Pixel Perfect

It might not be 72 x 72, but I think Ret-Conned looks pretty good at any size.

I pulled nineteen comics this week, which is pretty normal. Fifteen of those issues were #1s. That includes all 13 issues of DC’s New 52 and the first issue of Buffy Season 9 and Ultimate Spider-Man. I’m not sure if anything should be read into this, other than DC isn’t the only company that decided to get in on what I’m personally calling “Re-Number Fest 2011!”

The effect on sale of an issue #1 has been debated for a while now, but no one can deny the high sales DC is having over the past few weeks. I’m not saying Marvel and Dark Horse are simply jumping on that band wagon. I think all three companies, and others, have realized the current fan base has waned over the past few years and their priority is to bring the lapsed reader back, as well as bringing new readers. The invitation a #1, saying it’s okay to be clueless, might be exactly what those people need.

Ultimate Spider-man is exactly that type of issue. You do not have to know anything to enjoy Miles Morrales as a character, everything you need is given to you. It might not be the iconic origin of Peter Parker, but Miles is an interesting character with what I believe is a rich story and cast of characters. Everyone should pick up this issue,

Green Lantern is the exact opposite of what a #1 should be. It’s a total joke in that regard. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good issue, but it is continuation of the fallout of War of the Green Lanterns, and I bet it’s confusing to anyone who hasn’t been reading.

I wish DC had a more uniform policy when it came to their reboot. It’s become very clear that the high selling books, Batman and GL, were allowed to simply continue with little change, but every other book gets completely restructured. It seems to be a case of having your cake and eating it too. Dc wanted to do this reboot to draw in new readers, but they tried to appease their two largest fan bases.

This is a very interesting time to be a comic fan, but you have to worry that this is an all or nothing endeavor. DC, Marvel, Dark Horse, Image, and all the others are fighting a war against the changing time. Music, Books, TV, and Movies have all fought this battle, and are still fighting this battle. Evolve or die is the name of the game. The biggest thing the different companies need to admit is that they are allies, not enemies. Market share doesn’t matter, not in comparison to total dollars spent. If people are spending money, everybody wins in the long run.