Are There Too Many Batman Titles Being Offered?

[iSteve]

I just read the most recent issue of Previews (for November) and saw that DC is going to offer two new Batman ongoing series: Batman, Inc.; and Batman: The Dark Knight.

Do we need two more Batman ongoing series?

Steve

[TIP]

Get what you like, pass on the others.

[Ray G.]

Considering that this is Grant Morrison's continuation and David Finch's big project for DC...yes.

[AndrewG]

I just read the most recent issue of Previews (for November) and saw that DC is going to offer two new Batman ongoing series: Batman, Inc.; and Batman: The Dark Knight.

Do we need two more Batman ongoing series?

Steve

Don't know about the others but we definately need Morrison's book (Batman Inc). I'm hopefull about the rest.

And it seems like the core Batman books may be split between Bruce and Dick. Otherwise, yes that's a hell of a lot of Batman books.

[RickLM]

Is the baseball season too long?

Are there too many reality shows?

Is Ben Stiller in too many movies?

[Ryan Elliott]

There can never be too much Batman.

[Ashwin Pande]

I always felt like complaining there are too many comic books is like complaining that you're getting too many blow jobs. Just don't pay for the ones you don't want.

[AndrewG]

I always felt like complaining there are too many comic books is like complaining that you're getting too many blow jobs. Just don't pay for the ones you don't want.

What if you're a blow job completeist

[artimoff]

Yes. Way too many titles. Batman inc could have been done in Batman & Batman & Robin could be done in Detective. The Finch book could be in Confidential.

[TIP]

What if you're a blow job completeist

:lol:

[Spidey616]

Let's not forget Kevin Smith's bi-monthly series

[AndrewG]

Let's not forget Kevin Smith's bi-monthly series

No, lets.

[TIP]

*looks at X-titles...backs slowly out of comique shoppe*

[Ray G.]

Yes. Way too many titles. Batman inc could have been done in Batman & Batman & Robin could be done in Detective. The Finch book could be in Confidential.

Or better yet, can some of the low-performing ones to make room for the good stuff.

Daniel's book is just going to completely pale in comparison to Finch's. Put that in Batman instead, and you've got four core strong bat-books - Batman, Detective, Batman Inc, Batman and Robin.

[Spidey616]

No, lets.

:lol:

[AndrewG]

There are a lot of Batman books and it gets even wackier if you add all the Batman Family titles.

I'm enjoying most of them, my wallet isn't looking forward to two more but I'll tell yeah, I still want a Damian/Robin ongoing. :surrend:

[artimoff]

I remember reading the Long Halloween HC when it came out & wondered out loud to a friend "Imagine if this were the only Bat-title that came out over the 13 months. If this was the only way anyone could bet their Batman fix... It would sell hundreds of thousands of copies a month."

[THWIP!]

I'm going to be giving DC a shot after years of not reading them. Jock doing Detective comics has me interested.

[Maestro]

Finch on Batman would be cool if it had a known well respected writer behind it.

[HoldFastNow]

I think the only downside is that it can dilute the brand. Some people will drop all bat-titles because of the "if I can't have them all I don't want any" mentality, and sales will be spread a little thinner across them. But for the most part it's nice because out of all of them there is a better chance of finding one that appeals to you.

[Fake Pat]

I remember reading the Long Halloween HC when it came out & wondered out loud to a friend "Imagine if this were the only Bat-title that came out over the 13 months. If this was the only way anyone could bet their Batman fix... It would sell hundreds of thousands of copies a month."

I don't see how that makes any sense at all.

[bradical]

yes

[lonesomefool]

As long as they dont all tie together into one massive, interlocking story I dont mind.

Hell, I suspect half the books will sort themselves out, I mean unless Dini can get his schedule together I dont know how long Streets of Gotham or City Sirens will be around and Azarael has to be on the line as well.

[JesterPepper?]

How many Batman titles are there?

[iSteve]

Let's see... there's...

Detective Comics
Batman
Batman and Robin
Batman Confidential
Batman, Inc.
Batman: The Dark Knight

Plus...

Batman: Streets of Gotham
Gotham City Sirens
Batgirl
Birds of Prey
Azrael
Outsiders
Red Robin

And there are some mini's that I won't bother to mention.

That's a lot of Bat!

[Slewo.O]

Or better yet, can some of the low-performing ones to make room for the good stuff.

Daniel's book is just going to completely pale in comparison to Finch's. Put that in Batman instead, and you've got four core strong bat-books - Batman, Detective, Batman Inc, Batman and Robin.

Yes and unlike Daniel, Finch seems to actually write a cool story.

[Boris the Blade]

Too many ongoings, yes. He's not the only one though, the number of books with "Deadpool" or "Avengers" in the title is starting to make me a bit weary when at the store. I guess Batman is selling though. There are three Green Lantern books at the moment too, I hope they don't keep introducing more. Two and a miniseries seems good enough.

[James Patrick]

No. Especially in October.

[JesterPepper?]

Let's see... there's...

Detective Comics
Batman
Batman and Robin
Batman Confidential
Batman, Inc.
Batman: The Dark Knight

Plus...

Batman: Streets of Gotham
Gotham City Sirens
Batgirl
Birds of Prey
Azrael
Outsiders
Red Robin

And there are some mini's that I won't bother to mention.

That's a lot of Bat!

Wow, that is. Yeah. Thanks for listing them.

[costello]

No, if your comic shop lets you skim books before you buy them. Then you can choose which style of book suits your wants.

I was a child of the 90s, so I remember Marvel trying to sell me every book because it featured a certain character, cover, card, poster, etc. Plus they polybagged books so you couldn't skim them and see what you wanted.

Nowadays, yeah, there are crossover events, but there's such a proliferation of multiple covers and the same lead character in comic books, that you can't expect to get every book and pay for the bare essentials like food, shelter, clothing, etc. So choose what you like. Why buy eight Batman books and bitch about five of them? Buy the three you like and leave the rest for someone else to enjoy. If it's anything like the 90s, in 10 years only 15 books will be worth $50 and 5 will be worth $300, and the rest you can find in the dollar bin. You can always backtrack later.

Unless you like bitching. Then there's always Ramen.

[Greygor]

Is the baseball season too long?

Are there too many reality shows?

Is Ben Stiller in too many movies?

I'd like to say Yes to all those

[Greygor]

I'm enjoying Batman & Robin at the moment.

I'd be quite happy with

Batman
Batman & Robin
Detective Comics - Featuring arcs of stories about other Gotham based characters with different creators

[majorjoe23]

I remember reading the Long Halloween HC when it came out & wondered out loud to a friend "Imagine if this were the only Bat-title that came out over the 13 months. If this was the only way anyone could bet their Batman fix... It would sell hundreds of thousands of copies a month."

I'm pretty sure that's what Marvel thought with Amazing Spider-Man.

[Drkemerld73]

Let's see... there's...

Detective Comics
Batman
Batman and Robin
Batman Confidential
Batman, Inc.
Batman: The Dark Knight

Plus...

Batman: Streets of Gotham
Gotham City Sirens
Batgirl
Birds of Prey
Azrael
Outsiders
Red Robin

And there are some mini's that I won't bother to mention.

That's a lot of Bat!

In a few months, there will also be Batwoman.

[Generic Poster]

I always felt like complaining there are too many comic books is like complaining that you're getting too many blow jobs. Just don't pay for the ones you don't want.

I agree, so long as they don't constantly cross the multiple books over (which it doesn't seem like they're going to do with these Batbooks).

[RegularJoe]

i'll remember a lot of the "no, there aren't too many batbooks" arguments in here the next time people start kvetching about deadpool or wolverine being in too many. :)

[Masculine Todd]

I remember reading the Long Halloween HC when it came out & wondered out loud to a friend "Imagine if this were the only Bat-title that came out over the 13 months. If this was the only way anyone could bet their Batman fix... It would sell hundreds of thousands of copies a month."

So, instead of having a continuity-free, finite noir story and a continuity-drenched, continuing story offered simultaneously, you posit that eliminating the choice and having only one would somehow consolidate all the readership to the single offering, but attract more?

[Masculine Todd]

I don't understand how anyone can take umbrage with the Bat-line. The only way it's a bad idea to release so many books is if it divides the readership. If this many titles can't sustain sales, and if the demand for Bat-books isn't large enough to merit this many titles, then yes, it's a poor decision, but why do you care? If anything, you now have a multitude of choices in your Batman reading. Let's say it's 2002. You had Detective and Batman. If you didn't care for Rucka's Detective run (and shame on you) or Hama's Batman run, you had no alternative. Now, you do. Buy what you want.

[Alexander Hamilton]

I don't understand how anyone can take umbrage with the Bat-line. The only way it's a bad idea to release so many books is if it divides the readership. If this many titles can't sustain sales, and if the demand for Bat-books isn't large enough to merit this many titles, then yes, it's a poor decision, but why do you care? If anything, you now have a multitude of choices in your Batman reading. Let's say it's 2002. You had Detective and Batman. If you didn't care for Rucka's Detective run (and shame on you) or Hama's Batman run, you had no alternative. Now, you do. Buy what you want.

I'm all about Batman. Love the hell out of it... but the argument could be made that other great books may not get the shelf space due to the glut of Batman books.

and...

I can't wait for Batman Inc. :batman:

[Masculine Todd]

I'm all about Batman. Love the hell out of it... but the argument could be made that other great books may not get the shelf space due to the glut of Batman books.


These titles wouldn't get "the shelf space" regardless.

[OzMan]

Since I'm really only reading Batman and Robin as the main batman title, I'm hoping all these other Bat books don't affect the Bat Family books like Red Robin and Azrael (Which finally is good after a grueling 9 issues, 10 has really made a mark for me and should have been the first issue.) and get's them canceled.

[kacangpool]

http://images.mirror.co.uk/upl/m4/nov2008/6/9/DDF58E74-BC98-2090-C9292DD8AADB80FA.jpg

[Greygor]

http://images.mirror.co.uk/upl/m4/nov2008/6/9/DDF58E74-BC98-2090-C9292DD8AADB80FA.jpg

Del boy and rodney :)

A fantastic episode

[NickT]

If they sell, no :)


But it does seem a bit much. I mean it's actually three new ongoings in a way since I believe Detective is back to being Batman, so that's now six Batman ongoings. I think multiple ongoings is fine if each has a reason for being around, I'm struggling to believe there's six reasons beyond putting a book out.

[NickT]

Also, I don't think including Birds of Prey and the like is fair, it's totally different characters with very little linkage.

[Greygor]

http://images.mirror.co.uk/upl/m4/nov2008/6/9/DDF58E74-BC98-2090-C9292DD8AADB80FA.jpg

Just to let others share

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Hmo8ypPQHk

and because it was voted one of the best bits of UK TV comedy (debatable)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63rcdLeXiU8&NR=1&feature=fvwp

[Caley Tibbittz]

Yes. And it's ruined my whole life.

[Greygor]

Yes. And it's ruined my whole life.

Life ... Don't talk to me about life. Here I am, brain the size of a planet.

Oh it's all just to depressing

[AndrewG]

DC's Source blog reported that the titles will feature different Batmen

Batman Inc (Morrison) and Dark Knight (Finch) will feature Bruce

Batman (Daniel), Detective (Snyder) and Batman and Robin (Tomasi) will feature Dick and Damian

[Doug]

DC's Source blog reported that the titles will feature different Batmen

Batman Inc (Morrison) and Dark Knight (Finch) will feature Bruce

Batman (Daniel), Detective (Snyder) and Batman and Robin (Tomasi) will feature Dick and Damian

Huh. I thought for sure it would be Bruce in Detective under Snyder, especially since the main story will tie into the Gordon back-up and that story deals with Gordon's past. I just assumed that it would be a shared past with Batman and Bruce has been Bats decades longer than Dick.

I guess it's true what they say about assumtions...they're usually wrong.

[Supreme Convoy]

A bit surprising but that's a good thing right?

It reminds me of Kevin Smith's Green Arrow: Quiver introducing the idea that there can be two super heroes called Green Arrow. And more recently with Geoff Johns and Flash.

Lots of dual identities going around right? Almost like a multiverse but in one earth.


Huh. I thought for sure it would be Bruce in Detective under Snyder, especially since the main story will tie into the Gordon back-up and that story deals with Gordon's past. I just assumed that it would be a shared past with Batman and Bruce has been Bats decades longer than Dick.

Didn't they do that in Rucka's Batwoman run?

[allanpat]

Lots of dual identities going around right? Almost like a multiverse but in one earth.

Personally I think it's getting to the point of sloppiness. At least in the case of the current Batman stories, the two Batmen will have different purposes.

But especially in the DC universe there's a tendency to introduce new characters with the same name/power before clearing the deck of the other heroes with the same name. There's about 15 different speedsters/archers/batgirls/etc... running around. I think it makes the main characters less 'special'.

[GLprime]

You could Argue that yes there's is or not there's not or thatDC just wants to make more money knowing that people who love batman will probably buy all the titles, but coming form a guy who reads about half of them it's because they are good to read it's one of the few character that gets a kick ass creative team for each book not to mention the new prequel to the batman ark am city video game that's being penned by Paul dini.
The way I see it as long as DC puts great creative teams on the character and doing so people keep reading them because their all good then who knows how many other off shoot titles might be looming in the future of the bat family. From the looks of it There could be a red robin and the outsiders out soon.

[mikeandzod87]

For the most part, they're pretty good, except Daniel's 'Batman' which I one if the worst comics I've read in my ten years of collecting. They need to put a real write on that stat

[artimoff]

For the most part, they're pretty good, except Daniel's 'Batman' which I one if the worst comics I've read in my ten years of collecting. They need to put a real write on that stat

The big shame is that Daniel's art on the book is the best art on any of DC's big three characters.

Batman Inc should be in Batman, Snider should be on Detective & those should be the only books that Batman stars in.

[batroc the leaper]

Having not read this thread, yes.

I was reading a good portion of the bat books, but had to cut back on my book consumption.

The batbooks were the first to go. I still read whatever Morrison writes and Detective Comics (originally for the art, but then because it is absolutely great)

[Mark Mavro (kryptic6)]

All you need is Snyder writing Dick Grayson and Morrison writing Bruce Wayne. Done.

[OzMan]

All you need is Snyder writing Dick Grayson and Morrison writing Bruce Wayne. Done.

Yes

[OzMan]

I do feel that there's a batman title for everyone out there. So people can pick their poison.

[GLprime]

All you need is Snyder writing Dick Grayson and Morrison writing Bruce Wayne. Done.

Totally agree.

[artimoff]

I do feel that there's a batman title for everyone out there. So people can pick their poison.

For readers, yes. But the shops can get stuck with a lot of crap books.

[Len Snark]

...Daniel's book is just going to completely pale in comparison to Finch's. Put that in Batman instead, and you've got four core strong bat-books - Batman, Detective, Batman Inc, Batman and Robin.


For the most part, they're pretty good, except Daniel's 'Batman' which I one if the worst comics I've read in my ten years of collecting. They need to put a real write on that stat

Daniel's book is pretty weak but Finch's book was unreadable in my opinion.

[McGill]

Daniel's book is pretty weak but Finch's book was unreadable in my opinion.

Agreed with both statements. I love tony daniel, but his art is getting worse by the book, and his writing was never very strong. Plus he seems to just be floating the book along. Nothings really happening.

Finchs book is poorly written, and isn't even drawn by him anymore, so that's a flop.

Morrison is basically the only person doing anything with batman at this point.

[McGill]

You could Argue that yes there's is or not there's not or thatDC just wants to make more money knowing that people who love batman will probably buy all the titles, but coming form a guy who reads about half of them it's because they are good to read it's one of the few character that gets a kick ass creative team for each book not to mention the new prequel to the batman ark am city video game that's being penned by Paul dini.
The way I see it as long as DC puts great creative teams on the character and doing so people keep reading them because their all good then who knows how many other off shoot titles might be looming in the future of the bat family. From the looks of it There could be a red robin and the outsiders out soon.

Red robin already have books. And outsiders did not too long ago, if not still does.

And the point is that DC isn't putting good creative teams on bat books. They're leaning too much on artist to be good writers. I read all the main bat titles. And currently, if it isn't detective or written by morrison, it isn't very good.

Also, add a few more spaces to your posts so its not a huge block of small text.

[McGill]

All you need is Snyder writing Dick Grayson and Morrison writing Bruce Wayne. Done.

This is the only true solution.

[Len Snark]

Morrison is basically the only person doing anything with batman at this point.

Detective Comics is out of the park fantastic so this is crazy talk.

[McGill]

Detective Comics is out of the park fantastic so this is crazy talk.

I said something about detective being good and then forget to post it in this one haha. So that's my bad. I completely agree though