DC Comics Gives the Boot to the CCA, Has come up with its own system Options

From the DC Source Blog:

As of January 2011, DC Comics titles will no longer carry the Comics Code Authority Seal of Approval. In 2011, DC Comics will employ a rating system consistent with that of the rest of the industry, as well as with our digital releases, which already utilize a rating system. As for our Vertigo comic books, they will not utilize the rating system, because they will continue to be labeled as “For Mature Readers”.

Beginning with our April 2011 titles, all DC comic book covers will utilize the following rating system:

E – EVERYONE

Appropriate for readers of all ages. May contain cartoon violence and/or some comic mischief.

T – TEEN

Appropriate for readers age 12 and older. May contain mild violence, language and/or suggestive themes.

T+ - TEEN PLUS

Appropriate for readers age 16 and older. May contain moderate violence, mild profanity, graphic imagery and/or suggestive themes.

M – MATURE

Appropriate for readers age 18 and older. May contain intense violence, extensive profanity, nudity, sexual themes and other content suitable only for older readers.

Jim and Dan

R.I.P. Comics Code Authority. It was only a matter of time before DC finally stopped submitting to it.

R.I.P. Comics Code Authority. It was only a matter of time before DC finally stopped submitting to it.

Do any of the major companies still submit their comics to the CCA? (I know a lot of smaller companies do, as evidenced by some of my recent comic-related winnings...)


This post has been edited by Gordon_D: Jan 21 2011, 10:15 AM

Though I feel that the move was only cursory I am looking forward to seeing mainstream mature books from DC feathuring the core characters. Up to now as everyone knows the mature sector of the DCU was Vertigo. But DC has always been a darker Universe than Marvel and the idea of the story lines been more focused to an older generation al a Marvel's MAX line is enticing.

Though I feel that the move was only cursory I am looking forward to seeing mainstream mature books from DC feathuring the core characters.

It's not like DC had to drop the code in order to do more mature themed stories. Isn't that pretty much what Identity Crisis was? Did we really need to see more graphically what happened? There are probably dozens of stories that the only way to make them more mature would be to throw in some cursing and nudity, which is just gratuitous.

Up to now as everyone knows the mature sector of the DCU was Vertigo.

That's not totally true. Quite a few Lobo miniseries were mature readers. The Joker graphic novel, you know the one I mean. The classic Batman: Arkham Asylum graphic novel. They just did it more limited to miniseries or one-shots instead of ongoing.

But DC has always been a darker Universe than Marvel and the idea of the story lines been more focused to an older generation al a Marvel's MAX line is enticing.

As more of a Marvel reader than a DC reader, I never thought DC was a darker universe. Overall thought the opposite in fact.

And I feel that while a few things work better MAX than just a simple mature readers, for the most part bumping something to the MAX level doesn't do much to improve the stories.

I guess the point I'm trying to make is that I don't think this is much of a big deal and don't foresee much change

This post has been edited by Zodar: Jan 24 2011, 11:02 AM

I don't see a drastic way in which the stories will change either but I do hope to see a story that will be told in an unrestricted fashion.

Like the movie industry, giving something an R rating as opposed to a PG rating doesn't make a better movie. I always thought that going the mature route or the darker route for your characters who could otherwise entertain younger readers drove people like myself away from buying books. Just because creative dialogue is replaced with f-bombs doesn't make a story better either.

We all saw that with All Star Batman and Robin. There wasn't a hope of getting a good story outta that book, and the dialogue while more adult, was awful.