News is still coming out every day, but I figured you may want to know what I think. I have to admit my initial reaction was poor, but it was based on one line in the initial announcement, more than the relaunch of the titles. My initial concern was over the spectre of Same Day Digital release of these new books. The concern is still there, but the fact that the digital will be the same price as the print initially eases my concern.
So, on to the meat of the matter, the line-wide relaunch of the DC Universe.
New stuff is coming out every day about titles and creative times, so I will leave any specifics to a later date, after it has all been announced. But, I figured I would throw out my initial thoughts.
Overall, I am thrilled. DC has been stuck in a rut for a while. Sure, events are doing well and some books are doing great for me. The Batman family of books as well as the Green Lantern books are doing great, gaining readers every month. Am I sad to see these end? Not really. I see no reason that the current readers will not continue to read them and a new #1 is the perfect time to gain even more readers. And some books need a boost that only a complete revamp can produce. I can’t count the number of creative team changes Supergirl has had over the years, but the numbers never change. Superman is selling as poorly now as it was when I was doing 1/3rd the business. But a Superman #1 is going to sell a bunch of copies. And its a book that I won’t mind having a few extra copies of for a while. Its not like Marvel’s continual renumbering of books, bringing out new #1s at the drop of a hat. When people complain about Action renumbering before hitting #1000, I mention that other than Uncanny X-Men, every Marvel book has had a new #1 at some point in its history. Daredevil is getting its 3rd #1 soon and Cap is on his 4th or 5th. So, it is not an uncommon thing.
What I like here is that it is not being done simply for a movie release or “just because” like Daredevil. DC is doing with a purpose, an entire line-wide relaunch. They are saying, “Here you go. Here is our best shot. Here is the perfect place to try our books.” I have been reading comments that it is a perfect jumping off point, but I think this is different. If you are a Batman reader, is this really the time you would stop reading? I really think that this is the perfect time for a casual reader to try a title. In my heart of hearts, I hope that DC is putting their best foot forward and that these first issues are going to blow everyone away. That if you try one, you will want to try more.
At the end of the month, when I have the new Previews data in the computer system, I am going to make you an offer to give you an incentive to try some of these new books.
Keep your eye on the DC Source Blog (the only official release site) to see what all is coming and later this month for the Previews info. This looks to be a fun ride.