CBR: DC Makes Massive Pitch To Retailers On "New 52"

[CBR News]

From new variant covers to a promise of timely deliver and full returnability, DC Comics has reached out to retailers with the full scope of the 52-title relaunch. CBR has the word as Robot 6 comments.


Full article here.

[Flashpoint]

* Specifically why end Action and Detective before they reach their 1,000th issues? Action Comics is the longest running American comic book, followed closely by Detective Comics, the company's namesake. Isn't renumbering these series actually a retreat from the love of "comics as comics"?

Our Co-Publishers and editors thought long and hard about this. It was an extremely important decision that was not taken lightly. But executing this unprecedented event meant taking creative risks on every level and pushing forward with big, new ideas. A partial renumbering would not have had the impact we needed to showcase the amazing changes and direction we have planned for the new DC Comics universe of characters. Counting issue numbers is focusing on the past, not the future.

I have a very hard time arguing with that. Partial relaunches were what led to all the continuity problems after Crisis On Infinite Earths that plagued DC for decades. Go all in from Day One and go for broke. Don't half-@$$ this.

* What type of co-op ads is DC Entertainment doing to support the launch of The New 52?

o Facebook
o Print
o Website / Banner
o Radio
o TV
o Movie Theatre
o Newsletter (print and digital)

I am chomping at the bit to see these TV and Movie Theatre Ads. These will be critical and can't wait to see what they do and how they do them.

* Why are you going to same-day digital if digital is just "dental floss"?

To recall the analogy, same-day digital is dental floss compared to a sheet of 8.5 x 11 paper representing brick-and-mortar (i.e. over 95% of our business now and in the foreseeable future). Our goal is to expand both the size of the paper and the floss.

We believe the excitement we build through our marketing and promotional campaign benefits greatly from having immediate access to our content from every kind of reader. This exposure will benefit the sheet of paper more than the dental floss, so to speak.

For decades, the industry has bemoaned the fact we are not striving to bring in new readers. We feel day and date will bring the level of online chatter and excitement about storylines and books to new highs and having same-day digital titles will allow every kind of fan to participate in that excitement. In the end, more readers of comics whether in print or digital benefits the entire industry.

Game, set and match. Those are the magic words in my book. Very well-said.

Now... writers and artists? Make your dang deadlines, please, and "all will be well."

[slaader]

As discussed with the Roadshow attendees, this is an edited version of the sizzle video for your use, without any mention of digital comics.

It's not a reboot.

I can't tell who is in a greater stage of denial ... DC or comic retailers.

It is a reboot! It isn't a reboot! It is about digital! It isn't about digital! We are reinventing these characters! We aren't reinventing these characters!

All these interviews are doing more to hurt my interest than build it.

[Hromovlad]

DC seems to be going all out on this one

This may either save the American comic industry, or completely brake DC's back

At least they'll go out in flames, instead of slowly rotting away

They have nothing to loose

[Genki Sudo]

it's not a reboot........IT'S A LAUNCH!!!!

lolz

[AXL]

This is very impressive on DC's part! I agree with Hromovlad, this could either save the entire comic industry or run DC into the ground and take out half of the industry...oh, dear, I don't even want to think about that possibility.

[Nevets F]

Go DC! They're doing such an amazing job on this whole thing. September can't get here fast enough.

[NickFury90]

So its a reboot, but its not a reboot.

Yeah, totally not confusing, DC Comics?

[Nevets F]

So its a reboot, but its not a reboot.

Yeah, totally not confusing, DC Comics?

DC hasn't said it's a reboot. Ever.

[Flashpoint]

This is very impressive on DC's part! I agree with Hromovlad, this could either save the entire comic industry or run DC into the ground and take out half of the industry...oh, dear, I don't even want to think about that possibility.

Nah, they'll be fine. Most of us predicted Spider-Man's sales would collapse after OMD and...they're almost exactly the same as they were. No better, no worse.

The New 52 is going to help DC more than it hurts. If anything, it has the potential to shoot more DC titles into Diamond's Top 20 Bestsellers...

I predict:
The Geoff Johns/Jim Lee Justice League will easily be far & away DC's #1 book by a wide margin--and probably will be #1 on Diamond's Top 100, too. That's a safe bet and a lock.

All the Batman and Green Lantern books will return to the Top 25 just as they were before. Most likely with higher sales for the first few months at least. These are a safe bet and pretty much a lock.

Action Comics by Grant Morrison. Top 5 bestseller, no doubt about it.

Aquaman by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis. The creative team behind GL, Blackest Night and Brightest Day on this guarantees it will be Top 10 for DC and most likely Diamond's Top 10 as well.

A post-Flashpoint Flash illustrated by Francis Manapul will certainly be Top 10 for DC and probably back in Diamond's Top 15, too.

There is huge buzz for Azzarello & Chiang's Wonder Woman, which seriously surprised me. I don't get why the buzz is so big, but as a WW fan I'm not complaining. Probably Top 20 for both DC and Diamond.

Other books I could try and guess-stimate how well I think or hope they'll do. But honestly, if only the books I listed do as well as expected? That would be a significant net gain for DC which would put at least half-a-dozen titles solidly in the Top 25 bestselling comic books for at least 2 or 3 months---possibly longer if the creative teams deliver as promised.

That's a huge win-win for DC. I mean, c'mon--Action Comics, Aquaman and Wonder Woman becoming bestsellers for DC? That's friggin' huge.

The real test will be how many lapsed fans and new fans DC can garner with this initiative. I have no idea, but I sure hope to Hell they succeed.

[bongoes]

I really want to hear what the radio ads will be like.

There is huge buzz for Azzarello & Chiang's Wonder Woman, which seriously surprised me. I don't get why the buzz is so big, but as a WW fan I'm not complaining. Probably Top 20 for both DC and Diamond.

Really? Azzarello and Chiang, and you don't get the buzz? There's buzz because it's Azzarello and Chiang, two great creators. (Especially Chiang, who should've been doing something with WW a long time ago.) You're totally spot-on about the other stuff. Johns and Lee and Johns and Reis are top sellers, Green Lantern and Batman aren't slowing down soon, Morrison is pretty much guaranteed top 10 now, and a number of other books have potential to shake up the best seller's list.

[zorb5]

It's not a reboot. A reboot is typically a restart of the story or character that jettisons away everything that happened previously.

This is a new beginning which builds off the best of the past.

-excerpt from article

OK does anybody else find this one funny ?

[Nevets F]

-excerpt from article

OK does anybody else find this one funny ?

Not really...it clearly states the difference.

[NickFury90]

So its just a quasi-sorta-reboot. Ah, much clearer and not confusing over which stories "count" and which ones don't over a 20+ year period.

[Flashpoint]

I really want to hear what the radio ads will be like.

Really? Azzarello and Chiang, and you don't get the buzz? There's buzz because it's Azzarello and Chiang, two great creators. (Especially Chiang, who should've been doing something with WW a long time ago.) You're totally spot-on about the other stuff. Johns and Lee and Johns and Reis are top sellers, Green Lantern and Batman aren't slowing down soon, Morrison is pretty much guaranteed top 10 now, and a number of other books have potential to shake up the best seller's list.

Thanks for the reply.

RE: Wonder Woman
Honestly, if DC had put Perez back on as writer for the book, then yeah, I'd get it. But while Azz and Chiang are great creators, they're certainly not household names to fans like George Perez, Jim Lee or Grant Morrison. Not maligning them at all--just saying their fame isn't at that level. Having said that, I am *not* complaining, LOL! I hope that all the buzz online with fans translates into big sales for Wonder Woman and newfound praise & fame for Azz and Chiang.

RE: The other stuff
Muchas gracias! Yeah, a lot of people are iffy on Manapul becoming a writer, but let's be frank--he's still one of DC's best and bestselling artists working on The Flash just weeks after Flashpoint relaunches the entire DC Universe. I think people are majorly underestimating sales on a post-Flashpoint Flash.

Aquaman bashers are, of course, infamous in their attempts to keep putting him down. But it's Johns & Reis, people; the architects of Blackest Night. This book is going to be bigger than anyone's prepared themselves for. And mark my words, the next big DC mega-crossover is going to directly spin out of Aquaman. You *know* it.

Justice League, Morrison Superman, Batman books, GL books--guaranteed hits.

In the short term, DC is going to do very well. I just hope it holds for the long term, too.