Blockbuster Events & (An Idea Of) How To Save DC Comics...

Yeah, I know this is the second post today, but I've been chained to the desk doing page layouts and checking CBR (comicbookresources.com) for any new developments in what is looking like a pivotal week at the offices of DC Comics.

With DC mainstay Chuck Dixon being fired as well as John Nee stepping down as Senior Vice President of Business Development could a major shakeup in editorial and management be far off? I'm probably in the minority on this, but I think these events and all of the rumors that have stemmed from them have very little to do with Marvel Studios' recent successes at the box office. With "Iron Man" and "The Incredible Hulk" packing the multiplexes and seamlessly setting up a greater franchise of films, some people seem to think that DC's problems have to do more with their inability to make movies with their more identifiable icons. Yes, it is woefully embarrassing that they can't seem to get The Flash, Green Lantern, or Wonder Woman even into the approved script stage of film making despite being owned by multinational corporate conglomerate AOL / Time Warner, but I don't think that has anything to do with their failures on the publishing front.

And for absolute clarity, when I speak about DC after this sentence let me iterate that I am speaking strictly about DC Central, the other big superhero house of the US. I'm not talking about Vertigo, which I regard as one of the finest publishers in all of American and International comics. Also I'm not referring to Wildstorm, who I do have a few problems with but still regard as the only Image founder studio that has became a quality publisher.

Now, before you read any further, you may want to read the this link to actually understand what I'm talking about... http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=12233

Here's the problem with DC. Their universe has become increasingly impenetrable to even those comic readers with a somewhat above average knowledge base of DC lore (like me). Let me explain, Marvel is very good with their monthly serialization program and trade paperback program at guiding and distinguishing which books are essential, which books are enriching, and which books are seminal (And even within this category, they are very clear about which books take place in the same Earth 616 we all know and which ones are completely separate and are only important to themselves like anything from MAX, Marvel Knights, or Icon). So anyway, Marvel is very organized and has their head in the long haul bookstore game more than the monthly direct market (although, they play that game extremely well too). DC, on the other hand has no regard for anyone who doesn't already know what's going on in the world their heroes inhabit. They come at their readers with a real "let's see if you can keep up..." attitude. They do a weekly comic ("52", "Countdown", and now "Trinity") that always has a ton of specials and one-shots attached to it, most of their core books are interdependent in some way (except for the Superman & Batman books for the most part), and all of their "Crisis" event books (I think they're on their 3rd and supposedly final one) ship late. Because of this lag and interdependence, their readers have no breathing room to see how these apparently huge stories even change their characters before it's time for the next ride. Oh, and don't get me started on their trade program or how they apply this exact same publishing model at an even more micro-managerial level with the Superman and Batman family of books. Yes, you heard me right. They do this same exact thing (although they spare you the weekly comic, sorta) with all of the Superman and Batman books...

And to be fair about lateness, Marvel has had this problem, although "Secret Invasion" will probably be the first event book by either publisher to ever ship every issue on time. Thank you, Leinel Yu! The difference with lateness is that at Marvel, when the big ship stalls all of the little ones stall too. Yes, this probably isn't the best business strategy but I know for a fact that fans appreciate this and at least get to enjoy their "Initiative" down time because of it...

Okay, since I've probably lost anyone who doesn't have a freakish finger on the pulse of the industry at this point let me get to my solution. They're a mess, they need help, but I don't think it's anything a new editor in chief can't fix. My oversimplified solution is bringing Axel Alonso on board as editor and chief and simply letting him sign anyone who isn't a Marvel exclusive writer to DC. He left DC (Vertigo) for Marvel in the early 00s and I'm sure he'd relish the chance to save an entire comic book universe after being locked in the X-Men dungeon since Dan Buckley took over as Marvel's President and axed anything indie-fied that was getting pushed through Marvel Central under Bill Jemas. After that, get a meeting together with all of the major DC architects. No one is getting fired, but Judd Winick should be no publisher's 3rd option. If you ask me, only Grant Morrison and Geoff Johns need be present, but I've always thought Peter Milligan deserved a higher profile and I'm sure he'd be afforded this under Axel. So anyway, get all of them together with anyone they manage to poach out of Marvel and decide which books are going to be in their own little corner of the DCU and which are going to instrumental in taking DC back to a more reader-friendly but intriguing future. From there, editorial starts calling artists who aren't exclusive to Marvel (and indy artists who have proven their chops in the monthly comics game) and putting together creative teams. All of this, and don't do any "events" for at least a couple years. That's my oversimplified solution to DC's current troubles.