From what I heard, having ads help offset the costs for printed floppies. The reason why digital books aren’t sold cheaper is probably to avoid uproar from undercutting brick and mortar places as well as Diamond.
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The worrying if the DC Universe app is gonna end and whatnot has been going on for a while now. I don’t think it’ll end though. It’s a good steady stream of money for Warner Bros. Marvel may be doing better in the big screen movies but I think DC is far better with their animated features and artwork in their comics. Both company have something good to offer though and the media will take a dump on any that show some signs of weakness. With the DC Universe app canceling Swamp Thing so quickly, that was enough for news sites to wave a red flag.
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For sure. I love my local comic shop. They’ve already had to branch out to stay in business. They started selling used vinyl. Then video games. I think they’re looking at getting into refrigerator repair now.
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Oh, for sure. Shops that are just books don’t last long. Mine added video games, board games, toys, etc. More of a pop culture shop now but WTF, fridge repair?!
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To me that cancellation did show there was a very specific limit to the money DC would be spending on its content. I’m just guessing, but when Disney is happy to spend $125 million on shows for Marvel supporting characters on its (then upcoming) Disney+ and Warner cancels a show that costs $80 million before it even airs…
I understand the apps are very different, but to the news media these are the two biggest comic companies and their shows are in direct competition. I feel like DC has brought a lot of the negative press on itself lately.
Just my feelings. Subjective.
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I don’t really have anything important to add to this conversation, but I am really tired of people calling DC a joke.
The other day I was on Instagram and somebody I follow posted about the Harley Quinn series on their story. They were praising it, but then also said “it’s in the DC app that nobody has.” Well.
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Unfortunately there is some fact to your friend’s statement. DC could be doing more to gain an audience for this service. It’s currently only #148 in Entertainment in Apple apps. (Disney+ #1, Netflix #2, etc). Even sister company Crunchyroll is #28. I frequently see ads for Crunchyroll and my kid subscribes.
Of my friends (yes I’m a bit older and have fewer of these) none have known what I’m talking about when I mention shows on this app. I’ll admit I’m the only comic fan among them, but most of these people know what HBO Now (#33) is. All know what Disney+ is. My teen only knows what this app is because I use it, and zero of her friends have heard of it.
I have never, at any point, seen an ad for DC Universe outside of the comics world. So, in that way, your friend is correct. While it’s hard to know exactly how many subscribers they have here until that number is officially released, it’s hard to argue with app downloads. Sure, people could be using browsers, but these days if users aren’t using a mobile app…
DC isn’t a joke at all, it just has a marketing problem. It seems budget restricted even compared to less revenue generating sister companies. It’s something I hope they fix soon. It’s a shame Boomerang has twice as many downloads.
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Oh, and welcome!
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Marketing. They did an okay job when the app was new. I pretty much fell out of the comic world and the only way I found about this service was via a Facebook ad. Considering I check Facebook about once every few months, I got lucky. There might have been TV commercials for it but I stream things and don’t see commercials. They are fighting an uphill battle in the brave new world of cord cutters.
Also, when this service was new they had a rotating cycle for the comic library. I remember really hating this and it was often complained about in the community section. They have fixed that and because of this I am getting closer in getting my friend to subscribe. The other day I did a Google search for the best comic apps on Android. I have a lot of books that I have purchased on Humble Bundle and are DRM free. The app I had was okay but not great. The first site I found listed DC as the number one comic app for Android. So they are definitely doing something right on the app.
To get back on topic, there are people who don’t give DC a chance but that is based on movies and Disney’s marketing machine. Does anyone remember Marvel in the early 2000s or 1990s? They were hurting. Like bad. At one point, they were selling movie rights to keep the lights on. DC, to my knowledge, has never been at that level or at least in the past 30 years. They do things differently and do focus on the comics. The mainstream noncomic reader will never know this because they see the casting of Iron Man and that was that. Then again, one can point to the cinematic history of The Hulk and realize they messed up pretty bad there but it won’t be talked about because there is always something new. Why complain about a movie series that flopped twice when you can be excited about Avengers 5? I love DC but realize they don’t have money printed with mouse ears. They are more cautious about the things they do. There might be missteps but they learn and then focus on what matters, the comics.
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I don’t think DC will fail, but if things continue they’re going to be on a level with Image (I’m totally okay with this). The news media, well…Unfortunately they’re the biggest competitor with Marvel for the past 60 years. They’re going to speculate because that’s the nature of things. To prevent negative news coverage? I’m thinking this…
Fortune 500…DC is owned by the 9th biggest/wealthiest company on the planet. Buena Vista is 53rd. It might be time to start spending some serious money on DC.
P.S. Why isn’t everything from DC on here? Where is Aquaman (2018) and Batman (1989)? That needs a bit of attention imo. I personally own the DC films I like, but you’re losing potential users not having the good stuff on here.
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HBO MAX might include those films you mentioned (Aquaman/Batman 89) and they can lose subscribers if it was on DCU instead.
Hell, I think DC as a whole has a very limited filmography which is why they won’t release all their stuff. It’s just not enough so to create the illusion of tons of choices, they remove things and upload simultaneously. That is common in streaming services who license properties but if DC owns all their crap then why can’t you have everything at once?
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Marvel has had way more hits than flops which is why they’ve built a good reputation. Disney only got involved with Marvel because Iron Man was such a huge hit. Thor is probably the worst thing to exist in the MCU and even that did OK. To me, they are like fast food. Quick, familiar and a consistent product.
DC on the other hand has amazing characters but still misfire with BVS and Justice League which has me dumbfounded. They’ve only recently caught their stride with Wonder Woman and Aquaman. I don’t particularly enjoy any of their movies but the reason why films and merchandising are emphasized is because that’s where the money maker is. Comics are too niche and not many people care about them.
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If having the the DC film properties in two places hurts that much then this app should be comics only. This is supposed to be a one stop for DC fans. That’s the way it was marketed in the beginning anyway. Batman and Batman Returns have come and gone. Every time they leave I see them on Vudu for free with ads.
Sure, Disney has less content, but they’re still sharing all of their major IPs for $6.99 a month. We have many apps in my house, but Disney+ definitely logs the most hours. (I’m the only one of the 4 that uses this app and it’s on every tv)
I think it’s telling is all. To me this is likely a factor for why the “fail” rumors get started in the news.
This is on topic/off topic. I recently had a conversation about pricing having a negative impact on press coverage. You’ll need both HBO Max and DC Universe to get all of your DC fix. That’ll be $21.98 a month plus tax. To get the same Marvel fix it’s just $16.98 plus tax. To be competitive, and being the wealthier of the two companies, WarnerMedia should be price matching even if they’re offering more content. People are obviously more concerned with quality over quantity. AT&T had a net income of $19.9 billion to Disney’s $11 billion for 2019. Not having all the DC content here feels greedy.
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You kidding. Thor was a better movie that that dumpster fire Waititi (don’t know how to spell his name) made.
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But that’s off topic.
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The Thor films prior to Ragnarok weren’t well received or had major box office success from what I remember.
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Ebb and flow, people, ebb and flow. Neither DC nor Marvel is immune to this concept. It’s just a matter of putting the right people in the right place to get the job done. Marvel used Downey Jr., the Russo brothers, and others to build a monster of a film series. DC used Ledger, Phoenix, Cuoco and others to maximum effect. Some hit, some miss, but overall both companies have ample characters to be a tasty dish. Just gotta have the right ingredients and a chef that knows their way around the kitchen.
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Neither did Birds of Prey and Biff loves that movie.
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Oof. BOP. I prefer to have amnesia about that one 
What I’m saying is, MCU even at their worst, does well at the box office. It is MCU’s good track record that makes that happen.I cannot say the same about DC since they’ve failed to meet their projections more than a few times and even under performed with a bunch of heavy hitter characters in their movies like Justice League.
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Yeah. Marvel is a beast. They’re averaging about 400% ROI for the entire cinematic universe presently.
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