If you have seen the new Watchmen series on HBO you are familiar with the phrase Tic-Toc. It is a reference to the Doomsday clock prominently featured in the Watchmen graphic novel. It denotes the amount of time until a nuclear doomsday. Well the stakes are not as high when it comes to DC Universe but if the recent announcements concerning HBO and HBO Max are any indication DC Universe subscribers may as well consider the service nuked.
The service has yet to truly take off as a video service. Did you know that the Doom Patrol has been renewed for season 2? Did you know it had a season 1? Titans is in the midst of season 2 at the moment yet there is next to no coverage of the series as is usually accompanied by major shows on major brands. This is not an indication of the quality of the shows, but it is a comment as to the effectiveness of the DC Universe service.
When the service was originally announced there was no AT&T Warner Media merger on the horizon. Once the merger came together the service may as well have been shuttered right then and there. The service hoped to be the centerpiece of DC comics with original shows, library content and the ability to read digital comics on demand. The service delivers on this promise but on a stunningly low level. The vast majority of the content is based on animated movies. It also features a number of dated TV shows and of course the classic Superman and Batman movies that defined comic book films in the 1980s and 1990s. But it’s the original shows that were supposed to really pop. Despite how well received they are they have not pushed subscribers. The highly anticipated Swamp Thing was such a runaway hit it was cancelled after its first episode aired. That being said it should be no surprise that the Watchmen series debuted not on DC Universe but instead on HBO. And after Tuesday’s HBO Max presentation it should be very obvious what direction things are going. Let’s take a look at what sort of DC content will be found on HBO Max.
New shows Green Lantern, Strange Adventures, and DC Super Hero High. New Arrowverse shows like Batwoman and any others that roll out going forward will be available after their runs on the CW. Even more, every major DC film made will be on HBO Max including Joker. Remember Doom Patrol (we just mentioned it) its second season will be seen on HBO Max. So if DC Universe was supposed to be the center of the DC entertainment it appears that its orbit has been altered.
Doesn’t it seem like the writing is on the wall. I mean the writing is on the wall. And in this case the author signed it. HBO Max is going to be the home of almost DC comics content not named Arrow, Flash, Black Lighting and Super Girl. Those shows are not on DC Universe either. They are contracted to Netflix. Though it would be no surprise at all to see it return home later. So enjoy the Universe while it lasts but it looks like the next headline you see concerning it will be that it is shuttering.
