After completing the post on DC Comics' Convergence series (specifically it's finale), and what the finale of that series could potentially mean, I got into no less than three conversations on Facebook on the subject that nearly went 'flame war'.
Much of the fault for the escalation of those arguments being mine.
Why? I'm not like that.
Sure, I'll make a snarky comment, or discuss why my opinion is my opinion, and I do like a good heated argument about pop culture entertainment, but does it really matter to me so much that DC Comics' universe now isn't the one I grew up with?
Then it hit me...Yes. I care a great deal about the subject of pre-nu52 DC Comics.
From the 1982 DC Comics Style Guide
By the incomparable José Luis García-López
I really, deeply care that Superman has an awful costume now, that the origin of Wonder Woman sucks, that the Golden Age heroes of Earth-2 have been completely revamped, and that there is no Legion of Superheroes comic of any kind.
I miss the old DC Universe. More than ever before in fact. I really loved those characters, that setting, and all the potential for stories, and adventures it represented.
Now, there's DC You...
Are You Ready for the New DC Universe?
Um...no.
Following the Convergence series, DC has done a soft reboot of it's milieu. No longer will it be referred to as 'The New 52'. The new name, or at least the name of the PR campaign, is DC You.
The 'New DC Universe' is not really all that new, since it largely continues the stories found in the nu52 incarnation of the setting. Essentially, the nu52 continues, just without the name.
Added to this are a bunch of new series that focus on either new, and/or updated takes on their iconic characters (like Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman), or brand new books that may be slightly out of continuity (such as Bizarro, Bat-Mite, Batman Beyond, etc.).
One of the tag lines for the marketing of this endeavor is, "Whether you’ve been a DC fans your whole life or whether you’re new to comics—there is a story just for you."
Well...I've looked at all the previews. Practically nothing in there current line up interests me. About the only thing I thought was cool, and it was actually pretty cool, is the new Bizarro series.
Some of their other tag lines for DC You include:
"Are You Ready to Hashtag This?"
No. I'm looking to read.
"Are You Ready to Root for the Bad Guys?"
No. Never. I'm looking for SuperHEROES. Do you have those?
"Are You Ready for the New Awesome?"
Yes. When will you have some?
And what did you do with the previous awesome? How about the old awesome?
DC You?
I guess DC someone. Definitely not DC me.
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Barking Alien
The 'New DC Universe' is not really all that new, since it largely continues the stories found in the nu52 incarnation of the setting. Essentially, the nu52 continues, just without the name.
Added to this are a bunch of new series that focus on either new, and/or updated takes on their iconic characters (like Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman), or brand new books that may be slightly out of continuity (such as Bizarro, Bat-Mite, Batman Beyond, etc.).
One of the tag lines for the marketing of this endeavor is, "Whether you’ve been a DC fans your whole life or whether you’re new to comics—there is a story just for you."
Well...I've looked at all the previews. Practically nothing in there current line up interests me. About the only thing I thought was cool, and it was actually pretty cool, is the new Bizarro series.
Some of their other tag lines for DC You include:
"Are You Ready to Hashtag This?"
No. I'm looking to read.
"Are You Ready to Root for the Bad Guys?"
No. Never. I'm looking for SuperHEROES. Do you have those?
"Are You Ready for the New Awesome?"
Yes. When will you have some?
And what did you do with the previous awesome? How about the old awesome?
DC You?
I guess DC someone. Definitely not DC me.
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Barking Alien
Hey, I like the New 52 stuff and even I will agree DC has an identity crisis...they don't know what to offer their readers anymore (or even who their readers are), and the newest lineup smacks strongly of "throw everything at the wall and see what sticks."
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't mind that so much is the stuff was really, actually diverse.
DeleteThis is to say, OK, you've got the gritty, sexy, hipster-trash modern titles, a couple of humor ones, a couple for tweens-to-teens (although I really don't think any quite fit that audience) - that's all very nice. Good for you New DC.
Do you have any for Superhero Comic Book fans who used to love DC Comics?
Remember back when you were cool, and making money? Remember titles like:
Justice League by Giffen, DeMatteis, and Maguire
The New Teen Titans by Wolfman and Perez
Legion of Superheroes by Levitz and Grell, or Levitz and Lighte, or Levitz, and Gifften
Justice Society/All-Star Squadron by Various Writers, and Artists
Infinity Inc. by Thomas, and Ordway
Anything at all like those? No? ...I see.
Aren't, historically, DC's most praised comics set outside the regular continuity? Why is DC so obsessed with reboots then?
ReplyDeleteAgreed to the Nth Power mi amigo! Why indeed?
DeleteI've always been more of a Marvel man, but DC really started to pull me in back in the late 90's and early 2000's. The New 52, designed to be a jumping on point for new readers was my jumping off point, and I haven't looked back other than to check to see if they've come to their senses and then walk away again when I see they haven't. Marvel is about to reboot their universe as well, and I fear it will be another jumping off point. I get it from the standpoint of wanting to hook new readers that might be intimidated by decades of history, I guess. It never seemed like a problem for me as a kid, but whatever. What bothers me is that both DC and Marvel seem hellbent on re-imagining rather than just rebooting. Oftentimes, those re-imaginings are too jarring or just too silly for me to want to spend my money on.
ReplyDeleteIt's a little sad. I've bought Marvel and/or DC superhero comics for most of my life. After the end of the Secret Wars charade, that may come to an end. At least there are the Star Wars comics...
Ugh. The Star Wars comics. That's a whole other thing to discuss. Generally good, they did something in the most recent one, claimed it's canon, and it's actually so that it almost takes away my desire to see the new, upcoming film. I'm going to wait, and see, and hope they resolve it.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile...
You make a very good, and interesting point Giles regarding the reboot as a means of getting new readers who may possibly be intimidated by the long character, and story histories of some comic book titles. Yet, as you say, when we first picked up these titles they weren't brand new, and we had no problem.
The first issue of the Legion of Superheroes, possibly the team with the most members, a long history, and involved with time travel, first appeared in 1958.
I first saw an issue of the Legion at the age of about 6, or 7, which would have been 1975-76.
So the LSH existed, and had published stories, for around 17 years before I 'jumped on'. Why wasn't I confused? Do the writer of the comic introduce them better than we do now? Was I smarter at 6 then a modern teenager is? Did corporate morons get the idea that the consumer is stupid, and needs to be told what to read and when to read it?
I think one of those is likely correct. Three guess which. >_<
I started reading LSH the same era you did. The LSH had the 17 yrs of continuity. Did any other comic book equal that at that time?
ReplyDeleteGranted, the LSH didn't pander to newbies. The familial interactions between characters wasn't user friendly.
For example: Rokk Krinn aka Cosmic Boy could be referred to as Rok, Cos, CB, Cosmic Boy and or Krinn in one issue. I had no problem catching on and keeping up.
Apparently a new reader in this era of instant internet will cry and poop their pampers trying to understand the LSH?
Sprock it! My next game to run will be the LSH. I will call it "Chasing The Darkness": The players will be LSH Academy students that are rushed into the field. Their mission is to help track, find and round up Takron Galtos escapees.
That campaign idea...is perfect.
DeleteIt fits the setting, and themes of the Legion, yet it's basically simple, and straight forward.
Love it.
So many parallels to draw between this post and the recent direction/path of that game called "Dungeons & Dragons." So many...
ReplyDelete