DC SHEDS 2000AD/REBELLION & HUMANOIDS

[MattBrady]

Their absence in the July solicitations was duly noted by the respective fans of the UK and France-based publishers, and DC late today issued an explanation for the missing 200AD/Rebellion and Humanoids solicitations: the publisher has ended its relationships with the European publishers, and will no longer publish their material in North America.

In a release, the publisher wrote: “DC Comics regrets to announce the discontinuation of its Humanoids and 2000 A.D. titles.

“The company’s respect for the Humanoids and 2000 A.D. stories, characters and talent, however, continues unabated, and we hope both lines are welcomed by a U.S. publisher better able to find deserving audiences for these titles.”

The alliances with the two publishers was seen as many as a bold move by DC, as well as one aimed at increasing their presence in bookstores, by looking to Europe, rather than exclusively to Asia for material to import. DC’s publication of Humanoids titles began in July 2004, while the publication of 2000AD titles began in September 2004.

Speaking to Newsarama last April about the lines, DC VP of Sales, Bob Wayne said: “It’s safe to say that DC continues to have a very wide definition of what’s a comic book, and what’s an entertaining way to tell comic book stories. And we’re willing to go all over the planet to bring those different visions, and that diversity to the comic book market, just to make things available to the readers that have been with us for a long time, and to show them that there are other flavors of comics, much in the same way that we have the DCU, with Vertigo, and Wildstorm.”

However, both the 2000AD and Humanoids lines - despite presenting some of the most acclaimed comics to come from Europe in the past two decades – failed to catch on both in the direct market, and more importantly, as Newsarama’s Brian Hibbs noted, in the bookstore market.

In looking at the 2004 Bookscan numbers, Hibbs pointed out that of DC’s three imprints (Humanoids, 2000AD and CMX), only one title cracked the Bookscan list of top selling graphic novels for 2004, CMX’s Land of the Blindfolded. Hibbs said: “CMX, 2000AD, and Humanoids are all putatively ‘book store imprints,’ yet of all of the 2004 releases, only one makes the chart – volume 1 of Land of the Blindfolded with a, frankly, pathetic 1270 copies sold. These non-existent showings for these imprints is nearly worse than embarrassing – it’s nearly criminal. One imagines this is one of the reasons new Senior Vice President Stephanie Fierman was just brought in. The Direct Market bought 2602 copies of Land of the Blindfolded v1 – more than twice as many, and that number reflects no reorders. Clearly, DC is doing poorly with new publishing initiatives in front of the customers these initiatives were aimed at, and that should be a very scary thing for them.”

June will see the final Humanoids/2000AD titles shipped by DC. While the publisher did not mention it, it is assumed that titles still listed on Amazon or other online bookseller sites as shipping after July 2005 are cancelled. According to the publisher, the final Humanoids titles to be published by DC Comics will be The Incal Vol. 2: The Epic Journey TP (APR050385) and Transgenesis 2025 Vol. 1: Ancestor Program TP (APR050387), scheduled to arrive in stores in June.

The final 2000 A.D. titles to be published by DC Comics will be The Ballad Of Halo Jones TP (APR050382), The Complete Indigo Prime TP (APR050383), and Rogue Trooper Vol. 2: Fort Neuro TP (APR050384), scheduled to arrive in stores in June.

Titles from both lines published by DC Comics prior to these dates will continue to be available as backlist items.

[Alfonso]

[upstart]

Ah, dammit. Just when, seemingly for the first time, Humanoids and 2000AD books were actually showing up in Philippine bookstores. I hope Humanoids/2000 AD react soon about what their gameplan is gonna be, especially regarding the unfinished series (was The Incal finished by DC? Metabarons?)

[bob_at_york]

Another bad move by DC... wonder if Marvel is interested? They could get more books into bookstores!

[Ralf Haring]

This is a shame. I hope Humanoids (and to a much lesser extent 2000AD) continue to publish their previously announced material in the US on their own.

[cook]

Damn. This is a shitty way to start my day.

I was really enjoying the Humanoids stuff that DC was releasing. The first volume of Incal, Sanctum, Deicide, all were really great comics. I was really pleased that DC had the balls to make these deals. Apparently I was in the minority.

I hope I'm still able to get Humanoids stuff, even if I have to pay a lot more. Given the movement of larger publishing companies towards graphic novels, what are the odds someone else will ink a deal with Humanoids?

[algertman]

damn, TechnoPriest was badass

[Augie De Blieck Jr.]

I hope someone else picks up the licenses quickly and brings us more of the Humanoids titles the way they were meant to be seen, not the way DC did them. I don't know much about the politics involved, but maybe NBM?

-Augie

[Bolt1033]

I was buying at least 2 of these a month, as well as Metal Hurlant-I'll be interested to see how this pans out-truly sad to see 15 X titles (or whatever it is) still being printed, and then this. I know, not a fair comparison, but I'm lashing out. Kind of like when Joe Strummer died, yet (insert crap band here) contiues to thrive. (Not that I want anyone to actually die mind you.)

Okay, I'm stopping now.

[Michael C Lorah]

aw, crap.

DC/Humanoids has been putting out some of the best books on the market. I'm disappointed that DC couldn't find a way to continue bringing these titles to the states, even if doing so required a diminished publishing calendar, but after seeing those numbers, I guess that I can understand why.

At least I was one of the thousand or so fans in the US that knows what the rest are missing out on.

I'll definitely be watching for Humanoids. I rarely feel this way, but books that good truly deserve better.

[ParisCub]

Now this is going to be interesting, mainly when you have all those books published in France by Humanoides which feature people like Geoff Jhons, John Cassaday and other US comic book icons... Does that mean that Americans will have to learn French to get their favourite writers and artists's stories?
Let's not forget that the second volume of Legion by Cassaday will be soon published in France, for example.

As for 2000AD, well, there's always the possibility of ordering them from the UK.

One more disappointing piece of news from DC... At least the fourth of fifth one since the beginning of the year :-(

[kingofcities]

The price was a bit steep on these books. I bought quite a few when they first came out, but just couldn't keep up. Great quality material though. Hope they can find a successful home elsewhere.

[tralfaz]

Originally posted by bob_at_york
Another bad move by DC... wonder if Marvel is interested? They could get more books into bookstores!

in a business sense its a good move on DC. It hasnt been selling in stores, and even if they promoted it, it probably wouldnt sell as much as us fans would like... i think their constant editting of the manga books is a bad move

[skiteman]

Seeing as how this was ALL reprinted material.....I'm surprised DC didn't release these masterpieces at more reasonable prices......

[mousefolk]

While this is a too-bad situation, I was especially fond of Metal Hurlant, which was objectively the best value around: 64 glossy, color pages with limited ads, but I am not surprised, as the Humanoids releases have been dwindling during recent months.

I echo the hope that whether on their own or in conjunction with a domestic publisher they are able to continue to put out their books in the US.

xo
Kevin

[xdemon]

Originally posted by mousefolk
While this is a too-bad situation, I was especially fond of Metal Hurlant, which was objectively the best value around: 64 glossy, color pages with limited ads, but I am not surprised, as the Humanoids releases have been dwindling during recent months.

I echo the hope that whether on their own or in conjunction with a domestic publisher they are able to continue to put out their books in the US.

xo
Kevin

I'm a Metal Hurlant fan, too, and hope this doesn't spell the end of it.

[nenad]

Guess DC expected Humanoids titles to sell on their own. Anyway, I can't say I am happy. On one hand it's doubtful there is going to be a third chance for this material in US, but on the other I wasn't too thrilled how it was presented in the US.

[Primate]

Well, now. That was fast.

[KyleCowstar]

These things weren't marketed well, I never had any interest in any of these lines or their books.

[stlfan79]

This seems dumb to me from a fan perspective. But I guess if us fans ran the industry with as fickle as we are nothing would get accomplished. Hopefully they can land elsewhere.

[GMSLegion]

Absolutely heartbreaking news, this. And no, DC did not market or push either line well at all. It was certainly the Humanoids and 2000 AD fans who did all the work and set up the web pages. It takes more than banner ads on the dccomics.com site to get new readers.

Six 2000 AD books and fifteen Humanoids books were planned for after July. Let's hope they're still made available through Previews/Diamond somehow.

[Kevin T. Brown]

Damn. All that money wasted in advertising, too......


Oh.


Wait.

They didn't do any advertising of these products.



Never mind.








News still sucks though.

[Solamon]

Disappointing, very disappointing.

[jasinmartin]

Dang!
I've waited 20 years to catch the full Incal storyline by Moebius. Picked up a Moebius trade that had the first part in the mid-80's and never saw more...
Then Humanoids starts to publish it monthly, but they start with the prequel, created after the original Moebius run...
Then DC buys Humanoids and they start publishing the Mobius stuff in trade, volume 2 was solicited, and now... whamo!

I never saw Humanoids release any of the Mobius stuff directly, pre DC, but I wasn't sure.
Also, don't know how many volumes it would've run, so I guess there's a slight chance it would wrap in the second volume (don't think so).

I thought I'd heard it was published elsewhere years ago though...
perhaps as a regular in Heavy Metal?

The Incal, the true first volume, by Jodorowsky and Moebius, is an incredible piece deserving more attention.

I also enjoy Metabarons, Technopriests, and Metal Hurlant.

[Raphe Cheli]

Did they advertize in the Comics Journal? I can see it being effective there.

But where else would they put out ads? In Wizard? Please.