DC Thinks Comics Are Trading Cards, Only Covers Matter

DC had great success with their “Villains Month” gimmick last year, in which they put out a limited number of 3-D lenticular covers to boost sales and make it seem like their books were in high demand.

This is comics, so if a gimmick works, people keep repeating it until it’s beaten into the ground. DC’s doing the 3-D cover thing again next September, this time as a part of “Futures End“, a look into the future of the DCU. (When you can’t tell good stories, reset the timeline — that appears to be DC’s go-to strategy these days. Speaking from experience, that’s the problem with a reboot. Once you do it, it seems like a much easier out next time.)

Because fancy covers take time, DC is now soliciting for the books. Orders are due May 29 for the over 40 comics affected. The problem is, DC doesn’t know who’s going to be writing and drawing these stories. All retailers, those who have to commit the funds to buy these books, know is a title and a tie-in. Oh, and a brief plot description, which is apparently already determined.

Apparently, DC doesn’t care about the actual story inside the covers, just the fancy gimmick. This is cynical, uncaring marketing, and I regret that so many people will take part in it. Comics are magical for the stories they tell, created by actual people, not corporations. Buying comics because of one plastic picture… well, it’s been done many times before, but it doesn’t bode well.