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DC Comics, oh why have you forsaken me? I’m a DC kid. I grew up on DC. While all my friends were busy reading Uncanny X-Men, I was by myself in the corner furiously leafing through the new issue of the Marv Wolfman and George Perez New Teen Titans. I’d take the DC characters over the Marvel characters any day. Give me Batman, give me Superman, give me The Teen Titans and The Justice League and The Legion of Super-Heroes...hell, give me Ambush Bug! (Okay, I must admit that I do love Spider-Man, and as a kid I’d pick up all the DC books but also Spider-Man. Still, a little Spider-Man love does not a Marvel kid make.) At the comic shop, I defend DC Comics with every breath I have. But lately? Man, it’s been hard.
Marvel killed Captain America and it was a huge success, the press ate it up. DC killed Batman and it, really, no one cares. Did DC kill Batman in the long-running "Batman R.I.P" story in his self-titled book? No, of course not. That would be too logical. They killed him in Final Crisis, a mostly impenetrable mini-series that left fans scratching their heads. Most fans aren’t even sure Batman’s dead (he is), and most couldn’t even tell you how he died. Cap’s death was easy to explain. He was assassinated by a sniper outside the courthouse. Ask any comic fan about Batman’s death, and I’d be willing to bet that after their frustrated sigh, they won’t be able to properly explain the how’s and why’s and Batman’s death.
But that’s not all that DC is doing wrong these days. Their weekly series Trinity is yawn-inducing, neither especially bad nor especially good. Their Vertigo line brings no real excitement these days, since the wonderful Y The Last Man ended last year. The Justice League of America is mediocre. The Wildstorm line is DOA, save for the fantastic Brian K. Vaughan-written Ex Machina. Superman isn’t going to be appearing in his own books, and fans seemed underwhelmed by that prospect. We don’t know at this point who is going to take over for Batman since Bruce Wayne is dead, but I don’t any real sense of anticipation from fans.
Marvel is kicking DC’s butt sales-wise lately. A glance at the top 100 chart each month shows Marvel with firm control of the top ten. Thank God for DC's trade program and Watchmen, which continues to light up both the comic book and mainstream charts.
Here’s a what’s good from DC these days: Anything written by Geoff Johns. His run on Action Comics with Gary Frank may have been the best run of Superman books in the last decade, and I’m eagerly anticipating his upcoming Flash: Rebirth series starring the resurrected Barry Allen. Secret Six is good, unclean super-villain fun, and the new Vertigo House of Mystery series has shown potential.
But, overall, things have not been great for DC fans lately. I’ll hang in there, though, because I’m still a DC guy. But for how long? I beg of you, DC: Love me. And by "love me" I mean Get Better.
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Comments
I couldn't agree with you more on this. As a DC fan also, your dead on with your review on DC. Thanks for pointing this out.
I'm a huge fan of the Flash. I can't wait until Rebirth so I can put The Flash book back on top of my stack of books to read first.
Loved your column, and agree with much of it.... I happen to greatly enjoy Jonah Hex, as well.... Final Crisis was a big mess, wasn't it? ..and I do have some high hopes for the Quitely Batman and Robin coming this summer...
Hope "they" are listening!
Honestly, the sooner the monthly comic book bites the dust for good the better. I stopped buying them years ago. It doesn't take a soothsayer to see the hand writing on the wall when it comes to DC monthlies, and the industry in general.
The target readership is dwindling (and KIDS aren't in that demographic) and the books keep getting more expensive to buy.
I could go in depth with my own analysis of WHY DC is failing creatively, but it's a waste of time.
The sooner they're gone the better.
Correction in your article, but Batman is not dead.
I couldn't agree with this column more but it does come a tad late. DC has been dying a calculated, slow and painful death for years, since Jenette Kahn left for starters. As for the monthly comic book dying? Well, its not because people don't want to buy them (check recent NY and SDCC Comic Con attendance for proof of the fanbase's existence and potential for customers) but rather the people running the industry have infected it with a cancer, serving readers material so terrible, it makes you wonder if anyone upstairs is actually reading the material they publish. As a reader for over 30 years, I found myself, for the first time in my entire life throwing many new DC comics I bought and read into the garbage --THE GARBAGE -- not only because I wouldn't read them again (reading them the first time was painful enough) but I just couldn't even give them away to anyone in good faith. They were THAT bad. I remember reading something on Geoff John's website stating, "If you don't read comics, you help the enemy." What does that actually say to readers, that we should keep reading them not matter how poisonous, how bad they are? A better take on that is actually, "If you publish bad comics, you ARE the enemy." and that might be more of a reason for why monthly comics are dying more than anything else.
My tone may have been harsh, but deep down I do WANT DC to succeed. I want DC and Marvel both kicking ass at the same time, which would be wonderful for comic book fans. DC's just kind of breaking my heart lately. I talk to fans every day at Comicrypt, and there is a lot of disappointment with DC lately. Not that Marvel is perfect, God knows, but people just seem a bit more excited about what Marvel's putting out.
Hey, Matches...I think Batman is REALLY dead. At least for today.
Hey, Matches....I think Batman is REALLY Dead. At least for today, anyway.
I disagree with this article. I have been a DC Fan for the last three or so decades and can't stand most of what Marvel puts out on a monthly basis. I agree that DC has made mistakes don't get me wrong but this article is littered with many as well. 1) Batman is not dead and nor is Bruce Wayne and don't try to say that you couldn't "understand" the very last page of Final Crisis #7. 2)"Superman isn’t going to be appearing in his own books, and fans seemed underwhelmed by that prospect" That is not true. Reading several boards and reviews before and especially after the first issues of the "non-superman" Action and Superman books the reaction has been great. CBR reviewed Supes 686 and gave it a 4 star rating. Everyone that I talked to at my LSC is loving the new take on these "old" books. Even Comic Book Bin gave 686 a 10 out of 10. 3)Vertigo has the new crime line which sounds, and from the stuff that has been out, looks great. Brian Azzarello is great (check out the Joker GN and 100 Bullets-there's only 1 more though) We've got Seaguy coming tomorrow, oh wait that is a Grant Morrison title it may be to complicated to read. You are right about Secret Six, House of Mysteries, and Geoff John's books. Hey, Green Lantern is AWESOME right now. Yeah JLA has suffered for too long but JSA has been great. In my book marketing is Dan Didio and the marketing Dept at DC's biggest failing. They don't get enough free stuff marketing stuff out to the LCS's etc. They need more of that to generate excitment and interest. Mavel vs. DC has been the Fanboy war forever and will be forever. Neither is going away any time soon. I am and will forever be a DC fanboy even at 40.
well i have been off comics for a few years. the stories in the late nities for each company kinda sucked and now they are doing what needed to be done to me. they are cleaning house. I think more heros should go and alot of old titles end to make way for new ideas or continuatedf stories that make them seem so much like soap operas. every body dies and comes back... i cant see bruce being gone too long and it would only make sense personally i think he should have just quit and passed it off to night wing after he exesized his demons. i think alot of mistakes have been made in comics... every body in marvels a chick or related to wolverine now or has some kind of hulk power, and marvel has too many damned universes. if dc wants to climb back in to the top ten they need to do something about their art and the fact that they only have three major charcters and everyone else revolves around them
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