The results of the Nielsen Survey that DC did post reboot are in and the results are depressing. In an article on ICv2, DC’s Executive Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Business Development John Rood outlined the results.
Remember the idea of bringing in new readers? The survey found that new readers comprised just 5% of the survey.
The number of readers 13-18, generally considered the age where you need to get new consumers, was 2%
This was the biggest marketing push in the history of DC Comics. They rebooted books, redesigned costumes, bought advertising, gave co-op funds, and blanked the media with news of Lois and Clark’s divorce and Barbara Gordon’s return to the tights. And for what? The Source summed it up nicely:
The launch of DC COMICS-THE NEW 52 galvanized the traditional fan base for superhero comic books: male readers, who were already—or have at one time been—comic book fans.
To quote the Talking Heads, “Same as it ever was.”
You know the unfortunate part of all this? DC’s brain trust has probably analyzed the results and are already planning the next big comic book event to goose sales.
There isn’t going to be a “Robins” book. Instead, Jeff Lemire will be doing Justice League Dark. Meanwhile, Animal Man’s artist Travel Foreman, is moving to Birds of Prey soon. I like BoP’s current artist, Jesus Saiz. I don’t really care for Foreman.
I’ve given the reboot a chance. I bought 13 titles when the reboot was rolled out; I’m down to BoP, Aquaman, and perhaps Swamp Thing. I thought Animal Man was really good story-wise, but as I said, the art wasn’t my cup of tea. And it’s coming to Birds of Prey. Sigh…
It pains me to say it (well, not really), but I’m just not feeling this reboot. It’s got all the things I feared: muddy continuity, ugly costume redesigns, and things that are being fixed when they were never broken. (Worst examples: The Flash and Batgirl, both of which represent the things I dislike about the reboot. And I like both characters, but I won’t be buying either book again.)
So at this point, five months into the reboot, I’m close to dropping the handful of DC titles left. I figure I’ll give it two or three more months. I have also promised a friend I’d pick up the Earth-2 books coming up in May. If they’re really wonderful look promising, great. Maybe they’ll be something new to love. Otherwise, that’s the end as far as DC goes.
DC writer Jeff Lemire on Twitter last night. I can’t possibly imagine what that could be. Oh, wait.
Rumor is that this book is called “The Robins” and features—who else?—Dick Grayson, Tim Drake, Jason Todd, and Damian Wayne. Right. It’s not as if DC’s New 52 is 25 percent Bat-books. I swear, Batman has become the Starbucks of the comic book world.
Actually McCulloch’s slightly taller than Sam was, but nice try.
Not only that, but Barry gets back and doesn’t think to ask Wally or Jay about what’s happened to the Rogues since he’s been gone? Wouldn’t one of them mention that a Scottish dude was now wearing the costume? Say, wouldn’t there be a police file that mentioned this? A police file that police forensic scientist Barry Allen would have access to?
I’m not really happy about this. I hope it’s not permantely
I’m willing to bet a substantial sum of money that it’s permanent. Unfortunately. No, I’m not happy either.
This is one of many, many, many reasons I’m glad I dropped the Flash. I honestly believe that DC has no clue on how to handle the Flash at this point. And they won’t until Geoff Johns and Dan Didio leave. Best of luck to the current creative team, but will this umpteenth reboot last a year?
And though I’m a Pied Piper fan, I hope he’s kept out of this book, when/if he comes back. Keep him away from the Rogues and future Rogue stories. The old “Piper teams up with someone to bring down the Rogues” storyline has been done to death.
Seriously, if some of these readers are upset, the best thing to do is just drop the book. Vote with your wallet. Move on, and never look back.
A (very!!) late birthday present for fellow Rogues fan Ivybramble, who writes them (Piper and Trickster in particular) in a Justice League Elseworlds/Wild Wild West setting, with JJ and Hartley being government agents, JJ having gone undercover with the “Rogues” gang before more or less allowing them to escape the noose. I love this verse.
So, for her birthday, she asked for some Tiny Rogues in a Western setting… and I finally came through :*) Here are lil’ JJ, Hartley, Lenny, Lisa, Roscoe, Mick, Mark, Sam (and Evan in the mirror!) and Digger. I tried to give each of them a different style (hats! bloody hats almost everywhere!); as for backstory/explanation, let’s say that Mark is a shaman’s apprentice, and Sam has a not-so-imaginary friend who can do things to other people’s reflections :D
Whyyyyy is this so awesome??
This is the latest in the too-cute-for-words Tiny Rogues series by French Belphegor. Someday, I hope to see some Rogues in the Tiny Titans comic book itself. I can imagine Captain Cold as a janitor at Sidekick Elementary. The kids keep calling him Mr. Freeze and he gets all mad at them. Hee hee!
“I know that change is good and it’s what keeps the industry alive, but the DC reboot feels like a regressive change. Instead of shaking things up and doing what’s never been done before, I see a lot of things going back to what they used to be. I’d accept this better if they were actually changing things in new ways rather than just bringing back the old.”
Agree here. Seriously, if I want Silver Age nostalgia I’ll watch Superfriends reruns. Or—gasp!—read trade editions of Silver Age comics! Yes, you can really do that!
Here’s the thing: I am sick and tired of super-heroes who aren’t super and aren’t heroes, but more, I’m sick and tired of Hollywood blaming us for their failures. I am sick and tired of hearing various Hollywood studio execs who are as disconnected from the reality of middle-American taste as Rick Perry is from Christianity excusing the poor performance of their ill-executed product by tacitly blaming you, me, and everyone else of us who didn’t pay to see their garbage. Catwoman fails? Instead of, perhaps, just perhaps, acknowledging that the movie is a piece of excrement unworthy of use as fertilizer, they conclude instead that a female lead can’t open a movie unless her name is Jolie. So now we’re not only guilty of not being willing to pay for 90 minutes of intellectual abuse, we’re all apparently sexist jerks, as well. The problem with Green Lantern’s performance at the box office is that it’s not “gritty” enough? I don’t think so.
[…]
I can think of no other industry where the consumer is made to bear the blame for the product’s failure as much as Hollywood. Seriously, let’s think that one through. The movie didn’t perform, therefore it’s our fault? You got food poisoning eating the fish they served and you paid for, it’s your fault? The brakes on your new car crapped out and you wrapped it around a tree, it’s your fault?
Here’s a crazy thought.
Maybe you made a bad movie.
Greg Rucka
Yo, DC Comics. Your comic books and your movies? Take note of this blog entry. It wasn’t that you needed a reboot. Your customers aren’t as wrong as you like to respond that we are. When the product isn’t selling, it might be time to consider that maybe you’re producing something unappealing. Maybe what you think will sell, isn’t what actually sells.
Marvel is kicking your ass in the box office. It isn’t the fault of your customers. We want good movies. I want so badly to have good DC films to go see. HOWEVER, the smart, new-audience-riendly, sincere, often heart-warming, and heroic movies are coming from Marvel.
