Comics Bulletin logo
Search
  • Columns
    Random
    • Hindsight Bias

      Kyle Garret
      February 2, 2002
      Ambidextrous
    Recent
    • Revisiting the Witchblade/Fathom/Tomb Raider Crossover

      Daniel Gehen
      February 8, 2021
    • The Full Run: Usagi Yojimbo – The Wanderer’s Road Part 2

      Daniel Gehen
      December 4, 2020
    • The Full Run: Usagi Yojimbo – The Wanderer’s Road Part 1

      Daniel Gehen
      October 30, 2020
    • What Looks Good
    • Comics Bulletin Soapbox
    • The Full Run
    • Leading Question
    • Top 10
    • The Long-Form
    • Jumping On
    • Comics in Color
    • Slouches Towards Comics
  • Big Two
    Random
    • The Full Run: 'Thriller' #7 by Robert Loren Fleming and Trevor Von Eeden

      Kyle Garret
      May 16, 2013
      Columns, DC Comics, The Full Run, The Long-Form
    Recent
    • 3.0

      Review: X-MEN LEGENDS #1 Delivers A Dose of Nostalgia

      Daniel Gehen
      February 22, 2021
    • 4.5

      DCeased: Dead Planet #7 Presents a Hopeful Future (Review)

      Daniel Gehen
      January 22, 2021
    • Retro Review: Detective Comics #826 Remains a Holiday Classic

      Daniel Gehen
      December 3, 2020
    • DC Comics
    • Big Two Reviews
    • Marvel Comics
  • Indie
    Random
    • 4.5

      Advance Review: Protector #1 - A Frightening Glimpse Into the Far Future of Earth

      Kyle Garret
      January 22, 2020
      Image, Reviews
    Recent
    • 4.5

      Review: THE LAST RONIN #2 Hurts So Good

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • TIME BEFORE TIME—A HIGH STAKES TIME TRAVEL SCIENCE FICTION SERIES SET TO LAUNCH THIS MAY

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • Image Comics and TMP Announces SPAWN’S UNIVERSE

      Daniel Gehen
      February 18, 2021
    • Reviews
    • Archie Comics
    • Boom! Studios
    • Dark Horse
    • IDW
    • Image
    • Oni Press
    • Valiant
  • Reviews
    Random
    • 3.0

      Sunday Slugfest - Annihilation: Prologue

      Kyle Garret
      March 12, 2006
      Reviews, Slugfest
    Recent
    • 3.0

      Review: X-MEN LEGENDS #1 Delivers A Dose of Nostalgia

      Daniel Gehen
      February 22, 2021
    • 4.5

      Review: THE LAST RONIN #2 Hurts So Good

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • 2.3

      Review: SAVAGE #1 Needs Taming

      Daniel Gehen
      February 16, 2021
    • Singles Going Steady
    • Slugfest
    • Manga
      • Reviews
    • Small Press
      • Reviews
      • ICYMI
      • Tiny Pages Made of Ashes
  • Interviews
    Random
    • Dan Slott: 600 Amazings and a Spider-Man Later...

      Kyle Garret
      July 13, 2009
      Interviews
    Recent
    • Interview: Jon Davis-Hunt Talks SHADOWMAN

      Daniel Gehen
      June 8, 2020
    • Interview: Becky Cloonan talks DARK AGNES and Her Personal Influences

      Mike Nickells
      March 4, 2020
    • Simon Roy

      Interview: Simon Roy on His Inspirations and Collaborations on PROTECTOR

      Mike Nickells
      January 29, 2020
    • Audio Interview
    • Video Interview
  • Classic Comics
    Random
    • Classic Interview: Murphy Anderson - A Silver Age Legend

      Kyle Garret
      October 30, 2015
      Classic Interviews
    Recent
    • Countdown to the King: Marvel’s Godzilla

      Daniel Gehen
      May 29, 2019
    • Honoring A Legend: Fantagraphics To Resurrect Tomi Ungerer Classics

      Daniel Gehen
      February 15, 2019
    • Reliving the Craziest Decade in Comics History: An interview with Jason Sacks

      Mark Stack
      January 2, 2019
    • Classic Comics Cavalcade
    • Classic Interviews
  • News
    Random
    • Announcing H1 - A Humanoids Shared Universe

      Kyle Garret
      October 5, 2018
      News, Press Release
    Recent
    • TIME BEFORE TIME—A HIGH STAKES TIME TRAVEL SCIENCE FICTION SERIES SET TO LAUNCH THIS MAY

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • Image Comics and TMP Announces SPAWN’S UNIVERSE

      Daniel Gehen
      February 18, 2021
    • SAVAGE DRAGON IS A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH THIS MAY

      Daniel Gehen
      February 17, 2021
    • Press Release
    • Kickstarter Spotlight
  • Books
    Random
    • Review: 'The Furnace' is a Fascinating Graphic Novel of Ideas and Relationships

      Kyle Garret
      July 9, 2018
      Books
    Recent
    • Collecting Profile: Disney Frozen

      CB Staff
      November 22, 2019
    • Collecting Profile: NFL Superpro

      CB Staff
      August 31, 2019
    • “THE BEST OF WITZEND” is a Wonderful Celebration of Artistic Freedom

      Daniel Gehen
      September 15, 2018
    • Review: ‘Machete Squad’ is a Disappointing Afghan Memoir

      Jason Sacks
      July 31, 2018
    • Review: ‘Out of Nothing’ is the Antidote to Our Sick Times

      Jason Sacks
      July 23, 2018
    • Review: ‘Bizarre Romance’ Shows Rough Edges in the Early Days of a New Marriage

      Jason Sacks
      July 10, 2018
What's New
  • Collecting Profile: Blue Beetle
  • Review: X-MEN LEGENDS #1 Delivers A Dose of Nostalgia
  • Collecting Profile: Kraven the Hunter
  • Review: THE LAST RONIN #2 Hurts So Good
  • TIME BEFORE TIME—A HIGH STAKES TIME TRAVEL SCIENCE FICTION SERIES SET TO LAUNCH THIS MAY
  • Image Comics and TMP Announces SPAWN'S UNIVERSE
  • RSS Feed
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Contact Us
  • Write for us!
  • Visit Video Game Break!
Home
Big Two
DC Comics

DC Cancels Its Strategically Challenging Books

Kyle Garret
September 15, 2015
DC Comics, News

I enjoy Omega Men and Justice League United, but I can see why DC has made the decision to end those titles.

“Duh,” you say, “they weren’t selling.”

Well, yes and no.  Justice League United was selling better than a handful of other DC books that have yet to get the axe, so it wasn’t just sales that did these comics in.

When DC launched their DCYou campaign, they drew a line down the middle of their line-up of books.  On one side were the surviving New 52 comics, books featuring superheroes in a shared universe, more or less beholden to continuity.  On the other were comics meant to attract a new audience that feature diverse genres, styles, and characters.  They were, in many way, anti-New 52 comics.

In between these two groups lay books like Omega Men, Justice League United, Doomed, Gotham by Midnight, and Lobo, now all canceled.

JLU-12-CoverOn one hand you have Bleeding Cool reporting that DC are going to reverse course from the DCYou movement and on the other hand you have Dan Didio and Jim Lee saying they’re committed to giving the DCYou titles time to attract and build new audiences.  I think both of these things are true, which is why these five books got cut.

Doomed and Omega Men didn’t exist pre-DCYou, although the elements of Doom were there. Neither book reinforces the brand, which is the New 52 line, but neither creates a new audience, either, at least not obviously.  Doomed doesn’t break new ground and Omega Men is a sci-fi book, which isn’t the easiest sell to non-comics fans.

Justice League United is a great book, but it’s far from a straightforward Justice League title, so it’s not serving the brand, and thus had to come to an end.  The same goes for Gotham by Midnight.  And Lobo?  I’m not sure how the New 52 Lobo got a solo book in the first place, but I can’t imagine anyone looking at the New 52 side of things saw it as doing any favors to the line.

That’s the key part to remember as far as the rumor about DC reversing course is concerned — because the changes brought about by DCYou weren’t relegated to the non-New 52 line.  Superman lost his powers, Batman is now a robot bunny rabbit, Wonder Woman has a new costume, and Hal Jordan is a fugitive.  Reversing course is about protecting the brand, and that brand is exemplified by the New 52 books.  A creepy, supernatural Batman book with unique art hurts the brand.  A Justice League book featuring b-listers hurts the brand.

gotham-by-midnight-coverDC’s comics must do one of two things now: strengthen the remaining New 52 line-up or appeal to demographics who aren’t currently buying comics (or could be buying more).

I would expect the next round of changes from DC to be announcements that Bruce Wayne is returning to the cowl, Superman and Wonder Woman are returning to their classic costumes (or New 52 classic), and Hal Jordan will once again be a Green Lantern.

But I don’t see these cancellations as a sign that DC is giving up on its outreach program.  If anything, they appear to be streamlining their operations to help keep those efforts alive.

Update: Not long after I wrote this, I learned that Batman ’66, Sensation Comics, and Green Lantern: The Lost Army have been canceled, although DC is claiming that The Lost Army and Doomed were intended to be 6 issues mini-series, even though they never told anyone that to begin with.

But, again, note that these aren’t books that were a part of the DCYou half of DC’s line-up.  These are all books that featured big brand characters, but which diluted that brand in various ways.

Gotham by MidnightJustice League UnitedLoboOmega Men

Share On:
Tweet
Crisis #12 Tie-ins: Kinda Sorta the End
Action Lab Preview: Awake #1

About The Author

Kyle Garret

EIC of Comics Bulletin, author of "I Pray Hardest When I'm Being Shot At," contributor to "Best New Writing 2014" and "Joss Whedon: Complete Companion," shopper of multiple YA books

Related Posts

  • Ten Forgotten Gems of The New 52

    Daniel Gehen
    January 17, 2020
  • What Looks Good for 1/27/16: DC and Marvel

    Kyle Garret
    January 25, 2016

Support Us!

Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com

Friends of the Site

  • SOLRAD
  • Your Chicken Enemy
  • Psycho Drive-In
  • Women Write About Comics
  • The Beat
  • Loser City
RSSTwitterFacebookgoogleplusinstagramtumblr

Comics Bulletin is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for website owners to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, audible.com, and any other website that may be affiliated with Amazon Service LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, Comics Bulletin earns from qualifying purchases.

All content on this site (c) 2018 The Respective Copyright Holders