Scheduling: The Biggest New 52 Problem

A lot is being made about the controversial contents of a few books from DC this week. As with so much in American entertainment, the controversy boils down to sex. Regardless of where you come down on this particular divide, it brings to mind a completely different, yet related problem...

Scheduling.

In the previous week, there was the issue of strong similarities between two books that could have been resolved by the schedule for the 52 roll out being over a month long. In fairness, the schedule wasn't so tight that they couldn't have pushed one of these to another week.

But now we have the Starfire and Catwoman controversies that are overshadowing other quality releases. When you want word of mouth, reviews, buzz, etc to influence sales, a comic book Wednesday becomes much like a movie Friday: you don't want your product to get lost in all the attention competing products get. If the competing product is from your own house? Well, you quite simply bump it to a different release date where it can shine on its own.

In releasing two books that, regardless of your personal feelings about, were sure to cause a loud reaction, DC hurt a few of their other books. Ironically, Wonder Woman and (to a lesser extent) Supergirl were two high quality, otherwise-high-profile releases that aren't going to get as much attention as they merited because people will be talking about the sexual issues at play in Red Hood & the Outlaws and Catwoman.

It might be that DC had this as a calculated move, thinking two strong female characters without sexual overtones used would help counterbalance the sturm and drang caused by those otherwise-low-profile books. While you can see the logic behind that (if not, sadly, the effectiveness in use), the better move would have been to stretch out the release schedule a bit more or, at the very least, schedule the two tempests-in-a-teapot to separate weeks so they didn't go all "Wonder Twin Powers Activate! Form of...misogyny accusations! Form of...DC thinks strong women are sluts!"

Controversial works can be good for business. But when they obscure your other worthy products or waste their attention-grabbing ability by being piled up on the same date, it just doesn't make good sense.

From Krypton? No...From Crime Alley

Adam Hughes Snubbed By DC Editorial?

From the Adam Hughes fan e-mail list, Allison Sohn (artist and significant other of Adam) relayed the following when asked what Adam would be doing for covers after the Catwoman cancellation:

Adam was told back at San Diego Comic Con, in July of 2007 that Catwoman was coming to an end. At that time, DC offered Adam a new book to be cover artist on. It was to be a new title to DC, and Adam would get to be cover artist from issue one. However, within a couple of months, the powers that be at DC Comics turned around and gave that same job to another up and coming artist, without giving Adam the courtesy of letting him know he was off the title. Instead, we found out from the replacement artist. Since then DC has offered Adam several other titles to do covers on, which Adam has declined. Adam and I both agree it is in his best interest to focus on completing All Star Wonder Woman.

That's a shite way to treat the talent.