(October 18, 2010) Bob Wayne has been named Senior Vice President, Sales of DC Comics, it was announced at New York ComicCon by John Rood, EVP Sales, Marketing, and Business Development, DC Entertainment. Wayne will continue to oversee sales distribution for DC Comics in the direct market and bookstores, and in his new role will and will now oversee digital sales and all international distribution. He will be based in New York and report directly to John Rood.

“Bob Wayne's dedication to the direct market is boundless and he's been an instrumental, guiding force in DC Comics' growth in traditional bookstores,” said Rood. “Bob has a stellar reputation with our partners in the retail community and I look forward to watching his—and the company's-- expanded influence internationally on all platforms.”

Bob Wayne joined DC Comics as Retail Promotions Manager in 1987. He was promoted to Vice President, Direct Sales in 1998. He was honored with an Inkpot Award in 2009 at Comic-Con International: San Diego.

Prior to joining DC, Wayne operated a chain of comics and science fiction stores in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

He is the co-author of the DC comic book series Time Masters.

Come one, come all, as DC Co-Publishers Jim Lee and Dan DiDio hold court for a relaxed afternoon discussion. Share your opinions, thoughts and questions with Dan and Jim for a spirited debate about anything and everything in Room 1A06-7. I’ve got my seat. See you in a few!

New York, October 7, 2010– Beginning January 2011, DC Comics will implement a line-wide pricing adjustment, lowering the prices of all standard length 32-page ongoing comic book titles currently priced at $3.99 to $2.99, it was announced today by DC Comics Co-Publishers Jim Lee and Dan DiDio.

“Today’s announcement re-affirms DC Comics’ commitment to both our core fans and to comic book store retailers,” said Jim Lee, DC Comics Co-Publisher. “For the long term health of the industry, we are willing to take a financial risk so that readers who love our medium do not abandon the art form.”

“As Co-Publishers, we listened to our fans and to our partners in the retail community who told us that a $3.99 price point for 32 pages was too expensive. Fans were becoming increasingly reluctant to sample new titles and long term fans were beginning to abandon titles and characters that they’d collected for years.” said Dan DiDio, DC Comics Co-Publisher. “We needed a progressive pricing strategy that supports our existing business model and, more importantly, allows this creative industry to thrive for years to come. With the exceptions of oversized comic books, like annuals and specials, we are committed to a $2.99 price point.”

When taking into account mini-series, annuals and specials, more than 80% of DC’s comic books will be priced at $2.99.

As of January, the following titles standard length ongoing titles, previously priced at $3.99 for 32 pages/22 story pages, will be priced at $2.99 with 32 pages/20 story pages:

American Vampire;

Batman: The Dark Knight;

Batman Incorporated;

Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors;

JSA All-Stars.

As of January, the following licensed titles, previously priced at $3.99, will be priced at $2.99:

Gears of War;

God of War;

Kane & Lynch;

Ratchet & Clank.

As of January, the following ongoing titles previously priced at $3.99 for 40 pages/30 story pages including co-features, will no longer include co-features and will be priced at $2.99 for 32 pages/ 20 story pages:

Action Comics;

Adventure Comics;

Batman: Streets of Gotham;

Detective Comics;

Doc Savage;

Justice League of America;

Legion of Super-Heroes;

The Spirit.

In January, five books are $3.99 for 40 pages/30 story pages:

Batman: Europa # 1

First Wave # 6

DCU: Legacies # 9

Weird Worlds # 1

World of Warcraft: Curse of the Worgen

The following oversized anniversary issue will be $4.99 for 48 pages/38 story pages:

Hellblazer # 275

“Fans of our co-features should stay tuned. Some of these characters will find a new platform,” said Dan DiDio. “Going forward, mini-series and special events may feature a different price point and page count to best allow writers and artists the flexibility of format and story pages they need to tell their stories best.”

The changes happening behind the scenes this week are part of a greater campaign to reshape DC Comics and build a company for the future. Our responsibility as Co-Publishers is to find a balance between short term opportunities and long term vision; between our strengths in traditional print formats and the infinite potential beyond print; between our characters’ rich legacies in the past and the bright promise for the future they hold.

As we’ve said before, there’s much to celebrate about DC. The foundation for long-term success is already here.

The DC Universe features the modern adventures of the World’s Greatest Superheroes, as envisioned by an exciting mix of new and fan favorite comic book creators. Vertigo is committed to publishing cutting edge, creator owned comic books and graphic novels by a wide array of creative voices.

One of our first decisions of the Co-Publishers was to up the publication of MAD Magazine from a quarterly periodical to a bimonthly one. In the wake of that decision, the magazine has seen increased sell-through growth. And we’re thrilled that MAD's brand of madcap humor now stretches across media, with a highly-rated television show on Cartoon Network. The Usual Gangs of Idiots are an important part of this company and pop culture.

As we move forward, we also have to acknowledge the need for change.

After taking the comics scene by storm nearly 20 years ago, the WildStorm Universe titles will end this December. In this soft marketplace, these characters need a break to regroup and redefine what made them once unique and cutting edge. While these will be the final issues published under the WildStorm imprint, it will not be the last we will see of many of these heroes. We, along with Geoff Johns, have a lot of exciting plans for these amazing characters, so stay tuned. Going forward, WildStorm's licensed titles and kids comics will now be published under the DC banner.

After this week, we will cease to publish new material under the ZUDA banner. The material that was to have been published as part of ZUDA this year will now be published under the DC banner. The official closing of ZUDA ends one chapter of DC’s digital history, but we will continue to find new ways to innovate with digital, incorporating much of the experience and knowledge that ZUDA brought into DC.

We’ll be further expanding our digital initiative and making a lot more news in this space. As part of that transformation, the WildStorm editorial team will undergo a restructuring and be folded into the overall DC Comics Digital team, based in Burbank, which will be led by Jim Lee and John Rood. With nearly two million free downloads and hundreds of thousands of paid downloads, our digital foray is already reaching a new audience worldwide. We could not be more excited by the successful launch of our Digital Publishing products in June, which exceeded all sales forecasts and will be building on our early success with new applications for DC material on all major formats and hardware, partnering with Warner Bros Digital Distribution. It has extremely been rewarding to hear anecdotal stories of lapsed readers returning to the art form and of brick and mortar stores gaining new customers who sampled digital comics.

We remain, as ever, dedicated to working with the greatest creators this industry has to offer, while inspiring generations of creators and readers to embrace this medium that we all love.

Jim Lee and Dan DiDio

DC Comics Co-Publishers