DC Follies?
Sep. 9th, 2009 02:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sdelmonteThat's DC as in Comics, not Washington. For today Time Warner announced a major restructuring of DC Comics as a more closely controlled division of Warner Bros. studios. There will be a new boss, who will report to the studio head; a new emphasis on marketing and movies; and the end of Paul Levitz's career as the head of DC Comics. He gets bumped to being a consultant and writer, while the new boss is the woman best known for marketing the Harry Potter films and merchandise.
Gotta say, this is what I think a lot of fans have been dreading. For years, no matter what we thought of the comics themselves, we took a little comfort in that DC could do whatever it wanted without any attention from the megalith that owned them since the late 60s. And we knew that sooner or later, someone would notice the slim profit margins and tiny audience buying comic books, and say, "this is not working." Well, that day is here. From now on, it's all about making movies and selling toys, and all the things that corporations seem to do well. And probably will be about comic books less and less.
Yes, it's true that I have been critical of a lot of what DC has done of late. But I was still generally happy with comics that existed as comics and not as ads for other things. And as good as super-hero films and TV shows have managed to become, I always thought of those things as inferior to a good super-hero comic book.
I hope that in a year, there will still be a vital line of comics from DC and Vertigo and Wildstorm. I hope that there will occasionally be sleeper hits from all three lines. I hope that Paul Levitz will actually be consulted, and not just given a gold watch and the chance to write Legion again. And I hope that the people taking over DC will realize that comic books are more than just fodder for movies or TV shows or t-shirts.
But I think that this time, I am hoping in vain.
Gotta say, this is what I think a lot of fans have been dreading. For years, no matter what we thought of the comics themselves, we took a little comfort in that DC could do whatever it wanted without any attention from the megalith that owned them since the late 60s. And we knew that sooner or later, someone would notice the slim profit margins and tiny audience buying comic books, and say, "this is not working." Well, that day is here. From now on, it's all about making movies and selling toys, and all the things that corporations seem to do well. And probably will be about comic books less and less.
Yes, it's true that I have been critical of a lot of what DC has done of late. But I was still generally happy with comics that existed as comics and not as ads for other things. And as good as super-hero films and TV shows have managed to become, I always thought of those things as inferior to a good super-hero comic book.
I hope that in a year, there will still be a vital line of comics from DC and Vertigo and Wildstorm. I hope that there will occasionally be sleeper hits from all three lines. I hope that Paul Levitz will actually be consulted, and not just given a gold watch and the chance to write Legion again. And I hope that the people taking over DC will realize that comic books are more than just fodder for movies or TV shows or t-shirts.
But I think that this time, I am hoping in vain.
(no subject)
Date: Sep. 10th, 2009 02:07 am (UTC)A shake up like this at Marvel would do a lot of good. (Honestly, I think a more drastic shake-up is called for, and has been for over a decade.) But at DC? Even considering the disdain I have for most of the editorial direction there right now, this could end up doing more damage than good.
Then again, if this is just what Warner needs to do to move more comics ideas into the movie division, it might not mean much of a change for the actual comics. I think we'll just have to wait and see.