The first DC Collectible Comics (DC3) NFT release will be 1939’s SUPERMAN #1.
Always wanted to own a copy of Superman #1 but don’t have $5 million lying around the house? There’s a facsimile edition that was released earlier this month that looks just like the real thing. Or perhaps you’d be happy with a digital version? You can get that for free right now from Comixology. If you would rather pay for something, though, DC is happy to help you with that, as today they’ve announced DC Collectible Comics, or DC3, their foray into the world of NFT comics. The first release, an NFT for Superman #1, will cost $9.99, and will come in a variety of ‘rarities’ which will correspond to different covers for the issue.
Here’s the PR of the announcement:
Today, DC announced the next step in its digital expansion, DC Collectible Comics (DC3). The weekly drops, which can be bought and sold (subject to terms and conditions) on the fan marketplace at nft.dcuniverse.com, will feature rare variant covers and grading that physical comic book collectors have enjoyed over the years. Superman #1 will be the first DC Collectible Comic sold on the blockchain on October 27 for $9.99.
DC Collectible Comics will be released from two categories, Legacy and Modern. Legacy comics include releases of classic comic issues that may have been out of print for years while Modern comics will highlight a selection of recent releases from DC’s extensive line-up of comics.
“We want to take the physical, real world experience of collecting comics that so many of our readers have loved over the years and expand that into a new digital community,” said DC Senior Vice President and General Manager Anne DePies. “We want to build that community aspect that everyone has been so proud to be a part of, in our digital ecosystem to make comic collecting more available and accessible than ever before.”
One of the most highly prized comic books in all of collecting is Superman #1 by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. DC Collectible Comics’ first drop will give fans the opportunity to digitally collect one of the most sought after comics and will be limited to 3,000 minted editions.
The Common, Rare, and Legendary versions of the Superman #1 NFT
Each DC Collectible Comic will be randomly assigned one of five levels of rarity at the time of purchase: Common, Uncommon, Rare, Epic or Legendary. If purchasing from the Legacy collection, the rarity levels correlate to the digital wear that will appear on the comic book. A Common graded book may look faded and aged while the Legendary comic features a more pristine look. DC Collectible Comics from the Modern collection will feature different variant covers for each level of rarity.
“It’s been incredibly rewarding and fun to watch the level of engagement and enthusiasm within the DC NFT community,” said Josh Hackbarth, Head of NFT Commercial Development, Warner Bros. “From our premium Bat Cowls to our Gotham City District Knightwatch to our most recent Harley Quinn drop, we’re constantly looking for ways to embrace this new technology and provide fans with a truly unique experience. We’re proud of the community that we have built so far and are excited to see it grow even further with the addition of DC3 to the Palm platform.”
Batman: The Legacy Cowl #1, one of the newest DC comics created with the help of the DC Bat Cowl community, will be released today exclusively to Bat Cowl NFT holders. Batman: The Legacy Cowl #1 is the STORY OF THE COWLS! Over the years, Batman has designed various ‘specialist’ cowls (and other Bat-kit) for specific tasks. He keeps them all secure in the Batcave but one went missing. For the last several months, Bat Cowl holders helped shape the hows, whats, and whys of the comic through a series of votes, to help shape the story of Batman’s newest mystery.
Matt Mason, Chief Content Officer of Palm NFT Studio, added, “We’re beyond excited to be working with DC to bring this new collection to the platform where fans will now have the opportunity to experience these incredible comics in a newly interactive and engaging way.”
Each of the DC Collectible Comics are full comics that can be read on nft.dcuniverse.com once they are in a fan’s collection. Upcoming DC3 releases include Black Adam #1 by Christopher Priest & Rafa Sandoval, among others. Pricing, quantity and rarity for each DC3 drop may vary.
DC’s not the first major publisher to get into NFT collectible comics. Marvel’s been doing them for over a year now, often with brand-new cover art. DC’s also been dabbling in NFTs for a while now, with digital statues and Bat-cowls that people can buy and then I guess just keep in their wallets? I honestly don’t know what you do with an NFT after you buy it.
Look. I think our (or at least my) stance on NFTs is pretty clear. They’re silly. They’re a waste of money. They’re literally nothing. And they may or may not be super-harmful to the environment. But people are going to spend their money on silly things (and I’m not immune to this – just look at my toy collection), and if people are spending their money on something then it doesn’t not make sense that DC the Business would want to get in on receiving some of that money. I will also grant that DC3 is a great name as a play on web3, so nice work to whoever came up with that one.
Now if they really want to replicate the experience of collecting physical comics, then DC3 is just the first step. Pretty soon we’re going to have NFT boards and NFT bags (made of NFT plastic or NFT mylar, depending on which you NFT prefer). Hopefully they’ll be able to replicate the smell of an old comic through an NFT some day as well. Eventually we’ll be able to go to a comic shop in the Metaverse and dig through NFT longboxes to find the one NFT issue we need to complete our NFT collection, and honestly if that were a game with no actual money changing hands it would be really fun, okay now I see the appeal of this, who do I need to talk to about getting this made.
DC’s first NFT comic, 1939’s Superman #1, will be available on Thursday, with new $10 lines of code releasing weekly thereafter.
Boo to everyone involved with this ripoff cash grab. Anyone who supported this idiocy should follow Walter Hamada out the door.
Are you referring to the overall NFT market digitalization of assets? You seem poorly informed of web3.0 and the overall structure of our information economy. It’s an inevitable trend.
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