Huge Gaps in Series'

This will be quick. Is there a reason that there are huge gaps in a comic series? I am a huge batman fan but never read any of the comics, and I wanted to start from the beginning. But, after scrolling through a bit I found that the 1940’s Batman series goes up to issue 59, and then goes into issue 139. Where are the other 80 issues of the series? I can get a really good read out of what is on the service already, but if I want to read a complete series I can’t do so because there are huge gaps. If it was just a one issue gap I wouldn’t care too much, but 80 comics is way too big of a gap. Is there a plan to add them in or no?

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@Rick_Bot A lot hasn’t been digitized yet. Especially with older comics, you have to hope they have enough of the original material to scan. Assuming they have them, it takes time to clean them up. When you also add to the fact there’s a lot of other comics that are lined up to be released digitally (the people who digitize it are going through a list) it’ll take some time.

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Thank you for the reply! I am glad to hear that it is being worked on, and that there is a chance it will all be there at some point in the future.

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Sadly, not everything has been added. However, I still recommend reading what’s available. Out of curiosity, do you know about the different continuities such as Pre-Crisis, Post Crisis, and New 52?

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I feel you. I’m trying to read as much of the DCU as I can, and in as close to chronological order that I can, but there’s a lot of early stuff missing. But once we get into modern storytelling, there’s a higher percentage of stuff to absorb. I recommend starting with Year One or The Long Halloween if you’re looking for a Batman Begins type of experience. '60s Batman comics or the Batman '66 series of you are an Adam West fan, Batman Adventures and Batman: The Adventures Continues if the loved the '90s cartoon, and there’s so much more to choose from.

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@Rick_Bot hopefully Mr. Le Clear can answer your question. These Q+A’s are both closed but you can read through them and get a better idea of digitizing comics.

Here is is Feb of 2024 and there are still big gaps. I was trying to read through the old JLI starting in 1987, and so many gaps, both in Justice League, and Justice League Europe, that trying to get through and navigate the 90’s series, even with Ultra is impossible. It is VERY frustrating. I got the full package including Ultra for this year, but won’t resubscribe because I would have thought after 3 years most of the stuff from the 90’s onward would have been taken care of by now…

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Welcome to the community

I feel ya bud.

I personally would love to do a deep dive into the Post-Crisis Superman, but after the Byrne run, there’s so many missing issues.

I really wanted to read the Triangle era but because of all the missing issues, I can’t.

So I sit here. Still not a Superman fan. And next month I get to fork over 120 bucks to probably still not read Superman.

You know, DC’s flagship character.

Lmao.

Welcome to the community, new friend. I’m sorry you wont be resubscribing but am happy to make note of your feedback.

You do know the triangle era is under “storylines”, right? It’s pretty extensive. At least three volumes with hundreds of comics in order.

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I’m a completionist, I can’t help myself. Definitely glad I didn’t start comics that way or I would’ve never been a fan. I recognize the flaw in myself.

That being said, I was over exaggerating anyway. I’ve read a lot of Superman stuff on here that I’m happy to have access to, most recently Man and Superman, so it’s not all sadness over here.

Still, if they ever get the Triangle Era up there proper, I’ll devour it.

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I was SOOO pleased to see each volume under storylines having at least a hundred to two hundred issues in each. When I looked through it and saw it in order, I was so happy.

I’ve been eager to read Time and Time Again since my tpb got stuck under a pile of books. Now I have that chance.

Just go under “Storylines” and check it out for yourself. The triangle era is up there :slightly_smiling_face:

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Oh yes, I’m aware of the Triangle Era section.

As I said, total flaw in my own character, I simply wouldn’t enjoy reading unless it was complete or near complete. As it stands now, there’s so much missing I just wouldn’t personally enjoy myself.

But again, once DC Universe has the complete run, I’ll immediately stop whatever I’m reading and move directly to the Triangle era.

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Unfortunately, that era as well as things like Martian Manhunter: American Secrets and Green Lantern: Mosaic were written by a man convicted of possessing child porn. I doubt they will be released (in print or digital) while he is still alive.

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I’m a huge Superman fan and this service has exactly one issue of Action Comics from the 1970s. And four issues of Action in the span between 1947 and 1964. This service has no issues of Superman from the 1960s. And a whopping eight issues from the 1970s after the Sandman Saga of 1971.

And don’t even get me started on Superboy.

I have never subscribed to this service and, until those gaps are filled, I never will.

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They added like 35 Gerard Jones written Justice League Europe issues about a month ago.

Which personally I’m thankful for since now they have the majority of the Giffen run.

As for Superman, wow, I had no idea they were missing so many Action.

It’s wild because a lot of these comics can be found online in not so legal ways (which is something I don’t do hence me being sad about not being able to read). Why can’t DC just lift those copies, is it a rights issue, a quality issue?

I’ll still subscribe because they have a lot to offer besides Supes but as a Supes fan, yowsa!!

With a lot of older stuff they’d have to do extensive work scanning good sources for the originals, assuming they have them. It’d be dicey to lift scans from online, and even then you can only clean those up so much.

With the change to DC Universe Infinite and with the recent mergers, the scanning department is probably short staffed; there’s only so many hands to do the work. We still get older issues as well as new stuff.

Is it frustrating? Of course, but we’ve still got an extensive library. Remember how many comics were on the service when it launched? Now we have so many more.

I’m keeping the faith that eventually things will level out and we’ll get more of the Superman books.

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It probably seems like I hate the service by the way I’m talking in the thread.

I don’t. In fact, I spend a worrying amount of time on here flipping through the funny books.

So I apologize if it seems like that, no offense intended.

Still, those statistics on Action Comics are astounding.

Hopefully DCU remembers that Superman: Legacy is coming out soonish, and maybe they’ll decide to invest in some Superman comics for the site.

Really though, no skin off my back, I’m eatin’ good as a Bat fan

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No apologies necessary cause you did nothing wrong.

If you want bad you should’ve seen the insufferable people who used to be on these boards a few years ago when it was DC Universe. They’d come on here with “Why doesn’t this have all the movies??”, Or “Why aren’t all the comics on here?!”. My favorite being “I thought this was supposed to have EVERYTHING DC on here.”

They’d come here screaming and taking the moderators and DC in general to task for something that was never advertised or promised.

I do not miss those days.

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