DC Comics considers jumping from monthy to weekly

By TERRY MORROW
Scripps Howard News Service
Thursday, June 21, 2007

DC Comics -- the world's largest publisher of monthly comics -- is considering the notion of going weekly.

The company had a successful launch in 2006 with "52," a weekly comic book featuring B-list characters such as Animal Man and Adam Strange. "52's" stories, told in "real time," set stories in the same week the book was released.

Late in the spring of this year, DC released "Countdown," a story also told in real time but starring more popular characters such as Superman and the Justice League.

"I believe in the weekly format. That's why we are doing ('Countdown')," says Dan Didio, executive editor of DC. "It's a strong way of (publishing). It takes full advantage of our distribution system ... We are tempted by that."

Didio says DC is in the planning stages of doing a third weekly series, set for 2008.

That series, however, would come after "Countdown," which is setting up for a large, and possibly continuity changing, climax issue, out next year.

Fans seem to like the format, too. " '52' sold beyond our expectations," Didio says. "'Countdown' is selling a little less than '52,' maybe 10 percent less. But it's doing better than our expectations."

Didio says the audience reading the weekly books is "loyal" because "they go into the stores every week, and there is a destination book for them every week."

While "Countdown" is touted as DC's big event book of the summer, the publisher also has other plans such as:

-- Longtime comic book duo Green Arrow and Black Canary are engaged and will marry in September. "Weddings are a staple in comics," Didio says.

Their relationship has gone on for 30 years and has endured rape, infidelity and numerous breakups.

-- "Countdown" will spin-off a new team and title, "Challengers from Beyond." Superheroes such as Donna Troy and Kyle Rayner will explore parallel universes.

-- The Flash comic, re-launched last year, will be canceled with issue No. 13 later this summer. A new Flash series will replace it, starting with issue No. 1 and featuring a new Flash.

Didio says the character of Barry Allen, a longtime fan favorite, will not be resurrected as the next Flash.

-- As New York Times best-selling author Brad Meltzer completes his stint as writer on Justice League of America in the fall, Dwayne McDuffie, who wrote episodes of Cartoon Network's "Justice League" series, will take over.