The more I think about this, the more I kind of get it.

Comics peaked in the 90s -- it may have been earlier or later, but lets just say that comics used to be a huge deal many years ago.

These days, it seems the comics industry isn't really doing so hot. Comic based movies are doing fantastic, but the actual comics themselves? Maybe I'm wrong, but it doesn't seem like people who enjoy the movies are becoming fans of the books, not in the huge numbers DC probably wants.

This is their answer to that - they start all the properties over, they get on the ground floor of day and date digital distribution, and sure, they may piss off some old fans, but the amount of new fans they could gain would outweigh it. They are completely removing the barrier to entry.

I mean, this is a huge reboot - I don't think there has been a reboot where an entire comics company on the scale of DC has just rebooted every one of its properties at the same time.

Reading the CBR article that was linked explains a lot of this better than I - the industry isn't gaining new fans, its slowly stagnating, and reboots lead to higher numbers, and that they hope people who come for the reboot stick around. Like I said earlier, this is an extremely risky move by DC to expand its audience - I think the entire comics industry is going to be watching this closely.

If its hugely successful, I wonder how long until Marvel copies it? Or at least revamps their digital service to start providing titles day and date with the physical copies?

It seems that, with this reboot, that maybe they are going back to titles being independent, and abandoning the crossover phenomenon that has gripped the industry in the last few years. That is my wish, anyways.

 

No need to kill the man, just shuffle him off onto something else that suits his style, cos Power Girl isn't working under his pen.

Compelling points that all make sense, I've dived into the trade paper backs of Wonder Woman and Power Girl, haven't had too much trouble figuring out the back story and stuff but I'm a wiki nerd too, not a casual reader. However a paid subscription service to get all my comics via digital distribution. If that is DC's plan then my iPad is getting cleaned the fuck out so I can make room.

 

Yea, you gotta figure that the casual reader goes something like this:

- Wow, Green Lantern was pretty awesome! I'm going to check out the comics!

- What is going on here? Who are these characters? I've got to buy these other books too? Forget this.

And that's after they figure out where their local comic store even is... if they even have one. Soon, they can just grab this on their iPhone, iPad, or other devices.

Surprised the relaunch of DC doesn't coincide with the Green Lantern movie, to be honest.. and I would be shocked if elements of the films didn't seep into the comics, so casual readers say "Yea, I know this! This is from the movie! This is awesome!" Its all about retaining the readers once they buy the #1's.

If this takes off for DC, it won't only affect their comic business, but also the tie-in business as well... those new fans, especially the kids, will want action figures, video games, you name it. We'll probably see Mattel announce a new line of DC figures based on these redesigns at SDCC.

If DC advertises this, as in really goes all out, it could be good for them. Its a huge, huge risk.

 

Well I think it only fair then that I buy these No.1 comics in both hard copy and digital format: the hard copies cos I still love the feel of paper, but the digital ones so I can help a business model I approve of move forward.

Wallet, prepare thyself, cos this is gonna hurt.

 

Whats good -

- Day and date digital. Like it or not, its the future of disposable print media.

- Somesort of clean slate to draw a line under the past. History is great and all that, but not in the way its been used in this genre.

- Decent creators on bankable characters. Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and Green Lanetern are going to be the first stops for new readers and they need to see good stuff on display strait away.

Whats dodgey -

- 52 is still way too many books IMO. Crowding the market with pointless chaff had been good at chiseling extra dollars out of fanboys that won't learn, but it isn't going to convince any new readers to hang around if they see that much of the product is crap.

- No real talk of long term strategy or creative direction yet. None of this is going to be worth shit if its just a short term excercise to grab a few readers instead of a permanant change in the way they go about spandex funnybooks.

- Further to the above, they've still got to rely on thier direct market crowd for the immediate future. They need those sales to bankroll any attempt to make this genre acessable to the outside world again, but allot of those folks keep using thier money to vote for the stuff thats been wrecking it for the last 20 years and it might not be easy to find a comprimise and the nerve to stick to it.

I don't doubt DC's sincerity in wanting to reverse the sales decline and creative irrelevence of superhero comics, but i'm far from convinced at this point that its not too little too late.

 

I'm stoked about this. For one, I've been expected a JLA relaunh with all the core characters alive at the same time again, and Johns/Lee at the helm is a dream come true.

As for the rest, open mind. I think there's a lot of potential for this to be a great thing. Sure they mess some stuff up, but I've been very excited about where DC has been headed these days, so I'll be happy to try some of these "# 1's" and see how things go.

Sure excited about Firestorm's future!

 

Like are they out of ideas or something? If they feel a reboot is nessesory than the power to them. So the costumes looks different, but still their their essence of who they are won't. And if I'm wrong..meh I'm cool with that.

 

A couple more relaunch titles unveiled: Batgirl and Nightwing. As I expected, Batgirl will be Barbara Gordon. Because nothing she's done in the last 31 years has mattered.  

DC Relaunch: Batgirl #1 and Nightwing #1 Bleeding Cool Comic Book, Movies and TV News and Rumors

 

Not out of ideas... just that their current ideas and arcs aren't bringing in new readers, and all they are doing is struggling to hold onto the ones they do have.

This is DC wanting to recapture the glory days of comics. This is their attempt at kickstarting a stagnating industry.

I'm hopeful that this will finally end the crossover nonsense both companies are obsessed with, and allow books to just stand on their own. No need to buy all these other books to get the full story... that's the main reason I stopped reading comics, I got sick of the crossovers.

I'm still sticking to my theory that if this sells gangbusters month to month and is the thing that propels DC way over Marvel, we can definitely expect Marvel to pull the same thing down the line. So either this whole reboot will crash and burn, and nothing changes, or its going to change the entire industry. Exciting stuff, imo.

 

Not totally sure what I think about this.

I do not like the idea of restarting the numbering on Action Comics, Detective Comics, Superman, or Batman. Not one bit. Hopefully somebody has a brain in their head and keeps the original numbering around in some fashion, like the early issues of the new Adventure Comics run. I'd be okay with that, but to just totally drop the old numbering and go the "Vol. 2" route would suck... especially since you KNOW that if no others, these books are eventually going back to these numbering schemes again. They aren't going to let those big milestone numbers go away.

However, a big shake up now and then is a good thing, IMO. Brings in new readers, creates a buzz, and hopefully grows the market a bit. Rebooting everything back to number one is a pretty dang big shake-up and a huge gamble. Really hope it pays off!

... I also really hope Power Girl doesn't go away and that we still see the new JLI book we were teased. I know PG hasn't been quite as good since Conner, Palmiotti, and Gray left, but I still enjoy it pretty good. And I love the JLI!

 

I see your point. Well I if this is a bust, well I don't know what will happen and if its succeeds than maybe was a good shake up to bring in the new readers.

 

So Barbra is Batgirl again...okay A new nightwing title...Probably Dick again... So does this means Damian is gone and Tim is Robin again? Only one Batman?

Is Superman still married? Do we have to go through a OMD with him(granted this is much better than a deal with the devil)

How will this affect Booster Gold, the Blue Beetle, etc?

I'm curious how much of a revamp this will turn out to be.

 

My thoughts
-Must be Flashpoint aftermath, meaning Barry and maybe Booster managed to fix the timeline after Zoom's rampage
-hopefuilly some things are restored/still in continuity (Clark and Lois' marriage, Iris and Barry, Ted Kord alive)
-Legion of Superheroes seems to hint at the aftermath of Flashpoint, so I don't think continuity will be altered too badly
-Supergirl, not sure if she'll still be the current version or the pre-Crisis version

 

Is Green Latern making a gattling gun come out of his crotch?

lol

 

I haven't bought a comic book in over 3 years (quit cold turkey when my son was born). The only things that I buy are my yearly updates on the TPB's of JSA and X-Factor.

Fortunately, JSA is confirmed to return. I'll have to find a comic shop and maybe check out a sampling of titles... I'm SO glad Barbara Gordon is Batgirl again. I hope her costume is based on Yvonne Craig's...  

If only Marvel would do something like this...

 

It's almost certain that Superman will be single. I've even heard rumors he'll be shacking up with Wonder Woman instead.

DC has also said they still want to focus on diversity in their heroes, including specifically Batwoman and Blue Beetle. So it looks like Jaime will still be around. If Booster's book is still around I hope to god that they get Jurgens back off it. He's not a bad writer, just aggressively mediocre.

Maybe that's where his ring went.  

In other reboot news, we're getting an OMAC series by Didio and Giffen, Wildstorm books joining the DCU (if we get Gail Simone back on Gen13 my opinion of this whole mess will improve dramatically), and, perhaps most importantly, in the new DCU women will wear pants.

 

Babs Gordon back as Batgirl and single Superman makes sense, get the characters back to thier default state to match other media.

Wildstorm books making a comeback says to me that regular DCU books are likely moving back away from the laughable faux-mature content they've been trying in recent years.

Sensible costumes a first step towards making female superbooks a more credible product for female readers?

 

Barbara Gordon taking up the Batgirl mantle does make sense to align with other media, but it seems a little odd for DC to remove one of their prominent handicapped characters, if they're looking to increase the diversity of their universe. I also thought the concept of Oracle, an information broker and coordinator for superheroes, was a good idea, so I'd hope they find another character to fill that role.

And the female characters getting more practical costumes is a great idea on so many levels.