DC Made the Wrong Move by Spoiling Batman/Catwoman's Wedding

WARNING: This article contains major spoilers for Batman #50, on sale July 4 from DC Comics.

DC Comics and the New York Times spoiling the events of this week's highly-anticipated Batman #50 has left a sour taste in the mouths of some readers, particularly those who have been religiously following the book since Bruce Wayne proposed to Selina Kyle in Batman #24.

Many fans took issue with the spoiler, which could be found in the headline of the article, giving folks little to no time to properly react and avoid the critical plot detail. DC defended the marketing and public relations strategy, but, unsurprisingly, fans weren't placated by the publisher's rationale and overall handling of the situation.

With the backlash still going strong, especially on social media, and reader disappointment still being voiced, it seems DC might not have made the right decision after all.

John Cunningham, DC’s Senior Vice President of Sales, offered up five points rationalizing why this strategy was adopted -- basically, to create buzz and attract new comics readers or those who don't read the title on a regular basis. The hope there is that the lapsed or uninitiated will buy-in for the issue only to get hooked on writer Tom King's ongoing arc, but the fans who have been passionately following the story just aren't buying the excuses.

The logic is quite simple: Loyalists want to enjoy the experience of reading the story real-time. They want to soak in every moment and savor the ups and downs as they have done with King's engagement storyline in its entirety, tie-ins and all. To fans, the end of this issue is the culmination of an epic rollercoaster ride, and spoilers run the risk of lessening the event's innate hype. Keeping such a big development a secret might seem like a small thing, but it means a lot to readers who have stuck with this arc through thick and thin.

The shock of a final page is a payoff few fans are able to get in this day and age, especially in an internet culture where spoilers are omnipresent. Few comics can still pull off this magic, where a revelation can leave you breathless. Such a spoiler-forward article can potentially leave people feeling robbed of this cathartic experience of discovery.

Even industry writers have voiced concerns over the spoilers. Most of all King, who knows how fans have been invested in the future of Batman and Catwoman and the prospect of the Bat-family becoming the BatCat-family. Sure, he admitted he's "excited" by what's to come afterwards, but his admitting he was "pissed" also speaks volumes. The fact he was also telling fans to avoid spoilers, along with the likes of Scott Snyder and Dan Slott (who's has a torrid time with spoiler culture during his Amazing Spider-Man run), says a lot. From a business perspective, DC believes targeted spoilers make sense. But if it really helps the fan experience, why are seasoned writers denouncing the business move?

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When news of the spoilery article first broke, King tweeted: "Ugh. Batman 50 spoilers are now out there. Ignore/avoid them (or try to) and read the issue." The author even endorsed muting potential spoilers online because he understands the fan journey and subsequent reactions -- it isn't that fans are hating, it's all about them reaching the destination at the end of the literary adventure, something which also applies for creators, too.

That first time experiencing a story is so hard to recapture once spoilers are out there, which Slott summed up quite feistily: “Storytellers WANT to tell you the BEST stories possible. To do that, some of the most important tools in our toolbox are surprise reveals. If you rob us of that, you can kill the heart of a story that MANY people have poured months of our lives into -- writers, pencilers, inkers, colorists, letterers and editors. For a lot of us TELLING that story is more rewarding than any paycheck -- it’s why we do what we do.”

Even the writer of the Times piece, George Gene Gustines, expressed regret with how things played out with the headline readers didn't even need to click on to be spoiled. He admitted: "[...] if I had a Legion time bubble, I would handle it differently," adding that he should have asked his editors for "a non-spoiler headline." DC even retweeted the article link, while maintaining it was "spoiler-filled," and, as Gustines confessed, "they [DC] did not know how I would approach it, but they knew I would reveal the twist.” Still, DC isn't absolved there, as they endorsed a link to something which ruins the outcome of the "Batrimony." So, some semblance of responsibility should be taken.

The thing is, the pro-spoiler movement may not be dying down anytime soon, as it doesn't seem to affect retailers' bottom lines. Ryan Higgins, owner of Comics Conspiracy, told CBR: "As of opening this morning, I've only received one message about Batman #50, and that was to add one of each cover to their pull list. We have an insanely strong following for Tom King at the store, customers who are in for the long haul. The 'will they/won't they' of the wedding was pretty obvious, I think, to most people reading his run."

Richmond's Velocity Comics also added: "No one has canceled anything yet, not even the customers who pre-ordered multiple copies." Some might say the spoiler ploy is a bummer, some might say it's a gimmick, but it sounds like shops are trudging on unperturbed, even planning midnight wedding parties for the release. There's no tangible evidence so far that orders are being cancelled en masse. Texas’ Tribe Comics and Games and Ohio’s Laughing Ogre echoed similar thoughts.

So, why don't the online pitchforks transform into real-life ones? It may be a combination of things -- the sentimental need to finish the arc, no matter what; fans liking King's work so much (he is a very social media-friendly and a well-liked creator) that the impact won't be diminished; and the long term endearment to the characters which just can't be spoiled.

With that in mind, the argument right now is all about courtesy, because fans have survived spoilers before and they'll do so long after this incident dies down. All they're asking for is some consideration to live the experience from the interior pages itself, not from online clicks or word of mouth on the street.

Batman #50 goes on sale Wednesday, July 4 from DC Comics.