Newsarama has reported today that DC is going to unveil their new “co-features” format on three of their titles: Doom Patrol, Booster Gold and Teen Titans. You can read it here. What DC is planning to do is to give the reader a full 22 main story and then a back-up story centering on another character or group. In the case of these three titles, Doom Patrol will feature the Metal Men in a back-up story, Booster Gold will feature Blue Beetle in a back-up story and Teen Titans will feature Ravager in a back-up story. It appears that with at least two of the three titles that DC is trying to select characters that have some type of relationship with the character(s) in the main story.
The downside is that the price on these three titles will be raised from $2.99 to $3.99. Now, I am rarely happy to hear about a price increase. But, in this case, I do not mind it in the least. I think this new co-features format is a brilliant idea by DC. And since DC is going to be giving us more pages than what we get in a standard 22 page issue then I do not mind the price increase. At least DC will be giving me something extra in return for the increase in cover price. This is not the same as Marvel jacking up the price to New Avengers and still giving me the same crap that I got for $2.99.
The co-feature format is also an excellent idea since it gives panel time to characters that otherwise may not get a monthly title at all like Ravager or the Metal Men. And it gives panel time to characters that could not support their own monthly title like Blue Beetle. This should make fans of characters that do not warrant their own monthly titles very happy. And it should open up more opportunities for different writers and artists to get work with DC in order to showcase their talents.
The downside is if you collect one of these titles and have no interest at all in the character(s) to appear in the back-up story. For example, while I love me some Ted Kord, I hate the new Blue Beetle. So, for me, I know have to pay an extra dollar more for Booster Gold for back-up stories about a character that I could care less about. And it is understandable for fans who simply want to purchase a Teen Titans comic or a Booster Gold comic and have no interest at all in Blue Beetle or Ravager to be pissed off that they will now have to pay another dollar extra for those respective titles.
Still, in the end I think the co-feature is a good idea. Look, $3.99 comic books seem to be inevitable. Therefore, I at least respect and appreciate that DC is attempting to give me something more for my money on these titles that will be raised to a $3.99 cover price.
DC has also stated that they will be adding the co-feature format to even more of their titles in the future. There are several titles that seem to scream out for the co-feature format. Kelson at Speed Force has smartly suggested that DC use this format for a new Flash title. I would love to see DC give the main story to Barry Allen and then rotate Jay, Wally and Bart in the back-up story. I would even go so far as suggest that other speedsters from DC’s past make appearances in the back-up story like Johnny Quick.
I would imagine that since Manhunter had such an incredibly devout, but small, readership that she would be a good candidate for being inserted into a title as a co-feature. There are plenty of interesting characters that could benefit from this co-feature format. I am excited to see what DC has in store for us with this co-feature format.
6 thoughts on “DC’s New Co-Feature Format”
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I am wondering: what is the argument against just making the main story longer and charging an extra buck?
I am not opposed to backup strip but my experience with independent comics who adopted a backup strip was that within five or six issues I ended up feeling very frustrated and ripped up.
However, I am modestly optimistic, since I enjoyed backup strips in the 1960s/70s DC comics I have bought second hand. On the other hand, that may be because they were not written in a deconstructed style, but were generally self-contained.
Putting these features in the back of books that actually sell well, would be a better idea.
For that matter so would sticking a small story in the Trade paper backs.
Sadly, as a Booster Gold fan since 1986 and BG 1, I think i am going to drop it from my pull list. If it was like dlpulver suggested and more Booster then I would be in for the extra buck, but not for Blue Beetle. This isn’t to say I won’t collect Booster Gold, but it will move to my “buy on eBay later or on Black Friday” list so I can save some money. I hope it doesn’t affect BG as far as cancellation, but $4 is just too much.
The only backup feature I would really be in for would be a Tales of the Green (or other color) Lantern Corps in either or the GL titles.
Better hope the backup strip also has reliable writers and artists.
If not, that doubles failure mode for shipping late…
Ho, ho, I am just waiting for the next mega-crossover event in which a crucial plot element is left to an eight-page backup story…
What would really burn is if I had no interest in the main book but felt I had to have the backup story because there was no chance in heck of a real series featuring them. That would be a hard choice.
Mind you, while none of the backup character strips listed are on my watch list, I supposed I might be sucked in by a backup on something so out there that I would just have to have it even if I’m only getting a few pages and paying for an unwanted main book.
Though I cannot really think of anything from DC that qualifies, esp. as we’re already getting a Mike Grell Warlord series (update of the Haunted Tank?), from Marvel it would be something like a return of Adam Warren’s Livewires…
-dlpulver
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I’d bee happy if Didio could get MONTHLY books out on a MONTHLY basis.
How about longer, on-time books? It just seems like a marketing gesture. Did anyone read the recent “Scar” back-up “stories” in a row? I did.
They didn’t add up to much. I thought all of it would have been better served as back-ups in the regular “Rage of the Red Lanterns” books.
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A $3.99 book no matter how many pages long seems horrible to me.
I mean come on, I know the economy is bad and they have to pay artists and writers but whats wrong with keeping a 22 page format and letting the prices stay where they are? Besides like you said, most of the back up stories will feature characters I either dislike or would like to see in a full comic. Manhunter was great, why would I want to pay a buck more for less content in a Manhunter story? See my point?