Comic Book Resources

Any word on what they plan to charge for this thing? I imagine that will have a significant bearing on its commercial fate.

(Of course I also imagine that hardly anyone would pay $4 for something like “Dark Avengers,” so what do I know about commerce?)

Oh, P.S., I do have to give them a point for their timing… on the one hand, this doesn’t seem like a great market to try a stunt like this, but… on the other hand, what a marvelous riposte to e-books.

“HAH, try to read THIS on your iPhone screen!”

Damn. Yeah, I’ll be picking THAT up too.

And, seriously, I don’t buy any DC books monthly right now, but I’d pay 12 bucks an issue for SOLO, if it came back. (If anyone at DC’s listening.)

wait…….. so these will be the traditional Prince Valiant and/or Garfield size strips, right? or are they whole pages?

Yeah, now I’m finally tempted by a weekly.

This sounds amazing. Kudos to DC for trying something different and innovative – I hope they sell a ton of these.

Nick –

From the article:

>>Each story will have its own full-page installment each week for the 12 issues. The stories may be standalone stories with each installment, or a 12-part serial – the choice was left up to the creators.<<

British format comics in America? Excellent!

This sounds really cool.

This sounds pretty cool. I’m just glad I didn’t have to hear about Battle for the Cowl. So sick of hearing about it.

Also, I liked the solo comics. It really let creators be free and go crazy with their ideas.

Cool. I might actually start buying some current comics again!

I loved Solo. And I bought them.

Will try this.

Same editorial hands. Pass.

On the one hand DC comics have been almost completely awful for years and I have never had the desire to read about half of these characters.

On the other hand, this is supposedly out of continuity, and HOLY SHIT, THAT LINEUP.

I’ll probably end up buying at least the first issue of this to see if I’ll follow it (which given the talent and format seems likely,) which is more of a chance than I gave the previous 3 weekly series.

Have you seen that Barker Hawkman art?

It’s fantastic!

This sounds really, really good.

At the very least it’ll be really nice to look at.

Is it all computer like Plastic Man or is there some drawin’ in it?

I’m all over this. Solo was great, too, but I must admit I only bought the issues of artists I was a fan of, not every issue. DC seems to be doing way better with their out of mainstream continuity stuff the past couple years than any of their shared universe stuff. I’ve dropped so many DC titles, but I’m still getting Jonah Hex and The Spirit and numerous Vertigo books, and any of the Joe Kubert minis. Maybe they should stick to that kind of thing.

It’s a splendid project and hopefully a reoccurring thing. I will definitely be getting this.

Possible obsessed fan complaints:

1) “How will I store it? I can’t bag and board it!”

2) “Why is it printed on newsprint? Comics aren’t supposed be on newsprint!”

3) “No Continuity? No thank you!”

4) “I’ll wait for the 14″ x 20″ oversize trade.”

5) “I heard this doesn’t crossover with Blackest Night. Why?”

Is it all computer like Plastic Man or is there some drawin’ in it?

I’m assuming you got someone else to type this comment for you, since you apparently live in the stone age.

These days, it can be hard to tell what’s drawn by hand and what’s drawn on the computer- for example, while I can’t say whether Baker’s stuff will be done on computer, I can tell you that Dave Gibbons’s stuff almost certainly will be, since he’s given up working on paper. As has Brian Bolland incidentally. OH WHAT A SHAME THESE TWO GREAT TALENTS HAVE GIVEN UP DRAWING.

To me, it seems like the biggest thing for DC is making sure these get out of the comic shop and into bookstores, grocery chains, and similar places. OTherwise, the fanboy complaints or budgeting will kill the series

To me, it seems like the biggest thing for DC is making sure these get out of the comic shop and into bookstores, grocery chains, and similar places. OTherwise, the fanboy complaints or budgeting will kill the series

Hell, if the money’s there, take it further — DC could see about getting an “abridged” version of the first issue into one or more major newspapers (USA Today would be prime). Basically they’d be buying a page or two of advertising and using it for comic purposes.

Probably costly, but it might interest older readers who have drifted away from comics to try something new. The short-term nature of this project suggests that it’s an experiment anyway, so why not?

I do hope Dave Gibbons is working on a “Watchmen Babies” strip.

>>2) “Why is it printed on newsprint? Comics aren’t supposed be on newsprint!”

Huh. I’ve read more than once recently — can’t remember if it was here or elsewhere at CBR — that today’s printing technology pretty much made printing comics on newsprint very unfeasible, from a financial &/or technical standpoint.

Someone was lying, I gather.

“I’m just glad I didn’t have to hear about Battle for the Cowl. So sick of hearing about it.”

Is that an Arrested Development reference? Is that you, Tony Daniel?

that today’s printing technology pretty much made printing comics on newsprint very unfeasible, from a financial &/or technical standpoint.

i normally work for some publishers here in Manila, and yes, that statement IS a bit of a lie, but (alas without reading the original comment) the current standards of COMIC BOOK PRODUCTION along the lines of colouring, et al, especially how the Big Two do them, makes printing comix on newsprint a sort of a bad idea, newsprint being particularly poorer in presenting that level of quality.

i seem to remember Dark Horse publishing something like this, and they printed it on glossies (correct em if i’m wrong, of course). maybe DC’s planning on dialing down the sophistication of this project’s print quality? it’ll certainly aid in making it seem more like sunday strips than y2k+ comix.

that today’s printing technology pretty much made printing comics on newsprint very unfeasible, from a financial &/or technical standpoint.

Well, I’ve not heard anyone saying it was unfeasible, but it keeps being suggested that printing on newsprint would make comics cheaper-and a few people, including myself, have been pointing out that isn’t true… perhaps that’s what you’re thinking of?