The DC 52, Which Ones Will Last?

I'm purple and can kick your ass

Much like everyone else, I'm very excited about the relaunch in September that DC is doing.  But the big question is, which ones will last.  There are a lot of books, and not all of them will survive.  Lets take a look at the list shall we?

There are a few books that DC won't cancel for any reason.  They will be big sellers or have to big a legacy to ever cancel (without a relaunch not far behind it anyways).  Those books are:



JLA
Batman
Batman & Robin
Green Lantern
Green Lantern Corps.
Aquaman
Wonder Woman
The Flash
Green Arrow
Superman
Action Comics
Detective Comics

You're safe big fella

Now some would consider books like Nightwing and the other Green Lantern books safe, but those are another category.  These books are most likely safe, but could get cancelled for a few reasons.  Maybe the initial team doesn't stay on, or it has bad word of mouth.  But either way, fanbase will keep buying those books, or legacy makes them readable.  That list is:

Justice League International:  what really keeps this from being cancelled is the differentiation between this series and JLA.  If they are the same tone, with just a different cast,  it will get canceled.  Eventually canceled, just not right away.  Maybe a couple of years in?

Captain Atom
The Fury of Firestorm: Both books have classic characters in the books, but neither have had one recently.  Hey, books can be good with C-listers (Nova and The Immortal Iron Fist anyone?), but those are few and far between.  Ok, so these guys are above C-listers, but you get my point.

Nightwing
Batwoman
Green Lantern: New Guardians
Red Lanterns
Batgirl
Superboy
Supergirl
DC Universe Presents
All-Star Western
Birds of Prey
The Savage Hawkman
Teen Titans
Swamp Thing
Stormwatch
Blue Beetle

God I still wish you were Batman

These books will stay alive.  The bigger question is how long.  All of them feature main characters or have big creators attached to them.  Will readers be happy Barbara Gordon is Batgirl again? Will readers want to read about the mean Red Lanterns every month?  These are just a few questions I have about these series.  But 9 times out of 10, these will last well over a two or three years.  After that, I say series like The Savage Hawkman gets the boot.  The guy has had a hard time of late keeping a series going.  The rest will probably keep going.

A lot of the books on this relaunch are going to fall into the next category, and those that will get cancelled in between issues 12 and 24.  Somewhere along these lines, these books WILL get cancelled.  And the worse part, there are going to be a few good ones in there as well. Books that should have stuck around for years and had a great run.

Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E.
Justice League Dark
Deathstroke
Suicide Squad
Hawk and Dove
Mister Terrific
Catwoman
Red Hood and the Outlaws
I, Vampire
Legion Lost
Legion of Super Heroes

Will cleavage keep this book alive?

Most of these series have known characters, but are still on the outside of the main groups.  To pick out specific reasons, I think Hawk and Dove will be cancelled because of the art. Rob Liefield is a talented artist, but his style just doesn't work in this day and age.  It looks to 90's.  Justice League Dark will get cancelled due to all the Justice League books.  I know Marvel has a ton of Avengers books, but each has it's own purpose.  I feel like the book will get lost in the shuffle.  Red Hood and the Outlaws seems like a good idea, but one that won't translate well into an ongoing.  Miniseries?  Yes.

The rest of them are on the list of not lasting a full year.  There are a few good series here, but there are a lot of bad ones as well.  Those books are:

Static Shock
Men of War
Blackhawks
O.M.A.C.
Grifter
Voodoo
Batwing
Demon Knights
Resurrection Man
Animal Man
Batman: The Dark Knight

Will be the only book to ever have two volumes and under 10 issues

Now before I go talking about how these books will be canceled, there are a few good ones in there.  I think if Batwing gains a readership, it could be a great book.  But I don't think it will.  I have talked to a few comic shop owners and they can't figure out who will buy the book.  I know I will.  The rest of these books are miniseries worthy, not ongoing.  Some of them might surprise us and last over a year, but I can't really see them living longer than that.  They are obscure books that might gain a cult following, but not a main audience.  I feel like one of these books will be like Captain Britain, that will gain an audience when it is on the brink of cancellation.  I think relaunching Batman: The Dark Knight is a bad idea.  The book was received terribly and has only had a few issues released.  It was a good experiment, but let it rest.

Sadly the rest of these books are bad ideas.  Yeah they sound good on the drawing board, but nothing else.  What hurts them is that they are all about characters and concepts on the fringes of the DC universe.  A few of these books have brand new characters, and this is borderline impossible in this market.  The character has to fill an niche part of the market.  If they fail to do that, good bye.

And there you have it.  I'll eat my words when the time comes.  Don't hold back in pointing out if I'm wrong in the future.  Knowing me, I'll completely forget half my picks