The Pros and Cons of DC’s Renumbering
A new number 1! A fresh start, a different direction, a jumping on point, a possible collector’s item, an attention grabber! All these are why readers old and new might be excited about DC’s restarting of its entire line later this year. Newbies who have perhaps contemplated reading comics in the past no longer have to fear diving into the middle of a convoluted storyline; others may get drawn in by the media attention that the relaunch garners. Some people may just see this as a rare opportunity to own a book that says Action Comics #1 on the cover, hoping that some day it might be worth a fraction of the original issue to bear that title. Those who have been fans of the medium for years may be excited because the new numbering gives at least the appearance that DC is serious about this and that after the past several years of crises (see Infinite Crisis and Final Crisis) and character changes (Green Lantern, Batman, and Flash to name but a few), there is a new unified world that is going in a new, potentially exciting direction. Fans of some characters may explore others when the new 52 launch.
On the other side: Another number 1?! Didn’t we just do this? What was the point of the crises and the efforts to clean up the continuities of characters like Donna Troy, Hawkman, and Power Girl if everything is just being reset anyway? And why should this reboot last any longer than the ones that came before it? These are valid concerns of existing comic fans.
A new number 1 could potentially turn people away. After Infinite Crisis, Flash restarted with a new number 1 with a new character (Bart Allen) under the mask, only for the old star and old numbering to return a year later. But only for a short while, as that book was then canceled and a new number 1 featuring Barry Allen took its place. Now, barely a year after that, the book is restarting with a new number 1. With so many “first issues,” the concept of a relaunch has lost much of its meaning in this case.
The same could be said for any old property in a relatively new series (anything less than 75 issues still feels pretty recent). It creates the impression that The Powers That Be can’t make up their mind when it comes to these titles so they just keep trying new things, hoping that one will stick. Renumbering flagship books such as Action and Detective Comics can be viewed as tarnishing the long, storied histories of these titles that have been around since the 1930s.
As far as drawing attention, existing readers do not need new numbering to jump onto a new title. If a character has a big enough story, people will check it out regardless of whether it’s number 1 or 100.
Taking all of the above into account, is renumbering books the right thing to do? From a business perspective, absolutely. Restarting the entire line will draw new readers. The buzz will get their attention, and the big 1’s on the cover will have them comfortably opening their wallets for characters they’ve always wanted to know better, and perhaps some they’ve never even heard of.
Collectors won’t be able to resist, and many will buy up the entire line, even if they couldn’t care less about Swamp Thing. And the bitter, traditional long-time fans? Sure, they may be annoyed, but they’ll still be there as long as the stories are good. And after all, isn’t that what it’s all about?