Say you took the reins at DC...

[Aristotle]

Stephanie Brown gets the memorial case she deserves.

I think that's fair, and I also think it will never happen until one of us on these message boards starts writing Batman. So, wait awhile. I also think it should be done quietly. Just show it in the background there. Don't make a big deal out of it. Don't make a story out of it. Just put it back there somewhere.

Cancel all movie deals on major characters (the comics industry is suffering from these films. stories are becoming more generic and less interesting for it).

Yeah, but those movies are a lifeline to the superhero industry, until it finds a better one. I think what needs to happen is that comics are marketed along with the movies, to piggyback on them more, and for editors to not try and make comics look like the adaptations. No need to try and make Superman more like Smallville, guys.

Single issues would be double the length (to make up for the ads), and the back of the comic would actually have a description of the contents instead of a full-page ad.

Dude. They have that many ads to pay for making the book. If they doubled the length, they'd have to double the ads.

Bring back the letters columns.

Amen.

 

[Mladen]

I think that's fair, and I also think it will never happen until one of us on these message boards starts writing Batman. So, wait awhile. I also think it should be done quietly. Just show it in the background there. Don't make a big deal out of it. Don't make a story out of it. Just put it back there somewhere.

I'm sure its there already, sandwiched between the robot t-rex and the giant penny...

Yeah, but those movies are a lifeline to the superhero industry, until it finds a better one. I think what needs to happen is that comics are marketed along with the movies, to piggyback on them more, and for editors to not try and make comics look like the adaptations. No need to try and make Superman more like Smallville, guys.

Exactly. The first Burton movie was a godsend for the comics industry, but for some reason the recent films don't have the same effect (to the same degree)... But yeah, agree with the Smallville comparison.

Dude. They have that many ads to pay for making the book. If they doubled the length, they'd have to double the ads.

I'm more concerned with the lengths of the stories. A lot of the time they just seem way too short. I'd happily accept more ads if the stories in each issue were longer.
I know a lot of first-time comicbook buyers are intimidated by the sealed plastic bagged comics on the shelf. It implies the comics aren't for reading, they're for collecting (in mint un-read condition no less). They have no idea what to buy because the only description of the comic is on its cover, and they don't realise its okay to open it up and have a flick through. Thats why they need SOME sort of description on the back (graphic-novel style). I know I personally found it intimidating until I realised the comic-book-store-guys were happy with people opening them up to have a look.

 

[javi1024]

Stephanie Brown gets the memorial case she deserves.

the only thing about that is i dont think bruce had those feelings for stephanie that he had/has for jason. also he doesnt feel responsible for her death (he knew he saved her in time). but that being said, if i saw Spoiler hanging in the batcave im not gonna complain.

Bring back a Legends of the Dark Knight type series but drawing upon the entire DC universe (DC LEGENDS), yet ignoring all concepts of 'continuity' and instead focuses on presenting consistently original and fascinating stories and new types of artwork which'll attract new customers. The series will guest-stars young up and comers as well as the cream of the crop of extremely talented yet strangely unpopular comic book writers and artists.

Frank Miller is banned from doing any more of his half-arsed 'satires' like All-stars.

i originally wrote "one character, one book" in my post, but i like the idea of DC Legends outside of continuity.

and yes frank miller should only write his own comics.

 

[Rorschach II]

To sum up what I'd TRY to do in a nutshell:

1) Keep the internationally known icons big, restore them to huge sales numbers (Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman).

2) Restore former A-listers to their glory of old (Captain Marvel, The Flash, Aquaman, Hawkman).

3) It is commonly accepted that, though DC may have more A-listers than Marvel (only Spider-Man approaches the international fame of the Big Three), Marvel has more B-listers (Daredevil, Ghost Rider, F4, X-men) and less C and D-listers than DC. I'd like to change this. I'd attempt to make DC's "hidden" characters -- that is, characters with huge potential they're not living up to -- on the C and D-list move up to the B-list. Nightwing, Booster Gold, Power Girl, Blue Beetle and others would be in this category.

4) Get rid of the multiverses, or at least narrow them down, in order to make it easier to get new readers into DCU.

5) Retcon the resurrection of Jason Todd -.-

 

[GoldenAgeHero]

nightwing and powergirl were never c list characters cept nightwing until now, and i honestly believe his story potential is done with.

 

[Rorschach II]

Are you kidding?

There's as much to that character as there is to Batman. There's a lot to explore there, psychologically. The repercussions of losing your parents and your childhood in the blink of an eye; dedicating your life to someone else's mission, never really having the chance to decide if it's the one you want; constantly living in someone else's (REALLY BIG) shadow. Nightwing could be a complex character, if we let him be. And Power Girl is just bad ass.

 

[Rorschach II]

On the business/publication side:

1) I'd make a rule that every issue had to be at least 28 pages (with few exceptions, such as rare weekly series' like 52). I read the last Batman: Confidential in a couple of minutes standing in the comic shop 'cause it was only about 20 pages long and even if you didn't take the length into account it had a rushed, thrown together feel to it anyway.

2) This is more up to WB, but I'd try to advertise comics more as part of the advertising blitz for the movies. For instance, when The Man Of Steel comes out in '09, I'd have at least one story arc going on that newcomers can get into easily and I'd advertise it every now and then with the movie, in order to "piggyback" off the movie's inevitable success.

3) I'd accept writing samples and not just art samples from upstarts trying to get into the business.

 

[Mladen]

On the business/publication side:

1) I'd make a rule that every issue had to be at least 28 pages (with few exceptions, such as rare weekly series' like 52). I read the last Batman: Confidential in a couple of minutes standing in the comic shop 'cause it was only about 20 pages long and even if you didn't take the length into account it had a rushed, thrown together feel to it

thats one thing thats always bugged me. i don't like forking out so much cash for something which feels so light and incomplete. especially when you can just breeze through it in reading.

2) This is more up to WB, but I'd try to advertise comics more as part of the advertising blitz for the movies. For instance, when The Man Of Steel comes out in '09, I'd have at least one story arc going on that newcomers can get into easily and I'd advertise it every now and then with the movie, in order to "piggyback" off the movie's inevitable success.

its wierd, its almost like they're embarassed that its based off of a comic. Its as if they concede that becoming a MAJOR MOTION PICTURE means that the comic is now redundant since the film is the HIGHER FORM for the character, so they try to downplay references to the comic-book in the trailers etc (more noticeable with the non-superhero comic-book films like Constantine or A History of Violence or From Hell or even LXG).

3) I'd accept writing samples and not just art samples from upstarts trying to get into the business.

Besides the fact that reading a script would take longer than glancing at some pencil/ink boards, I think the reason they do this is that the type of writing they want from comic-book writers isn't too far off the writing which you can normally get published on your own. You go out, write something, get the thing published and DC might pick you up if you contact them through your publisher or something. As for artists, there IS no publishable medium through which they can get exposure to their art besides websites. Comic-book art (of the very narrow type DC and Marvel are after) can't really be applied to illustrating books, or publishing an art book etc, so comic-book artists NEED to show their samples while writers have no excuse for not going out and trying to get published.

 

[Rorschach II]

Besides the fact that reading a script would take longer than glancing at some pencil/ink boards, I think the reason they do this is that the type of writing they want from comic-book writers isn't too far off the writing which you can normally get published on your own. You go out, write something, get the thing published and DC might pick you up if you contact them through your publisher or something. As for artists, there IS no publishable medium through which they can get exposure to their art besides websites. Comic-book art (of the very narrow type DC and Marvel are after) can't really be applied to illustrating books, or publishing an art book etc, so comic-book artists NEED to show their samples while writers have no excuse for not going out and trying to get published.

You make a good point.