My new DCU titles....

[Proud Texan]

OK, I'm just playing God here. I like playing God...especially when I get all old-testament on the people who piss me off...

But let's not worry about that for now. :p

I'm thinking of "what's next?" for comics. DC comics, in particular. What should they do, what media should they pursue, etc.

While I do think that harnessing the internet is the only logical next step for DC comics, I am (for purposes of this post) only going to focus on the printed comics that we love so much.

Let's look at the state of things - in comics we have franchises, and we have fan-favorites. As comic prices continue to increase we must recognize the difference between these moreso than we do now.

More and more comics are going to "TPB" style stories - part X of X, and not the standalone issue. I say that we focus on that, and concentrate more on mini-series, and less on "monthly" ongoing comics.

First of all - we must identify the "Franchises."

1. Superman - he can easily support two titles, so Action Comics and Superman will continue as Monthly ongoing series.

2. Batman - same as above, only with Detective Comics and Batman as the ongoings.

Those are the obvious ones. As far as teams go, I'd have 4 "franchise" titles:

1) Justice League of America

2) Justice Society of America

3) Legion of Super-Heroes

4) Teen Titans

These four will continue as monthly ongoing comics, and they can each support some sort of spin-offs.

The spin-offs would be:

1) National Comics - this would replace the JLA: Classified title. It would feature a 22-page lead story with 18 pages of backup stories. This can be focus stories on individual members, or on villains. These stories would be testing grounds for potential miniseries to come.

2) All-Star Comics - this would replace JSA: Classified. Basically, look at what I just said for National Comics and replace JLA with JSA.

3) Adventure Comics - This could be the home of the rumored "Shooter-era Legion" title. Use the backup pages to focus on idividual members.

4) Next Comics - This would be the companion book to the Teen Titans franchise, focusing on individual adventures, re-tellings, or villain explorations.


As for the other "Monthly" comics:

1) Green Lantern - starring Hal Jordan, with a backup featuring another GL

2) Flash

3) Wonder Woman

4) Tales of the Unexpected - a 40 page title, featuring a rotating lead story and 18 pages of backup tales from DC's mystical side.

5) Sensation Comics - featuring the Birds of Prey (the BoP title would be cancelled and kicked off again with a new #1). This would be a 40-page comic with BoP as the lead and 18 pages of backups spotlighting other female DC characters.

6) Cosmic Comics - This is another 40-pager, featuring the Green Lantern Corps, the Omega Men, Adam Strange, etc. 22 pages of main story, 18 of backup tales.

7) All-American Comics - This would be the title where we'd find Suicide Squad, Checkmate, Uncle Sam, etc... another 40-pager with main stories and backups.

8) Brave and the Bold - Team up comic featuring all-star creators who want to tell that one tale that they've had in them since they were kids.

9) DC Showcase - "featuring" Nightwing. This would be 48 pages, as opposed to the 40 pages that I'm proposing for many of these comics. This is the one where the will be at least 12 pages of story for each character. Nightwing will always be one of the characters in this title, but he might not be the lead story (the 20+ pager) each month.



Now, there could be more, but I'm going to stop there for now. I know that many of you (who bothered to read this) are wondering "what the hell are you on???"

I'm looking at it this way - play to the current strengths of the comics industry. Not a lot of artists are able to get work done for a monthly publication. Rather than delay comics, give yourself some wiggle-room and give others a shot.

If the "lead story" isn't ready - go with something else that month. A reprint, if need be. Just make sure that you have enough backups on hand to keep the "monthly" comic fresh. Just keep them coming.

Also - I'd so increase the use of product placement in the titles.


I really don't remember where I started to where I am now. Kind of flighty tonight.

[Hokeyboy]

I'd make sure that every DC title had a Jimmy Buffett quote embedded somewhere in each issue.

Flash: Who's gonna steal the peanut butter?

J'onn J'onzz: I'll get the can of sardines...

[GSHAG]

naw man your not stoned, i am however and may i say with the clearest mind possible that that is the bitchinest idea period. you need to keep make green lantern just hal and bring in GL corps to have the rest of them, kyle jon guy kilwog etc etc. have a main story with the four of them and backups with other GL in the universe COUGH g'nort COUGH.

this world needs more showcase comics, i love lots of character and bang for my buck.:D

[furioso2012]

OK, I'm just playing God here. I like playing God...especially when I get all old-testament on the people who piss me off...

But let's not worry about that for now. :p

I'm thinking of "what's next?" for comics. DC comics, in particular. What should they do, what media should they pursue, etc.

While I do think that harnessing the internet is the only logical next step for DC comics, I am (for purposes of this post) only going to focus on the printed comics that we love so much.

Let's look at the state of things - in comics we have franchises, and we have fan-favorites. As comic prices continue to increase we must recognize the difference between these moreso than we do now.

More and more comics are going to "TPB" style stories - part X of X, and not the standalone issue. I say that we focus on that, and concentrate more on mini-series, and less on "monthly" ongoing comics.

First of all - we must identify the "Franchises."

1. Superman - he can easily support two titles, so Action Comics and Superman will continue as Monthly ongoing series.

2. Batman - same as above, only with Detective Comics and Batman as the ongoings.

Those are the obvious ones. As far as teams go, I'd have 4 "franchise" titles:

1) Justice League of America

2) Justice Society of America

3) Legion of Super-Heroes

4) Teen Titans

These four will continue as monthly ongoing comics, and they can each support some sort of spin-offs.

The spin-offs would be:

1) National Comics - this would replace the JLA: Classified title. It would feature a 22-page lead story with 18 pages of backup stories. This can be focus stories on individual members, or on villains. These stories would be testing grounds for potential miniseries to come.

2) All-Star Comics - this would replace JSA: Classified. Basically, look at what I just said for National Comics and replace JLA with JSA.

3) Adventure Comics - This could be the home of the rumored "Shooter-era Legion" title. Use the backup pages to focus on idividual members.

4) Next Comics - This would be the companion book to the Teen Titans franchise, focusing on individual adventures, re-tellings, or villain explorations.


As for the other "Monthly" comics:

1) Green Lantern - starring Hal Jordan, with a backup featuring another GL

2) Flash

3) Wonder Woman

4) Tales of the Unexpected - a 40 page title, featuring a rotating lead story and 18 pages of backup tales from DC's mystical side.

5) Sensation Comics - featuring the Birds of Prey (the BoP title would be cancelled and kicked off again with a new #1). This would be a 40-page comic with BoP as the lead and 18 pages of backups spotlighting other female DC characters.

6) Cosmic Comics - This is another 40-pager, featuring the Green Lantern Corps, the Omega Men, Adam Strange, etc. 22 pages of main story, 18 of backup tales.

7) All-American Comics - This would be the title where we'd find Suicide Squad, Checkmate, Uncle Sam, etc... another 40-pager with main stories and backups.

8) Brave and the Bold - Team up comic featuring all-star creators who want to tell that one tale that they've had in them since they were kids.

9) DC Showcase - "featuring" Nightwing. This would be 48 pages, as opposed to the 40 pages that I'm proposing for many of these comics. This is the one where the will be at least 12 pages of story for each character. Nightwing will always be one of the characters in this title, but he might not be the lead story (the 20+ pager) each month.



Now, there could be more, but I'm going to stop there for now. I know that many of you (who bothered to read this) are wondering "what the hell are you on???"

I'm looking at it this way - play to the current strengths of the comics industry. Not a lot of artists are able to get work done for a monthly publication. Rather than delay comics, give yourself some wiggle-room and give others a shot.

If the "lead story" isn't ready - go with something else that month. A reprint, if need be. Just make sure that you have enough backups on hand to keep the "monthly" comic fresh. Just keep them coming.

Also - I'd so increase the use of product placement in the titles.


I really don't remember where I started to where I am now. Kind of flighty tonight.

I disagree with most of what you have put forth. It's a recipe for total brand confusion (although as a longtine fan, i actually would LOVE to see ALL STAR et alia get another whirl).

How is featuring Nightwing, a character that DC has been licensing since the first Batman animated show back in the early 90s, in "DC Showcase" helping the brand? Nightwing is the title, Nightwing is the brand. The same goes for most of your proposed line of books. And how is Green Lantern not a "franchise" in your terms when it currently supports two ongoings and a maxiseries that may get another go-around?

Something like "Cosmic Comics" works maybe for longtime fans, but the titles "Green Lantern" or "Omega Men" are vastly more compelling, don't you think?

What if HEROES, LOST and BATTLESTAR GALACTICA were all on the same network on the same night. Would it help the network to rename a block of progrmaming "SciFi Thursday, Featuring..." or just keep promoting the individual shows targeted at slightly different audiences?

Also, I doubt the internet will EVER be a meaningful avenue of distribution for DC (or Marvel), until at least you can "print on demand" on your own printer and produce floppy-quality books at home. Reading longform 22pp comics is tactile experience. Can you imagine reading all the books you follow each week via a computer screen? Ugh! Sorter comics, hell yes, the net is a perfect means of accessing larger audiences, but Superman? I doubt it'll happen any time soon...

[Proud Texan]

I disagree with most of what you have put forth.

Fair enough! :)