The format of Wednesday Comics (oversized comics on newsprint) is full of potential and carries with it a kind of brand pentration that regular comics otherwise may not enjoy.

Perhaps I’m romanticizing the current value of newsprint a bit, but I feel like the average, non-comic reading household might be more likely to keep a copy of Wednesday Comics around the house, on the coffeetable next to the magazines, then they would the latest issue of Doom Patrol.

Which begs the question, why doesn’t DC crank these out more often, make them a tad more new reader friendly, and strike deals with the existing major newspapers to distribute issues in Sunday papers? Can you even imagine the number of households that would then be exposed to DC Comics on a regular basis?

There are other ways to look at the format, though, including using it as an anthology to develop new talent for the company. Up and coming writers and artists could tell stories with the company’s toys that don’t affect continuity yet still showcase their talents.

My fear though, ultimately, is that the format proved to be so new and so different that nobody’s certain how to best utilize it, which is a shame because this kind of comic could do so much more than just being another comic.

Thank you for reading! I’d read recently that Chiarello will in fact be producing a sequel, so let’s hope he came away from this experience having learned what works and doesn’t.