I don’t believe in coincidences. Let’s get that out of the way right now. That doesn’t make me a conspiracy theorist or a spiritual loon. It just means when enough occurrences come together to form a pattern, there’s reason to suspect something’s up. In this case, I’m forced to ask, “Is DC Comics in trouble?”
The Not So Good News
It’s fair to say 2023 has not been kind to DC Comics. The endless parade of events has yielded more apathy and frustration than excitement. Lazarus Planet was a dud. Knight Terrors was an outright disaster if you go by the monthly Comichron numbers. Gotham War is off to a very bad start. The list keeps going.
Editorially, DC isn’t in much better shape. Storylines aren’t consistent (see the previously mentioned Knight Terrors). Choosing to stop the early sprouts of the Dawn of DC for an event turned out to be an epic blunder. Comics that reference events that haven’t happened yet because books are published out of order are becoming a regular occurrence.
The above assessment alone would give any stockholder, executive, or reader enough reason to pause, but the coincidence I’m thinking about has nothing to do with any of those examples mentioned. The coincidences I’m thinking about have everything to do with people.
The Bad News
If 2023 wasn’t bad enough creatively and editorially, DC is experiencing a few (very) public spats just within the last three months. Not with readers, pundits, or the press… but with it’s own talent.
In July, Nico Leon put out a curious tweet to the public lamenting how his work on a forthcoming Catwoman issue would likely be subpar because the writer and editors are unreasonably late with the script.
This tweet is unusual because you have an artist actively calling out the writer and editors on a book he’s actively working on, risking removal from the title or prospects of future work.
This past week (September for future readers), two notable comic writers made public announcements that they would rather give their money and rights away than have any involvement with or dependence on DC Comics. Granted, the announcements are symbolic since it’s unclear how either move affects DC Comics or the respective IPs, but the creators felt compelled to make a public show of it to spite DC Comics.
First, Bill Willingham announced he was turning his ownership of Fables and its characters over to the Public Domain. That move sounds impressive, but it remains to be seen what the practical outcome of this move means.
You can read Willingham’s full statement here: https://billwillingham.substack.com/p/willingham-sends-fables-into-the
Think about that. The creator of a critically acclaimed, well-received title would rather give his rights away to the public than have anything more to DC Comics on the matter. Yes, it’s only a gesture for now, but the public show of the announcement is the interesting bit.
Last but not least, the Comics Industry’s very own weirdo savant, Alan Moore, announced he’s directing DC Comics to send all royalties and monies he would receive from anything to do with Watchmen to Black Lives Matter (BLM).
Read about Moore’s statement: https://variety.com/2023/film/news/alan-moore-donates-film-tv-money-black-lives-matter-1235722210/
When you consider that Alan Moore dabbles in the occult, and he chooses to send the money DC Comics would give him to a corrupt, now-bankrupt charity, you have to at least pause. Satan worship and crooked charities are fine, but DC Comics is a bridge too far for Mr. Moore?
A Pattern Emerges
All comic publishers have their seasons of growth, death, and rebirth. Events come and go. Some storylines are lauded, others are reviled. And life goes on. Sure, we can concede the cycle of life on that front.
However, there’s an old saying – “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.”
Most of us have heard that saying and understand that it means you don’t turn against the person or company that provides for you. But in the span of less than three months, in one of DC Comics’ roughest years, three creators have made a public show of slapping away the hand that feeds them.
Admittedly, you could say Moore doesn’t need the money, Willingham has other work, and Leon received, at worst, a wrist slap. Still, a pattern is a pattern, and you have three creators publicly throwing money and work back into DC Comics’s figurative face within a short time.
Is DC Comics In Trouble? (The Worst News)
Without divulging secrets from people on the inside, the accurate answer is “I don’t know.”
What I do know is that DC Comics is a company that appears unstable, and an unstable company weathering a rough year will invariably breed fear, uncertainty, and doubt about its future.
If you’re a regular buyer of DC comics, expect DC to get worse before it gets better. If you’re a creator or editor hoping to hitch yourself to DC’s brand for future work, you may want to rethink your short-term plans. Lastly, if you’re a current editor and creator at DC Comics and would like to set the record straight, send me an email to arrange a talk.
We’ll be watching.
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