DC Universe goes boom again

[Don Collett]

That darn Barry Alllen! He comes back and leaves a mess all over the place!

 

DC relaunches all titles post-Flashpoint

[PowerBook Pete, the Mad Mod]

If they told you everything that was going to happen, there would be no reason to buy the books.

[Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod)]

But they're doing a good job not telling you anything!

 

[Newsboy]

We really don't know much, and as usual, I want to wait and see before I have an opinion.

 

We do have that shot of the "new" Justice League, and in addition to the costume changes mentioned, it appears Wonder Woman will keep her pants, and Martian Manhunter will be replaced by Cyborg as a member of the "Big 7." That little part of my heart that lives in the Silver Age, is totally uncorrupted, uncynical and is 10 years old, and loves the Martian Manhunter for no rational reason, just shed a little tear.

 

Also, Martian Manhunter could whip Cyborg any day of the week, and twice on Sunday! 

[Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod)]

I'm wary of changes to some of my favorite titles -- Secret Six and Legion, particularly -- but I'm very curious about the prospect of the relaunch. And the Joker cover Jock posted (most likely to Detective Comics #1) gives me confidence that there'll still be some continuity here and there -- in the creator sense,at least. (Though I doubt Batman Inc. has been totally abandoned.)

[Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod)]

Check out this Jim Lee interview.

"The characters also are getting a makeover. While most of the specifics are still top secret, Lee says he worked with both staff and freelance artists to redesign costumes in a contemporary way as well as alter the physicality of many heroes and villains to modernize the DC Universe."

I suspect that "altering the physicality" is not simply a matter of making six-pack abs eight-pack abs. He's probably talking about race and ethnicity. Which begs the question: Should we expect a black Black Canary?

DC has been trying to make its universe more diverse, with mixed results. Completely new characters don't take and are cancelled and forgotten; most newly-introduced legacy heroes eventually get shunted aside for the original. But what if the universe was such that certain characters were *originally* black, Latina, Chinese, gay, or whatever? They'd still be the core characters (once-removed from the JLA big 7, that is), and they'd be the originals in this universe. Is this DC's way of squaring that circle?

[Jason Marconnet (Pint sized mod)]

That's an awesome cover. The cover with batman is not too shabby, either!

Rob Staeger said:

I'm wary of changes to some of my favorite titles -- Secret Six and Legion, particularly -- but I'm very curious about the prospect of the relaunch. And the Joker cover Jock posted (most likely to Detective Comics #1) gives me confidence that there'll still be some continuity here and there -- in the creator sense,at least. (Though I doubt Batman Inc. has been totally abandoned.)

[Don Collett]

Mark:  As far as I understand it, the current creators have had enough advance notice to be able to wrap up all current storylines.  So there will closure, or at least the attempt at same.  Then we get to unwrap the presents in September...yeah, to me it's like Christmas three months early.  That's how excited I'm getting. :)

Some new number ones I want to see...

Shazam!

Doom Patrol (hey, a guy can dream)

Blue Beetle (Ted or Jamie, I like 'em both)

 

[Figserello]

Rob Staeger said:

Check out this Jim Lee interview.

"When you have a Green Lantern mixing with a foil like Batman, you get scenes that are comic-book history. There's the epicness of it all. You're dealing with iconic characters and you want to give them all equal grandeur and weight."

He means they'll be hitting each other, doesn't he?

Rob said:

DC has been trying to make its universe more diverse, with mixed results.

Based on performance up to now, it's been a policy of one step forward, two steps back. DC will have to work really hard to make their comics universe look modern and inclusive for this purported new digital audience that are about to come swarming* towards our little hobby. It's already too late to do anything about all those back issues they are going to check out whose covers are offensive and degrading to women...

This Comics Alliance article gives a good analyses of the commercial thinking behind the move.

He makes a good point about being now in thrall to Apple's censorship policies.

*We can only hope.

[Philip Portelli]

I'm probably reading too much by one cover but I'm hoping that the big change to the Joker is more than following the movie version!

Jason Marconnet said:

That's an awesome cover. The cover with batman is not too shabby, either!

Rob Staeger said:

I'm wary of changes to some of my favorite titles -- Secret Six and Legion, particularly -- but I'm very curious about the prospect of the relaunch. And the Joker cover Jock posted (most likely to Detective Comics #1) gives me confidence that there'll still be some continuity here and there -- in the creator sense,at least. (Though I doubt Batman Inc. has been totally abandoned.)

[Philip Portelli]

If DC were going digital only, that would be a problem but I don't see that happening now. People have been saying that "Print Is Dead!" for decades. But look at some of the recent media successes that came from it: Harry Potter, The DaVinci Code, Twilight, The Walking Dead and every fraggin' super-hero blockbuster!! So I'm not letting some newsbite worry me! Comics will survive and if they don't, there's always back issues!

[Rich Lane]

Print still has a good twenty years in it, but its days as the primary medium are critically numbered.

 

[Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod)]

I can never argue with Three Little Birds... but you sure you have the right thread, Figs?