Left Behind by the DC Reboot: Cancelled Titles

In announcing 52 new titles, DC Comics is certainly ramping up their publishing schedule. While most of their bases are covered, there are certainly books that didn't make the cut, and are effectively cancelled. Some were fantastic, and others you never thought of, which is why they don't exist anymore. Let's take a look at the books that appear to no longer be with us after August.

 


Jonah Hex

On the one hand, this is a sad day, because Jonah Hex is no more. Yes, it's true that All-Star Western will be continuing on with Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray, and part of that book will be dedicated to Hex. But, well, it's not the same. For one thing, I'm going to miss Jordi Bernet something fierce. I can't complain, because the book last a really long time, but it's changed, and it remains to be seen whether that's a good thing. There's nothing guaranteeing Hex will appear in every issue, and I'm really going to miss the showcase of amazing artists this book brought us.

Red Robin

While the character, Tim Drake was a question mark, it looks like he'll show up in Teen Titans, but his solo title is no more. That's too bad, because Tim is one of the finest and most rounded out characters in the DCU. But there's always a chance he'll get to come back to his own title someday. There's less of a chance he'll ever be Robin again though.

Batgirl

It seems like Stephanie Brown, who we've come to know as Batgirl, isn't going to be around after this summer. She's quite beloved, and the title, written by Bryan Q. Miller, is much beloved. Yet apparently, sacrifices must be made. (It has been pointed out that there is a Batgirl book on the way. This is true, but it's a different character, and creative teams, so it's kind of like an all new thing, but with the same title. You may quibble.)

Secret Six

If ever there was a cult series in the DC world, it was Secret Six. This title's been around for a lot longer than it seems, and the people who were fans of this book were superfans. If you ask me, like fans of Jonah Hex, they ended up with a hell of a lot of story, and it was a good run. Perhaps Suicide Squad will be a good replacement?

Booster Gold

Booster has had a series since the end of 52. The fact that it was still around surprised me, actually. Yet since Geoff Johns left the book early on, I haven't heard too much about this book, and Booster was doing most of his good work over in Generation Lost. It probably won't be missed all that much. If you need a little future man in your life, he'll be featured in Justice League International.

Batman Beyond

Started with much fanfare, the publisher banked on a nostalgiac return to the animated series, and the Batman after Batman, that wasn't Dick Grayson. I never heard a peep about this book after it launched, which probably had something to do with the fact that it's done. There might be hope though. Series writer Adam Beechen has hinted that there will be more.

Xombi

This is another one of those cult book, even though it's a young cult book. Launched only a few months ago, it was a critical darling, but ask the producers of Freaks and Geeks what that ever did for them.

Power Girl

There does not seem to be a Power Girl in the new DC world, so it would make sense that she doesn't have a title. This was the little book that could. Palmiotti, Gray, and Conner set the bar very high, and Judd Winick admirably took up the cause, yet I can't say it's a big surprise we'll be saying goodbye. It could be said Power Girl is a little redundant in a world with Supergirl. DC have actually confirmed that Karen Starr will appear in one of the new titles.

Superman/Batman

I am torn here, because on the one hand, I didn't regularly read this book. On the other hand, what an amazing thing this book was. It's the two biggest characters in the DCU, but it's out of continuity, and it functioned as the tryout book for new writers. It was almost the indie corner of DC, and you can't help but respect that. As part of a streamlined publishing line though, it has no place.

The Outsiders

This is another one I'm shocked they were still printing anyway. Launched after Final Crisis, this title didn't seem to find it's way or have a place, so it's gone too.


Justice Society of America

This is a big surprise, since the JSA has been a mainstay of the DCU for a good decade or more. It's the place where Geoff Johns cut his teeth, and delivered an exceptional run not too long ago. Yet since that time, it's been a bit lost. Matt Sturges and Bill Willingham failed to keep fans excited about the book after Johns left, and many readers forgot about it. DC said they're going to retire the concept for a little while, and maybe they'll return to it later. It's strongly attached to DC legacy, so it's a decision that sort of makes sense in the new world order.

Zatanna

She had a new series launch last year, and Zatanna seems to be one of those characters who is just on the cusp of being able to carry her own series. She's fantastic as a supporting and guest character, but like many female characters in comics, the readership isn't quite there to support her on her own. She has a strong legacy in the DCU, and her relationship with Batman is one of my favorite things in recent memory. It looks like she'll be sticking around in Justice League: Dark, with her pal Constantine.

Gotham City Sirens

This book focused on some of the women of Gotham, and in respect to many of the other titles, the characters are faring rather well. Harley Quinn will appear in Suicide Squad, Poison Ivy will show up in Birds of Prey, and Catwoman is getting her own ongoing series yet again.


T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents

This one, a quirky little title written by Nick Spencer, now exclusive at Marvel, never really had a chance. It was good, and had CAFU magic, but it wasn't part of continuity, and had a bunch of characters no one knew. We should feel lucky for what we did get! For more of that CAFU and BIT stuff, check out Grifter.

Comments

  1. Couldn’t agree more with you about Jonah Hex, Josh. I’m plenty interested in the new All-Star Western but I’m going to miss my Jordi Bernet Hex stories, assuming he won’t be a part of the new book from time to time.

  2. I for one shall miss Secret Six, Power Girl, Superman/Batman and JSA. I’m not counting Jonah Hex, because I’m really hoping that All-Star Western is just Hex by another name.

  3. The only one I’m really upset about is Xombi. That has been a very fun and gorgeous looking title but it looks like we’re only going to get 6 issues out of the whole thing. I don’t really agree on your assessment with Jonah Hex though. Hex is back in All-Star Western. Same character, different title.

  4. this is a really strong list of titles that will tough to see go away. I know lots of people enjoyed them. For me Superman/Batman and Zatanna were all kinds of fun 

  5. Definitely gonna miss Batgirl, Power Girl, and Zatanna:(

  6. I’m going to miss Batgirl, Red Robin, and, honestly, Batman Beyond. It wasn’t redefining the medium, but it was a solid, good book that felt like the cartoon while still having strong ties to the DCU in general. I very much enjoyed it.

  7. Was Tim Drake really a question mark? I mean he’s had his ‘Robin’ book for years, or not?

    John Rozum only seems to be left with one title in the DCnU and where’s Frazer Irving? Finger’s crossed to see this book again soon. Maybe on Vertigo?

    Two of my favourite books got cancelled, not happy with it, but I’m sure at some stage Tim will get his own book again…

  8. Definitely going to miss Zatanna, Xombi and PG (and Dick Grayson Batman).  Hopefully I’ll find a few good books to replace them (which should be easy given there’s 52 to choose from).

  9. @TheNextChampion  Everything you said is spot on for me. Plus, I have now gone from being the occasional buyer/reader of Hex issues to fully on with All Star Hex. (I know its All Star Western, but I like calling it All Star Hex)

  10. Damn, I’ve been really enjoying Xombi. It’s the only DC book I’m currently reading. Think I’ll “replace” it with Justice League: Dark to keep the supernatural/horror/magic aspect. A book with both Zatanna and John Constantine written by Peter Milligan sounds right up my alley.

  11. Plus who’s to say none of these titles are coming back in the near future?

    The interview you guys had today with DC has them saying ‘This is only the beginning’. So I’m sure we’re going to be seeing JSA, Red Robin, Stephanie Brown, and others in the future. 

  12. I’m fairly certain I won’t miss most of these, but there are a few very solid books on this list.  I hope the reboot is strong enough to offset these losses.

  13. @thenextchampion you’re right. Just because they aren’t part of DC’s #1s, who’s to say they won’t show up in October or November. Has DC definitively said that all 52 books are ongoing? And even if they di, The Flash “ongoing” only went 13 issues, so who knows what that means. I mean, we all know that Batwoman will probably only go 12 issues at most before it falls behind & gets dropped(wasn’t JH Williams saying not too long ago that it might even have become an OGN?).

  14. i’m counting on Superman/Batman to come back. Its such a great format for a book..just fun adventures outside of all of the complicated continuity that both characters’ respective books have going on. Very easy to jump right in. 

  15. Definitely gonna miss Stephanie Brown’s and Superman/Batman!!!

  16. “…but ask the producers of Freaks and Geeks what that ever did for them.”

    well paul feig is the director of a hit movie (bridesmaids) and has worked on several popular shows (the office, mad men). and judd apatow is basically a media mogul nowadays. hate to be “that guy,” but just sayin’…

  17. @nbcabaniss  In the rush to be “that guy” you missed the point (as “that guys” often do). The point is being a critical darling did nothing for the show. “Them” = “the show”.

  18. @nbcabaniss  The show didn’t get to finish the first season, regardless of what success those incredibly talented people went on to have. I’m comparing the titles to a television series.

  19. Have we seen anything with Wally West in it? I know we’ve seen Barry and Bart but unless im missing something no Wally

  20. Gail said that she would find a place for both Cass and Stephanie if no one else was going to, so there’s little doubt they’ll be around. More interestingly, where the he’ll is Bryan Q. Miller. Should I expect a Marvel exclusive soon.

  21. @nbcabaniss Yeah by that logic, the creators are going to be having a great career once the title is cancelled.

    So I don’t think that analogy works. 

  22. VERY sad about Zatana. It was the most fun book on my pull list. That being said, I’m glad about JLA Dark. I was talking to some friends last summer about how cool it would be to have a group book with the mystic characters including my fav, JC. As a Hellbalzer fan from issue 1 (well, Swamp Thing actually) I’m not too worried about his jump to DCU. As long as they keep the mouth and the ciggy I’m happy.

  23. Isn’t there still gonna be a batgirl title though?  

  24. Yeah I was really upset when I didn’t see Batgirl, Batman Beyond, Power Girl, Sirens, Zatanna, and Red Robin in the new lineup. But here’s hoping that DC will bring them back in some way or fashion in the future.

  25. Gutted about booster gold, one of my favourite books. One of the few remaining dc pick ups for me 🙁

  26. @Gabe  I guess there is. It’s a different Batgirl, so we’ll call it a special case.

  27. I for one could care less if BB returns.  It did not live up to my expectations and it’s a shame it outsold quality books like Zatanna which I will miss.  If they do bring it back, give it the team it deserves in Dini/Nguyen.  It’s not like DC has them lined up on any other relaunches and the interior art should match the quality of Dustin’s killer covers.  Better yet, have them reteam on Tec.

  28. @Link1987: In the Flash #1 solicitation, it says that Barry’s new enemy is a ‘close friend’. Which makes me think it’s going to be Wally.

  29. Why are they killing off all the great dc women Zatanna, Power girl, and Sirens … BOOO BOOO BOOO DC

  30. i totally forgot about zatanna but I’ve been picking it up religiously since it started… it always seemed like it was just that 1 step away from the much needed breakout story arc.

  31. Avatar photo Jeff Reid (@JeffRReid) says:

    I’ve really been liking Winick’s run on Power Girl (it’s been my POTW most of the weeks that it’s come out) and am very sad to see it go. Not having Bryan Q. Miller write anything after August is also a big let down.

  32. Zatanna is going to be JLA: Dark…it’s not the end of the world for her fans.

  33. Who said Supes/Bats wasn’t in continuity?

  34. JSA being cancelled makes NO sense!  We don’t need a Hawkman book or I,Vampire

  35. You’re Not Actually Brittish.

  36. I realize we get a #1 BoP title, but don’t forget Gail’s Birds of Prey. That and Secret Six getting canned are pretty tragic. I’m also bummed about Xombi. It really is a great title, and Irving’s art is bananas good.

     

  37. Shalom Secret Six. You weren’t perfect but you were usually good. I doubt Suicide Squad will be what Secret Six was… I may try it.

  38. Given more money and time, I know I would have read many of these titles.  I have purchased many of these books in single issues, just not many of them consistently.  In fact, I have tried all but two (Outsiders, Xombi.)  I bought Batgirl and Booster consistently.  I bought Power Girl and Secret Six in trade. I have hopped on and hopped off of Red Robin, Hex, Superman/Batman and Zatanna depending on the creative team or story.  The rest were ok, but never made my personal cut.  The good news is that they still will all exist, and if I should ever find them cheaply in trade or a dollar bin, I can always have the chace to buy them again.  They will always live on, and that makes me happy.

  39. Only really gutted about Xombi, Batgirl and Secret Six.

    THUNDER AGENTS started out strong, but Spencer has been phoning in the last couple of issues, I thought, and anyway the whole identity of that title was (for me) tied up with him. As soon as he became Marvel exclusive, I knew it was essentially just waiting for the dead body to fall down.

    But Xombi was brilliant, the successor to Morrison’s Doom Patrol (my personal favorite mainstream title of all time). Batgirl was better than it had any right to be, the successor to Blue Beetle. And while Blue Beetle is going to come back, I don’t have nearly as much faith in Bedard to deliver that snarky, witty tone as I did with Miller (and Rogers). Still, if Miller gets work on some other DC title, I’ll be happy enough, since Batgirl herself wasn’t the draw, but Miller was.

    And Secret Six is a damn travesty. Perfect issue after perfect issue. And I have no interest in Gail Simone’s replacement title of Batgirl, so that is a bummer.

  40. Considering Secret Six and Xombi were the only 2 DCU titles I read I’m pretty bummed.  As Suicide Squad isn’t being written by Simone or Ostrander I’m pretty skeptical and I don’t care about Static Shock.  Trying to get myself pumped for some of the Dark titles but right now I think I’m still in sulk mode.

  41. @AquaPimp82  –it was far enough removed where i didn’t feel i needed to do homework to keep up with the series. I’ve always viewed the book as an idealized take on the two classic characters with adventures that take place in some sort of bubble. 

  42. @josh  Thanks for posting this. I wasn’t sure about all of the dropped titles.

    The biggest dissappointments for me are Jobah Hex, JSA, Booster Gold, and, believe it or not, Gotham City Sirens. I had actually just started picking up this book and my wife and I both are/were enjoying it.

  43. I’ve said it in more than a couple relaunch threads already. But I’m sad to lose Batgirl, Power Girl, and Zatanna. All were great books. DC is really stupid if they don’t give Bryan Q. Miller another book shortly after the launch titles.

    I’m guessing that a lot of the characters on this list show up down the road with books sooner or later. DC has a bunch of bullets to use after half or so of the relaunch titles fail, and the new status quo isn’t such a big deal anymore. I can see Tim Drake getting his own book again in maybe a year or so. Once DC is done trying to cater to new readers who aren’t guaranteed to show up, they’ll realize that they have old time fans to placate. I could also see the JSA and Earth 2 being reintroduced in some big grand Geoff Johns event in a couple years. It’s what DC does. Gets rid of convoluted continuity, only to bring it back a few years later. Oh, and Superman/Batman. How does that now show back up at some point?

  44. Hoping there are Xombi and THUNDER Agents trades so I can check those out. I started with Xombi and loved it, but dropped it when issue 2 came out the same week as 5 million other books. And my shop sold out of the first issue of THUNDER Agents, and I didn’t want to jump on late.

  45. I’ll be honest, the only one on that list that i’ll miss is THUNDER AGENTS. the rest never really clicked with me

  46. I am going to miss Batgirl, I just recently got caught up reading the series and really enjoy it. I am also going to miss Red Robin because I like seeing Tim working on his own. Batman Beyond is not the best comic out there but it is a fun comic for those of us who enjoyed the cartoon.

  47. I will greatly miss JSA, Secret Six, T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, and to a slightly lesser degree Zatanna. I was never a regular reader of Power Girl, but what I read was very good. Superman/Batman has some brilliant story arcs and some not-so-brilliant, but I will miss it as well.

    Not having a JSA title really has me mad. Hopefully that will be rectified soon. I understand them wanting to make Superman the first hero, but they could still do that and just make him not have aged over the past 50+ years. He could have been in the JSA of the 40’s, he just doesn’t age past 30 or whatever.

    I thought Secret Six was one of the best books out, and I doubt Suicide Squad will be anything like it. This was Simone’s masterpiece. Hopefully she can do well on Batgirl, but it’s not a book I plan on reading unless I hear it rocks.

    Zatanna is a good book. It’s never one I’m excitedly anxious to read, but I’m never sorry that I did read it either.

  48. As sad as a DCU is without the JSA, it doesn’t change the fact that the book needed something more.  It was floundering pretty hard under Willingham and Sturges.

  49. Unless Teen Titans breaks 50,000+ monthly (hard copy & digital sales) then cancelling Red Robin was just silly. Red Robin has been hovering around 30,000 in monthly sales recently and Teen Titans around 25,000. Who is the target audience for Teen Titans, tweens? teens? 20-somethings? How many in those age demographics actually own iPads? I wish DC the best.

    Being able to hop over to Batwoman salves my sense of loss (gonna have to hang in there until #6 for Amy Reeder’s art, though, judging from solicits). I just don’t have any interest in this new Teen Titans book, and I’ll have to take a wait and see approach with a Bruce/Batman+Damian/Robin book. At least Tomasi and Gleason are still the creators.

  50. I’m most disappointed about losing Red Robin and Steph as Batgirl. They were constantly among the best books DC put out every month.

    Batman Beyond I’m not as disappointed by, mostly because it never really seemed to find it’s own voice. It was too wrapped up in trying to merge the shows continuity with the regular universe and ended up not really being in either. If any book needs to start from square one, this is it.

  51. With Red Robin, Batgirl (this batgirl anyway) and Power Girl all going away, three of the very few DC books I read are going away.  Super disappointed.  

  52. I’m thinking that somewhere in the next year or so we will see a completely new introduction to Earth 2, which will pave the way for Multiversity (or something like that). I know I’m not the only one who’s noticed that many of the missing characters are originally from other Earths (Power Girl, Huntress, JSA, etc.). If this theory has any merit, color me excited for whatever event they have in the pipeline.

  53. @cahubble09  Ask yourself how many of that demographic own iphones, ipod touches, or android phones. thats where i’ve been reading my digital comics and its awesome.

  54. @s1lentslayer  Ditto. About half the DC books I pull right now are being cancelled.

  55. Jonah Hex, Red Robin, Batgirl, Secret Six, Booster Gold, JSA – throw in the personality transplants on Supergirl & Superboy and DC just drove a truck through my pull list. There’s a bunch of # 1’s I’m going to check out, but it won’t surprise me if my DC pull list is smaller in October than it is now. 

  56. re:Jonah Hex vs. All-Star Western – one of the great things about Jonah Hex was that there were very few multi-issue stories. Jonah Hex was the king of one-and-done stories, very little continuity, give almost any issue to a new reader and they could enjoy it. I realize they haven’t given us a lot to go on, but having Jonah in Gotham to ‘team up’ with Dr. Arkham smells like continuity to me. I hope this works out, but I’m not putting any large bets on it.  

  57. @usagi  I’m kinda like you. I’ll give the new titles chances to “WOW” me but I won’t be surprised to see my “to Buy” stack drop.

  58. Red Robin has been one of my favorite books every month of its run.  Damn shame about that one, but I’ll just live in hope of getting Marcus To on another book I read.

  59. @RoiVampire : I don’t disagree with you. I’ve read comics digitally on both the iPod Touch and on an iPad. Personally, I would rate the iPad equivalent to but fundamentally different from the hard copy reading experience. There are different reasons that I like each. But I wouldn’t agree that the iPod Touch is the most memorabke or pleasurable experience.

    To your point, I’ll just simply repeat my former statement, if combined digital and hard copy sales of the new Teen Titans doesn’t equal or exceed the combined sales of the previous Teen Titans and Red Robin, then it wasn’t a wise move, financially speaking. But I’m assuming all other things are equal outside of those two books. There are another 50-some titles involved.

    I will say this, though … I never paid for any comics that I read on my iPod Touch. I only ever downloaded free ones through the Marvel and DC apps. The reading experience on the iPod Touch just didn’t compare. I HAVE paid for comics on my iPad … both archive DVD .PDFs and in-app copies. None of those purchases were day and date releases billed at the same rate for which the hard copy sells. For me, personally, that is a hard pill.

  60. Can’t they just migrate Jonah Hex over to Vertigo? Seems like a perfect home for the series.

  61. Has Palmiottii actually said Hex won’t be in all  all star western issues?

    I would think he’d be the anchor of the book, and the back ups would feature other DC western heroes. 

     

  62. Nice breakdown and mostly to the point and hardly poignant but got the job done. I’d just like to point out a couple relative points about two books that I thought deserved mention. 1: Booster Gold gained notoriety and a place in the DCU years ago by appearing in a now classic and seminal run, Justice League International by Giffen, Dematteis, Gordon and then upcoming artist Kevin Maguire whose facial expressions are classic. The book was the surprise oddball cast of DC characters in a big title that became a cult like hit with many while Superman, Flash and Wonder Woman were going through revisions. 2: JSA is tghe 1st superhero team ever with more history of classic characters than any, JLA is right there with them as they paved the way. In Geoff John’s teeth cutting and gripping run w covers by Alex Ross, Superman tells Alan Scott how the JSA were always about family while the JLA were the strike force and I just love the respect and generational history of these two teams. JSA, you will be missed. For the record Marc Guggenheims recent reign on the script was just getting good and hopefully will until September.

  63. @cahubble09

    I’m with you on the hard pill of parity pricing. Three anecdotes about paying for digital comics on my iPad:

    1. DC ran a 99 cent sale on Morrison’s Batman back in January, and bought the hell out of that stuff and it was great. It was VERY EASY to drop $20 on comics without even thinking about it.

    2. Cut to a few months later and I buy Bendis and Oeming’s Takio from the Marvel app for $9.99 (same as print). I enjoyed the story, but it contained nothing outside of the main (80-ish pages) story and only took about 30 minutes to read. I felt a little burned. Parity pricing = maybe necessary for publishers in the short term, but kind of a rip-off.

    3. I got Four Star Studios’ Double Feature app a couple months ago and bought the first Double Feature issue for 99 cents. The stories were okay, but all the extra content (written commentary, sketches, and the ability to flip between penciled, inked, and colored pages) made it an amazing value.

    I’m hoping that the digital comics will sell at a high enough volume that DC will be able to lower the regular price. $1.99 for new releases, and 99 cents four weeks later is where I’ll really go nuts buying digital comics. With the current scheme, I’m only after the month later titles, and even those will be for things I hear good buzz on.

    More on topic, I think we’ll see some of these characters come back before before too long. Some of these second tier characters come around cyclically. I wonder if DC is going to borrow a little from Marvel and do some “digital only” stories? (which tend to get printed later anyway)

  64. p.s. For me, digital price point has to take into account the prices offered by online discounters like DCBS and TFAW. If I can still purchase hard copies via the internet at substantially lower prices than either in-store or digital–copies that I can physically hold AND hold on TO–then the only incentive I have to purchase on the iPad is convenience. Even with DC’s wait a month for a dollar off plan, what I’m giving up is still more valuable to me than what I’m gaining.

  65. @KenOchalek : wow … sorry I missed the Morrison sale. I have a personal goal of catching up all his work so I can re-read his Batman and Robin run and have it actually make sense. 😉 That Four Star Studios Double Feature app sounds really cool. I love stuff like that. One of my best experiences this year was getting some J. Scott Campbell ASM covers signed at Denver ComicFest and him taking the time to explain how he drew each cover. That will stick in my memory for a long time.

    I’d love to know how music labels compensate artists for digital sales. I’ve assumed that it is a per copy percentage royalty. If I know that the creators of books were earning a split of each digital sale, I’d feel better about buying them digitally. In my mind digital is more like collected trades when it comes to cost of production. The cost was expended when they produced the hard copy. Digital sales are more like residual income in my mind.

    I wonder if it is possible to analyze the digital vs hard copy pricing question by looking at buyers on the reader-collector spectrum. I am about 60-40/70-30 reader-collector. For me, the idea of reading my comic digitally so I can just bag and board the hard copy at home is ideal. To me, it is still worth it to own the hard copy of a quality book like Orc Stain which sells <3,000 copies a print so that my nephews can have it when I pass in another four decades or so.

  66. You know…one of my biggest frustrations that I have is that I am not always able to get on the site as often as I would like.  And then, I finally get a chance…and this is what I get?  No more Jonah Hex?!?!  No more Superman/Batman??

    I mean, I get it, I guess–but wow, I will tell you, I am going to miss both of those books a lot. I guess I should be happy that they went so long, but I am bummed about this news.

    I’ll also miss Zatanna and Xombi, both titles I thought were just getting their groove on.

    Oh well.  

    I hope they do something fantastic for the end of Jonah Hex.  

  67. @wordballoon  No, that’s not the case at all, and it’s not what I wrote. Part of All-Star Western will be a Hex story, and the second feature will be another character as I understand it. But, there’s nothing to say that it has to stay that way. At best, we’re only getting a portion of the Hex story we got before, and they have less room to work with. Basically, it’s not the same book. It’s a different book with shorter stories about the same character by the same writers.

  68. @wordballoon: You’re right. Though the solicit is rather vague. Jonah’s definitely the focus of the first story at the very least. The impression I get is that the bulk of each issue will basically be the same as the current Hex title, with DC rotating their other western characters throughout the back-ups.  

  69. Zatanna without Paul Dini is probably not the Zatanna I want.

    So I don’t care where they move her if it isn’t with her writer.

    Hex, I can deal with cuz the writers are the same.

    Is the All-Star Western book only going to be 20 pages??

    If so, I’m worried.

  70. @mikeromo Will you be interested to read All-Star Western, JLA: Dark, and Demon Knights? (With Hex in Western, and Xanadu being in bother Dark and Demon Knights)

  71. Gonna miss THUNDER Agents. But, hey, Barbara will be back!

  72. Dick Grayson as Batman….gone
    Stephanie Brown as Batgirl…gone
    Oracle….gone (should be an afront to people with disabilities everywhere)
    Secret Six…gone
    Jonah Hex…gone   
    Wally West as the Flash…gone
    Cassandra Cain…gone
    Zatanna…gone
    The Spirit….gone
    My DC Pull List…..GONE       
     

  73. The DC universe without the JSA is just wrong!!!! When a year goes by we will find out that this is all part of some alternate Earth… It has to be… If not.. It was nice knowing you DC.

  74. @Lee127 We’ve all got to make our own decisions, but come on, none of these characters are truly gone. At worst, they’re just off-stage for a bit.

    I’m also bummed that Dick Grayson won’t be Batman, but did you really think that was gonna last forever? I trust Scott Snyder enough that the transition to Nightwing will make sense, and while I don’t know a whole lot about Kyle Higgins other than the Night Runner backup (which I liked) and Gates of Gotham (which is good so far), I’m gonna give it a shot and see how it goes. Dick will still have BEEN Batman, so just because he won’t be in the cape and cowl anymore doesn’t mean he’s forgotten that experience. And he’ll still be in Gotham, so his path can continue pretty much unchanged (except for his outfit).

    And while Barbara Gordon will be Batgirl again, both Gail Simone and Scott Snyder have said that nothing is being retconned/rebooted, so Oracle is gone in name only, the character is just growing into something else.

    And Jonah Hex is not gone, he’s the lead story in All-Star Western for a few issues at the VERY least, and will likely be the lead pretty often since Palmiotti and Gray are writing.

    Like Conor and others have stated several times around here, “everyone” was throwing a fit when Stephanie became Batgirl a few years ago, and now “everyone” is throwing a fit that she’s been sidelined.
    So while you may think these are the worst decisions ever right now, in a couple years, who knows?

    Nothing lasts forever, for good and bad, ESPECIALLY in comics.

  75. I am going to play devil advocate here with the All Star Western series, so imagine the world and cast of characters Jim, Justin and Jordi are going to build. I doubt DC is not going to get Jordi to do issue of that book, they will surfer another blow from Marvel, and any creator owned property. It would be like making an effort to sink the ship.

     I mean canceling some of these other titles which I have heard great things about is already taking a step closer to the edge of the cliff. Look up the numbers on Red Robin, and PowerGirl, geez!!!

  76. I’m sorry to see Xombi go, but I felt like it was a miracle they brought it back in the first place.

  77. Ouch, Power Girl, Batgirl, and Zatanna were the first three DC books I ever added to my pull list at my LCS and I really enjoyed all three.

  78. I will miss Xombi very bad and I’ve only had a chance to get a few issues. I really dug the story and Irving was magical. Unfathomably f*&king magical. Does anyone know what Frazer Irving is doing next? Whatever it is I will buy it.

  79. I too hope the JSA gets reborn on an Earth 2 maybe with the Marvel Family and Powergirl. And Geoff Johns writes, Dale Eaglesham pencils and Alex Ross does covers and everyone leaves that world alone to do self-contained stories maybe in the 40s, maybe now, maybe both.

  80. What really sucks is you just named all the DC books I read somewhere in that list.

  81. Gonna miss THUNDER Agents, and will finally start reading BoP, Secret Six and Batgirl this summer, in trades. Might even finish reading Power Girl, Doom Patrol and Zatanna. Can’t say I’m surprised about JSA, it really dropped off after the split (so much so that I dropped the main title but kept pulling All-Stars).

  82. Xombi is a perfect example of why digital is so needed. I’ve always wanted to try it due to the buzz, but my shops never stocked any copies. I hope books like this can find some increased success when they are actually available to everyone who wants to give it a shot. 

  83. GIVE ME MY ZATANNA BOOK BACK!!!!!

  84. Sorry about that.  Anyway, I thought Power Girl was actually popular and finally found a place for herself in the DCU.  I’m pretty sure you can explain her origin away as Superman’s OTHER cousin.  Ever since her appearance in “Best Week in Panels” a month or so ago (“These dinosaurs are magical!”), I’ve been meaning to check out her book. 

  85. Power Girl was especially weird considering all they’ve done to bring back her original story into continuity in Infinite Crisis. Couldn’t she go back to being a wizard’s daughter or whatever.

  86. I have to believe that when some of these 52 books fail, and probably a lot of them will, that DC has some backup books waiting in the wings to try out after some get cancelled. JSA is probably one of them.

  87. Well, there go five books I normally buy – Red Robin, Sirens, Zatanna, Batgirl, Supes/Batman. I’m not sure I’ll bother with the new Batgirl or Catwoman. I notice that although Deathstroke is getting his own title, the rest of the characters in Titans are gone. BTW, am I mistaken, or have all of the Marvels disappeared?

  88. @KenOchalek I do agree with some of your statement…nothing truly lasts forever.  And I’ve only ever asked three things of a good comic…give me a good story, art that doesn’t kill my eyes, and be true to your source material.  It is this last item that I’m really having a problem with.  How can you have a world where Barbara Gordon is young again and Damian Wayne is Robin?  That just craps all over everything in the Batman legacy.  I’ve bought close to a thousand Bat books (Batman and family) over the years, do we really need another handful of origin stories? 
    And I understand why DC is doing this…it is to capture a new generation of comic lovers.  So good luck to them.  I hope it works out.  This dawg is just way too old to start learning a bunch of new tricks…

  89. Having just now realized how much I love Jonah Hex, I’m disappointed that I’ll be left guessing each month about if I’ll get to see him or not.

  90. @Limitless No guesswork involved! Solicits will still be released three months ahead of time, like they have been for at least the past ten years. At the very least it’ll tell you what the main feature will be.

    Not directed at you specifically Limitless, but I get the sense some comic book fans are so desperate for something to be sad/angry about they’ve forgotten nearly everything they know about How Comics Work. 

  91. Now we need a feature on the creators not asked to be part of the re-boot.

  92. I will miss JSA, Steph as Batgirl, and Red Robin. These were among my favorite titles every month.

    They have got to bring Steph back at some point. She is just too enjoyable.

  93. I think THE problem is the fact that someone at DC thought it would be a cool idea *wink wink* to have only 52 books.  It’s so self masterbatory and pointless.  Why set such an arbitrary number that limits things creatively?  In a couple of months that number is going to get bigger or smaller anyways, so what’s the point. 

    They should have taken this time to sit down with ALL creators, both new AND old, and seen how many good ideas there were.  I know that they have to make certain brand new books, but there should have been the same number of books as there was good ideas.  This is such a great idea if it was about good comics.  Sadly this is all for the money and free press.

  94. @josh  dude, Jonah Hex is The Batman of DC’s Western gtitles, and given they just released the film (good or bad) he has the highest profile of any DC western hero.

    We can speculate, but I really doubt you need to worry that HEX won’t be in all the issues of all star western.

  95. Hex, Batgirl (and Oracle in Batgirl), and Xombi.  I JUST started on Xombi too.  Jerks. (heh)

  96. Xombi is great and is only like 3 or 4 issues in.  I love Irving’s artwork and hope he continues at DC.  Really sad to see this series go.  The DC Reboot just makes me sad.  Secret Six gone, Xombi gone, Oracle gone.  all to make room for another Justice League origin, another Superman origin, and character regression after regression.  
    well at least i’ll have some extra cash with all the books i am dropping.  maybe I will check out the new X-Men storyline instead. 

  97. I’m really going to miss Stephanie as Batgirl. A couple of months ago I started getting comics for my fiance’s 12 year old cousin to get her through a rough time in her life. And Batgirl was one of the characters she really latched onto, it seems sad that the character is going away so soon.

  98. @Lee127  I hear you and echo your concerns. I’m 39 and have been reading comics since the 70’s. Many are saying all they want is a good story so the history that DC is tinkering with is no big deal. But for me, one of the draws to comics is the amazing history of the characters. I don’t read comics just to get a good story. I read them because of the wonderful mix of art, story, and history. It’s it’s own unique world.

    That said, DC isn’t going to throw that away. There is a revamping taking place but we still don’t know how it will be implemented or it’s extent so I’m not making any quick decisions.

    But my bigger question is this: What data out there makes people believe digital comics and revamping the entire comic line is gonna bring in a worthy and significant amount of new readers? Sure, some will come along but I’m not convinced that that number will be as good as some expect.

  99. @kieth7198 I don’t think it’s “digital will bring in tons of new readers” at this point, it’s more “digital is our only shot at getting new readers so we’re gonna go for it”.

    The fact is, direct market comic book shops (or illegal downloading, but lets not go there) are pretty much the only option for a new reader to find comics in monthly issue format (I can’t say for sure, but I doubt anyone casually starts a DCBS account).

    The sales figures (although apparently incomplete and inaccurate) show that the direct market has been shrinking for quite some time despite Blockbuster movies and Free Comic Book Days that are on some level intended to get new faces into comic shops. Clearly, that plan hasn’t been panning out in any appreciable way.

    So if you can’t get potential readers in the stores to buy the comics, the solution we’re seeing here is to eliminate as many barriers as possible for a new reader to buy the material. Relaunching everything at #1 (regardless of what happens with continuity) eliminates most of the “there’s too much backstory” barrier. Offering new comics digitally on mobile and e-reader devices eliminates the “don’t have/don’t like the LCS” barrier. Factor in that this is a very rapidly growing market of people (15 million ipads are already out there) and that these devices are designed specifically with content consumption in mind and the question really becomes “why not offer digital comics to these people that won’t buy print comics anyway?” I think more than any specific character or creative team or price point, it’s the marketing and promotion that will make or break this.

    Millions of people will see the Green Lantern movie this weekend, and at least a portion of them will like it. Ten years of history shows us that those people will probably not become regular readers of printed Green Lantern comics, but maybe they’ll go for a download. No one knows for sure yet, but since the technology available and the potential customers are out there, I can’t think of a good reason for DC not give it a shot.

  100. definitely interested in seeing some of DC’s “midseason replacement” titles waiting in the wings. 

    i thought i heard somewhere that James Robinson was doing some Hawkman thing?

    @keith7198  –there is some good historical data that shows us that businesses that don’t reinvent themselves, innovate or adapt to changing cultural trends tend to go away.

  101. But again, the comics industry is a very peculiar one. I agree that shops need to adapt to a degree. Many shops could go further to make comics a more immersive experience. But I’ve also wondered why DC and Marvel hasn’t made a stronger push to get there books BACK into other stores such as supermarkets or retail stores? They supposedly have tried but without due dilligence.

     I was in my mid 20’s before ever entering a comic shop but yet had been reading comics for over 10 years prior. That’s because comics were sold in my grocery store. That’s where I started reading them. Some publishers have pointed at Wal-Mart and cried over content barriers but there are easy ways around that without compromising creativity, IF bringing in new readers is what it’s all about. To me, that would grow the number of new readers in a way that wouldn’t jeapordize smaller shops or print accessibility in general. Pick up a copy of Batman with my bread and milk.

    Another point is that the publishers have almost completely shut out young readers. When comics were starting to boom, nearly every reader got their start reading as a kid. Now the publishers target the older crowd with little ambition to reach a younger audience. I know both DC and Marvel have their little kids line of books, but my 9 year old doesn’t want to read watered down super hero stuff. He wants to read what we’re reading. The publishers seem insensitive to this. Young comic readers often times become old comics readers.

    just some rambling thoughts.

  102. @keith7198, in my area of the country, I no longer see any magazine shops, just cramped news stands with little to no room for comics. The selves look like those medicine pill displays in a cvs/rite aid store, everything competes for your attention, it’s a big mess.

  103. I’m disappointed to see DC dropping several female-title books. Batgirl has been consisently good in my opinion: great art and fun stories. I’ll probably check out her relaunch, but I’m somewhat reluctant. 

    @keith7198: I wonder about comics for younger audiences too. At least there are some titles targeted towards them. Some kids might be ready to read mature titles and some not. That’s for parents to decide. Your two points–more comics at department stores and more comics for younger readers–might work well together. Parents might be more likely to take their kid to the store than to a comic shop. 

  104. Yet another attempt by Dan Didio to ‘shake things up’ by alienating longtime fans.   I start thinking it is safe to buy some titles again after leaving DC in the wake of Final Crisis and RIP, and DC cancels the very titles that brought me back.  How does this make sense?

  105. @aloysha2011  It makes sense in that DC Comics doesn’t publish titles specifically for you (or for any one person). Big moves require big changes and big changes will always alienate some people. The hope is (from DC’s point of view) that the big changes will draw in more people than it will alienate.

  106. @TA  Exactly! Growing up, I never had access to a comics store. Instead, my brother and I headed over to the comics rack while my parents brought groceries in our local grocery store. We browsed the books and almost always were allowed to pick one (two if the new Sgt. Rock or Fighting Marines was out – dad loved those). There was no special trip out of town or to another store. Quick access.

    In my opinion, DC and Marvel haven’t actively pursued this. There’s where you bring in new readers.

  107. @keith7198 yeah, I’d already been reading comics for a couple years before a comic shop entered the picture, and I have fond memories of walking into new grocery stores on vacations excited to discover what strange treasures lay waiting in their spinner rack. But I’m really not sure the spinner rack has that same magic when the majority of the titles are three or four dollars and not $1.25.

    As a kid in the early 90s, comics were an activity I could pursue independent of my parents because of the low price and the presence of a few spinner racks within walking/biking distance of our house.

    I don’t think that’s the case with kids today because, in general, today’s 8-11 year old kids lack both the required disposable income for comics and the independence to go get them on their own as I enjoyed.

    Kids do like comics, so a lack of interest versus video games or whatever isn’t the problem. I work in elementary schools from time to time, and I’ve seen more than a few kids reading the scholastic editions of Bone, or single issues of brave and bold, or marvel adventures, and they go crazy for them. But those books came from their school library, not from home. I’ve never asked why they don’t have comics at home (I’ll be sure to next time), but I bet price and difficulty finding them will be among the answers.

    To get kids back (from a business standpoint), prices need to come down across the board. To get prices down without killing profitability and the livelihood of the creators, sales volume needs to increase. It’s kind of been a vicious cycle. The hope is that digital can be the catalyst that begins to break that cycle, by engaging a new and growing audience hungry for content for their digital reading devices. As digital volume surpasses (but hopefully does not supplant) print volume, the increase in profitability could allow publishers to lower prices across the board, which may further increase sales volume. I’m not smart enough to say that will work and comics will be bigger than ever, but I think most of us agree that comics cannot continue with business as usual.

  108. @KenOchalek  Some very good points in what you said. I know price has to effect some young people’s ability to get books whether it’s due to financial difficulties or parent’s unwillingness to spend the money. But really comics $2.99 isn’t that bad considering. It’s hard to make a case for some of these $4.99 special issues that sometimes are only bigger due to a reprinted story from an older book stuck in the back. But I remember when comics moved to $1.00. That was a long time ago. But I may not being realistic. There are a lot of variables and the price of books could very well play a role.

    I remember when the “comics crash” happened. Many shops shut down and lots of grocery stores, etc. started removing comics from their stores. Publishers got greedy with varient covers, foil covers, etc. Flooded the market and rendered the value of the books worthless. Prior to this move, comics were doing pretty good. But yet after avoiding extinction, comics never went back into the areas that helped it prosper. I would love to see them at least try. Like you said, business as usual isn’t very stable ground.

  109. @keith7198  Many people in comics have said that it’s not a matter of comic companies not wanting to be in supermarkets, drug stores, etc. It’s that those places don’t want comics anymore.

  110. @conor  I’ve heard that too and that can be related to a point I made in an earlier post. Publishers have, for the most part, quit targeting the younger crowd. Sure they have the small number of “kid friendly” titles but so many of the main titles are age sensitive. I have a 9 year old son who loves comics but he doesn’t want to read Mega Man and Sonic the Hedgehog. He wants to read some of the books I’m reading. There are ways around this without undercutting creator freedom.

    Most of these stores removed the books after the comics business nearly tanked. They need to be persuaded that comics aren’t just for a small select age group. If they can appeal to younger readers, then you may see them in more stores.

    But truthfully I don’t know all the inner-workings of the industry and maybe my idea is too simplistic. I’m sure there’s more at play than I know. But I do know that my son goes into a comic shop with me and ends up browsing a section of books that’s way too small and offers little selection. Can’t help but think that if we are wanting new readers, maybe the publishers need to remember that many young readers become old readers.

  111. @boostergold4 : The JSA is the original heart of the DCU for the longest time in my opinion and they did say something about just giving the book a break for awhile, wouldn’t be surprised to see some of the JSA pop up in other books which will catch my eye, still hate to see em go as they are one of my few favorites right now, along with Batgirl and Red Robin. Besides its like….

    @IronCcadMerc said, a few books will probably fail after a few months and they have back ups and JSA is probably one of them but I’m leaning towards might be one of them as they might wanna give them a break for good reason but will miss em.

     

  112. I’ve really enjoyed the Booster Gold Flashpoint tie-ins. They aren’t perfect but I love the art and for the most part Jurgens is doing a nice job.

  113. THUNDER Agents is not over, at least according to Bleeding Cool. It will just be skipping September, and returning sometime after that, still written by Nick Spencer.

    So, yay! 

  114. I dont know if alot of people read this latele bu you forgot ADVENTURE COMICS
     

  115. I could have sworn that I heard somewhere before that although Nick Spencer was going Marvel exclusive, he had an option in his contract about being able to continue Thunder Agents. Thanks for clearing that up Player1!
    I’m going to miss Secret Six and Red Robin the most. I truly hope that Marcus To from Red Robin fame finds a new title to work on at DC (he would be a perfect fit for a Legion or Teen Titans book or even as a fill in for Jim Lee on Justice League because we all know that Mr. Lee is gonna have some deadline problems)- his artwork is clean, detailed and always on time. Really, really hope he doesn’t wind up at Marvel!
    As for Jonah Hex? I’m not worried; he was introduced way back when in All Star Western and is currently DC’s ONLY Western character that non comics fans have heard of (even though the movie was awful).