DC's fifty-two new titles
So like most of you my feelings have been very mixed about this whole relaunch DC has decided to undertake come September. Whether you like it, hate it, or like me, are very unsure at this point. One thing is certain DC has been very successful with this stunt in getting our, the fans, attention. What remains very uncertain is whether or not this stunt will be successful in attracting the new readers DC wants.
For my part, I have my doubts. I have strong doubts that parity pricing for digital comics is going to work, and reducing price by a dollar one month after release is probably only going to hurt sales at the higher price point, particularly for casual new readers. Several articles I've misplaced argue this extremely well, and have convinced me that any price more than $0.99 is probably not going to work for casual readers. $0.99 registers psychologically as free, particularly for those habituated by the iStore, $1.99 or $2.99 register psychologically as real money and dramatically increase the likelihood that a casual reader will decide not to purchase. Personally I believe that a copy of the digital comic should be included free with any printed comic a reader purchases.
Anyway we'll see how this all pans out come September. I've been spending entirely too much time reading articles about it this week.
I decided to make a list of all fifty-two new titles below. "!" indicates I'm interested and probably will add/keep it on my pull list. "*" Means I'm intrigued and will probably pick up at least the first issue.
*ACTION COMICS #1
SUPERMAN #1
*SUPERGIRL #1
*SUPERBOY #1
BLUE BEETLE #1
*SUICIDE SQUAD #1
*STORMWATCH #1
*BLACKHAWKS #1
MEN OF WAR #1
ALL-STAR WESTERN #1
*DEATHSTROKE #1
GRIFTER #1
OMAC #1
*LEGION LOST #1
LEGION OF SUPERHEROES #1
!TEEN TITANS #1
*STATIC SHOCK #1
*HAWK AND DOVE #1
SWAMP THING #1
*JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #1
ANIMAL MAN #1
DEMON KNIGHTS #1
FRANKENSTEIN, AGENT OF SHADE #1
RESURRECTION MAN #1
*I, VAMPIRE #1
VOODOO #1
BATWING #1
!RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #1
*NIGHTWING #1
*BATGIRL #1
!BATWOMAN #1
CATWOMAN #1
*BIRDS OF PREY #1
*BATMAN AND ROBIN #1
BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT #1
BATMAN #1
DETECTIVE COMICS #1
GREEN LANTERN #1
GREEN LANTERN CORPS #1
*GREEN LANTERN: THE NEW GUARDIANS #1
RED LANTERNS #1
*JUSTICE LEAGUE #1
WONDER WOMAN #1
AQUAMAN #1
THE FLASH #1
THE FURY OF FIRESTORM #1
SAVAGE HAWKMAN #1
GREEN ARROW #1
JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL #1
MISTER TERRIFIC #1
CAPTAIN ATOM #1
DC UNIVERSE PRESENTS #1
Well as that looks like more than twenty books that intrigue me I can guarantee you I will not be purchasing that many. As I don't really consider myself a collector this looks like it might be a good opportunity for me to decide to get out of the weekly comics and switch exclusively to the collected trade paperbacks and save some money. Unless of course DC decides to start offering digital comics for ninety-nine cents.
Several books and characters on my current DC pull list apparently did not make the cut for this relaunch.
My current DC Paulist:
Red Robin,
Batgirl,
Birds of Prey,
Power Girl,
Batman and Robin,
Titans,
Teen Titans,
Batman: The Dark Knight,
Supergirl,
So I'm particularly disappointed for sentimental reasons that Red Robin is not making it through the relaunch with his own title. Tim Drake is Red Robin and Stephanie Brown as Batgirl were the first DC books I started buying. They also marked the first time in my comic buying experience when I was actually eagerly looking forward to the next book. Tim Drake at least appears to be organizing a team of Titans which looks like it should be an interesting read. However at this point, Stephanie Brown's fate appears to be unknown, apart from a promise from Gail Simone that she will definitely use Steph and Cass in future issues of Batgirl If no one else is using them. The article is well worth reading in its own right, particularly for those of you upset about Steph Apparently losing her mantle, or Barbara regaining the use of her legs. And remember, we actually don't know how everything goes down yet.
Birds of prey I'm cautiously optimistic about, I will at least pick up the first issue and see what I think. Batman and Robin I have no idea, I love the Dick Damien dynamic than really not sure about Damian and Bruce. Titans I could care less at this point, I was intrigued by the Arsenal Cheshire Deathstroke story, but the book really hasn't been doing it for me lately and was probably going to drop it anyway. Supergirl I'll be fine with as long as they don't mistreat her too badly.
The Dark Knight, I'm potentially kind of disappointed about; it all depends on how things progress, I've been really excited about the current book and the directions that it seem to be going. I had my suspicions that we may have been going to meet Bruce's new Robin coming up here shortly as there's still one more Robin out there in the DC collection, and plots were paralleling the story in which she originally appeared. However, if Bruce is teaming with Damian as Robin this plot direction is probably not going to happen.
Power Girl, well let's see if she even survives this relaunch as she's one of the messiest characters in the DC canon as far as her continuity is concerned. Though for my part, I have really been enjoying what's been going on in her comic recently it's been very interesting and exciting. So I'll be extremely disappointed if she ceases to exist as she's one of those characters like Steph whose just beginning to really come into her own. Hopefully she'll make appearances in the DC Presence comic periodically.
Alright enough jabbering on my part. It will be interesting to see how this all falls out.
Edit: CBR all 52 titles with promotional covers, creative teams, and summary blurbs.
And looks like I should add Voodoo to my interest list as Ron Marz is writing it.
For my part, I have my doubts. I have strong doubts that parity pricing for digital comics is going to work, and reducing price by a dollar one month after release is probably only going to hurt sales at the higher price point, particularly for casual new readers. Several articles I've misplaced argue this extremely well, and have convinced me that any price more than $0.99 is probably not going to work for casual readers. $0.99 registers psychologically as free, particularly for those habituated by the iStore, $1.99 or $2.99 register psychologically as real money and dramatically increase the likelihood that a casual reader will decide not to purchase. Personally I believe that a copy of the digital comic should be included free with any printed comic a reader purchases.
Anyway we'll see how this all pans out come September. I've been spending entirely too much time reading articles about it this week.
I decided to make a list of all fifty-two new titles below. "!" indicates I'm interested and probably will add/keep it on my pull list. "*" Means I'm intrigued and will probably pick up at least the first issue.
*ACTION COMICS #1
SUPERMAN #1
*SUPERGIRL #1
*SUPERBOY #1
BLUE BEETLE #1
*SUICIDE SQUAD #1
*STORMWATCH #1
*BLACKHAWKS #1
MEN OF WAR #1
ALL-STAR WESTERN #1
*DEATHSTROKE #1
GRIFTER #1
OMAC #1
*LEGION LOST #1
LEGION OF SUPERHEROES #1
!TEEN TITANS #1
*STATIC SHOCK #1
*HAWK AND DOVE #1
SWAMP THING #1
*JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #1
ANIMAL MAN #1
DEMON KNIGHTS #1
FRANKENSTEIN, AGENT OF SHADE #1
RESURRECTION MAN #1
*I, VAMPIRE #1
VOODOO #1
BATWING #1
!RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #1
*NIGHTWING #1
*BATGIRL #1
!BATWOMAN #1
CATWOMAN #1
*BIRDS OF PREY #1
*BATMAN AND ROBIN #1
BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT #1
BATMAN #1
DETECTIVE COMICS #1
GREEN LANTERN #1
GREEN LANTERN CORPS #1
*GREEN LANTERN: THE NEW GUARDIANS #1
RED LANTERNS #1
*JUSTICE LEAGUE #1
WONDER WOMAN #1
AQUAMAN #1
THE FLASH #1
THE FURY OF FIRESTORM #1
SAVAGE HAWKMAN #1
GREEN ARROW #1
JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL #1
MISTER TERRIFIC #1
CAPTAIN ATOM #1
DC UNIVERSE PRESENTS #1
Well as that looks like more than twenty books that intrigue me I can guarantee you I will not be purchasing that many. As I don't really consider myself a collector this looks like it might be a good opportunity for me to decide to get out of the weekly comics and switch exclusively to the collected trade paperbacks and save some money. Unless of course DC decides to start offering digital comics for ninety-nine cents.
Several books and characters on my current DC pull list apparently did not make the cut for this relaunch.
My current DC Paulist:
Red Robin,
Batgirl,
Birds of Prey,
Power Girl,
Batman and Robin,
Titans,
Teen Titans,
Batman: The Dark Knight,
Supergirl,
So I'm particularly disappointed for sentimental reasons that Red Robin is not making it through the relaunch with his own title. Tim Drake is Red Robin and Stephanie Brown as Batgirl were the first DC books I started buying. They also marked the first time in my comic buying experience when I was actually eagerly looking forward to the next book. Tim Drake at least appears to be organizing a team of Titans which looks like it should be an interesting read. However at this point, Stephanie Brown's fate appears to be unknown, apart from a promise from Gail Simone that she will definitely use Steph and Cass in future issues of Batgirl If no one else is using them. The article is well worth reading in its own right, particularly for those of you upset about Steph Apparently losing her mantle, or Barbara regaining the use of her legs. And remember, we actually don't know how everything goes down yet.
Birds of prey I'm cautiously optimistic about, I will at least pick up the first issue and see what I think. Batman and Robin I have no idea, I love the Dick Damien dynamic than really not sure about Damian and Bruce. Titans I could care less at this point, I was intrigued by the Arsenal Cheshire Deathstroke story, but the book really hasn't been doing it for me lately and was probably going to drop it anyway. Supergirl I'll be fine with as long as they don't mistreat her too badly.
The Dark Knight, I'm potentially kind of disappointed about; it all depends on how things progress, I've been really excited about the current book and the directions that it seem to be going. I had my suspicions that we may have been going to meet Bruce's new Robin coming up here shortly as there's still one more Robin out there in the DC collection, and plots were paralleling the story in which she originally appeared. However, if Bruce is teaming with Damian as Robin this plot direction is probably not going to happen.
Power Girl, well let's see if she even survives this relaunch as she's one of the messiest characters in the DC canon as far as her continuity is concerned. Though for my part, I have really been enjoying what's been going on in her comic recently it's been very interesting and exciting. So I'll be extremely disappointed if she ceases to exist as she's one of those characters like Steph whose just beginning to really come into her own. Hopefully she'll make appearances in the DC Presence comic periodically.
Alright enough jabbering on my part. It will be interesting to see how this all falls out.
Edit: CBR all 52 titles with promotional covers, creative teams, and summary blurbs.
And looks like I should add Voodoo to my interest list as Ron Marz is writing it.