The DCU is revamping its appearances on the big and small screen, and fans of the classic characters being adapted have several shows and movies to look forward to. Superhero films are big moneymakers at the box office, though this sadly hasn't been reflected in the sales of the comic books they're based on. Thankfully, James Gunn's recent announcements may have finally turned that around.
After Gunn established which classic comic book stories he chose as inspiration for his DCU reboot, several of those titles quickly sold out online. This shows a successful route for parleying movie success into comic book sales, something which has eluded the industry for years. Thus, intermingled marketing seems to be the key to a DC rebirth across multiple mediums.
DC's Supergirl and The Authority Sold Out After Gunn's Announcements
After revealing the "Chapter 1" movie and TV show slate for the new DC Universe, James Gunn revealed some of the comic books that would inspire the upcoming projects. He made it clear that these would only be influences instead of outright adaptations, though the choices (which included classics such as the iconic story All-Star Superman) made several fans happy. It also seemed to capture the interest of others who've never owned or read the titles, as evidenced by what happened next. Within the next day, books such as Tom King's Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow and the first volume of Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch's The Authority were sold out across various online venues, something which is unprecedented on several levels.
Typically, comic books, graphic novels and trade paperbacks take quite a while to outright sell out, even on mainstream sites such as Amazon. Even stranger is the fact that some of these books aren't the most mainstream of titles. While Supergirl herself is fairly well-known and the Woman of Tomorrow book was well-received, it's still a fairly unknown title compared to the likes of All-Star Superman. The same could even be said about The Authority, which featured darker characters who once belonged to a separate universe. These titles being able to sell out and in such a quick capacity is a game changer, not only for their properties but for comics as a whole.
Gunn's DCU Marketing Highlights the Biggest Issue with Comics
One huge problem with comic books that has led to their huge decline in sales is that they're typically hard to find. Completely missing in action from big box retailers, including dedicated bookstores, physical comic books are many times relegated to independent "mom and pop" shops. Due to these stories being small businesses, they many times lack the marketing and presence of larger corporations and more mainstream retailers. Thus, comic books languish due to most simply not knowing where to buy them.
James Gunn had previously stated that he intended to work closely with DC editor-in-chief Jim Lee in order to have more synergy with comics and movies. Promoting comics and trades through social media is a great way to increase their sales, especially when they tie into upcoming TV and movie projects. Likewise, writers and artists on comic books, especially those featuring characters currently being used in shows and movies, should work alongside the publishers themselves on social media to promote their books and get those interested in what they watched to give the source material a read.
Something similar was also done with the most recent trailer for Shazam! Fury of the Gods, with said trailer's ending spotlighting the Shazam! comics that inspired the movie. Likewise, even though the movie itself was a box office disappointment, it's undeniable that Dwayne Johnson used social media and his popularity to promote Black Adam. Similar tactics could be used for new comic books and events, utilizing the actors who portray certain characters to advertise books that mainstream audiences might not know of. This way, everyone is aware that, even after the credits roll, there's still a lot more fun to be had with their favorite characters. If the responses to Gunn's recent tweets are anything to go by, this could be a surefire recipe for consistent sales success, something that comic books are in desperate need of.