DC Ripping Off Manga In The Best Way Possible

DC Compact Comics have smaller dimensions than typical trade paperbacks but are still slightly larger than typical manga collections. At 5.5” by 8.5” they’re digest size, the size of most paperback novels, smaller than 6.65” by 10.25” trade paperbacks but still slightly larger than the typical 5” by 7” manga collection. While this size difference may seem like a small detail, it makes the books much easier to read on the go, more convenient to store, and most importantly cheaper.

At $9.99, the price point makes DC Compact Comics genuinely revolutionary for the industry. Costing about the same as many manga and fiction novels, these collections are much cheaper than buying multiple individual issues or trade paperbacks. For comparison, the trade paperback of All-Star Superman costs $29.99, three times its cost in the new format. 

Making their debut earlier this year, DC Compact Comics are limited to a few titles, though that could change quickly if they’re successful. The current titles available in the cheap new format are Batman: The Court of Owls, Watchmen, All-Star Superman, Far Sector, Batman: Hush, and Wonder Woman: Earth One. However, Harley Quinn & the Gotham City Sirens, Joker, American Vampire Book One, and Catwoman: Trail of the Catwoman are all slated for release later this year.

While there aren’t any sales numbers available, DC Compact Comics created plenty of buzz on social media among comic fans, and the reception has been overwhelmingly positive. Appealing to new readers with a lower cost of entry seems to be the main goal, but it’s also a great format for casual readers and fans with limited budgets or storage space. Comic fans seem to be buying in, but it remains to be seen if they’ll bring in new readers. 

As a dedicated comic reader, I hope DC Compact Comics catch on, and other publishers follow suit. Even with prices climbing, the comics industry has largely moved away from cheaper lines like the black-and-white collections Essential Marvel and Showcase Presents, making it increasingly expensive to read physical comics. Smaller, full-colored books seem like the perfect budget option, and manga has already proven the size and price point are viable. 

Some fans have seen the popularity of manga as a bad thing for Western comics, but the existence of DC Compact Comics proves that competition and new ideas create innovation. The Western comic industry has been rooted in antiquated business practices for decades, and it took an outside force to force one of the big two to try something new. Hopefully, that influence can go the other way and normalize affordable full-colored manga, improving the options for manga readers as well. 

After years of watching the “big two” try niche gimmicks and doubling down on expensive deluxe editions, I’m happy to see a budget idea like DC Compact Comics being tried. Comics can be intimidating to get into and having a cheap, portable option makes it a bit more new-reader friendly. The popularity of manga proves there’s still demand for comics, and DC is smart to adopt the format fans are reading.