Long considered family entertainment, superheroes over the years have become darker and racier, geared more toward young adults than youths. Though the superhero makeovers aren’t as raw as some of the others DC has reissued - “Voodoo,’’ for instance, seems like soft porn - the content is nonetheless aimed at a more mature readership than ever.
“Comic book sales have been slipping in recent years, and we needed to make changes,’’ DC Comics copublishers Jim Lee and Dan DiDio said in a statement. “We needed to energize our existing fan base, reconnect with lapsed readers, and introduce our storytelling to people who know our characters from films and TV but have never read a comic book.’’
DC Comics and its main rival, Marvel Comics, introduced superheroes to generations of young readers - DC with Superman in 1939, Marvel with the Fantastic Four in 1961. Among DC’s other super characters are Batman, Catwoman, and Wonder Woman. Marvel’s roster includes Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Hulk, and Captain America. Marvel revamped some of its characters in the 1990s but has not done a complete overhaul like DC’s.
But readership has been dwindling over the years. Comic book sales, which have decreased steadily since 1996, plunged 27 percent from January 2010 to January 2011, according to Diamond Comics Distributors. DC is hoping to slow that trend, with the remake of its heroes.
Early indications are positive for DC. Justice League, the first re-release that came out on Aug. 31, sold out in five hours and has gone through four reprints, making it the highest-selling comic book from any publisher this year. Most of the comic books retail for $2.99.
“Every single [issue] went at least to a second printing, and that’s unheard of,’’ said Jaben Wyneken, a buyer for Newbury Comics’ 29 New England stores. The first reissue of Justice League sold 2,500 copies among Newbury customers; the last issue before the relaunch sold fewer than 200.
