Are public domain characters worth pursuing?
Comic Reviews for week ending 5/22/2022
Good morning, my friend,
Public Domain characters have been on my mind lately, and I suspect I’m not alone. Globally recognized characters such as Superman and Spider-Man are locked in a death grip by their publishers. If we hope to see solid action-adventure superhero stories, there’s no choice but to look elsewhere until DC and Marvel figure out how to level their respective ships.
That leaves two choices. Create brand new characters from scratch that, hopefully, aren’t obvious derivatives of known characters and invite constant comparison. The other option is to look to the past when the world of superhero comics was still new, when the wellspring of creativity was unhampered by licensing deals, merchandising, and the dreaded “writing for Netflix” curse that infects too many writers these days. Back then, the best comic published was the final goal, and “competition” wasn’t a dirty word.
You could accuse me of romanticizing an earlier time. I’ll take that criticism, and I’ll counter by saying I’d take a romantic view of what was and could be again over the noxious cynicism of today. Motivation over a positive lie can be just as powerful as over an inconvenient truth.
I’m not a lawyer, and it would take more than I know to capture the nuances of public domain superheroes, so here’s a brief wiki primer: Public Domain Super Heroes
The appeal is in finding one or more heroes unrestricted by corporate shenanigans. The characters are already named, costumed, and established with backstories and abilities. You could continue their adventures in their time of origin as a period piece and go hog wild or bring them forward with a refreshed look and purpose (as long as you adhere to trademark/copyright restrictions). Imagine the creative freedom and fun potential of somebody handing you a superhero and saying, “do whatever you like.”
Publishers have gone the public domain route before, most notably Dynamite Comics. The Project: Superpowers line is entirely based on bringing a collection of public domain characters into the present with interesting results. Better still, an indie creator can take the same characters Dynamite has used and create their own vision for the same characters without infringement. Creatively, it’s a win-win.
Of course, every up has its down. Even in the public domain sphere, there are little booby traps of restrictions. Some characters may not be used on promotional materials or comics covers or used with the exact same name or have their costumes changed in certain ways. Every character needs to be evaluated individually, and their restrictions taken into account. And yes, just as there’s nothing stopping you from using the characters Dynamite chooses, there’s nothing stopping anyone else from borrowing the characters you choose. You could argue that model ensures the better stories win, but not every creator is a fan of the Thunderdome approach to comic storytelling.
The other point to consider is the effect of age. Public domain superheroes are in the domain because they’re old. Very old. Therefore, the superhero choices can be very dated with backstories that don’t fit in the modern world, powers that sounded goofy then and patently ridiculous now, and so on. There’s a reason several public domain heroes never survived past their first few years, so there’s a risk trying to adapt a superhero that failed because it just isn’t good.
Where does that leave us? Public domain characters are a potential goldmine for creators who have the passion for creating superhero adventures but need a little inspiration, unfettered by corporate red tape. The key there is “passion.” Sales aren’t going to fall into a casual creator’s lap, and the risk of competition (should that character’s resurrection catch on) is high. But if you’ve got the itch to polish off an old diamond in the rough, I believe the Public Domain route has tons of potential.
What do you think? Are Public Domain superheroes a goldmine waiting to be discovered or a Fool’s Gold Rush guaranteed to waste a creator’s time.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. You never know. Your comments just might be highlighted in the next newsletter.
Now, let’s talk about the week in comics.
This Week’s Deals of the Day [DotD]
[DotD] Batman: Detective Comics #1006 print by Dan Quintana
[DotD] Avengers Marvel Legends Series 6-inch She-Hulk Action Figure
[DotD] DC Multiverse Superboy-Prime Infinite Crisis 7-Inch Figure
[DotD] Batman Gotham City Mini 4D Puzzle
BELLE: LABYRINTH – Review
SPEED REPUBLIC #4 – Review
HELL SONJA #5 – Review
JOHN CARTER OF MARS #2 – Review
NYX #6 – Review
JENNIFER BLOOD (VOL. 2) #8 – Review
DOCTOR WILDER #2 – Review
RISE OF DRACULA #5 – Review
LIFE ZERO #4 – Review
IN HIS OWN IMAGE #3 – Review
BUZZARD & BONE #1 – Review
ARMORCLADS #3 – Review
CLODAGH #2 – Indie Review
HEAVY KILL – Indie Review
Lead City #3 (Red 5 Comics)
Myths & Legends Quarterly: Jasmine (Zenescope Entertainment)
The Harbinger #8 (Valiant Entertainment)
Elvira in Horrorland #1 (Dynamite Comics)
Red Sonja (Vol. 6) #9 (Dynamite Comics)
Sheena: Queen of the Jungle (Vol. 2) #6 (Dynamite Comics)
Cover of Darkness #5 (Source Point Press)
Good Boy (Vol. 2) # (Source Point Press)
Ultramax #1 (Source Point Press)
Doctor Wilder #3 (Blackbox Comics)
Fear the Family First (Vol. 1) (Indie Submission)
Sacrifice #1 (Indie Submission)
That’s the shortlist. We’ll add more as time and resources allow.
Again, thanks for your support. Please share (the handy dandy ‘Share’ button is down below) this newsletter with everyone you can. Your support ensures we can keep bringing you great content for a very long time.
Also, follow us on all the socials (FB, IG, TW, etc.) via @ComicalOpinions
Have a great day!