The Effects of DC's IP Hoarding

Like A Private Sandbox Wasting Away

Looks like James Gunn really is one of those people with the Midas Touch when it comes to spreading interest in less public DC characters. The Creature Commandos definitely look at a bigger wider world without making every little Easter Egg a potential spin-off.

Plus Peacemaker became a household name in the same way the Guardians of the Galaxy did. These were all pretty forgettable characters, people didn’t take as seriously. Until the right people found the passions to use them and the execution to pull them off.

Hasn’t happened to any characters on that level since Swamp Thing and Daredevil in the 80s. Or at least Deadpool in the 2000s.

But looking back some years, I notice every time there are C or D-List characters in the DC universe, it’s usually in commentary of their status. One-Star Squadron, Tom King’s Human Target, Danger Street, and Strange Adventures and the more recent Fire & Ice all gave fans of a lot of characters some vocal pushback.

That got me thinking, is that people’s nostalgia driving outrage? Especially since more casual readers like these? Or is this more of an outcry of the effects of IP hoarding?

Terms and Conditions

You see in DC’s nearly 100 years of comic publishing, it has thousands of characters under its label. With all of that history, there are bits that people are going to miss. Because let’s face it, not everyone can be as iconic as Superman or Batman.

Thankfully a few characters get niche audiences, enough to show readers that you don’t have to be viral to tell good stories. Although with changing times most people’s attitudes towards things shift.

Not A Chad, Or A Virgin

Take for example one character who is getting some more attention these days. Metamorpho the Element Man! Ask any causal DC fan and they’ll probably say:

“I think I’ve seen this guy in…Justice League? Young Justice? Beware the Batman? Wait was it Brave and the Bold? Oh yeah, he’s showing up in James Gunn’s Superman! Somebody said that right?”

Now ask what this character’s personality is like from someone who only saw him on TV.

“He usually looked stoic and a bit angry that his boss turned him into Metamorpho, since pre-Metamorpho was dating his daughter.”

What most people don’t know is that in most of his comics, he’s a cornball who after some ups and downs learns to live and love the way he is. He’s not just a funny guy, he brings genuine levity to a lot of the teams he’s on out of empathy. This is a guy who knows how lucky he is to have people in his life who can love him despite the way he is.

The problem is, everybody who isn’t Mark Waid or Al Ewing like to play up Metamorpho’s more tragic side without levity. Which for a guy who’s constantly put around stoics like Batman, it’s no wonder he gets overlooked.

Can You Tell Me Who These People Are?

Power Girl!

What’s her deal anyway?

Red Tornado!

The robot who usually got wrecked on TV?

Flying Fox!

…Who?

These are all characters who appeared in Mark Russell’s One-Star Squadron. Those responses are generally the idea of their characterizations here. Which got fans of two out of the three in some irritation. Power Girl and Red Tornado have regularly saved the world and resisted corporate greed. But in this story they feel like shells of those beloved takes.

Power Girl is a corporate shark willing to tear down anything in her path to success. Even if that means backstabbing friends and colleagues. Unlike the classic character who led her own company and gave it all up because being a superhero was more fulfilling.

But like I said, who other than die-hard fans actually know or care about the latter? Most people think she’s just a Supergirl who got some work down. And when she shares space with THE Supergirl, Power Girl is kind of redundant.

Speaking of redundancies.

What’s So Strange About This?

Tom King’s Strange Adventures is a well structured story about a character who has been dealt a lot of flip-flopping between the ideal space age adventures and darker, more existential stuff.

This definitely falls into the latter. Adam Strange’s story here was made in reaction to a mean tweet the writer Tom King received. It removed a lot of the sense of wonder Adam Strange is known for by making Strange a war criminal.

Frankly King gets flack for this kind reimagining a lot. Danger Street in particular uses characters from the extremely obscure 1st Issue Special in an epic noir fairy tale. One of them was our friend Metamorpho and he barely did anything. Almost like the point of it all was trying to find a heart in all of the bleakness.

Warlord on the right actually has several books to his name that no one remembers.

Ironic since one character with a lot of heart from Justice League International and her friend were made into femme fatales in King’s Human Target.

So yeah, most of these come down to how these fun loving adventurers take a level in cynic. Especially when compared to a Justice League Unlimited episode called Patriot Act. This episode stars little known heroes called the Seven Soldiers of Victory. The point is, this episode was a rejection of darker and edgier takes on niche characters. The whimsy and brightness of these people manage to triumph over indulging in post-9/11 attitudes by inspiring the masses.

It’s Not Just Cynicism

But here’s the bigger irony. Joanne Starer’s Fire & Ice: Welcome to Smallville did away with the more pessimistic parts in Human Target’s take on them. And yet people still complained about the return to form. Not as well structured a plot, more dramatic things come out of nowhere, and some awkward dialogue.

If DC plans to use these characters again, it probably won’t be for a long while. Because it’s stuff like this and low sale numbers that keep the publisher away from them. At least with Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, etc. they can get away with the same flaws by exploiting recognizable IP and the characters tied to ‘em.

Take Power Girl for example. Leah Williams’ take on her has been all over the place. But it’s still ongoing because it is part of a saga with Superman.

Do You Market Guest Stars?

Now I’m sure some of you are thinking: “If these characters get the Grow The Beard treatment like Swamp Thing or Daredevil, they’d get recognized”.

But I’m not sure if publishers want to bother. For one Swamp Thing and Animal Man went viral unlike Black Orchid which paved the way for Neil Gaiman to create Sandman.

…That’s not important right now!

I doubt anyone will even remember the followup Black Orchid series.

On that same note, Black Orchid was on the bottom of a list of characters Gaiman wanted to work on. He even had to tell his editor who she was since everyone else was taken. Or so I’ve heard.

But why; isn’t that an advantage to working on less known characters? A chance for creative freedom? True, but unless this goes viral, there really isn’t much point to working on characters for so little pay.

Sometimes even a great story a creator makes gets overshadowed by their more famous works. Like with Gail Simone’s debut DC mini-series Rose & Thorn. No joke, this is still highly recommended by whoever can find all of the issues. But out of all the things Simone did for DC, sometimes it takes a bit to remember that mini-series. Unlike Birds of Prey and Secret Six.

It helps to ask for autographs.

It’s Not Just About Heroes

When you really get down to it, the situation with DC’s neglected heroes is nothing special. Many of the most successful entertainment businesses devote to only a few of their brands.

For TV, you’ve got NBC’s Chicago franchise and CBS’s Big Bang Theory (and Young Sheldon).

Meanwhile video game companies like Nintendo put their resources on their most popular franchises like Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda. All of their other franchises get outsourced to different developers.

Even content creators with big productions like MrBeast and Team Theorist prioritize certain subjects. You don’t get Five Nights At Freddy’s because they want to, no matter exhausted the crew gets with it. And MrBeast can’t provide charitable vids every month compared to 7 Day Challenges or 1 to $X vids.

In fact ask anyone what DC’s best performing IP is by growth alone, chances are it’s Teen Titans Go! Because at the end of the day, it’s just common business sense to focus on your best performing brands. That’s why DC puts out so much Batman, anything in relation to him basically sells itself. No need to spend extra cash on advertising, even if it does result in burnout.

What’s The Real Problem?

Going back to the divided titles with C to D-Listers, creators are aware that these characters are stuck in a corporate trap. A lot of great stories could be told with more underrated characters to develop. But there’s not really a lot of demand to supply. Both the creators and the editors are either underpaid or too burned out to risk anything on practical nobodies.

It’s a lot easier to comment on neglected heroes’ obscurity and the lengths they go for recognition than risk everyone’s time and money when people have so little of both.

But if DC and other IP farms are just going to prioritize their highest earners, why bother hoarding everything? Because they don’t wanna miss a chance to make money off of names that can grow? If that was true they wouldn’t turn away pitches with C-Listers like Ragman. Heck going over to Marvel for a moment the iconic Kraven’s Last Hunt was originally a Wonder Man story and was more personal. But the pitch had to be changed to Spider-Man.

Any time these niche characters do appear as headlines in recent times, it feels less like creators want to work on them and were assigned by executives to fill in a release gap. Like Ray Fawkes’ Ragman. Unlike the guest stars like Omen in Leah Williams’ Power Girl or Galaxy in Axelrod’s Hawkgirl. Maybe even Mr. Terrific in a few titles…nah that’s pushing it.

Point is, companies hoard IPs out of greed and laziness.

Is There Even A Solution?

If anything, it’s more feasible for everybody if some of the least used characters go into the public domain. A good example is in Peacemaker Tries Hard with Red Bee. While DC owns newer versions of this character, the original from the 40s is in the public domain. As a result of this accessibility, the writer Kyle Starks manages to make him a memorable funny guy with layers.

In fact, Duke Law School continues to study how only 2% of copyrights have any value after a certain amount of time. The other 98 just don’t have the royalties or recognition to support further circulation. Unlike public domain stories that parties can still profit from in small but sustainable ways. As is the case with Say Hello To Blackjack.

DC’s Neglected Heroes Need Saving

Not every DC superhero can be Superman or Batman. Some stories just aren’t going to inspire followings or ideas as much as others. While there’s always a chance to make a comeback with a new direction, not everybody goes viral.

Production companies have to prioritize their best performers because it’s just more efficient for profit. Besides even the creators who work on well told stories can forget them when they move onto bigger things.

Sometimes creators like more what characters and settings represent to them more than what they are. That causes a divide between new and old audiences. But maybe the problem isn’t the divide as it is accessibility. It’s just that greed has a way of influencing lazy behaviors like hoarding that makes it hard to optimize.

Until the day IP hoarding becomes a mainstream issue, DC’s neglected heroes are going to stay that way.