie Arm

Apr. 23 TV & Movies no comments

“Man of Steel” comes out in a few months, but I am not expecting the movie to resurrect the movie arm of DC Comics. “Man of Steel” might kick start the future movies coming out from DC Comics, but it will not completely turn comic book fans eyes to the company’s movie plans. There is only one thing which could potentially resurrect the motion picture arm of DC Comics.

Man of Steel

Why “Man of Steel” Can’t Do It

No matter how much money “Man of Steel” brings in, people will still be talking full-force about Marvel movies. One movie alone could not turn comic book fan’s minds off of decades of behavior from the comic book company which remains in second place.

Broken Promises

“Man of Steel” will not make comic book fans forget about the decades of perceived broken promises from DC Comics. There have been rumors for years about various movie projects potentially being worked on at DC Comics which never came to pass. Instead of looking at the potential projects for what they are (potential projects), many fans look at them as broken promises which DC Comics was unable to deliver on.

Marvel’s Salt

Marvel has discussed many potential movies in the last five to six years, and delivered on many of them or plans to deliver on them in the next few years. Every single time Marvel opens production on a new movie, it ads salt to the wounds at DC Comics. Fans are reminded about how many years we have been hearing about a potential Justice League movie without DC delivering. Marvel gave us “The Avengers” and made us forget about the JL for a short time. “Man of Steel” might simply remind us of the “broken promises.”

“Man of Steel” might kick start a new generation of DC Comics movies, but will not steal the thunder from Marvel. Following through with plan for upcoming movies from DC Comics might make us forget as long as DC can deliver something better than “Green Lantern.” Only time will tell.

See our Superman page on Amazon

Tags: dc comics, man of steel, superman, superman movie

DC Comics September Villains #1s Offer Interesting Challenges

Apr. 16 Comics no comments

At this point, it is not a secret that DC Comics September Villains #1s are on their way. If the rumors are to be believed, we should expect the villains to take over September each year. While I love the idea of the program, there are two issues DC Comics is going to have to deal with.

DC Comics September Villains #1s are coming.

DC Comics September Villains #1s?

A rumor has circulated for months about DC’s autumn swerve will bring September Villains #1 which will tell the story from the villain’s perspectives. This takeover will be line-wide and each of the New 52 titles will be taken over by a villain for one issue. We should assume that traditional numbering will continue after the DC Comics September Villains #1s.

The First Problem

By making a villain the headliner of one of the titles in the DC Comics September Villains #1, DC is essentially declaring a character as the main villain against the traditional headlining character or team. This will be one of those “you will never make everyone happy” kind of moves. If The Question headlines the DC Comics September Villains #1 issue for Phantom Stranger, some fans will argue about the demons of Hell being the Phantom Stranger’s greatest rivals or about how Pandora is often known as the character’s thorn. Superman’s traditional main rival is Lex Luthor. Should DC automatically give fans the expected rival, or highlight someone else who is being pushed at the time? It is really a no-win situation.

The Second Problem

The second problem with the DC Comics September Villains #1 issue series comes next year. Since we had the baddies take over this year, should we expect them this year? If so, if we see a Joker #1 this year, should we automatically expect to see Joker #2 next year? Should we expect to see another villain take over Batman and see (perhaps) Riddler #1 in 2014? DC will need to figure out a plan to keep some type of continuity with the swerve from year-to-year. The plan is to make the villain issue an annual event, but the Big 2 have been known for changing course mid-stream.

The Batman Exception

As a little aside, Batman’s greatest enemy is himself. Nobody can do as much damage to the Big Black Bat as the Big Black Bat. If Joker (the main villain of Bat’s stories) took over during the DC Comics September Villains #1, wouldn’t DC Comics miss their own symbolism?

If DC can pull this off, it could leave Marvel treading water for a month. This is the type of ingenuity could give a surge to the second-in-line company and help it gain some of the market share it has been losing recently. Of course, September is a long way off and anything can happen between NOW and then.

Tags: dc comics, dc comics september, dc comics september villains, dc comics september villains #1s, dc comics villain #1

Trinity War Triptych – True Meaning

Apr. 07 Comics, News Comments Off

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

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

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.

Tags: comic book news, dark universe, dc, dc comics, dc comics dark universe, dc comics news, dc comics trinity war, dc dark universe, dc trinity war, justice league, news, trinity of sin, trinity war, trinity war triptych

Carrie Kelley the New Robin? Assume Nothing

Apr. 05 Characters, News Comments Off

According to the New York Times, it appears that Carrie Kelley may be the new Robin and will be introduced in next week’s Batman and Red Robin #19! The female Robin, who was first introduced in the graphic novel The Dark Knight Returns, will make her premiere in the New 52 DC Comics Universe in a matter of days. What are our thoughts?

Is Carrie Kelley the new Robin?

Who is this Carrie Kelly You Speak Of?

In the DC Universe, Caroline Keene “Carrie” Kelly became the new Robin after saving Batman’s life in The Dark Knight Returns. In The Dark Knight Strikes Again, she assumed the identity of Catgirl. She has long had a cult following since she was the first official full-time female Robin. Carrie Kelley also appears in Ame-Comi Girls as she is the Robin in that continuity universe.

Carrie Kelly is New Robin from Now On?

Batman and Red Robin #19 writer Peter Tomasi claims “that she’s not exactly the ‘new Robin,’ but I don’t want to spoil the story.” Essentially, I take this as saying she is not being given the walk-on role of the new Robin. Of course, Carrie Kelley fans are going to hope she is allowed to assume the mantle of the most revered sidekick in all of comics.

The Swerves

The introduction of Carrie Kelley into the New 52 DC Comics Universe is a swerve, but I would expect there to be more swerves along the way in the upcoming months. Tomasi claims he is looking at having the character around for more than just one issue as he has plans for her in the future. Harper Row fans might still see the newer character assume the mantle. Others can still push for Damian to be tossed into the Pits and brought back to life.

No Assurances on Carrie Kelley as New Robin

At this point, we have not gained any pure assurances of Carrie Kelley truly becoming the new Robin. It would be premature of me to report her as such. While she will be pictured on the gatefold cover of Batman and Red Robin #19 as Robin, the extent of her in the role might be secluded to that cover page. We will not know anything for sure until DC Comics is ready for us to know. If DC Comics has proven anything so far is that we should not take anything for granted and we should not assume their moves. Remember, many of us were almost 100% sure Alfred was going to die in the “Death of the Family” storyline so we should not assume a new role for Carrie Kelley until we are told for sure.

Tags: batman and red robin #19, carrie kelley, carrie kelley as new robin, carrie kelley new robin, carrie kelley robin, comic book news, dc comics, dc comics universe, female robin, harper row, new female robin, new robin, news, the new 52

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

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.

Tags: dc, dc comics, dc wtf, dc wtf certified, dc wtf certified events, wtf certified

March Madness Final Four is Set!

Mar. 22 Detroit Area Comic Book Store no comments

The Elite 8 Round of the WonderWorldComics.com March Madness Contest has come to a close and three of the matches appeared one-sided. All of the winners will receive a 20% discount in the store on 3/22/2013. The Final Four Round will commence in the wee hours on Tuesday, so be ready to vote for your favorites.

March Madness Final Four!

Match 1: Savage Wolverine vs. Young Avengers

Young Avengers 52% Winner: Marvel Comics Division Champion!

Savage Wolverine 48% Loser

With a 4% difference in the voting, this was our closest matchup of the day. At times, Savage Wolverine was taking it to Young Avengers while other times of the day saw Young Avengers giving it right back. In the final half hour, Young Avengers fans came out in droves and left their favored title standing tall.

Young Avengers was considered one of the underdogs in the Marvel bracket. Mind the fact that top Marvel Comics titles such as Superior-Spider-Man, All New X-Men, and The Avengers have all fallen in the tournament. Young Avengers has pulled off a major coup. Even if the title does not make it past the Final Four, it should be commended for surprising everyone to become the Marvel Comics Division Champion.

Match 2: The Walking Dead vs. Star Wars

The Walking Dead 79% Winner: 5%ers Division Champion!

Star Wars 21% Loser

Star Wars fans came out early and padded their title in the early goings. By the evening, The Walking Dead fans came out and continued to vote for their title even with a huge lead determined. In the final minutes, Star Wars fans tried to battle back, but there was nothing they could do.

The Walking Dead is a title which many people believe will go all the way. Nobody should be surprised by the success of the tile in the March Madness Contest. It has made way into the Final Four and is ready to take the game to the next level. Will fans whose titles lost vote against The Walking Dead simply to eliminate it?

Match 3: Batman vs. Batgirl

Batman 89% Winner: DC Comics Division Champion!

Batgirl 11% Loser

I was fully expecting this matchup to be close. In the early goings, Batman was only winning by a slight margin. Batgirl was not able to keep up with the pace in the last half of the day when Batman fans wanted to make sure Batgirl fans could not have a chance to come back.

Batman is another title which most people have going all the way. The Prince of the New 52 has left all other DC titles in his dust and is ready to take on his next opponent. Will his fans strike early, or will they wait for the final hours?

Match 4: The Legend of OZ: Wicked West vs. Neonomicon

The Legend of OZ: Wicked West 99% Winner: Independent Publishers’ Division Champion!

Neonomicon 1% Loser

In all of Neonomicon’s previous matchups, the title was able to come back at some point. It was not surprising to see the title come back from a 30% deficit. That never happened here. Legend of OZ fans came out in the early hours of voting and did everything they could to build up the title from Big Dog Ink. Neonomicon only received 10 votes in this matchup, and my inside sources tell me that at least 6 of those votes were simply pity votes.

If you look over the records for margin of win in this tournament, The Legend of OZ: Wicked West holds them all! It keeps setting records, and breaking them the next round. Fans of Big Dog Ink have catapulted The Legend of OZ to the top spot in the division. Is there any doubting the chance of the title walking away with the championship?

Tags: dc comics, final four, march madness, marvel now, WonderWorldComics March Madness Contest, wwc mmc

Digital Death Part III: Digital Comics and Collecting

Mar. 21 Comic Book Collecting, News Comments Off

My fellow comic book collectors – we are being devalued by Marvel and DC Comics in their push to increase sales of digital comics. Not only will digital comics eventually decrease the comic book market, the push for digital comics proves the Big 2 could care less about our passion for their products. How long will we stand for this [Censored] insolence? How long will we allow digital comics to survive?

The death of the comic book industry will be caused by digitally downloading comic books.

How Easily Marvel and DC Comics Forget

There are two types of backs in which the comic book market has been built. Initially, it was built upon the backs of comic book readers who stood in line to pay a matter of cents for the newest issue of Action Comics. In my lifetime, the backs of comic book collectors were tapped as the Big 2 realized many of us were keeping boxes of comics to preserve them for the ages and that the values of back issues were climbing.

The Early [Censored] Ups

Marvel and DC Comics caused crashes in the past by trying to exploit either the reader’s market or the collector’s market. The comic book publishers [Censored] the market in the 1990s by trying to produce as many crappy titles as possible to exploit readers and put special covers on every issue in an attempt to exploit the collectors. Their greed made our favored market a [Censored] joke and the future was in jeopardy. Since the market is currently up in a big way, those greedy [Censored] are trying to figure out another way to exploit. They are looking for another back of support.

Who They are Going After

You could speculate about Marvel and DC Comics going after current readers with the push to digital comics, but you would be dead wrong. You know that [Censored] hipster douche you see sitting at Starbucks every morning who thinks the world should revolve around him? The world of comics is moving to revolve around him. Digital comics, Marvel AR, and whatever piece of [Censored] DC shovels out to compete with it, are all geared at the grab-a-trend hipster bastard who will drop money on the latest trend. The biggest problem with grab-a-trend hipsters is they do not stay around long. Wake the [Censored] Marvel and DC, we have been around for years and you are turning your backs on us!

This content is censored.

What Will Happen

The issue of Spider-Man you have been keeping safe in order to pass on to your kids one day – it is going to be worthless if digital comics completely take over as everyone will have read it and there is no draw to hold the original. All that money you spent to have your comic graded will be lost as people scoff at physical comics as they will be passé. All of the time you spent collecting will have been wasted as people could give a [Censored] about your collection.

What Can We Do?

Don’t you think for a [Censored] minute that there is nothing you can do. Support your local comic book stores instead of digitally downloading comics. When Marvel and DC Comics tell you to check out the latest digital download, raise your voices and tell them to go [Censored] themselves. If you are sitting at a comic book convention panel, make sure your voice is heard. Tell other comic book collectors to do the same. The only way we can keep our collections valued, and keep ourselves valued by the Big 2, is to tell them that we are mad as hell, and we are not going to take it anymore!

Tags: comic book collecting, comic book market, comic books, dc comics, digital comics, downloading comics, marvel

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.

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.

Tags: censored, censored comics, comic book market, comics, dc, dc comics

Digital Death Part II: Dark Reason Behind Digital Comics

Mar. 12 Comic Book Collecting, News no comments

In Digital Death Part I: Illegally Downloading Comic Books, we discussed the dangers of downloading comics and the negative impacts on the publishing companies (especially the smaller ones), the distributors, and the comic book stores. In this installment, we will look at another side of digital comics and the negative impact on the market. We will look at the secret intent of digital comics which Marvel and DC don’t want you to think about and what this intent will lead to.

The death of the comic book industry will be caused by digitally downloading comic books.

What If Digital Comics Took Over?

What if we all switched tomorrow to digital comics? Where would that leave the comic book stores and distributors like Diamond? There would not be a need for them in the end. There would not be a need for the printed pages since they were all digitally rendered. Marvel and DC would love to have the opportunity to cut out levels of distribution and eventually sell directly to the consumer. The Big 2 need their profits and if it means they would put over two thousand small businesses out of business, what do they care? What do they care if digital comics could cause for tens of thousands of people being added to the unemployment lines if they (Marvel and DC) can make more money?

Price and Cost of Digital Comics

Think about the profits Marvel and DC would gain if they did not have to give a piece of the action to the comic book stores and to the distributors. You might be saying “Well, the digital comics I have been buying are only $0.99. Marvel and DC can’t be making that much money.” Do you really think the Big 2 would leave the price of digital comics at $0.99 if the other levels of distribution were eliminated? Once the levels of distribution were eliminated, the price of the digital comics would go up to the price of printed versions, or higher.

Where Does this Leave Comixology?

Of course, Comixology and other digital distributors of comics are making some money now, but what is going to happen if Marvel and DC are able to eliminate physical distributors and comic book stores? Digital distributors would be next as the Big Two march towards complete domination of the market and sell the digital comics to you directly through their websites and apps.

Where Does this Leave Smaller Publishers?

Smaller publishers fight to get as much of the market as possible. Most of their push comes in the comic book stores as workers introduce you to titles from smaller companies you did not consider. Business also comes from Previews, which is published by Diamond. How long with Previews be around if Diamond was forced to go belly-up because of the domination of digital comics? The smaller companies would be casualties of the digital comics war between Marvel and DC.

Illegal Downloads

Again, we have to revert back to illegally downloading comics. With more digital comics out on the market, the downloaders would take their piece of the pie. The stage could be set for a battle where Marvel would have to team with DC to ensure the illegal downloaders did not completely kill the market. Funny, the Big Two would have to fight to keep the market they are killing alive.

Gone!

Gone would be the days of walking into a comic book store to peruse the shelves for new titles. Gone would be the discussions with comic book store workers about their suggestions. Gone would be the physical locations where you would go to talk about comics with other comic book fans. Gone would be the excitement of going through a long box at a store to see what hidden gems you can get for cheap.

Gone would be the experience of looking at a stack of new comics and trying to decide which to look at first. Gone would be the smell of a new comic and feeling the glossy pages on your fingers as you open it to see what the creators had in store. Gone would be the experience of reading a comic book…just so Marvel and DC could make a few extra dollars an issue.

The future of the industry is yours to decide. Will you stand there and do nothing like the Watcher, or will you jump in and say “I’m as mad as Hell, and I’m not going to take it anymore!?”

Tags: comic book industry, comic book market, dc comics, digital comic books, digital comics, digital death, downlaoding comics, marvel

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

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.

Tags: dc, dc comics, dc wtf, new 52, pre-new 52

DC Comics Leaks Need to Stop Now!

Feb. 26 Comics no comments

Here we are in the last week of February and somehow another major DC storyline has been destroyed by information hitting the news before the new comics are distributed. By now, you know that Damian is killed in Batman Incorporated #8. Last week you knew about Batwoman proposing to her girlfriend at least a day before purchasing the issue. Let’s not even talk about how we all knew the ending of Batman #17 before the comic book stores received their distribution shipment. DC – WTF? This needs to [Censored] stop.

This content is censored.

Excuses are Like [Censored]

We have heard about leaks at DC Comics over the last month and they need to stop. Someone speculated in the store the other day about these leaks being intentional by the big wheels at DC in order to drum up sales. I am not saying this right now as someone with connections to a store, or to a comics website. As a reader, I do not want to find out about the story hooks through Yahoo! on a Monday [Censored] morning that I was eagerly anticipating to read on Wednesday.

Destroying Anticipation

Part of the fun of comics is the anticipation and occasional anxiety we experience when we have to wait until the next issue to find out what will happen to our heroes. In the smallest increment, we have to wait two weeks for certain titles, but our anticipation runs rampant for most titles since we might have to wait four to five [Censored] weeks to know what happens next. The leaks at DC Comics (no matter the reason) are robbing us of the last few days of anticipation when they would be peaking.

Hurting the Community

We spend time speculating about what could happen next and it brings us closer together as a community with a common interest. It does not matter if you are a fan of DC Comics, Marvel, Image, IDW, Dark Horse, or one of the smaller companies. We are a community that typically likes to find other members in the community to talk about storylines, characters, the market, and what is going to happen next in whichever comics universe we follow. If we are robbed of the peak of anticipation by DC Comics – we hurt as a community.

DC Comics and Market Share

It is not a secret that DC Comics desperately wants to regain the top spot in market share. If the DC Comics leaks continue, readers are going to become bored with the product. Why would I want to spend $2.99 or $3.99 on a title when I already know what is going to happen? Why didn’t DC Comics learn a [Censored] lesson when everyone knew what was happening before new comic day because of their allowing of digital downloads before the titles were in the store?

DC Comics is really getting under my skin right now. It does not matter if they want the leaks to happen or if they are having issues finding out who is leaking them. This [Censored] needs to stop now because their company (through blind idiocy or the inability to patrol their own) is ruining my experience. I might talk about comics through this site and I might spend time working in a store – but I am foremost a comic book fan, reader, and collector. DC needs to take OUR needs and wants into consideration first or they can just [Censored] with a [Censored] in the [Censored]!!!

Tags: censored, censorship, dc comics, dc comics leaks, leaks

Your Comic Collection Connection

Tag: dc comics

My Monthly Pulls

A Positive for the Market

Uphill Battle for DC Comics

Next Month

Too Early

The Variance

Who is Next for DC Comics?

Dear Jim and Dan:

Lower Invoice

What is Getting Allocated?

Discouraging Timing

This Month Hurts

What’s Going On?

This Ain’t New

Why Won’t #FireDiDio Work?

DC Comics Doesn’t Care

Catholicism and Marriage

My Personal Calling?

The Marriage Stance

A Rushed Decision?

Personal Happiness

Ben Affleck as Batman! Ben Affleck as Batman! Ben Affleck as Batman!

Super Hype / Delivery

Research

Reception

Don’t Get Me Wrong

Villain Month Protest on WonderWorldComics.com

My Personal Villain Month Protest

Not to Persuade You

Villain Month Allocation Timeline

The Initial Announcement: June 17 – June24

Come Comic Con: July 18 – July 21

Boston ComicCon: August 3 – August 4

Last Day for FOC: August 5

2D Covers on the Way: August 6

Villain Month Allocation Confirmed: August 9

Retailers Scramble: August 9 – August 11

Final FOC: August 12

Questions

Problems

Possible Solutions?

Potential and Plausible Outcomes

Conclusion

What Happened?

Disclaimer

Why is this Important?

On the Religious Side

On the Historical Side

What Else?

Lack of Science

Pay Attention DC Comics

Suicide Squad

Justice League Dark

Wonder Woman

The Phantom Stranger

Gotham

Katana

What is Rumor Filtering?

How Could Rumor Filtering Work for Warner Bros.: Communication Channels

How Could Rumor Filtering Work for Warner Bros.: Weeding

How Could Rumor Filtering Work for Warner Bros.: Gauge Response

How Could Rumor Filtering Work for Warner Bros.: Hide the Truth

Precursor to the Comics Equity Project

Why is the Comics Equity Project Needed?

What the Creators Get

The Comics Equity Project Remembers Creators

The Forever Evil Promotional Picture

The Reasoning Behind the Higher Price of Villain Month Comics

The Lower Criminals

The Lost Titles

What is a Reissue?

The Differences in the Green Lantern Replica Rings

This is Not a Reissue

Man of Steel Must Carry All Weight

A History of Planning

A History of Failures

My Hope

Where is the DC Entertainment Retail Roadshow Going?