DC Comics, after decades of confusing its fans by operating in New York instead of Washington, D.C., now confuses them by operating out of Burbank, California instead of Washington, D.C. The transition began nearly two years ago, and the New York office essentially ceased operations in April, but the end of Convergence and related titles now means that the new titles hitting the shelves (such as Batman #41, featuring Jim Gordon taking up the Batman mantle) are the first to be produced in Burbank. The history of American comics publishing has long been intertwined with New York City. For decades, there was no major publisher located anywhere else, just as all the comic-strip syndicates were headquartered in the area. Part of the reason for the move is to get DC closer to Hollywood, which appears likely to affect its future. But the move also meant big personnel changes, as about half of the company's 150 on-site staffers resigned from the company rather than move from one coast to another. DC's Burbank staff numbers 210. With Convergence, DC also ended its "New 52" brand identity and started up a new one, "DCYou," with at least a nominal emphasis on diversity and a well-established multiverse as opposed to the streamlined single universe it had pitched in the past. The Burbank Era is already meaning big changes to DC, like 'em or not. What big stories did we miss? Let us know in the comments!
T Campbell has written quite a few online comics series and selected work for Marvel, Archie and Tokyopop. His longest-running works are Fans, Penny and Aggie-- and his current project with co-writer Phil Kahn, Guilded Age.
