The DC Comics Thread Vol. 3

[Agent Purple The Illustrated Man Find all posts View Profile Close Agent Purple]

And nowadays it's all about the poolboys and babysitters...

[Space Cop The Dandy Find all posts View Profile Close Space Cop]

^I actually have seen a milk delivery service somewhere in the past couple years, but I forget where. It wasn't in NJ.

[Ωmega Man Guardian of the Universe Find all posts View Profile Close Ωmega Man]

My sister's dad was the milk man.

~//V\\~

[Trey Strain Guardian of the Universe Find all posts View Profile Close Trey Strain]

Dan DiDio and Jim Lee have dedicated themselves to reaching new customers.

Unfortunately, that's not going to happen. Print comics are in the phase of their life cycle that's called "managing decline." Look it up.

The worst thing DC could do now is to copy Marvel in seeking mythical "new customers" by taking a big huge shit all over their existing customers.

DiDio and Lee should ask Marvel how that approach worked out for them.

http://www.cbr.com/jim-lee-dan-didio...ure-sdcc-2017/

[Mister Ed Horse of a Different Color Find all posts View Profile Close Mister Ed]

It would be nice, if they are going to try for new customers, if they tried harder to make new customers of a new generation, by offering more books that are appropriate for all ages. It seems like they have given up on drawing younger customers in, and taken things that USED to be all-ages and constantly change them to cater to an aging, shrinking customer base that wants the stuff THEY enjoyed as kids to mature with them, and never mind the next generation...

[Trey Strain Guardian of the Universe Find all posts View Profile Close Trey Strain]

The problem there is that comics have gotten too expensive for kids. DC and Marvel are just in a bad situation and have got no good way out of it. They can't even sell collections any more because all the classic stories have been reprinted several times.

The only things that are propping up their comics sales are slabbing and the frequent printing of the number 1 on their covers.

Oh and gimmicks. DiDio says he wants to stop using gimmicks, but unfortunately he can't.

[Space Cop The Dandy Find all posts View Profile Close Space Cop]

I would think if DC felt there was any real money to be made by aiming for a more family-friendly market and kiddie books, they'd be doing it left and right.

Personally, it wouldn't bother me if Superman and GL were as G or PG rated as they were in the 60s and 70s, but I guess that's outdated.

[Big Daddy Dave Skywalker Moisture Farmer Find all posts View Profile Close Big Daddy Dave Skywalker]

I don't know if it's possible to put the genie back in the bottle as far as getting a younger audience and making comics for them. Kids today have too any other things competing for their attention and their parents' money for DC and Marvel to REALLY make them their primary target audience again. Comics were forced to grow up, and now the industry is dealing with an aging, shrinking, finite audience that doesn't replenish itself anymore.

I kind of like the idea that I'll be around for the end of the superhero comics as an industry, but I'm selfish like that.

[Trey Strain Guardian of the Universe Find all posts View Profile Close Trey Strain]

Sooner or later, every industry declines. In some cases it takes a very long time, but it always happens. Print comics are in decline now. They might survive for quite a while yet, but they won't grow, and they'll have to work hard and smart to stay afloat.

DC and Marvel are probably in worse shape than the smaller companies because they have to sell a lot of comics. The smaller companies don't have to do that.

Of course DC and Marvel make a fortune from television and movies. I'm just referring to their printed comics. But they may be reaching their peak in those other media. Franchise fatigue is affecting many movie properties, and television shows don't run forever.

[Ωmega Man Guardian of the Universe Find all posts View Profile Close Ωmega Man]

I've been saying for years they needed to go back to all-ages stories. The industry was built on the nickles and dimes of kids in the 40's and the fact the only books made for children by the big two publishers nowadays are adaptions of cartoon series is ridiculous. Ultraman didn't need to snort kryptonite like cocain, and Dr. Light didn't have to get turned into a rapist.

My son asked if there were any new comics he could read about the Justice League, Superboy, and he really likes Beast Boy and Etrigan too. When I do find him stuff to read it's in back issue bins from at least two or three decades back. Or it's something I've read that doesn't have a lot of suggestive stuff or adult humor.

The one book he looks forward to reading that he knows he can without asking is R. L. Stine's Man-Thing over at Marvel... and that's cause he's recently got into Goosebumps and knew of the writer.

~//V\\~

[Hypo Lil' Leaguer Find all posts View Profile Close Hypo]

Hitch will be leaving JL shortly:



Hopefully they replace him with someone who makes the book worth reading again.

[Space Cop The Dandy Find all posts View Profile Close Space Cop]

I haven't been loving or hating JL (it's a bit slow and underwhelming but not bad per se), but oddly enough I thought #25 was pretty good.

[Trey Strain Guardian of the Universe Find all posts View Profile Close Trey Strain]

I haven't been reading JL. The sales are not good.

["Chosen" NOT his black friend Find all posts View Profile Close "Chosen"]

I haven't been reading JL. The sales are not good.

Because it sucks

[Trey Strain Guardian of the Universe Find all posts View Profile Close Trey Strain]

Because it sucks

Sorta like Green Lantern.