1) Bring back anthologies- Anthologies give comics several opportunities normal comics don’t. Anthology comics are more likely to be sold outside of comics shops (see Shonen Jump, which often shows up in magazine racks). They given lesser known heroes a chance to have their own book with less risk (readers will likely still pick up an anthology even if they don’t like one of the stories).
2) Content Ratings- Comics are often stereotyped as “kiddie books.” Unfortunately, showing a mature comic to someone with this attitude won’t correct this thinking. It will make them wonder “what’s all this stuff doing in a kid’s book?” By including a small content rating on the cover, comics might be able to break away from this misconception. At the very least, it will help parents find comics appropriate for their kids. (And help more squeamish readers avoid gore-filled bloodbaths.)
3) More Genres- DC and Marvel comics publish 90%+ superhero fiction. There is plenty of opportunity for other genres that can be used even within the DC and Marvel universe. Detective fiction, suspense, romance, heck even medical drama is a possibility thanks to characters like Dr. Mid-Nite. One of the reason that manga sells so well is because of the huge number of genres. Name a genre, and there is manga set in that genre. Heck, one of my favorite manga is a romantic comedy martial arts harem series. Try finding that at DC or Marvel.
4) More Universes- Y: The Last Man, Watchmen, V for Vendetta: all these stories are set outside the mainstream DC Universe and were huge successes. But little gets published outside of the main universes at DC and Marvel. Occasionally, we see other universes in one-shots and Elseworlds, but they tend to be derivatives of the main universe. (Same characters with a different setting.) It’s also notable that these stories have a clear ending, unlike the mainstream universes. Even though I love continuing universes, there are times where it’s better to have a story with a clear end (even if it takes 20 volumes to get there).
5) Fewer Editors Writing- The job of editors is to edit; however, editors have an unfortunate habit of wanting to do the writing. Some editors can pull it off, but it’s a conflict of interest for them to do so. Quesada and Didio are the bosses of the writers. If they dabble in writing, there’s no one to rein them in when they go too far. They are unlikely to find people in the company willing to criticize their writing for fear of losing their jobs. I’m not saying editors are talentless, but their skill set is different from the skill set of writers. If Didio and Quesada feel the need to write, they should step down from their editorial positions and go through the same processes that other writers have to go through to get their stories published. If they want to be writers, they should be treated like other writers.
6) Fewer Event Comics- Event comics tend to sell very well, but they are often very difficult for new readers to get into. It’s gotten to the point where one event will lead directly into the next, which effectively shuts out anyone unfamiliar with the previous event. Events also interrupt other book’s stories so the book can have a tie-in. This can completely kill any momentum plot elements from before the event have, and it can result in readers being forced to read both the tie-in and the event to figure out what’s going on. Some readers will, but some readers will simply ignore the event or drop the book until the event’s over. By putting more time between events, writers can have a chance to build to the next event and tell their own stories in the meantime.
