Well, we've pretty much all seen the surprise statement from the DC August solicits, haven't we?
IMPORTANT NOTE: Because of its impact on the DC Universe, FLASHPOINT #5 is the only title that DC Comics is currently soliciting to arrive in stores on August 31.
Everyone is speculating about what it means, what Marvel's response might be, how comic shops should feel, etc.
Well, allow me to slow everything down a minute, and say "Yeah, right."
Remember, we're dealing with DC, who has little compunction about lying to its audience. Remember how Countdown was supposed to be a 52-issue series, but wasn't? How Countdown's covers lied about who the stars of the series were?
Remember when they out and out fibbed about the number of tie-in series to Final Crisis?
So, if you're taking this announcement at face value, well, you're pretty silly, I think. I will give you 50/50 that this announcement is "revised" at least once before we hit August.
Plus, look at all the weasel words they left in there. "Currently soliciting"?? Why say that, why include "currently," unless you at least thought you might change that in the future?
Obviously, "DC Comics" leaves ample room for Vertigo, Johnny DC and other sundry things to be released.
And "on August 31"--just leave it to DC to release the rest of their comics on Thursday September 1st that week--and technically, they won't have to tell anyone until the September solicits. Too clever by half...but would anyone actually argue that DC is incapable of such a shifty move in the name of cheap publicity?
Yeah, maybe I'm nuts. And maybe I've just been burned one too many times by DC's bait and switch on matters like this.
But only one book the week of 8/31? I'll believe it when I see it.
4 comments:
It's worth pointing out that 8/31 is a fifth Wednesday; traditionally a light week for both Marvel and DC since all their monthly books have already come out during the first four weeks.
Historically, DC has done some sort of fifth-week event for those: a bunch of related one-shots or whatever. It sounds to me like this stunt is just their new version of a fifth-week event.
I wouldn't believe DC if it told me my own mother was on fire without seeing smoke first.
Lazarus Lupin
http://strangespanner.blogspot.com/
art and review
Mike--fair point, but DC and Marvel have mostly gotten away from the "light" weeks in recent years. This coming June is a 5-Wednesday month, for example, but on 6/29 DC is still publishing 8 continuing titles (including 2 Green Lantern mags) in addition to 7 one-shots or minis, which is nearly identical to what they're putting out the other weeks in June.
When it comes to future entertainment projects/news, I prefer to think about those lies as "spoiler prevention".
I sleep better at night.
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