This September, DC Entertainment is making history by launching 52 #1 DC Comics issues starring the World’s Greatest Super-Heroes. To commemorate this milestone occasion, DC Entertainment will be releasing DC COMICS: THE NEW 52, a massive hardcover collection that collects every single one of these debut issues. Hitting stores on December 7th just in time for the holiday season, this 1,216-page compilation will sell for $150.00 and include such issues as:
• JUSTICE LEAGUE #1 by Geoff Johns and Jim Lee
• ACTION COMICS #1 by Grant Morrison and Rags Morales
• BATMAN #1 by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo
• GREEN LANTERN #1 by Geoff Johns and Doug Mahnke
• SWAMP THING #1 by Scott Snyder and Yanick Paquette
• STORMWATCH #1 by Paul Cornell and Miguel Sepulveda
• TEEN TITANS #1 by Scott Lobdell and Brett Booth
• And 45 more!
Skitch Commentary: I am all for innovative ideas, but I think DC is making a huge mistake here. 160 bucks is basically cover for these 52 titles. Who is going to wait til December to pay $150 for what could be a lot of titles they have no interest in reading? I’m a huge supporter of DC Relaunch, and there are still plenty of comics I just will not be reading. They would be better off doing this as a few cheap soft covers like Crossgen used to do with Forge and Edge. Put some titles that will likely be lower performing (like Mister Terrific or I, Vampire) in with Justice League and Action Comics, to try and get an audience for them.
I guess part of the problem for me is that I have never thought of comics as collectibles. I enjoy reading them, and this just doesn’t seem like a convenient or economic way to read these comics. I just can’t see a lot of customers for something like this. I would rather DC be using resources on trying to cultivate more interest in the books. At San Diego Comic Con, DC will be selling hardcover volumes of just the covers. 4 volumes, 40 bucks each. Granted, at least there you will be able to get them signed and sketched on, but I still think it’s way overpriced.
