It may be old news but the legendary Milton Glaser’s DC bullet logo has returned! All of DC Entertainment is now branded with the iconic shield logo and I couldn’t be happier. Why? Because some logos are just better than others, this being one of them.
The DC Bullet
A brief history of loss
This iconic version of the DC Comics logo was shelved in 2005 in the hopes of modernizing the DC Comics brand. The next three versions of the logo were received each time with a collective “why.” The most recent version by stalwart design titan Pentagram, a clear homage to the 1970s version of the logo, held the brand mantle for a strong eight years. Longer than any version since the Milton Glaser DC Bullet.
Scattered Identity
In what I can only assume is a bid to keep DC Comics “modern”, the brand has gone through a lot of change in the past 20+ years, both in brand and storytelling. There seems to always be an initiative to reinvent the iconic DC Comics characters, and in turn, the DC brand itself. Because of this, the whole endeavor has felt scattered and inconsistent for years. One very prominent example is the former DCU.
The DC movie universe is a perfect allegory to the brand itself. The tone, look, and feel of the films became inconsistent multiple directors struggled to make the studio happy and create a multiverse on screen. A very real depiction of how the comics and brand side of things felt.
Comfort in consistency & legacy
Some logos are just more appropriate and the idea of modernizing the timeless ones screams “If it ain’t broke…” The old “Package” UPS logo was perfect but moved aside for a swooped, gradient-filled smoothed-out version. A change I always felt was unnecessary as the core aspects of UPS haven’t changed.
That’s how I felt about the multiple DC Comics logos the past 20 years. The transition between so many brand marks felt jarring and reactionary, versus calculated and deliberate. The “Sticker” version of the DC logo still baffles me to this day.
I am making an observation based on optics and nothing more. But consider that DC Comics has changed its logo four times in 19 years. That may not sound like a lot. For context, Coca-Cola has had the same logo (with minor tweaks and enhancements) since the late 1800s.
Personal tastes dictating brand decisions
The question you have to ask is why. Why did this logo return? The claim was to present a more holistic media brand. It may have more to do with James Gunn and his affinity for the DC Bullet version of the logo.
Whenever new management takes over a company, they want to remove the previous regime’s contributions and put their definitive stamp on the brand they now own. It’s almost instinctual. Depending on how Gunn and his crew approach DC properties and the brand as a whole moving forward, this could be the best move as the new brand honors the past and presents a unified direction for the future. Something a brand should always do, is prepare for its future.
What do you think of the DC Bullet?
Let me know what you think of the new (old) logo and if it is a positive step for the brand.