The Earth One line has proven to be a pretty big hit in the bookstore market, with a number of their titles having cracked the NY Times Bestseller List, and acting as an entry point for new readers to some extent.
The line, which more or less replaced DC’s All-Star imprint, has seen creative teams like J. Michael Straczynski/Shane Davis, Geoff Johns/Gary Frank, Grant Morrison/Yanick Paquette, and Jeff Lemire/The Dodsons all reinventing some of the publisher’s core cast to varying effect (I’m particularly fond of the Batman and Wonder Woman entry’s thanks especially to the efforts of Frank and Paquette).
While other titles had been announced here and there – we’re still awaiting a release date on Francis Manapul’s Aquaman and JMS’ take on The Flash, IGN has revealed that next year will see a new spin on Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps by way of Green Lantern: Earth One by the Invisible Republic team of Gabriel Hardman, Corinna Bechko, and Jordan Boyd. Bechko and Hardman have turned out some excellent, under the radar SF over the last few years, so this is a good move by DC, as well as a welcome move outside their usual talent pool.
Here’s how the report’s summarizes the upcoming OGN:
For Green Lantern, the story sees Hal Jordan re-envisioned as an astronaut who seeks the thrill of discovery, yet finds himself in an unfulfilling job prospecting asteroids for Ferris Galactic. His fortunes change when he finds a powerful green ring and learns that it came from the Green Lantern Corps, a group that was long ago murdered by killing machines called Manhunters. This sets him on a mission to reinstate the Corps, a nearly impossible task for the fearless Jordan.
For those who weren’t aware, like me, Hardman storyboarded the Christopher Nolan film Interstellar, and his approach here is aimed at being a grounded sci-fi take on the ringslinger. And accordingly, he’ll be a scientist rather than a test pilot, which will surely impact how he uses the ring for his intergalactic escapades.
Green Lantern: Earth One hits stores on March 20, 2018 (my birthday!!!).
-Additional reporting by Heidi MacDonald
>The Earth One line has proven to be a pretty big hit in the bookstore market, with a number of their titles having cracked the NY Times Bestseller List, and acting as an entry point for new readers to some extent.<
This is true.
Original hardcover graphic novels, selling well.
Yet somehow, DC doesn't know how to get them on the shelves.
136 pages = 6 monthly issues Easily produced in one year.
Superman. 3 volumes (2010, 2012, 2015)
Batman. 3 volumes (2012, 2015, ????)
Teen Titans, 2 volumes (2014, 2016)
Wonder Woman, 1 volume (2016)
Aquaman? Flash? (2017, Announced July 12, 2015)
6.5 years, 8 volumes. One new series launched ever two years.
At the least, this should be a quarterly imprint of books. Four new volumes a year.
Work it up to every two months.
Each series is independent of the others, right? Hire a writer to outline six volumes, and submit the manuscript annually.
Two possibilities.
1. The people who run DC don’t know what they’re doing.
2. These Earth One books don’t actually make that much money.
Mike
Torsten-
How many is that compared to the Marvel Year One books.
I’ve got eight of those lying around the house unsealed. Picked them up @ Earth 2 for $5 a pop.
~
Coat
I thought the novelty of these things was that they took place in the “real world.” I somehow missed the news that we were now mining asteroids.
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