Minx No More: DC Cancels Girls’ GN Line

Wow. I understood the DC line of graphic novels for women young adults (as DC puts it, as well as that wishy-washiness may have been one of its problems) wasn’t getting a great deal of attention, however I expected it to last with its second year instead of being truncated.

Comic book resources is reporting that DC has cancelled the Minx line. After putting out six books in 2007, this year so far they’d released

Burnout (best of the lot, in my opinion)

Water Baby

Janes in Love, sequel to the debut release

The new York Four

The huge problem? Distribution. CBR specifies

Random House, DC’s book trade distributor, has not been able to effectively location MINX titles in the coveted young adult sections of bookstores

I’ve previously speculated that the books were selling much better in the established comic direct market than bookstores, which wasn’t the goal for the line, although it plays to DC’s strengths as well as comfort levels.

But then, the line was developed out of jealousy. Shelly Bond, the editor behind the imprint, stated she “pitched this line as an alternate to manga, however likewise as an alternate to traditional fiction” — in other words, why aren’t these youngsters buying OUR comics? Which is typical DC thinking.

Too much of the promotion revolved around what the books weren’t, instead of what they were. The analysis at the CBR article specifies that

this advancement should be seen as a depressing indicator that a market for alternate young adult comics does not exist in the capability to support an effort of this kind, if at all

Alternative to what? Again, that’s being reactive — “we’re not superheroes, we’re not manga” — instead of proactive. What are you, then? as well as the response is some middling soap opera work without much passion, telling comfortable stories about young women who discover to accept themselves (and commonly get a boyfriend) after a considerable event, with serviceable however not astounding art.

Also, DC spent at least $125,000 just on promotion. That’s a great deal of money to expect a new line reaching to a new market to cover in under two years. An effort of some other kind may be extremely well supportable.

Let’s not fail to remember one major issue: the lack of considerable female innovative contribution, a issue from the start.

No one liked these books. a few of them weren’t bad, however none of them were truly great. as well as that, ultimately, is why they failed. Although being part of a business that over-controls innovative efforts as well as isn’t truly sure whether it wants women visitors most likely likewise contributed.

So farewell to the non-published titles:

Emiko Superstar by Mariko Tamaki as well as Steve Rolston (previously arranged for October – anyone have an advance copy they don’t want?)

Token by Alisa Kwitney as well as Joelle Jones (whose work I liked on 12 reasons Why I like Her – I’ll miss this the most)

All Nighter by David Hahn (was due in January 2009)

Poseur

Clubbing in Tokyo by Andi Watson

Perhaps some will be resurrected under Vertigo, or elsewhere.

Pure speculation: likewise revealed this week was that one more couple of CMX books were cancelled to be resolicited at a later date. Is that the next imprint to deal with cost-cutting?

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