Summary

• DC Comics aims to attract new readers with its new line of DC Compact Comics, which are manga-sized paperback editions of beloved DC stories. The $9.99 price point and genre-based shelving strategy make it appealing to both new and longtime comic-book fans.
• The Compact Comics are designed to be easily accessible for new readers, with self-contained stories geared toward adults. They will be shelved by genre alongside novels, making them more discoverable in bookstores and libraries.
• DC Comics' decision to publish a compact line that resembles manga is a smart move to tap into the explosive manga market. The compact size and affordable price make it an enticing option for all kinds of comic readers.

DC Comics has announced a new line of DC Compact Comics: manga-sized paperback editions of beloved DC stories like Watchmen, All-Star Superman, Far Sector, and more. The size, shelving strategy, and $9.99 price point of the Compact Comics line will surely be appealing to new comic-book readers and long-time fans alike.

Going on sale in June 2024, DC Compact Comics are collections of self-contained stories sized to 5.5" x 8.5", which is the standard trim for trade paperback novels. Focused entirely on self-contained stories geared toward adult readers, the line is new-reader friendly and will be shelved by genre instead of among other graphic novels. Organized by genres like fantasy, thriller, science fiction, and more, readers will be able to find DC Compact Comics next to their favorite novels in bookstores and libraries. The initial line, each priced at $9.99, will feature:

DC Compact Comics Are Perfect Entry Points for New DC Readers

According to Anne DePies, DC's SVP & General Manager, “the DC Compact Comics price and sizing is perfect for readers of prose and manga looking to pick up a new-reader-friendly storyline in a self-contained full color graphic novel.” This is not the first time DC — or Marvel, for that matter — has targeted new audiences by rethinking the packaging of its graphic novels and collected editions. DC's popular YA graphic novel line also has a smaller trim size than standard collected editions, and the books are clearly geared toward atypical comic-book readers. But with an even smaller size — and an appealing price-point — the Compact Comics line differs significantly from these other initiatives.

By using a genre-based placement strategy in addition to the new format, DC is clearly targeting manga- and novel-readers as opposed to those specifically seeking graphic novels. This is a strategic and even exciting step towards attracting new readers to the broader superhero genre and the DC mythos, which may feel impenetrable to casual fans. Manga, of course, is one of the most explosive publishing markets globally, and it dominates North American book sales. DC's decision to publish a "compact" line geared towards adults that looks, feels, and is priced similarly to manga is possibly one of the publisher's smartest decisions in years.

DC Comics Takes Advantage of an Untapped Market

Measuring the success of this line, of course, is many months down the line, but this announcement also comes at the heels of a huge surge in sales of collected DC editions thanks to the on-the-ground marketing efforts of James Gunn, one of the new leaders of DC's cinematic universe. By capitalizing on this renewed interest in (and even fervor for) groundbreaking DC stories through a manga-like line of books, DC Comics may strike gold. Perfectly sized for easy reading — and perfectly priced for easy buying — DC Compact Comics will open even more doors for all kinds of comic readers.

The initial DC Compact Comics line, including Watchmen, Far Sector, All-Star Superman, and more, will be available June 2024.