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Any thoughts on the newest reboot of DC comics?
I just found out about this. At first I thought it would be a good time to get into mainstream comics, but 52 separate titles seems a bit daunting and hard on the paycheck.
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And since this is a re-launch (they're very determined it's not a reboot, and we've been seeing lead-ups to things we know are going to happen in the relaunch happening in the DCU, such as oracle getting feeling back in her feet), Barbera Gordon going back to being batgirl is kinda like turning around and saying "Hey, I only bothered being some kick-ass genius because I was in a wheelchair, now that I can walk again, fuck oracle, it's back to being a Bat-Subordinate, WHEEEEEEE!"
It is, really, undoing one of the greatest characters in the DCU with the stroke of a pen, just so we can have another Bat-Dressing jackass flinging themselves around Gotham, which at this point now has more bat-family heroes than they have ACTUAL BATS.
Shit, Some old lady had to call the Exterminator just the other day because Azriel got stuck in her ceiling and kept banging around up there.
Fuck that. I mean, It wouldn't be so bad if, say, she got back the ability to walk, but chose to remain as Oracle, and let Stephanie Brown continue being Batgirl(Instead of being retconned out of existence), because she has done more good, kicked more ass, and generally been better as Oracle than she ever was as Batgirl - because then she's still the interesting solo character, even if she can still walk. Hey, you get a good few storylines out of her re-adapting to walking again.
However, Jim Lee and Geoff Johns taking over Justice League? Yeah, I'm into that. JL Dark, with vertigo heroes finally coming into main contact with the DCU? Yeah, I'm really digging that, especially with John Constantine, who has always been a favorite.
I suppose there are upsides. I mean, it's not like they've put Harley Quinn into some ridiculous new outfit that looks like it was conceived by Rob Liefeld...
Well, Cock.
The problem, of course, is that in a year things will be just a convoluted and circlejerky as they are now.
The Mansion recently had burned and Duke was busy rebuilding the structure. Bruce asked him: "What are you going to do when you get the Mansion rebuilt?"
"When your sickness is over we want you to live there," said Dick.
"Suppose I do not live until then?"
"Then we will get someone else," replied Dick.
"Suppose you cannot find anyone?" continued Bruce.
Dick answered loudly: "Don't ask such foolish questions. I can find anyone, I'm the Goddamn Batman."
Yes, I know Dick grayson is back to being nightwing after the Reboot launch
When the talk was of bringing Hal Jordan back, I didn't mind the character rehab. When Barry Allen was brought back, that is when I gave up on DC. With this re-launch, I'm going to give it a look, but as the old saying goes: "Once burned, twice shy".
and I can finally get into Flash after 17 god damn years
Oh, way, fucking EVERYONE in the 90s. Fucksake.
Also, within ten years, Crisis on Infinite Infinities will cause the reboot characters to meet the old original characters and create multiple parallel earths and an evil superboy and (etc., etc.)...
BREAKDANCING CONTEST!
RAAARGH I AM MULLET BLOODPOUCH. I HAVE NO FINGERS HOW I AM HOLD GUN.
"Oh Sure, throw that in my face" - Lady, it looks like she's trying to throw her fucking ribcage in your face. From waaaay over there. Then again, if I had enormous beer barrel legs that tapered into a tiny little en-pointe finger thing, I'd try to throw my ribcage across the room too.
What is this I don't even.
Run Franklin. Find Johnny and Ben, while I crack out a shit THE SIZE OF A FUCKING WEDDING CAKE.
I don't even know what the fuck is happening here.
This is Destractar. She destracts everyone with her enormous boobs and horrific birth defect.
This comic is the most 90s comic IN THE UNIVERSE.
Relevant Liefeldian "Arts".
And Of course, there are some that need no Explination - For example, Superman/Batman, which only requires you know a)Who Superman is in vague terms and b)who batman is in vague terms. Though, that might be because Superman/Batman is a modern version of the pure, unadulterated insanity of the gold and silver age. That...actually makes a strange sort of sense.
I just read/watched ALL of Hajime no Ippo. It's 900+chapters. The bigness was not an issue. The reason is because there is only one thing to read, and that's Hajime no Ippo. I didn't have to read One Piece to see the part where Ippo fights Red-Haired Shanks because it doesn't exist. You start reading from number one and keep going until you get to the newest number. Not only is everything simple and linear and self contained, but it's also still available.
Look at something like Walking Dead, Invincible, The Boys, or Fables. They're really long now. Fables is on issue 104 and shows no signs of slowing down. But nobody expects you to start with the current issue of these series, they expect you to start with issue 1. It's still available in trade form, and if you like it, then you read #2 and so on. Even years from now when all those series are much longer, you will still be able to start at #1 and go forward in a straight line like a normal person. In the end when you are all caught up you will have the entire cohesive story with no missing parts. No confusion about what order to read things in. You just keep adding the number one. Sandman was the same way, and I believe it was a major factor in the accessibility of that comic.
When you watch a serial TV show, you get a DVD box set and you start with episode 1. When you read a book series like Harry Potter you start at volume 1. Good comics are the same way, except for the fucking crazy ass superhero comics. There is some harm that is caused by the very large number of volumes, but the greater issue is the non-linearity and great effort that is required to actually read everything in order simply and without thinking. I know and you know that you can just start reading at any jumping on point and figure it out, that's because we are geeks who actively want to figure it out. The masses take the path of least resistance. Any resistance at all will turn them away because there are a billion other entertainment offerings with no friction whatsoever just inches away.
Man, that Ed guy has a really good memory, he's been doing this for years, and he's never failed yet. So, basically, you're complaining that the books reference other books, and sometimes have crossover events, which are usually announced, if not so obvious that if you can't spot them, I'm amazed you can even read in the first place.
They used to sometimes - back in the day - crossover regular stories so that you had to pick up multiple lines. That still happens, for really big events, though each line will focus on it's own hero - You're not going to find Green Lantern's story in this month's Aquaman title, for example. But it doesn't really happen anymore, and when it does, it's usually in a way that doesn't mean you're absolutely required to pick up the other books. It's really just a good way to pick out the people who don't know much about comics, because they'll always say something like this.
So, basically, Scott, let me get this straight. You're complaining that it's all one big unified universe, and if, say, Batman punches Green Arrow in the face, he might have a bruise on his cheek in the next Green Arrow book. Guess what - If it's a big, cohesive universe, with a single shared continuity, then shit like that happens. Yeah, you're making the comparison of Fables, and Ippo, and Harry Potter, Walking Dead, invincible, The boys, and Sandman(Which actually had spinoffs, and Canon implications outside of the Sandman books, including but not limited(specifically, of course, technically it had a permanent ripple on the universe as a whole, and I think we can expect to see more of the endless in the near future with Justice League Dark) to JLI, JSA, Infinity Inc, Swamp thing, Sandman(the other one), Hellblazer, Green arrow, The Demon, etc etc, so I guess you need to pay more attention when you read). Guess what all of those but for Sandman have in common? They all exist in their own universe. Jack horner and Mark Grayson are not catching lunch downtown. Ippo, harry potter and rick grimes did not walk into a bar and order a round of beers while smoking Red Apple cigarettes.
Do me a favor, dude, go read up on the concept of a "Shared Universe", particularly in regards to a fictional work, and when you seem to grasp the concept, come back and try again. LOL Blackest Night. That was actually a pretty good run. In all honesty, though the wiki makes it look daunting, it's not that bad in the actual books - if it's essential, most of the time, they'll cram in an explanation or reference to where you can find out at least once per arc. And they don't just shove every lantern in there, every issue, all the time, they come and go from time to time, but the main focus of the Lantern books is Earth's green lantern - or at least, his adventures. He'll run into people along the way, but you pick it up pretty quick, it's not that bad.