Batman’s Scott Snyder Just Convinced Me DC’s All In Initiative Is Its Best Idea in Decades

DC Comics shocked fans when it announced at Comic-Con that it would be starting a brand-new initiative called All In come early October. And while the handover of creative teams does risk a lack of success, writer Scott Snyder recently appeared at Fan EXPO Canada to deliver the message that All In will see DC taking its biggest swings. Forget any other forms of media, superhero stories are more than thriving in the comics, and DC plans to let everyone know it.

DC’s new initiative All In will see all the current series’ storylines come to a close and reopen with brand-new stories and creators as DC unleashes a flurry of books set in the Absolute Universe to run alongside the main universe. The new initiative will officially begin with DC All-In Special #1 on October 2 and Absolute Batman #1 on October 9.

Scott Snyder appeared as a guest at Fan EXPO Canada, and his panel covered the initiative’s initial development as well as DC’s determination to show that superheroes aren’t going anywhere.

Superheroes Stories Are At Their Peak—And DC Knows It

Superhero Comics are Doing Better Than Superhero Movies

Despite popular belief, anyone who reads comics knows that the superhero genre is not struggling. In fact, it’s the exact opposite, especially when it comes to DC Comics’ publications. In prior years, DC’s various publishing initiatives have achieved different objectives: The New 52 changed its heroes’ origins excitingly; Rebirth restored a classic universe; Infinite Frontier brought everything together again; and Dawn of DC restored classic characters and stories. DC’s upcoming initiative, All In, is aiming even higher: it’s doing everything all at once. Snyder described it as such to his panel audience:

. . . What if we did one at the same time, that was both? That showed everybody out there complaining, that doesn’t know comics, saying that, you know, superheroes are over, that not only are these heroes alive and well here and living their best storie . . . We’ll give you the New 52 in the Absolute Universe and we’ll give you Rebirth in the main universe, where you got both things, and a story — and a meta story, which was always missing back then, to shows you we have a plan for the next few years . . .

It will be hard to outdo Dawn of DC, which gave many characters their overdue time in the limelight, and brought back teams like Birds of Prey and the Justice Society, but that’s exactly what All In is doing. Through an explosion of storytelling, DC will keep the versions of the characters that fans have grown attached to over the past few years, while at the same time introducing new versions that can excite a new group of readers. It’s taking DC’s well-earned success from the preceding years and shooting for the stars. And it just might work.

DC’s All In Is The Company Taking Its Biggest Swing

Scott Snyder Will Headline the Absolute Universe with Absolute Batman

At his panel, Snyder talked about how time away from DC allowed him to enjoy reading superhero comics again. He discussed how the initial idea of Absolute Batman was a story he was passionate about, but when it came to his return, Snyder didn’t want to do it half way. While comic book storytelling has been solid for the past few years, DC hasn’t made a big swing like it did with The New 52 in a long time, instead choosing to focus more on character growth. Snyder explained that for All In, he knew DC needed to do something bigger… it needed another big swing:

. . . I went to the company, and I was like “Look, you guys are f**king DC Comics. You’re awesome. We are still the same company that we were in New York but better. We can — you’re telling great stories. You’re doing great books. But what we need is to do a big swing with all of us, like we used to do in the old days. All of us at the same time. Every single book. So go to your creators and say, in two years, you take your biggest swing. It can be on the same book, it can be on a different book . . . I am going to come in and read the pitch and be, like, are you taking your biggest swing?” And everybody did it. Everyone was like, I’m taking the biggest swing.

The idea of every creator at DC stepping up to bat with their best creative ideas is exciting. Over the course of Dawn of DC, the company has gathered a superb group of creators to interweave stories and deliver heartfelt battles packed with action that makes a reader chew their nails nervously (Dark Crisis, to name one). Kelly Thompson delivered a Birds of Prey team that could take on Amazonian warriors. Tom Taylor grew Nightwing to lead the Titans in the Justice League’s place. Tom King set Wonder Woman up against the U.S. army, sparking various conversations. DC’s creators have been on fire for years, but their biggest swings are yet to come.

DC Is Throwing The Biggest Comic Book Party In Decades and Marvel Is Invited

DC is Giving Free Collectible Justice League Cards to Retailers

While comics are undeniably strong right now, the reality is that the shift from paper products to online reading has hit comic book stores hard. Both DC and Marvel have their own digital platforms where subscribers can read from thousands of comics online. Despite the large amount of storytelling DC is about to unveil, Snyder revealed that the true intent of the new Initiative is to return comic book readers to stores. With lower costs for variants and free collectibles, DC is putting in the effort to show people the best place to read comics is to buy them in stores. At his panel, Snyder gave a heartfelt speech on this goal:

We’re going all in with our hearts. It’s all in the books, meaning every single book has a jumping on point and it’s all in the stores. Every single week a new book is starting or a new story arc is starting. We want you to go to stores every week. And look, if you buy three to four DC comics, they’re going to give you a Justice League card, a collectible, for free [… for] retailers to give out at their discretion. If you […] don’t buy any DC comics, and you buy Marvel, who cares? Go celebrate superhero comics […] indie comics are amazing — I love them, buy those too — but this is just about that. Go support superhero comics and show them that […] comics is the medium in which these characters thrive, live, are renewed, all of that. […] So, we want it to feel like the biggest effing comic book superhero party in years. And we’re gonna do everything we can to make you feel that.

DC and Marvel may be opposing companies on the comics shelves fighting for attention, but it goes without saying that both are stronger together due to being in the same genre. Thanks to the cinematic universes of both companies, superheroes are more mainstream than they’ve ever been, but comics are still neglected despite being the true home of these characters. DC’s goal is to change that, a shining aspiration. It truly will be a comic book superhero party.

Comic Books Belong In Stores

Online Comic Platforms Don’t Offer the Same Options as Comic Book Stores

While digital comics make catching up on extensive character histories easier for new and longtime readers alike, they lack the extra spark that makes collecting comics a good time. This includes variant artist covers, virgin covers, special cover elements like foil or acetate, promotional materials like the Dawn of DC collectible bookmarks, and the community formed over various titles that a screen doesn’t allow. Those things are exclusive to in-store comics.

By releasing a different Absolute Universe book alongside the current main titles that are starting new storylines, as well as doling out collectible cards, DC is ensuring that comic book readers enter stores every week for something new. Snyder affirmed that DC’s goal isn’t to change buying habits, but to give their audiences a reason to go into stores. Superhero comics should be celebrated, and they want everyone in store to celebrate.

Every initiative comes with risks, but DC’s All In is coming from the best place possible when starting something new: the heart of its creators. Superhero comics are in their prime with more diversity and inclusivity than ever before, and DC doesn’t plan to slow down. With creators like Joshua Williamson and Scott Snyder taking the lead, All In will not only alter the threshold for DC Comics storytelling but celebrate superheroes the way these characters deserve.