Wednesday, August 19, 2020

The Ever Changing Landscape Of This Site

 

I have been running this site for 12 years now and for the most part I have been able to keep up 4-5 posts a week.

But 2020 has been something of an anomaly.

Whether it has been the pandemic and its fallout or the DC purging and its fallout, the usual stuff I post about has kind of dwindled.

There is no Supergirl comic on the market for me to cover. So with that goes monthly sales reviews. And with DC not using Diamond any more I'm not sure there is a DC sales site yet. (Help me if there is!)

I can continue to review Action Comics. Superman, Batman/Superman, and Legion. But the ancillary titles which pop up - Jimmy Olsen, Lois Lane, Super Sons, Young Justice, Leviathan minis, etc ... they all are gone and given DC's slashing of title volume probably not coming back soon.

Based on things I encounter in these current reviews, I pick and review back issues. I don't want to be an inventory review site. I like building off story. So the material to pull from is less.

And then there is the non-comic stuff.

I review the Supergirl show but that hasn't restarted filming. So who knows when we'll see reviews for them again. Sometimes I look at back issues based on show topics. So nothing there.

I review my convention schedule. I talk about my prep and who is coming and who I am hoping to get commissions from. I review the days at the con. I review the commissions I get. None of that is happening there.

I review Supergirl merchandise I get. But DC Direct has been disbanded. 

Anyways, the whole point of this post is to say that, in general, 2020 stinks and it will probably impact how often I post here. I'll hope to stay busy because this place is a great creative outlet for me and I love the Supergirl community.

So bear with me!

13 comments:

Martin Gray said...

Yeah, it’s all weird, just post what you fancy when the mood takes you. I love the Back Issue Box reviews, they’re always a treat.

Steve said...

What we get is a treat so don't sweat the frequency!

Anonymous said...

They aren't giving you a whole lot of super girl to work with, so a less frequent schedule is understood...whole knows if she'll ever be back in a comic book as we understand it.

JF

Anonymous said...

Sad but inevitable, and reflecting the dismal state of DC for a person of your interests and taste, the same as for most other visitors to your blog.

I read somewhere that one of DC's long-standing problems with Diamond was how sales were reported. DC is actually a very secretive company, so I don't expect we'll be hearing anything about their monthly comic book sales numbers ever again.

I doubt the cutback in title count that DC is facing will exactly match the recent books that have been or will be cancelled. Some were cancelled pending resumption or reboot or whatever is coming. I expect Supergirl to be back - along with Batgirl, Harley Quinn, and some version of Teen Titans. There'll never be another Justice League Odyssey or these particular rosters of Batman and the Outsiders or Suicide Squad, but the iconic characters will not be out of print for very long.

There was around a year between New 52 Supergirl, and Rebirth. Things will re-align and a Supergirl monthly will be back.

In the meantime it will be a pleasure to visit here and continue to read what inspires you.

T.N.

Anonymous said...

I completely understand because you are being forced to slow down. No ongoing Supergirl book, little books to your liking, no commissions...

And it's sad that Supergirl's appearance in the latest Superman issue will surely make it to your 2020 top ten. Why is it sad? Because it's a run-of-the-mill moment, but there's little competition, since Supergirl was Jokerized since the start of the year.

Nonetheless, I hope you'll keep your blog active. I've learned so many things thanks to your interesting and thoughtful posts... I know you don't want to focus on old comics, but I've found a lot of hidden gems thanks to your posts.

Maybe now it'd be a good time to review some old stories like Kara's first appearance, The Unknown Supergirl, The Untold Story of Argo City... or reviewing "The Supergirl from Krypton" from a current perspective. When did you find out Kara was "returning"? What were your first thoughts? What did you think of that story back in the day, and how it has held up? And the big question: What if would Loeb have brought Pre-Crisis Kara back?

Daxam1978 said...

No problem Dr.Anj
I think everyone understands.
I agree with Mr Gray...
Back issue reviews are great! More please 🤓👍
This is one of my favourite sites & it will remain so.
Take care.

Rob S. said...

Hang in there, Anj!

And definitely, the looks back at older issues are a treat.

By blog-READING (and commenting) has also taken a bit of a hit. The pandemic broke me of my weekly habit, and while I still head to the comic shop to get my books, I've developed a bit of patience, and now go only every 2-3 weeks. (I had time to go today, but pickings are slim this week and a Legion book comes out next week, so I can wait.) That means fewer comments on timely reviews, too.

Like Anon, above, I don't think that all of the cuts to the current DC line are permanent -- we'll see a lot of those titles, including Supergirl, again. But it's deeply frustrating how this is playing out in the present day, with some of my favorite titles given the axe. We almost certainly will see more digital coming our way, but how it shows up, and whether it ties into the DCU at large, are open questions. Wait and see, I guess.

KET said...

Totally understand the slowdown in content, since much of what's happening at DC is presently up in the air. Hopefully, the DCFandome two-day event on August 22nd and September 12th will shed a lot of light on what fans can expect from the publisher and involved media moving forward, and hopefully, that will include some kind of Supergirl-related content as well. However, it now appears that DC and Warner may have planned more content than time for merely one day's worth, what with most of the TV and interactive panels being moved back to September. Perhaps this will allow more time for additional Supergirl-focused content to be presented (as the lack of such had been a big online fan criticism of the event in general)...one can only hope.

KET

William Ashley Vaughan said...

Sorry the DC implosion 2020 is causing you so much trouble. For a terrific ongoing title very much worth reviewing on this blog I recommend Adventureman. Matt Fraction is doing the same fun, exhilarating, wacky adventure the we all loved in his Jimmy Olsen maxiseries with the Dodsons providing stunning art.

tike mik said...

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Anonymous said...

Hello from a french fan of supergirl,

Don't worry Anj, you will always be my favorite (and unique) blogger.

I think we will have more information on the futur with the two events of dc fandom.


Anj said...

Thanks for all the support!

I love this place and will do my best to keep the lights on!

Anonymous said...

Love all your content Anj from your commissions, to your current reviews, back issue reviews, etc. I especially enjoy the back issues because I wasn't a Supergirl fan from day 1. You helped make me one. It cool to see older books that I can add to my ever growing collection.