They'd originally planned to slap a WTF brand on all of their New 52 issues in that month to impress upon us the startling nature of the surprise, a move that was ridiculed by fans and the industry alike - characters can't say "fuck" on the pages inside, but the company's happy to put WTF on the cover? - before the idea for the branding was dropped a week or two later.
It would have been nice to see DC stick their hand up and say "Sorry, we got that one wrong," but instead they quietly pulled back from the idea and "co-publisher Dan DiDio said that the "WTF" branding would not be used "because we don't need it." The retailer tells Newsarama that DiDio went on to say that the books have attracted attention from the marketplace already, and that retailers and readers are now aware of the significance of the gatefold covers." (Source.)
I think they made the right decision concerning losing the WTF brand - it was just a bit silly - but I still like the concept of the gatefold covers and the idea of a surprise, even though the surprises might not be that Earth-shattering.
However, rather than wait for the comics to arrive, the damn internet is already gearing up to spoil those surprises by revealing the full covers ahead of time. If you click here you'll be taken to an article where you can see the full cover of Suicide Squad #19. It's not a title I get (though I plan to pick up the trades fairly soon) but I am preparing myself to hide from the news over the next couple of weeks as I'd like to keep as many surprises to myself as possible.
Am I alone in this day and age in being happy to wait until something arrives at the right time, rather than reading about it weeks ahead?
No, you're definitely not alone there gary. It's just harder and harder for us older fans to either put up with or justify hanging around/supporting questionable decisions like this from DC and Dan Didio.
ReplyDeleteThat and both Marvel and DC should really stop spoiling stuff so much. Yes I know it'll happen due to a few internet insiders, but that doesn't mean you should let those people dictate what you do or how you plan on presenting "Big deal events" and so forth. Meh, that's why I stick to reading back issues.
Yeah, spoilers bug me; if there's something I like and enjoy that has a surprise in it, let me find out at the right time, not months in advance.
DeleteAnd not from the actual provider of the surprise as well! What's the point of DC building anticipation for these covers if they're simply going to reveal them before they hit the shelves?