Big news from DC Comics as it announces plans to renumber its titles, reboot its universe, and reinvent itself with day-and-date digital sales. The 76 year old publisher of such iconic superheroes as Batman and Superman will restart the clock on 52 titles in its catalog by relaunching them with #1 issues. Justice League #1 will be released on August 31st and feature the classic lineup of Superman, Batman, Wonder Women, the Flash, Aquaman, and the Green Lantern. To sweeten the deal, as if a Justice League #1 needed any more sweetening, the book will be written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Jim Lee. The rest of the DC titles will follow suit with the renumbering in September. This leads to the obvious question of what effect this renumbering will have on the DC Universe. Will the number reset coincide with a universe reboot? Will the Superman and Batman titles include a retelling of their respective origins? Are we looking at another Crisis on Infinite Earths?The move is being reported by most news sources and blogs as a reboot of the entire universe. However, the details remain sketchy. Bob Wayne, senior vice president for sales at DC, said “some characters will have new origins, while others will undergo minor changes.” By all accounts, it appears DC aims to simplify its universe and thereby entice new readers and—at the same time-- allow old readers to experience the iconic lineup in a new light. This “new light” talking point seems to be dominating the reboot meme, so it is safe to assume some changes are on the way. But it sounds more like a retooling than a full-scale reboot and this may be a good thing. The DC Universe has a tendency to become convoluted and get bogged down in continuity quagmires. Is there really a need for two Batmen? And who exactly is the Flash now? Wiping the slate clean and returning the universe to its iconic purity could make for a more satisfying DC Universe.
Finally, DC Comics will start offering day-and-date digital sales. This means the publisher will offer digital copies of its titles through apps and websites on the same day and at the same price as the print versions offered at comic book shops. The prices will remain the usual $2.99 for the first month and then drop to $1.99 a month later. Oversized issues and annuals may be priced slightly higher, but their digital and print versions will still remain the same. With the popularity of tablets and digital readers, this move was inevitable and has already been implemented by smaller publishers and Archie Comics. Marvel is sure to follow suite in the near future. As for what impact this will have on local comic shops, it is hard to say. Digital comics are more likely to boost print sales as they bring more people into the fold. Some people will buy print version, some will download digital version, and some may even go both ways. It doesn’t necessarily follow that one will cannibalize the other.
There is no telling how any of this will pan out, but one thing is for sure: expect DC sales to skyrocket in September.
