‘Universe’ offers entry points for fans
DC Universe, featuring the heroes and villains of DC Comics, officially launched on “Batman Day,” Sept. 15.
This direct-to-consumer service offers streaming of many of the DC superhero movies and TV shows, a selection of digital DC comic books and the opportunity to shop for exclusive items.
The 12-episode original series “Titans” is set to debut on the service Oct. 12. Other live-action shows in development for the service include “Doom Patrol,” “Swamp Thing” and “Stargirl.”
The “encyclopedia” section, with character bios, is free to all users.
An annual membership to the service runs $74.99; the monthly fee is $7.99.
I decided to try out the DC Universe service to share thoughts on its utility.
Movies & TV
No “Batman” 1966, and nothing from the more recent Zack Snyder universe of films. The “Watchmen” film also is missing, but the motion comic and “Tales of the Black Freighter” animated program are included. “Justice League Action” is also presumably too recent to make the cut.
The “Arrowverse” of shows aren’t on the service, nor is the 1970s “Shazam!” at this time.
Other than those exclusions, it feels pretty robust: fans certainly could binge what was known as the DC Animated Universe, primarily overseen by Bruce Timm with “Batman: The Animated Series,” “Superman: The Animated Series,” “Justice League,” “Justice League Unlimited” and “Batman Beyond.”
Two seasons of the well-regarded animated series “Young Justice” are included with the service; the third season, “Young Justice: Outsiders” is set to appear on the service in 2019.
The Christopher Nolan Batman films are included, as are the Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher films from the 1980s and 1990s. Superman’s four entries starring Christopher Reeve also are available. (No “Supergirl” movie or Brandon Routh “Superman Returns,” however.)
The viewing quality seems comparable to
Netflix. Fans can watch on Apple or Android devices, as well as on a computer, and the service is set up for use with a Chromecast for TV viewing. Apple TV and Roku also are listed as options, but I didn’t try those out.
Comics
DC Universe claims a curated collection of 2,500 comics, and that seems about right from my scrolling around. It’s nowhere near the sheer numbers of Marvel Unlimited, which claims 20,000 in its library, but then again Marvel Unlimited doesn’t have films. Fans of both companies may end up opting for both services.
Positives include an ability to check into classic comics that tie into programming planned for the service, like highlights
on “Doom Patrol” and “Power of Shazam.”
Though I prefer print comics for a variety of reasons, the digital comics service works well for the most part. There are some odd glitches like the wrong cover occasionally showing for a comic, or some issues of “Batman” being categorized under a “2010” volume (that shouldn’t actually exist). Those aren’t insurmountable problems by any means. Some of the series offer long runs; other just a sample issue here and there. A note in the app says the “full DC Comics digital library will be available for purchase in October,” which likely means anything currently for sale through other digital retailers.
How much that 2,500 number of comics to read free with membership will increase is unknown,
though in the Help Center for DC Universe, it states the goal of “an everexpanding selection of great titles from the DC library and new content will be added to the service all the time.”
Just since checking into the service over the opening weekend and before deadline for this piece, additional issues of “New Teen Titans” were added.
For me a digital service will never be able to replace the fun of collecting physical comics, but it’s also not a huge investment to check out a fairly large library, and it’s certainly easier to take on a long trip than several boxes of comics.
Collectibles
Members of the service get the opportunity to purchase exclusive toys and collectibles.
The first offering is a new 6-inch action figure line based on the “Justice League” animated series that aired from 20012004. The figures sell for $28 each.
T-shirts, jewelry and phone cases also are offered in the DC Universe shop.
Other notes
DC Universe currently only is available in the United States.
DC Universe states the service isn’t intended for children, as there’s not an easy way to curate between what’s kidappropriate and what’s not on the site, though there’s certainly plenty there a younger reader or viewer would enjoy. This is a potential negative at the moment for the service, though I could see it adding the ability to sort that via a profile similar to what Netflix does as the service matures.
As far as if something like the Adam West Batman or previous Swamp Thing series eventually will make its way to the service, it’s hard to say for certain.
“In some cases, specific videos and comics aren’t available for various reasons, including existing licensing agreements,” says an answer at the DC Universe Help Center.