DC Comics recently announced that they plan to, yet again, reboot the DC universe this coming September. This means that all series, including Superman, Batman, and the rest will all start over at issue #1.
This is nothing new from DC. They had various restarts and reboots in 1994 and 2005, with Zero Hour and Infinite Crisis, respectively. These shake-up plans seem to be a move of desperation to capture new readers in a medium that seems become less profitable annually. A common complaint of a non-comic reader is that the current books are too hard to get into; far too many characters and back stories that can’t possibly be understood with casual readership. While everyone knows these character’s origins, as they are a part of American culture now, that doesn’t mean the contemporary characters are easy to connect with. If you were to ask any average individual what they know about Batman, it is likely they will tell you about one of the recent movies, and know nothing of the comic books. DC is going to try and make it easier for those folks to start or get back into reading comics books.
The casual comic book consumer might find this a smart move, and perhaps it is for DCs profitability, but what about the seasoned reader who has followed these books for years and years? DC seems to treat them as an afterthought with a move like this. They are the ones who have stuck with the company and its stories, month after month. DC runs a big risk in alienating its fan base by trying to appeal to the casual market. Will faithful readers really be willing to start over yet again?
Written By Chris Harder
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DC Comics