One of DC Comics’ biggest setbacks reflects its relaunch in the late 2000s


The 1970s Bronze Age era of comic book publishing was a time of expansion and experimentation. As part of this trend, DC Comics attempted to integrate social issues into their stories, most famously in titles such as Green Arrow/Green Lantern series. Creative teams largely moved away from the campier elements of the earlier Silver Age. Another big part of the industry that changed was comics distribution networks.

Before the 1970s, comics were distributed at newsstands at a low price. This made them accessible to a general audience. However, over time they shifted to a more niche market, gradually becoming more expensive and being sold in dedicated comic shops. As a result of this shift, publishers began expanding their assortments to appeal to a narrower demographic of readers. This may have contributed to a short-term increase in sales, but certainly led to an implosion at DC Comics.

RELATED: It’s time for DC to change its publishing schedule again

By the late 1970s, Marvel Comics had a larger market share than DC, due in part to their larger selection of titles that spanned a variety of genres. In an attempt to overtake their competitor, DC planned a marketing campaign called DC Explosion, where they would increase the number of titles in their line, as well as the lengths of the books themselves. This would also be accompanied by an overall price increase.

DC had released new titles steadily until 1978, adding 14 titles in 1976 and another 4 the following year. The explosion itself was built up in the pages of their books and officially launched on June 1, 1978, when DC expanded its lineup to 57 books. New titles included Army at War, Battle Classics, and DC Comics presents. Series that had been canceled recently also came back such as Aquaman, New Gods, and Mister Miracle. Prices rose from 35 cents to 50 cents, and dollar comics were also introduced.

Despite their efforts, however, the DC explosion was a proven sales failure. Elements beyond the company’s control, such as inflation, increased printing costs, and natural disasters affecting distribution, ultimately led to an abrupt end to the initiative. The event lasted only three months and was followed by extensive cost-cutting, cancellations and layoffs. Over time, this was referred to as the DC Implosion by outside observers. During this time, it was also reportedly decided that DC’s long-running series, detective comics, had to be cancelled. At the time, it outsold the largely popular series Batman family. However, this was overturned and the two books were merged. By the end of 1978, DC had canceled a staggering 31 books.

RELATED: DC Filed Lawsuit To Protect Superman From Wonder Man Impersonations — But Not The One You Think

The canceled series is included All Star Comics, Firestorm, and black lightning, most of which had only lasted a few issues. Many books were canceled before they hit the shelves, one of the more notable ones being The vixen, which would have been the first comic book to feature an African-American female protagonist. Some stories came later Canceled cartoon cavalcade in 1978, a limited run that saw a number of unpublished stories come to print. This ranged from rough sketches to finished material and was mainly done by DC to establish copyright over stories and characters.

In the years since DC Comics has seen its lineup expand and shrink many times. One of the more recent cases was the New 52 initiative, where 52 series came out of the publisher in an attempt to breathe new life into sales. Initially met with success, many of the books were canceled relatively quickly, similar to what happened over thirty years earlier. The event also created a degree of controversy. Some creators weren’t treated fairly, leading to the quick departure of legendary artist George Perez and star writer Gail Simone. The event quickly became convoluted and was replaced by a more successful DC Rebirth initiative. This just goes to show that comic book publishers should pay attention to the past. Quantity rarely triumphs over quality.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *