Party in the front, Business in the back
Comic Reviews for week ending 8/21/2022
Good morning, my friend,
It’s been a hoot of a week for all the announcements, juggling, and shenanigans associated with the Warner Bros/Discovery merger. That merger, of course, has a direct impact on the current and future state (*heh*) of DC Comics as a subsidiary of WB. Why? As with all mergers and buyouts, the new bosses will look at how things are done and change them to appease the new owners.
By several accounts, the new bosses are taking a look at DC Comics’ financial state much sooner than expected, but make no mistake, that closer look was always coming. However, the financials are not the area where I expect to see DC suffer the most shakeups. It’s in their Legal and HR departments.
Before we dig into my rationale, it helps to understand the general public reception and how pundits “think” things will go on the extreme edges of analysis. When the merger with Discovery was first announced, you could see reactions ranging from “DC is going to be sold off” to “DC is going to get the money to do things right.” Of course, the reality is invariably somewhere in the middle.
When a bought company is making money, the product and the people making it are the last things to be touched by new corporate overlords. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. On the other end of the spectrum, a broken product line truly in need of fixing takes analysis, consulting, and time to figure out a strategy. In short, the “party” (to quote the subject line above) will keep on going until the new bosses figure out if something is broken and how to fix it. For an industry as unique as comics, the assessment alone will take time.
The backend business processes, however, are a much different story, and that’s where you’re going to see the changes happen first to affect the party in the front, namely through Legal and HR. If DC’s Legal processes (dictating contracts, agreements, NDAs, etc.) are in disarray, Discovery will address those gaps very quickly and depending on how robust Discovery’s legal processes are. You could see DC adjusting their agreements with suppliers and talent very soon. If nothing else, Discovery will want to ensure it’s protected against liability by making sure DC’s contractual agreements are in order.
The HR gaps, assuming there are gaps, will have the biggest potential for short-term change as DC could see a radical update to how they hire, fire, and communicate to the public. Imagine a scenario where DC editors, for example, were required to adhere to performance plans and performance reviews, and you could see how a change in HR leads to a direct change in the quality of the comics.
Are changes coming for DC? Yes, you can bet money on it.
Will a review of the comic sales financials be the catalyst to drive change? Maybe, but maybe not.
What will guarantee a change in the way DC does things? Look for shifts in Legal and HR. Discovery doesn’t need to know anything about comics to make those changes quickly, and DC’s antiquated or lack of process in certain areas will shift how DC operates, potentially for the better.
This is a dry topic, I know, but the merger and its fallout are top of mind for anyone who follows what’s going on in the Comics Industry. What are you hoping to see happen as a result of the merger? What does a new and improved DC look like for you? Let us know in the Comments section below.
Now, let’s talk about the week in reviews.
DANDY PRESENTS: PENNY DREADFULS (ONE-SHOT) – Review
MONSTROUS: BOOK OF THE DEAD #3 – Review
LITTLE RED RONIN #2 – Review
NOOK #3 – Review
GOOD BOY (VOL. 2) #4 – Review
KOLD (ONE-SHOT) – Review
YUKI VS. PANDA #10 – Review
SHOW’S END: THE SECOND COMING #2 – Review
NOTTINGHAM #10 – Review
AUGUST: PURGATORY UNDERGROUND #1 – Review
DEJAH THORIS FAIRY TALES (ONE-SHOT) – Review
NYX #9 – Review
PANTHA #4 – Review
SAMURAI SONJA #3 – Review
VAMPIRELLA STRIKES #4 – Review
GUN HONEY: BLOOD FOR BLOOD #1 – Review
BOOK OF SHADOWS #2 – Review
GRIMM FAIRY TALES 2022 ANNUAL – Review
HERE COMES CALICO #1 – Indie Review
John Carter of Mars #5 (Dynamite Comics)
Red Sonja (Vol. 6) #12 (Dynamite Comics)
Vampirella: Year One #2 (Dynamite Comics)
Grimm Fairy Tales #63 (Dynamite Comics)
Myths & Legends Quarterly: Wonderland (Dynamite Comics)
Mechanix #2 (Source Point Press)
N.O.A. #1 (Source Point Press)
The Oblivion Trials #3 (Source Point Press)
Ultramax #4 (Source Point Press)
A-Men #1 (Indie Submission)
Sonny #1 (Second Sight Publishing)
Doctor Who: Origins #4 (Titan Comics)
Bêlit & Valeria #4 (Ablaze Publishing)
Ninja Kaidan #2 (Blackbox Comics)
That’s the shortlist for now. We’ll add more titles and adjust as time and resources allow.
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