Superman shouldn't wear a dress

Comic books are a dying beast.

In a day and age where everything is becoming much more technologically focused, colorful twenty two page stories that use words like “POW” and “SHAZAM” are losing their place in the world.  DC Comics in particular has been relatively struggling in sales figures, being beat out by Marvel month after month after month.  There could be a variety of reasons for this: perhaps DC’s major characters such as Superman and the Flash feel out of date to readers in today’s era, for instance.  Superman’s quest for “Truth, Justice, and the American Way,” although classic and iconic, feels goofy and does not really hold up in today’s popular culture.

 Or perhaps it could simply be that Marvel is more organized and together editorially and simply is able to put out higher quality books more consistently, which in my humble opinion is exactly the case.  Over the past few years I have gone from avidly reading both Marvel and DC Comics on a weekly basis to reading almost entirely books offered by Marvel. 

DC Comics hope to invigorate its sales by launching an initiative called “The New 52.”  You see, last month DC Comics put out its last issue of an event mini-series called “Flashpoint.”  The series, which saw the Flash waking up an upside down world due to tampering in the timeline, ended with the debut of a new continuity for the DC Universe, and 52 new issue #1's to launch this new continuity. 

That means that over the month of September there are going to be 52 new series debuting(Or rather 51, as Justice League #1 debuted the last week of August along with Flashpoint), from the icons such as Action Comics and Detective Comics(which feature Superman and Batman respectively, and which both have not had a new issue one since the 1930’s!), cult classic characters such as Animal Man and Swamp Thing, and brand new series such as Batwoman and All-Star Western.  The new issue #1 are a perfect jumping on point for new readers, either readers such as myself that have strayed away from DC Comics or readers entirely new to comics, these issues are completely accessible. 

With these new issue #1's, DC is taking this opportunity to update and revamp their characters for a modern audience.   For instance, in Action Comics #1 that debuted last week, Superman, though very much still Superman was a very different beast.  Brash, inexperienced, unable to fly, and at odds with the government, this was a different Superman than readers were used to.  In the old continuity, Barbara Gordon, the first Batgirl, was shot and crippled by the Joker and aided the superhero community under the guise of Oracle, providing Intel and using computer hacking skills to monitor other heroes of the DC Universe.   In the new continuity, she is no longer crippled, and is once again roaming the streets as Batgirl (though there still is mention of her being shot by the Joker).

Changes such as these were found in nearly every characters, some subtle and some major.  However, the characters are still very much their iconic self’s.  Green Lantern is still arrogant and overconfident,   Green Arrow still patrols Star City, and Batman is still a badass.  Fans may have cried afoul after hearing of the new continuity, but it seems that for the most part, their fears were naught, especially given the quality of a lot of these books.  Admittedly, some have been subpar (not everything can be perfect after all) but many such as Swamp Thing, Detective Comics, O.M.A.C. and Animal Man have been fantastic, some of the best books put out last week by any publisher.

In terms of sales figures, the New 52 have been very much working out for DC, and are in fact challenging established sales records.  According to an article posted on Newsarama.com, every book with a new #1 that DC has put out has gone back for either second or third printings.

However, DC is also hoping to modernize itself by making every book that it publishes available in digital form the same day that it is available in stores.  Prior to this, both Marvel and DC have offered some of their books online and via ipod apps, but this could potentially be a huge step towards having comics be sold sole in digital form, like some are speculating may happen with books, newspapers  and video games.  Personally, I would much prefer to be able to read an actually comic with my hands, but that’s just me.  Still, it’s a huge step forward, and the DC app ranked in the top five of highest grossing apps during the first week of the New 52.  Combined with the excellent sales figures of the initial DC books, the New 52 may very well help bring the comic books themselves back towards the mainstream.

And for people who have never read a comic but have always wanted to...check this out! it's the perfect opportunity for new readers to jump on board.  Here's the trailer that DC has released for the New 52, cause it's so cool.

Oh and Superman shouldn't wear a dress.