Last week at ComicsPRO, DC Comics owned the limelight. The company released a bevy of new details about their Rebirth initiative. No, it’s not a reboot. Yes, it is a renumbering, albeit with some quirks. While most series are resetting to issue #1s, Detective Comics and Action Comics will use their pre-New 52 numbering. All of DC’s books will have a new low price of $2.99 and DC might even be covering ad costs for retailers who promote the new DC books in their stores.
While all this information is incredibly exciting, questions still remain. How viable is the $2.99 price point in the long term? How many times can the Big Two keep relaunching? We know many of the titles DC will be publishing beginning this summer, but we don’t know any of their creators yet, so is this a return to character rather than creator-driven marketing? All these questions and more will be answered on this week’s Podcorn Podcast.
Show Notes
01:00 — Show begins! I talk about my first ever visit to Midtown Comics and Brandon and I discuss the ins and outs of how to profit off single issue Image books. Rare and uncut pre-show chatter!
11:11 — DC Rebirth talk begins. Brandon was right! Detective Comics and Action Comics are going back to their pre-New 52 numberings!
17:15 — The big Rebirth 80-page special comic will kick off DC’s Rebirth. Series’ will be renumbered beginning with titles like Batman: Rebirth #1, which will be followed by the actual relaunch of books such as…Batman #1? Huh? Two Batman #1s in one month? That seems confusing…
18:30 — All the reborn DC titles will retail at $2.99! Is that the coolest or what?!
24:50 — DC’s Rebirth is definitely a character rather than creator driven relaunch, evidenced by the fact that no creative teams were announced during ComicsPRO! What might this mean for the line moving forward?
30:36 4— Prez is coming back this October! But DC didn’t tell you that at ComicsPRO…series writer Mark Russell announced it on Twitter! Why would DC so strategically leave books off its new lineup?
39:30 — Little Alex is growing up! The DC Rebirth will be my first big DC relaunch since I came into reading monthlies with the New 52. Am I prepared for what’s ahead?
43:50 — Would it be cooler to write Detective Comics #1000 or Action Comics #1000? How about both?
44:47 — Eric Stephenson of Image Comics gave one heck of a keynote at ComicsPRO. What do we think about his strong words for the industry?
58:45 — In the words of Stephenson: “no more sci-fi.” Where will all the astronaut comics go now?!
Every Wednesday, I talk about comics with Brandon Montclare, writer of the hit Image series Rocket Girl and co-writer of Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur series.
We gab about what we’re reading now, what books we consider classics (Brandon loves Dark Knight Strikes Again…), and the hottest gossip of the industry. Occasionally, the inimitable artist Amy Reeder (Rocket Girl, Batwoman) stops by. Check out our full show archive at podcornpodcast.com.
Intro/Outro music this week is Istanbul (Not Constantinople) by They May Be Giants, off their album Flood.
Visit rocketgirl.nyc for swag from Brandon and Amy!
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