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Comic Fans: Anyone Miss Showcase?

DC used to have a title called “Showcase” which was a “try out comic,” which meant that potential new series would be featured for one to four issues and if enough readers responded favorable (and sales justified it) new books would be given the Green Light. The most famous Showcase issue is #4 which introduced the Barry Allen version of the Flash and is credited with being the start of the so-called Silver Age of Comic Books.

Marvel Comics also had a few titles, mostly short lived, that worked on the same principle (e.g. Marvel Premiere) but Marvel seemed to be much more conservative about introducing new on-going series on the basis of a few solo appearances (maybe sales figures for such books weren’t regarded as being indicative of future sales).

My question is “Would you like to see a return to Showcase and similiar “try out” titles? You can answer nothing more than yes or no if you wish, but Best Answer will be awarded for something other than just bare bones.

want a crazy wacked out theory? i’ll bet we see a return of the anthology try out book a la shonen jump inside of 10 years. Think i’m crazy?

I mean right now marvel AND dc just wrapped or are running try out books- DC has countdown to mystery/adventure/creative bankruptcy, and Marvel has the revamped Marvel comics presents. the average sales on most comics BARELY crack 30K- and the above books didn’t do that. no where near.

and we wont talk about the vertigo stuff.

Civil war was a raging success at 100k. in the 80′s Warlord was cancelled cause it was ONLY selling 80K.

(you’re already not supporting the anthology books as presented to you- nor do fans typically give new books a shot anymore- at 3 bucks a go- thats understandably a huge risk..

But the trade market is doing quite well and kids are happy to drop 10 bucks on a shonen jump every month.

That business model? theyre willing to follow. I could very easily see they have, say an “X-men jump” where you could get the 8 x-books all in a 200 page volume at 18 bucks twice a month. the booksellers would love it and if characters proved popular in the x-jump maybe they could be spun off somewhere else. If they sucked? (i’m looking at you cable!) we wouldnt see them after the initial story. the collected stories could of course be printed as trades. Viola.

This would also allow someone really good like i dunno Ernest Hemingway to get that ONE aquaman story he’s been dying to write out of his system in a JLAnthhology-ish book and then we wouldnt have 25 issues of Aquaman being boring and wasteful and when we did see say… Camus’ take on aquaman? we’d be excited.

so i guess what i’m sorta saying is that we have those sorta books in the market now- people dont really support them, which is sad? because they want no risk in their comics, and if you like to see diversity? buy diversity

Marvel Super Heroes: What The–?! Wolverine Movie Premiere!

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The Avengers: Volume Two – Captain America Reborn! (Marvel Super Hero Collection) $9.97 Get ready for more action-packed adventure with THE AVENGERS: EARTH’S MIGHTIEST HEROES!, Volume 2. The excitement reaches new heights as the best of the Marvel(R) Universe stand together to battle Klaw, Baron Zemo, The Enchantress, and a horde of the Leader’s Gamma-Mutated Monsters. Bring home six sensational episodes from Season One of Marvel’s newest animated series. With an exclusive bonus feat…

Independence Day, Part 1 $1.99 …

Green Lantern: First Flight (Collector’s Edition – Exclusive Bonus Material + Digital Copy) $37.74 This exclusive collector’s edition features two episodes from the Justice League animated TV series – In Blackest Night Part 1 and In Blackest Night Part 2! Other features include digital copy, a sneak peek at DC Universe’s upcoming Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, behind the scenes of The Blackest Night, Behind the Story with Geoff Johns featurette, Duck Dodgers episode The Green Loonturn, Green …

Marvel Incredible Hercules: Love and War Premiere (Hard Cover) Graphic Novel/Paperback The Greek Goliath is looking for some R&R after the events of Secret Invasion and hopes to find it in the arms of ex-Renegade Namora. However, there’s no rest for warriors when the Amazons declare war on Atlantis! These ain’t your mama’s Amazons, so is that why Amadeus Cho sides with them instead of Herc? Plus: ARES returns! Collects Incredible Hercules #121-125….

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Silver Surfer: Parable (Marvel Premiere Classic) (Hardcover) $16.36 Galactus has converted humanity into his followers, and he`s leading them to their doom! The planet-devouring demigod`s only challenger is the hero he himself trapped on Earth: the Silver Surfer. It`s a war for Earth`s worship, but how much will be lef…

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Avengers: The Serpent Crown (Marvel Premiere Classic) (Hardcover) $15.99 Description not available.

Hulk: Return of the Monster (Marvel Premiere Classic) (Hardcover) $19.62 Description not available.

Punisher: Circle of Blood (Marvel Premiere Classic) (Paperback) $16.22 The series that started the Punisher`s road to solo success! Having escaped prison and started a gang war, the Punisher`s fighting both sides of the law – but his deadliest enemy may be a conspiracy playing one side against the other! Can he figure out…

Elektra: Assassin (Marvel Premiere Classic) (Hardcover) $16.33 Two of comics` most lauded creators join forces to bring you a tale that plunges you into the dark psyche of Marvel`s most lethal lovely–Elektra: Assassin! Here again is the story of Daredevil`s favorite femme fatale as she embarks on a game of dead…

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Avengers: The Contest (Marvel Premiere Classic) (Paperback) $11.74 To return his fellow Elder of the Universe, the Collector, to life, the Grandmaster enters a cosmic wager with Death herself, using Earth heroes as their chess pieces! Heroes from around the world, including several never-before seen, battle it out fo…

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Spider-Man: Torment (Marvel Premiere Classic) (Paperback) $11.31 Description not available.

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Wolverine: Weapon X (Marvel Premiere Classics) (Paperback) $11.43 255 characters or less!

Infinity Gauntlet (Marvel Premiere Classic) (Paperback) $14.84 Description not available.

Elektra: Assassin (Marvel Premiere Classic) (Paperback) $13.45 Good ninjas never die, let alone the baddest one of all! Fan favorite Frank Miller ushers his awesome assassin through good and evil and life and death and rebirth and more! Who is the otherworldly entity in pursuit of the presidency? When has Elektra …

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Iron Man: Revenge of the Mandarin (Marvel Premiere Classic) (Hardcover) $22.14 Description not available.

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Fantastic Four: The Overthrow of Doom (Marvel Premiere Classic) (Hardcover) $21.67 Description not available.

Avengers: Assault on New Olympus (Marvel Premiere Classic) (Hardcover) $19.59 Captain America! Thor! Namor! Hercules! Black Knight! She-Hulk! Captain Marvel! Dr. Druid! Wasp! See the Avengers storm the very gates of Olympus to battle an entire pantheon of all-powerful gods! Do our heroes stand a chance? Plus: from the Thunderbol…

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Captain America: American Nightmare (Marvel Premiere Classic) (Hardcover) $18.06 Where`s Doctor Strange when you need him? When the evil lord of dreams, Nightmare, threatens the world with nuclear devastation, only Captain America and Sharon Carter stand against him! But the threats don`t stop there as Cap faces the Rhino, M.O.D….

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Avengers: Hawkeye – Earth’s Mightiest Marksman (Marvel Premiere Classic) (Hardcover) $16.36 The Avenging Archer takes the stage in a collection of enough sensational solo adventures to fill anyone`s quiver! First, watch out as Hawkeye encouters a genetically engineered monstrosity created by the insidious Secret Empire. But will this feral …

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Avengers, West Coast Avengers: Family Ties (Marvel Premiere Classic) (Hardcover) $22.86 Hawkeye! His wife, Mockingbird! Wonder Man! Tigra! Iron Man! When the Avengers set up shop in California, there`s no shortage of enemies waiting to destroy them–from Kraven the Hunter to Morbius the Living Vampire to a war between Ultrons! Plus: …

Spider-Man: Return of the Burglar (Marvel Premiere Classic) (Hardcover) $19.59 Throughout his legendary career, no matter the countless quips and jibes he`s uttered, the Amazing Spider-Man has never forgotten one irresponsible moment that forever hangs over his head. So what happens when the burglar who shot his beloved Uncle Be…

Cloak & Dagger: Crime and Punishment (Marvel Premiere Classic) (Hardcover) $19.59 Created by the underworld – sworn to destroy it! Cloak and Dagger hit the streets to fight organized crime and super villainy! When they set their sights on the Kingpin, Spider-Man thinks they`re going too far, but his webs can`t rein them in! Plus: t…

X-Men: Beauty and the Beast (Marvel Premiere Classic) (Hardcover) $19.59 After her musical career comes to a screeching halt due to her being outed as a mutant, Dazzler ends up associating with an experimental underground theater group which serves as a front for a gladiatorial arena where mutants battle to the death! Fortu…

Deathlok: The Living Nightmare of Michael Collins (Marvel Premiere Classic) (Hardcover) $19.59 The war machine – for peace! In 1990, the time-traveling cyborg star of the seventies` Astonishing Tales was literally reinvented to protect the present instead of the future! Terrorism, revolution and giant robot ants come together in Michael Collins`…