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DC is relaunching its mobile app to focus on comics

Jethalal

Banned
DC is relaunching its mobile app to focus on comics - The Verge


batman_superman-dc-comics.0.0.jpg

Now that the shows are on HBO Max, comics are the star
DC is shaking up its comics app on January 21st and relaunching it as DC Universe Infinite. The original DC Universe featured television shows and comics, but now that DC shows have moved to HBO Max, the company has decided to refocus the app on comics and the “fan community,” while keeping the same $7.99-a-month price.

DC Universe Infinite will have DC’s catalog and early access to comics six months after they’re released physically in stores. Additionally, DC says the comic reader in its app has been improved, and users will have more options to curate custom lists of titles. The app will also have a customizable icon and a widget for iOS 14 so you can get back into whatever you were reading faster.


In terms of features, DC Universe Infinite is most similar to Marvel Unlimited, which is Marvel’s $9.99-a-month take on an exclusive comics service. Infinite undercuts Marvel by keeping its cost at $7.99 a month (or $74.99 a year), and it might help to make it popular as WarnerMedia rolls out its plans for the DC universe(s) in film and TV.

As extended universes expand, comic apps are as much for comic book fans as they are for anyone trying to appreciate all of the lore that’s layered into each new superhero outing. Now that HBO Max is the home for DC superheroes in film and TV, and DC Universe Infinite for comics, WarnerMedia’s plans are starting to make more sense. Whether fans will be willing to pay a combined $22 a month for both services will be the real test.
Any DC Comics Fan excited for this? Will you sub to it?
 

Cyberpunkd

Gold Member
DC Universe Infinite will have DC’s catalog and early access to comics six months after they’re released physically in stores.
This is what happens when you have brick-and-mortar to maintain. Let's not forget that you would need to navigate and hide from comic spoilers on the Internet for 6 months.
 

Soodanim

Member
I forget - do these unlimited services feature everything or just some, like Comixology for all brands or Amazon Prime Video for movie and TV? A few years ago I did a trial for Marvel's and started reading the long form version of Civil War (all of the single issues of runs that fed into it), and I wouldn't mind doing that again with either of the two publishers' stuff.
 
I don’t know what it is, all my movies / games / music is digital, but i refuse read comics digitally.
Once everythg goes all digital I will probably just switch to exclusively omnibus (If those are even still a thing)
 
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Jethalal

Banned
I forget - do these unlimited services feature everything or just some, like Comixology for all brands or Amazon Prime Video for movie and TV? A few years ago I did a trial for Marvel's and started reading the long form version of Civil War (all of the single issues of runs that fed into it), and I wouldn't mind doing that again with either of the two publishers' stuff.
They mostly have all.
 

tkscz

Member
This is what happens when you have brick-and-mortar to maintain. Let's not forget that you would need to navigate and hide from comic spoilers on the Internet for 6 months.

It's why Marvel Unlimited failed. They did this 6 months shit as well. If you're going to put BaM first, then make it a month later, two max. six is ridiculous but comic book stores are notoriously hard to negotiate with.
 

Cyberpunkd

Gold Member
It's why Marvel Unlimited failed. They did this 6 months shit as well. If you're going to put BaM first, then make it a month later, two max. six is ridiculous but comic book stores are notoriously hard to negotiate with.
Reminds me of all these years when Games Workshop didn't move fully into e-commerce in the effort of funneling people to their stores. Then stores started going bankrupt anyway because the only people going there were cave-dwelling manchildren hostile to any newcomer.
 

sol_bad

Member
I'll sub if it gets released in Australia.
I'm really enjoying the Marvel read order and I'd love to do the same with DC. I just can't find a complete read order for DC though.

Sorry, needs to be $4.99/m or $49.99/y and all day one issues.

This is called being a tight arse. I hope you realise a business can't be run in this manner. Issues generally cost $5 each and your asking for everything for $5 a month. How would you expect them to make profit and stay in business?
 

Jethalal

Banned
This is called being a tight arse. I hope you realise a business can't be run in this manner. Issues generally cost $5 each and your asking for everything for $5 a month. How would you expect them to make profit and stay in business?
Not really, D+ costs 7 dollars and they are making shows with budgets in hundreds of millions. Comics don't cost that much and there is no printing cost and server costs are low too.
Streaming services wouldn't work with that logic. If you rent a movie, it could cost more than the streaming service's entire month's fee.
 

sol_bad

Member
Not really, D+ costs 7 dollars and they are making shows with budgets in hundreds of millions. Comics don't cost that much and there is no printing cost and server costs are low too.
Streaming services wouldn't work with that logic. If you rent a movie, it could cost more than the streaming service's entire month's fee.

DC are already currently struggling with the current model where people are paying the $5 per issue. Switching to a $5 a month to have access 35 issues a month is not going to make things any better for them. The comics industry and the movie/streaming industries are very different.

Disney+ has the ability to produce exclusive content that costs hundreds of millions of dollars because they have been making billions of dollars of profit for decades. Disney can afford to take a hit up front to produce this content and grow it's subscription service through well known IP's. The services growth has far exceeded what Disney expected as well. Disney are really the only network/streaming service spending 25 million per episode. Netflix spends about 10 million an episode on The Crown and 8 million an episode on Stranger Things for example. It's 4 million an episode for Walking Dead. 6 million an episode generally for GoT, 15 million an episode for the final season. Yes, Amazon are spending a lot on LOTR's but it's their first show with that sort of costing.

You can't compare one of the richest media companies to DC comics. It's not even fair to expect Marvel comics to release a $5 a month app that offers day and date comics, Marvel Comics is a separate business within Disney and it needs to make it's own profit margins.

The Crown and Stranger Things
And Netflix often exceeds the new, higher averages. The first season of its supernatural sensation “Stranger Things” was shot to look like a 1980s Steven Spielberg movie and came with a price tag of $6 million an episode for season one, rising to $8 million in season two. Netflix’s sumptuous period drama “The Crown” cost an estimated $10 million an episode.

Game of Thrones
The final season of HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” which premiered on Sunday, cost $US15 million an episode.
The show’s earlier seasons cost $US6 million an episode, though creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss asked HBO for more money for season two’s “Blackwater” battle.
By season six, the series cost $US10 million an episode, but that season’s “Battle of the Bastards” likely cost more.


The Walking Dead
In the documents obtained by Entertainment Weekly, Darabont, 56, accuses AMC of cutting The Walking Dead's original budget of $3.4m (£2.3m) per episode to $3m (£2m), while alleging the network also pocketed tax credits for filming in Georgia.

And lets not forget that the Disney+ shows generally have much shorter run times that shows from Netflix, Amazon, HBO or AMC. Disney+ basically has a 25 million dollar episode every week of this year, no other service can compete with that sort of costing. Yes, Netflix release 20 different things a week but they have been in the red for years and 2021 might be the first year they go into the black.
 

Nester99

Member
DC are already currently struggling with the current model where people are paying the $5 per issue. Switching to a $5 a month to have access 35 issues a month is not going to make things any better for them. The comics industry and the movie/streaming industries are very different.

Disney+ has the ability to produce exclusive content that costs hundreds of millions of dollars because they have been making billions of dollars of profit for decades. Disney can afford to take a hit up front to produce this content and grow it's subscription service through well known IP's. The services growth has far exceeded what Disney expected as well. Disney are really the only network/streaming service spending 25 million per episode. Netflix spends about 10 million an episode on The Crown and 8 million an episode on Stranger Things for example. It's 4 million an episode for Walking Dead. 6 million an episode generally for GoT, 15 million an episode for the final season. Yes, Amazon are spending a lot on LOTR's but it's their first show with that sort of costing.

You can't compare one of the richest media companies to DC comics. It's not even fair to expect Marvel comics to release a $5 a month app that offers day and date comics, Marvel Comics is a separate business within Disney and it needs to make it's own profit margins.

The Crown and Stranger Things
And Netflix often exceeds the new, higher averages. The first season of its supernatural sensation “Stranger Things” was shot to look like a 1980s Steven Spielberg movie and came with a price tag of $6 million an episode for season one, rising to $8 million in season two. Netflix’s sumptuous period drama “The Crown” cost an estimated $10 million an episode.

Game of Thrones
The final season of HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” which premiered on Sunday, cost $US15 million an episode.
The show’s earlier seasons cost $US6 million an episode, though creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss asked HBO for more money for season two’s “Blackwater” battle.
By season six, the series cost $US10 million an episode, but that season’s “Battle of the Bastards” likely cost more.


The Walking Dead
In the documents obtained by Entertainment Weekly, Darabont, 56, accuses AMC of cutting The Walking Dead's original budget of $3.4m (£2.3m) per episode to $3m (£2m), while alleging the network also pocketed tax credits for filming in Georgia.

And lets not forget that the Disney+ shows generally have much shorter run times that shows from Netflix, Amazon, HBO or AMC. Disney+ basically has a 25 million dollar episode every week of this year, no other service can compete with that sort of costing. Yes, Netflix release 20 different things a week but they have been in the red for years and 2021 might be the first year they go into the black.


DC is owned by Time Warner. Time Warner is worth $82 Billion Dollars. and had revenue of $33.5 Billion in 2019
Totally comparable to any market giant in the industry.
 

sol_bad

Member
DC is owned by Time Warner. Time Warner is worth $82 Billion Dollars. and had revenue of $33.5 Billion in 2019
Totally comparable to any market giant in the industry.

Each segment is it's own business and each business needs to make profit. Just because Time Warner as a whole is making billions of dollars doesn't mean DC comics can be run at a loss.
Like I said, DC comics has not had a good year and they have cut their monthly comic releases by at least 15 titles. As for the TPB/ HC collections, those release have dropped by more than half.

Same as what I said about Disney and Marvel, Marvel comics still needs to make a profit or they'll be shut down.

*EDIT*
DC comics has also fired thousands of people.
 
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Nester99

Member
Warner needs to sell it to a corp that knows how to handle IP's in the Modern Era.

As crazy as it sounds it might be best for Disney to just own it all....time will tell.
 

sol_bad

Member
If you know where to look it’s all free day of releases , people don’t really need to pay.
I stopped reading years ago and have no reason or desire to start again .

Yeah, please, if you aren't going to support the industry then don't read it. I agree with this.
 

slayerjman

Neo Member
The DC app is cool and all but I still prefer reading physical comics. That said if anybody wants to familiarize themselves with characters or catch up on back issues I highly recommend it. I mean $7.99 a month isn't bad when some of the Future State titles cost that much by themselves.
 
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