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The death of comic books has been foretold for many years, but just like the superheros and villains it chronicles, the medium always returns, sometimes bolder than before.

Sales from comic books and graphic novels tumbled 7 percent in 2023 (falling from $2.01 billion in 2022 to $1.87 billion) — according to an estimate from ICv2, a website that tracks industry sales. This year, however, the industry bounced back in a big way. Though final numbers aren’t yet available, sales are believed to be up.

No one had a bigger year, arguably, than DC, which launched several publishing initiatives, new product lines, and new distribution channels.

“DC lost market share and had multiple downsizings in recent years,” notes Milton Griepp of ICv2. “They had a long way to come back from and they’re showing signs of life. They definitely had a great year.”

The company doubled down on its evergreen stories with a new graphic novel format,...

Earlier this year, DC Comics debuted a new manga-inspired line called DC Compact Comics, which prints iconic stories in a more affordable format the size of a typical manga volume. These accessible paperback editions have flown off the shelves, and the line will now be expanding in 2025 with new releases and reprints for the high-selling first wave.

Following the success of the collection's launch, the DC Compact Comics line will be receiving a new wave of comics, with fifteen exciting titles set to release throughout 2025, all listed on DC.com. These include fan-favorite series like Batman: The Long Halloween, DC: The New Frontier, and many more - in addition to second and third printings for comics such as All-Star Superman and Far Sector.

With a new wave of DC Compact Comics on the horizon, longtime fans of classic stories and manga readers seeking a jumping-on point into American superhero comics...

There’s gracefully admitting a mistake, and then there’s what the Santa Fe District Attorney’s Office did in late February: attacking Alec Baldwin’s lawyers for pointing out that one of the charges against him was unconstitutional.

The problem with the charge was clear. It was based on a sentencing enhancement enacted after the Rust shooting — an enhancement that required a minimum five-year sentence if a firearm was discharged in the commission of a felony.

The prosecutors decided to use this updated enhancement against Mr. Baldwin. Then, for some reason, they promptly went on CNN and Fox News to talk about it, before the charge had even issued.

There was just one problem: This charge violated the Constitution’s ex post facto rule. That’s the rule that says you can’t be charged with a crime if what you did wasn’t a crime at the time you did it.

Exclusive: Leading Japanese newspaper The Asahi Shimbun has signed with Storied Media Group for film and television representation. Smg will package and sell the newspaper’s content for feature films and television both domestically and internationally.

“We are thrilled to be working with The Asahi Shimbun to bring its exceptional journalism to the TV and film market,” said Smg Founder and CEO Todd Hoffman. “The company has such a proven track record of delivering compelling and important stories for Japan, Asia and the global audience. Streamers increasingly clamor for compelling, global stories, so we look forward to this exciting new business venture.”

Known as a progressive newspaper of record, The Asahi Shimbun is one of the largest daily newspapers in the world, reaching a daily circulation of over 4 million. It has won major journalism awards for its reporting on political and corporate scandals, and has participated in global movements like the Un Global Compact.

Television director who worked on Doctor Who for 16 years and was at the helm when the Daleks made their first appearance

Christopher Barry, who has died aged 88, directed many notable television series, ranging from science fiction to historical dramas and literary adaptations. At the heart of his work was a 16-year association with Doctor Who.

It began in 1963, with the inaugural appearance of the Daleks – the metallic creatures who would become the most enduring monsters in the show's history. Of Barry's remaining stories with the first Doctor, William Hartnell, The Romans (1965) was an exercise in knockabout comedy, and The Savages (1966, though now lost) a thoughtful morality tale.

When ill health compelled Hartnell to hand over the part of the Doctor to Patrick Troughton, Barry worked closely with the incoming actor, who was initially unsure how to play the part. The resulting adventure, The Power of the Daleks (1966, though again lost...

Our mother, Jean Harvey, who has died aged 83, declared at the age of six that she wanted to be an actress. She went on to a successful stage and screen career, receiving widest recognition for her work in television over more than 30 years.

Her most famous role was in Compact (1962), one of the BBC's first soaps, as the editor of the magazine from which the show took its title. She appeared in several classic serials, including North and South (1975) and two versions of Jane Eyre, playing Mrs Reed in the 1973 adaptation and Mrs Fairfax in 1983. Her favourite TV role was as Sally, the wife of Max (George Cole) in A Man of Our Times (1968), for which she received a Bafta nomination.

Jean was born near Birmingham, daughter of Dorothy and Frederick Hillen-Harvey, and studied at the city's Central School of Speech and Drama before joining Birmingham Rep as a junior member,...

The BBFC have cleared extras for the DVD release of the Second Doctor story The Dominators.

This 1968 five-part story has been expected ever since an official promo for the story was leaked to YouTube at the end of last year. The story stars Patrick Troughton as the Doctor along with Frazer Hines as Jamie and Wendy Padbury as Zoe.

The story is set on the planet Dulkis, under threat from two alien Dominators, Rago and his subordinate Toba, who have landed in a spaceship. It features the robot Quarks.

Guest stars include Ronald Allen, who was well known at the time for his starring role in the soap opera Compact and later for his role in Crossroads and Brian Cant who was a staple of Children's television in the sixties and seventies, well known for his work on Play School and Play Away and for his narration on the popular Trumpton,...