DC needs an anthology title again

[Reynard]

(and not just because I want a place to send submissions)

With teh demise of Richard Dragon, I got to thinking about reboots and miniseries starring lesser known/loved characters, and realized I missed Showcase (the relaunch in the 90s). Soemthing like Dragon's fight against Shiva would have made a great three or four parter in such a book. Sometimes, even the little 8 page stories can be great reads and give a little insight into a character you don't get to see on a monthly basis. In addition, some of the minis can be published through that title, if for no other reason than to boost its sales and give some exposure to the lesser stories within.

[stealthwise]

You know what?

I love anthology titles, but they just don't sell.

It's too hard to establish a consistent readership when the creative teams and characters are constantly in flux, and most people aren't willing to pay extra to get a bunch of stuff that they're not interested in, especially with the comic industry in the shape it's in right now.

But I guess that it's almost worth a shot with all of the poorly-promoted, cancelled titles that are out right now, like Richard Dragon, Breach and the like. My suggestion is to just put these titles online and if you get enough demand for it, collect the issues into tpbs and sell them that way.

[GremlinClr]

I'd like to see DC try an online anthology. Or maybe put out the first issue in PDF format (for free of course). Try new characters and ideas there first, then if fan reaction is strong enough start a series with said character.

I hate them putting out things that doesn't have a big enough fan base and ends up getting cancelled shortly after it begins.

[Beta Ray Bill]

I was just thinking about this last night. I'd love to see something along the lines of a new BRAVE AND THE BOLD series or DC Comics Presents. Marvel has it's old Team-Up book out again and I haven't heard anything bad about it. DC should try it, give some of the second tier characters a chance to shine.

[stealthwise]

I was just thinking about this last night. I'd love to see something along the lines of a new BRAVE AND THE BOLD series or DC Comics Presents. Marvel has it's old Team-Up book out again and I haven't heard anything bad about it. DC should try it, give some of the second tier characters a chance to shine.

Marvel Team-Up is entertaining, but nothing truly special, and despite propping it up with top-tier characters like Spider-Man, Wolverine and the Fantastic Four, it still sells very poorly. I expect it to go another six months, at most.

[SonnyC79]

I really don't understand why these lag in terms of sales

[Expletive Deleted]

Well, there's SOLO. But I suppose that doesn't count.

[Clear]

I really don't understand why these lag in terms of sales

Risk aversion on the part of consumers.

[Jamie]

I really don't understand why these lag in terms of sales

I can think of a couple of reasons:

1) It's hard to build up a core following when you don't know what to expect, either as characters or creators are concerned, from issue to issue.

2) They tend to focus on less-popular characters, since the more popular ones are usually already in their own books.

[stealthwise]

Well, there's SOLO. But I suppose that doesn't count.

Solo's sales are inconsistent as well though. Same with JLA: Classified. For the reasons listed by the poster above.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

I think the closest DC came to really reviving the Anthology Title was when Kevin Smith had Interest In reviving Brave & The Bold. Had he put his name behind It , odds are It would have sold like most of his work does.

[Kid Kyoto]

I agree, I think mini series are better. They can be promoted seperately, they can vary formats and fans still look for #1s rather than #28s.

But... how about back up stories? If DC added 8 pages to certain books and used them for backup with related characters it could work. They did a lot of this in the 70s and 80s and they introduced me to some new characters.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

I agree, I think mini series are better. They can be promoted seperately, they can vary formats and fans still look for #1s rather than #28s.

But... how about back up stories? If DC added 8 pages to certain books and used them for backup with related characters it could work. They did a lot of this in the 70s and 80s and they introduced me to some new characters.

DC currently Is doing 8 page backups In Detective Comics. Course they feature tie-ins to Batman mostly. But they are 8 page stories with charactors like the Riddler and Joker's Dog.

[Ontir]

I've been saying this for quite awhile now. I think they should take titles such as DC Comics Presents:, the Brave & the Bold, Adventure, etc. and make them large books, like the manga collections, which are available in every bookstore. This would give DC a greater palce among all those competitors, as well as allow properties like Chase and other books that couldn't maintain an audience on their own, to carry on in another format. The books would also allow for solo stories of character from teams like the JSA, the Titans, and the Legion, who don't have their own titles.

[Jamie]

I've been saying this for quite awhile now. I think they should take titles such as DC Comics Presents:, the Brave & the Bold, Adventure, etc. and make them large books, like the manga collections, which are available in every bookstore.

That, I think, is a good idea, especially if it incorporated a mix of new and reprint stories, so that if someone picks up the book and says "Hey, I like this Firestorm guy" they can go and pick up some of his comics at the store.

But then, promoting Free Comic Book Day, oh, I dunno -- somewhere other than comics shops and periodicals would be a good idea, and I don't see that happening.

[ZombieHavoc]

i liked legends of the dc universe.

[kash]

I think the closest DC came to really reviving the Anthology Title was when Kevin Smith had Interest In reviving Brave & The Bold. Had he put his name behind It , odds are It would have sold like most of his work does.

That woulda been a great idea, Kevin Smith getting to play around with the whole DCU wit short stories but then we'd get one issue every 3 years :eek:

i loved the batman black and white followups in Gotham Knights it was a big reason i picked the title up

[Captain Jim]

I guess that it's almost worth a shot with all of the poorly-promoted, cancelled titles that are out right now, like Richard Dragon, Breach and the like.

Breach hasn't been cancelled, has it?

[Mon-el]

Breach hasn't been cancelled, has it?

I haven't heard it has been cancelled yet.

I am all for anthology titles.

[Beta Ray Bill]

I don't know what's changed. The old MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE and MARVEL TEAM-UP books both lasted for 100 issues or more. I think that back up stories are also a great idea. Those back ups in ADVENTURE and DETECTIVE are what saved guys like Aquaman and Green Arrow from the superhero purge in the 1950's. They could help save some of these second and third stringers this time around too if they just got a chance.

[marshal99]

Oh i don't know , the last DC anthology book "Showcase" lasted till 1996 which was nearly 10 years ago.
I enjoyed showcase though , some rather good stories - shadowdragon getting beaten by Lady Shiva , the bat villains baseball game , legion of super heroes brainiac 5 meeting l.e.g.i.o.n braniac and superman villain braniac , the hilarious steel and guy gardner teamup , etc.

[Reptisaurus!]

I don't know what's changed. The old MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE and MARVEL TEAM-UP books both lasted for 100 issues or more.

And Batman's own Brave and the Bold lasted 200, although it was an Antholgy title for the first while. Still, it was a team-up book for 149 issues.

I'd like an Antholgy book, but I'd *love* to see a rotating cast Team-up book. (Although Superman/Batman is better'n nothing.)

[stealthwise]

Breach hasn't been cancelled, has it?

Sorry, that was presumptive of me, but the sales are so low that I can't see it lasting to the end of the year.

[Argonaut]

An Anthology title could work. But I don't think DC has the know-how to market it. It would need the strenght of the writers and artist to sell and the added bonus of mainstream characters appearing in it every once and a while. To work today, I would have be a company's flagship title.