Facade of Evil

What's a good example of a marketing gimmick? DC Comics' Faces of Evil. I was excited about this "event" when I read about it coming. I thought it was a great idea to have each comic in the DC Universe focus on one of its more prominent villains and truly give us "The DCU from the villains' point of view." I've read several of the issues on the checklist and...I'm not impressed with the gimmick. And what a "gimmick" it is. Let me give you the definition of "gimmick" from Wikipedia:

"In marketing language, a gimmick is a unique or quirky special feature that makes something "stand out" from its contemporaries. However, the special feature is typically thought to be of little relevance or use. Thus, a gimmick is a special feature for the sake of having a special feature. In marketing, product gimmicks are sometimes considered mere novelties, and not really that relevant to the product's functioning, sometimes even earning negative connotations."

Faces of Evil is a gimmick. It's not relevant and earned a negative connotation in my (comic) book. Why, you ask? The premise promised stories told from the point of the view of the villain. They weren't. The covers featured villains against a black background. One would think that the issue would actually contain that villain for more than a panel or two. They didn't.

Wonder Woman #28 - features The Cheetah baring her claws. The Cheetah doesn't show up until the END of the comic and even then is in only about two panels. The rest of the comic shows Wonder Woman getting dolled up in warrior armor, enlisting her white gorilla friends and the former and current Wonder Girls, and going off to do battle with the green faceless creature that beat her up in the previous issue. How is that a Faces of Evil comic, you ask? I don't know. You tell me.

Green Lantern #37 - features an angry Red Lantern by the name of Laira on its cover. The issue turns out to be mainly about the battle with Atrocitus, the supposed head of the Red Lanterns. And, no, the story isn't told from his viewpoint either. (And don't even get me started about this new rainbow of Lanterns out there in the universe. Or the fact that the Green Lantern Corps can't stay in their own comic and have to bleed over into Green Lantern as well. Green Lantern = singular. Green Lantern Corps = plural.)

Batman #685 - features Catwoman holding a giant (and presumably stolen) diamond. Now, I LOVE Catwoman as a character. However, didn't DC just cancel her comic? And now they're making her the main focus of this Batman issue? Her own series could have been extended a couple of issues for this storyline and given a lesser known Batman villain (who's never had his/her own comic) a little spotlight.

Birds of Prey #126 - features the --yawn-- villainous Calculator. Sadly, this BOP comic really was about the Calculator in its penultimate issue. Readers already clamor that they're tired of seeing the Calculator in Birds of Prey, so what does DC do? They devote an entire issue to him. Right before they end the series. Way to go out with a whimper. Maybe this comic should have read "Feces of Evil" instead.

Faces of Evil? Concept = A+. Follow-through? D-.