Anyone who didn't see it coming needs to step to the back of the class. For the past couple of years, The Ultimate line of comics from Marvel has crowded the top of the sales charts month after month. Virtually everyone within the industry wondered just when DC would follow suit with an "Ultimate" line of its' own. In publishing, imitation is not the sincerest form of flattery, imitation is simply the sincerest form of "Hey, I want some of that money too!"

The wait will soon be over, as DC has recently announced its DC All-Stars line of books. DC is quick to point out that this line of books is actually quite different than Marvels Ultimate line. Where that line of books features familiar characters updated and stripped of the large "back story" that the originals have accumulated, DC's All Star line focuses more on the talent creating the books than on the setting. DC Editor Dan DiDio describes the line as "All-star writer and all-star artists working on all-star characters to tell an all-star comic story" Now, the question has to be asked: Why do we need separate books for this? Is it now out of line to expect an "All Star story" anywhere else? What, then, is the purpose of the regular books? Why can't they occasionally tell an "All Star" caliber of story?

No, the current comic book market doesn't work that way. Comic book companies want people to buy their comics and those people are more likely to buy their comics if they perceive them as somehow "new". Despite all the talk and effort that has been given to attracting readers, ours is still a "collectibles" market. It is a market that is driven by 1st issues and "hot" books. As much as we would love to think that quality is the primary, if not sole factor in comic sales, the truth of the matter is that first issues do sell better than any other issues in the series. Why is this? Certainly it could be a factor that many people pick up the first issue to try the book and some of them decide that they do not like it and do not pick up any others.

Yep. That could be a factor. But it is not a significant factor. After all, the number of people that decide they do not like a book and stop picking it up after the first issue could be offset by people who discover the book later and start picking it up with successive issues.

No, the reason that the first issue sells better than any other issue of a series is that Action Comics #1 sells for over $100,000. Americans have a love affair with both success and money. Is it any wonder that the two most powerful words in the comics industry are "First Issue" and "Mint Condition"? The current powers at Marvel are notorious for putting out a handful of issues of a series and then canceling it to start it over and get a new #1 issue. As much as I deplore this practice as a reader/collector, I understand it from a business point of view. All Marvel is doing is printing what sells. If number one issues sell better than other issues, print more number ones. Simple, right?

The DC All Star line sounds like some great comics. With the talent that they have lined up to work on them, they will certainly sell. What worries me is that anytime you get a line of books that exist primarily to showcase creators, then ultimately the line seems to burn itself out. So you're right in asking "What happens after Miller leaves? After Jim Lee moves on?" Past experience tells us that what will most likely happen is that the lesser creators will take over the books, and then interest will wane and the books will (if you'll pardon the pun) ultimately fade away.

I'm sure that these books will be good reads. Probably even great reads. What disturbs me is that the line itself is largely face dressing. I can't blame DC for giving comic buyers what they want. It is the American to rebuild rather than refurbish. We like shiny and new and this all star line looks to be exactly that.