DC Comics to re-start from number 1

[stevezodiac]

Today's Metro newspaper devoted two pages to American Comics. I'd already heard on the radio that DC was going to start many titles from number 1 but here it is in black and white. It will be an interesting experiment. My mate Steve said they'd already done this with Crisis on Infinite Earths. Even Detective Comics will go back to issue 1.

I must dash NCIS is on in ten minutes.

[big bad bri]

i saw that paper today although i think its just a marketing gimmick and the majority of titles will revert to original numbering within a year especially detective and action comics

[Phoenix]

Today's Metro is clearly playing catch-up. I posted the basic information on 23 June on the Peter Parker RIP! thread. Furthermore, as I discovered later that day, Lew's blog had posted the same details several days earlier.

[swirlythingy]

And not only that, but it started with the word "Kapow!"

[stevezodiac]

I hadn't noticed that kapow. Wot a revolting development.

Sorry I missed other mentions - thought I had a scoop but must admit I was half expecting it to be on here before I got home. I don't read the comic blogs either - sorry!

Another Beezer NCIS episode.

[Lew Stringer]

Today's Metro is clearly playing catch-up. I posted the basic information on 23 June on the Peter Parker RIP! thread. Furthermore, as I discovered later that day, Lew's blog had posted the same details several days earlier.

Metro is a month late with the news, which must be some sort of record. The internet split in half with DC's news on May 31st and I posted about it on my blog on June 1st.

The latest news is that some fans are going on a protest march about the relaunch at the San Diego Comic Con next month.

http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/20 ... -relaunch/

[stevezodiac]

I had a feeling this topic would arouse Lew from his hibernation and I hereby promise I will start reading his blog - just saw his Commando item which might inspire me to pop into Smiths tomorrow night (late opening round here) and pick up the new issues.

I don't see what this protest will achieve as I can't see DC saying "You win, we'll pulp the hundreds of thousands of copies already printed."

Just heard there is a 7.5 foot Boa Constrictor on the loose in Ipswich - hasn't been fed for three weeks. Put your bicycle clips on, folks.

[Jay]

I must admit I didn't think DC would have the balls to relaunch Action and Detective Comics at No.1. Can you imagine if The Dandy restarted at No.1 with last years relaunch? Bricks would've been expelled!

[paw broon]

I was out with some pals yesterday, all of them comics fans and they were all concerned about this. They were also of a mind that it was a really bad idea. First comment was that readers would say that as the comics were reverting to #1's, this would be a good time to jump off, not on. As for digital releases, some of us think this will do serious damage to the indy comic shops in the U.K. Remember Marvel? They tried something similar and soon reverted.
I'm off to my lcs this afternoon and hopefully have a chat about this as well as having a look round the shelves.
It's not just the #1's but the re-tooling of the DC universe. It's all coming over as a bit too heavy for me. Only time will tell.

[felneymike]

One comic strip in Japan has been going for about 40 years, it's called something like "This is the police station across the road from the park" and usually features lazy cops trying to invent some labour saving device that goes wrong. Oh if only we'd had 40 years of L cars!

Also 2000AD did have a vague plan to re-start from No.1 when the Judge Dredd film came out. Bet they're happy they dodged that bullet!

[tony ingram]

I was out with some pals yesterday, all of them comics fans and they were all concerned about this. They were also of a mind that it was a really bad idea. First comment was that readers would say that as the comics were reverting to #1's, this would be a good time to jump off, not on. As for digital releases, some of us think this will do serious damage to the indy comic shops in the U.K. Remember Marvel? They tried something similar and soon reverted.
I'm off to my lcs this afternoon and hopefully have a chat about this as well as having a look round the shelves.
It's not just the #1's but the re-tooling of the DC universe. It's all coming over as a bit too heavy for me. Only time will tell.

Speaking as a DC reader of 35 years standing who was basically drawn into it in the first place by fascination at the rich and complex history of the company-if all of that, and espacially Golden Age characters such as the Justice Society, are being dumped (as seems to be the case), I can't see any point in continuing to buy any DC books after the reboot. DC have already cancelled virtually every title I was still reading, anyway.

[Lew Stringer]

Speaking as a DC reader of 35 years standing who was basically drawn into it in the first place by fascination at the rich and complex history of the company-if all of that, and espacially Golden Age characters such as the Justice Society, are being dumped (as seems to be the case), I can't see any point in continuing to buy any DC books after the reboot. DC have already cancelled virtually every title I was still reading, anyway.

I must admit I don't understand people's animosity towards this relaunch. It's not the first time DC have done something like this. (Albeit not on such a grand scale.) As long as the script and art entertains I don't see any problem. The main characters are remaining, so fans can still follow them, and the JSA (canceled due to poor sales) will return eventually.

Look on the bright side Tony. In August, after 35 years you get to see how the stories end! That's better than following a soap that will probably continue long beyond our lifetimes.

I'm interested to see the stylistic changes they're bringing in/back to appeal to new readers. It's a fascinating time for American comics and I'm intrigued to see how this impacts (or not) on other publishers.

[paw broon]

Hi Lew, it's not simply the re-launch, or the #1's that cause me problems. More that I've now seen the re-designs for Zatanna, Black Canary, The Rob Liefeld samples and other "delights" and while this might attract new, younger readers, I cancelled B.o.P and Zatanna today from when they go to #1's. At the same time, I placed an order for Mystery Men and The Intrepids. I'm too far gone to stop completely but the DC re-launch seems a bit too heavy for me.

[stevezodiac]

As with the other middle aged contributors I remember when you could walk into any newsagent and find a spinner rack full of American comics, makes me now realise how much we took them for granted. Comics available online will be a boon to people living in the sticks who don't have access to a specialist comic shop on a regular basis. But how will they learn about online comics? Where will they be advertised? Are there adults who have had no interest in comics who will suddenly discover them?

[Phoenix]

Speaking as a DC reader of 35 years standing who was basically drawn into it in the first place by fascination at the rich and complex history of the company-if all of that, and espacially Golden Age characters such as the Justice Society, are being dumped (as seems to be the case), I can't see any point in continuing to buy any DC books after the reboot.

I must admit I don't understand people's animosity towards this relaunch. It's not the first time DC have done something like this. (Albeit not on such a grand scale.) As long as the script and art entertains I don't see any problem. The main characters are remaining, so fans can still follow them, and the JSA (canceled due to poor sales) will return eventually.

Look on the bright side Tony. In August, after 35 years you get to see how the stories end! That's better than following a soap that will probably continue long beyond our lifetimes.

I'm interested to see the stylistic changes they're bringing in/back to appeal to new readers.

I had a similar issue to come to terms with when I realised that when Thomsons brought out The Victor in 1961, a significant aspect of their policy was converting text stories I knew and loved into pictures. I no longer have any problem with this, but I have to admit it used to be disconcerting. At the most basic level, all instalments lacked much of the substance of the originals, but where I felt most offended was when they began to change storylines, and even plots. From that point onwards I was obviously reading a different story. I'm not saying that there was anything wrong with that story, or even of the many sequels that had never even been presented in text form. They were new, they were interesting but they weren't the stories I knew. Most of my favourite characters had to undergo these revisions, major figures such as Alf Tupper, Nick Smith, Limp Along Leslie, Wilson, Blockbuster Brown, Craig Crane, Huck McFee etc became the lynchpins of the new picture papers. Some of my other favourites never even made it into these young upstarts. Even individual one-off serials such as Gorgeous Gus and The Goalmaker acquired a rich and extended life, but they just weren't the same. By the time The Goalmaker reached Scoop, Pickford had been renamed Capper for no apparent reason, and the story was only recognisable here and there. I realise, of course, that text to pictures is not the same as pictures to pictures but the decision by DC to adapt old stories for new readers thirty-five years on is essentially no different from Thomsons' in 1961. There are different reasons for buying into it or not, none of them wrong, ultimately it is just down to individual preference. Tony may take some comfort from knowing that I adapted eventually.