In the last 24 hours, the comic book industry has been abuzz about DC’s game-changing announcement: Beginning August 31, the publisher will relaunch its entire line of DC Universe titles with a total of 52 first issues. While rumors of such a renumbering have been circulating within the industry for some time, the real bombshell comes with a second, arguably more surprising component to the announcement: each of the newly-launched titles will be available for digital release on the same day as its print counterpart.
Official details continue to emerge from the company’s own website:
Coupled with coverage in the mainstream press:
Meanwhile, discussions about the implications for publishers, readers and especially retailers are already in full swing among industry websites; the following are just a small sampling:
Of all the questions raised, at their core remains the subject of what attracts readers to comics. For any of us with an interest in both comics and kids, a unique set of considerations presents itself. Would a “#1” on a comic book cover make you more likely to read it, buy it, or introduce it to kids? Will digital availability make you more likely to try something new? How can we welcome new innovations without alienating the struggling retailers whose work has been instrumental in keeping this industry alive?
In a business that struggles to maintain a balance between appealing to longtime fans and attracting new audiences, an effort of this caliber has far-reaching repercussions, and the discussions are just beginning.
The move to digital is a welcome one, though I’ll reserve more judgement until I see the prices for the digital copies. Though I love the iconic characters of the DCU, their constant reworking and quasi rebooting of the titles to be relevant (and failing! Wonder Woman is a perfect example) needs to stop.
I’ve always wanted to be a comic book nerd I love the super hero genra I love the stories and the mythos but I so often find myself lost when it comes to where you start, with so many reboots, author/artist changes and time warps they just arn’t accesable to new readers. Is batman dead? Is Dick Grayson batman now if so what happened to Nightwing? oh wait no Bruce Wayne isn’t dead none of that actually happened. What do the comic book readers out there think. If I want to start reading Superman comics do I need to go all the way back to the 70’s or is their a better place to start.