Post by jest on Aug 15, 2011 0:51:59 GMT -4
Oh. My. God!
This might be stepping over some boundaries (since my Character hasnt been accepted yet) but this is a subject very near and dear to my heart...
The DC Reboot
I have been collecting DC Comics for like years - WEEKLY (my boyfriend has been for over TEN YEARS) - you can imagine the mess in my basement and room - and I collect figurines and statues - it's pretty ridiculous. So when something as whack-a-doo as this comes along it affects my way of life GREATLY. I have ben following this subject for MONTHS - from the disappearance of key characters such as the entirety of the JSA and Wally West to the creation of Barbara Gordon's legs working and becoming Batgirl again.
I'm infact so dissheveled and displeased with the news of the reboot I wrote a message to all my comic book friends and co-workers and on comic book forums. And I'll post it up on here too:
A Plea for Truth, Justice and the American Way
As larger and larger bits of information began to leak out from the DC source about the changes and the tweaks fans will be seeing in September with the DCnU – there has been a deeper and more resounding cry from various spectrums of the comic book community.
As new costumes were announced – people bemoaned the flagrant use of the “aggressive” palette of reds and blacks. An obvious call to the younger generation that prominently labels their brooding, gothic, and belligerent use of violence and profanities as signs of “coolness” and “maturity”. There were also the offensive and contemptuous disarray of iconic outfits such as, Wonder Woman, Superman, and Harley Quinn (Harley receiving the most disgusted of responses to her change in outfit). DC proudly chalks up these outfits as trying to make them more regal and united when combined with the new outfits of the characters in the JLA – however, this seems like a poor attempt to once again promote what they believe will ring in the younger generation. The high collars remind me nothing of a united or regal front and neither does the armor on Superman who less than likely will ever NEED armor if bullets fly off of his skin as is. And DC’s ideas to try and clothe their women to put them into outfits that are more “appropriate” seem to have completely forgotten this motto when designing Starfire and Harley Quinn’s outfits.
Then when the eerie abandonment of beloved groups and characters began to spring up = there was never a more heartfelt cry against it. The way the Golden Age characters from the Justice Society have been cast aside like yesterday’s garbage was abominable. There are who I know personally who fell in love with Kingdom Come and it’s sequel Thy Kingdom Come and have stuck with the DC industry simply to read Justice Society – now that they have apparently demolished it’s existence in the DCnU – they will be losing a large fan base of JSA readers. Key characters such as Beast Boy and Raven from the Teen Titans are also easily forgotten and replaced by two unknown characters that could never fill in for the characters they have usurped. The writer of the Teen Titans, Lobdell, states that these “monstrous” characters are placed into the fold of the Teen Titans simply to bring about “diversity” within the group – bringing in character than have no real human like form. This is just a cheap shot to promote characters that we have no emotional attachment to and for them to allow them to shameless drop out two of the most recognizable faces of the team (and as far as I’m concerned, Beast Boy filled in the role of a “monstrous” teen with his green skin). And lastly, where is Wally West? As far as the SDCC confirmed, Barry and Iris are not together, and if they’re not together, Wally West never met Barry and has not turned into the Flash. For those of us who grew up with Wally in Mark Waid’s run in the 90s – this is nothing less than a slap in the face.
There is also the blatant disregard for continuity – a ferocious outcry can be recalled when the announcement of Barbara Gordon’s time as Oracle was numbered with her demotion back to Batgirl. Though they have changed many of the character in order to make a “jump-on” point for new readers and to bring back the most recognizable character in the cowl – they still fail to announce that certain stories have been promised to remain in continuity even after this “reboot” – such as The Killing Joke. This seems to negate the idea of creating a “jump-on” point in the first place – trying to start fresh for people to not have to read the back issues but still employing a lot of history from back issues is counter intuitive. But besides the failure of the “jump-on” point proposition – once readers had time to mull over the fact that DC execs will be moving the time clock of various DC characters and organizations, many canon and continuity fans will be having a hard time fitting in the early years of Batman, Superman, and the entire superhero/villain community and cramming their histories in a span of about five years (seeing as how their idea of making Superman the first “superhero” in the last five years – making other heroes appear around the same time with as much bulky history behind them). Pretty much in condenses Grayson’s Robin days into a year or two – which logically makes no sense to go from a young teen to a adult in that time span.
But even with all the disgustingly grotesque use of change for the sake of change – I still held fast to the idea of “waiting-it-out”. It will end up like another Elseworlds – everything will go back to the status quo – there are all origin stories that will revert back to the way things ought to be.
But what if they don’t?
And upon reading DC’s most iconic character – Superman – and his utter change for the worse; it would seem that all is looking bleak in the world of comic books.
If DC can alter our American Mythology and change something as classic as Superman’s marriage with Lois, his humanity, and upbringing and rip it apart, shatter it, and bury it – then there is nothing sacred and nothing to hold on to and watch flourish. Part of the reasons comic book fans REMAIN comic book fans is because there characters have come to grow and evolve with us. Comic book lovers DO NOT despise change – we know that in order to keep these stories engaging and fresh CHANGE is a key ingredient – but what we DISLIKE, more so than anything else, is change for the sake of change. These aren’t changes to better the characters I grew up and learned to love, these aren’t changes that impact the universe I have meticulously followed for years, these are changes that shatter the continuity of the stories I collected and morph everything I have treasured.
They have distorted and blemished the characters I once knew and loved, removed and made obsolete the events and stories I grew up with for a small spurt of sales and the potential group of new comers who may or may not come.
I understand intimately and fully about the recession, the costs of paper and printing, and that writers, artists and editors a like need to make a pay check. DC is a business, and their readers are finite sources of income. In order for the industry to move along it needs to morph with the ages. Hence why change is not the comic readers worst enemy. However, when new comic readers do jump into the fray for special big comic book blockbusters, like this one, after awhile they leave – and why is that? Because of one of two things:
1) They simply aren’t interested – they just are fair-weather comic book readers. They just will never become advent comic book readers no matter how many reboots, relaunches, and big time story arcs comic book industries put out. They simply aren’t emotionally invested as the fans are.
2) The true enemy of comic book readers – sloppy and unimaginative writing. Usually when big story arcs occur – they bleed out all their energy into one focal point – destroying the stories of other areas of the universe in order to make this ONE story awesome. And once the arc is finished we move on to something else – leaving this part of the universe to the hands of less experienced writers – leaving the newbies who have fallen in love with this particular character betrayed and abandoned with the spotty writing – and they leave.
Though the DCnU may seem shiny and new and produce higher sales for the first six months of life – after the novelty of newness wears off- the uncommitted with abandon ship, and if writers continue to produce uninspired work as they have been doing for the past couple of months now – they’ll be seeing the rest of the newbies leave as well. Just because this is a “fresher” and “newer” type of universe doesn’t mean that writers will suddenly become INSPIRED - what makes people believe that writers will be more invested in stories and character if they haven’t been invested in them months before?
Ultimately, I’m afraid the reboot is a Hail Mary pass to increase a resource that will not come to fruition – not because they can’t keep up with “the times” but because they lack quality. It will make changes that are unnecessary and will disappoint a well established fan base that could potentially leave and never look back.
Me and my boyfriend being two of them.
Though it is a sad day when I leave behind something so ital to me for the past couple of years; it is even a bigger travesty for my partner who has invested over ten years of his life to these characters.
I am making here a final plea for all of those who have equally invested time, money and emotional currency into these characters, stories, and events. For those of use who looked upon these characters as more than just fictitious beings – but as friends who have been with us through think and thing and who we’ve seen grown into the people we know today and have helped us grow ourselves. And lastly, this is a conscious effort to stop the destruction of a world that I hold dear to my heart – and to gather in enough of these passionate readers to equally make a plea and pledge of their own to protect these stories and characters.
If we wish to make our voices heard and make a difference we must actively attack the pockets of the DC board members. We must stop buying these DCnU comic books in order to preserve our world; as the retcon of Mary Jane and Spiderman’s marriage proves, those who do not put their money where there mouth is have no right to complain about the degradation of their characters.
Again, if you HATE the disappearance of character and events that have remained canon for years; or just despise the new costumes – it’s up to YOU to make your opinions hear by NOT supporting the creation of the DCnU by NOT BUYING these stories come September. Together we can make our voices heard. Together we can preserve “Truth, Justice and the American Way”.
(And for those of you who can’t bare to miss a single story no matter how terrible – I;ve picked up every Neal Adams’ Odyssey – I suggest you download them off the internet – still voicing your disapproval by not buying in through the retailers – but still quenching your completion-ist appetite)
So yeah - that pretty much sums up my feelings about the whole mess...
This might be stepping over some boundaries (since my Character hasnt been accepted yet) but this is a subject very near and dear to my heart...
The DC Reboot
I have been collecting DC Comics for like years - WEEKLY (my boyfriend has been for over TEN YEARS) - you can imagine the mess in my basement and room - and I collect figurines and statues - it's pretty ridiculous. So when something as whack-a-doo as this comes along it affects my way of life GREATLY. I have ben following this subject for MONTHS - from the disappearance of key characters such as the entirety of the JSA and Wally West to the creation of Barbara Gordon's legs working and becoming Batgirl again.
I'm infact so dissheveled and displeased with the news of the reboot I wrote a message to all my comic book friends and co-workers and on comic book forums. And I'll post it up on here too:
A Plea for Truth, Justice and the American Way
As larger and larger bits of information began to leak out from the DC source about the changes and the tweaks fans will be seeing in September with the DCnU – there has been a deeper and more resounding cry from various spectrums of the comic book community.
As new costumes were announced – people bemoaned the flagrant use of the “aggressive” palette of reds and blacks. An obvious call to the younger generation that prominently labels their brooding, gothic, and belligerent use of violence and profanities as signs of “coolness” and “maturity”. There were also the offensive and contemptuous disarray of iconic outfits such as, Wonder Woman, Superman, and Harley Quinn (Harley receiving the most disgusted of responses to her change in outfit). DC proudly chalks up these outfits as trying to make them more regal and united when combined with the new outfits of the characters in the JLA – however, this seems like a poor attempt to once again promote what they believe will ring in the younger generation. The high collars remind me nothing of a united or regal front and neither does the armor on Superman who less than likely will ever NEED armor if bullets fly off of his skin as is. And DC’s ideas to try and clothe their women to put them into outfits that are more “appropriate” seem to have completely forgotten this motto when designing Starfire and Harley Quinn’s outfits.
Then when the eerie abandonment of beloved groups and characters began to spring up = there was never a more heartfelt cry against it. The way the Golden Age characters from the Justice Society have been cast aside like yesterday’s garbage was abominable. There are who I know personally who fell in love with Kingdom Come and it’s sequel Thy Kingdom Come and have stuck with the DC industry simply to read Justice Society – now that they have apparently demolished it’s existence in the DCnU – they will be losing a large fan base of JSA readers. Key characters such as Beast Boy and Raven from the Teen Titans are also easily forgotten and replaced by two unknown characters that could never fill in for the characters they have usurped. The writer of the Teen Titans, Lobdell, states that these “monstrous” characters are placed into the fold of the Teen Titans simply to bring about “diversity” within the group – bringing in character than have no real human like form. This is just a cheap shot to promote characters that we have no emotional attachment to and for them to allow them to shameless drop out two of the most recognizable faces of the team (and as far as I’m concerned, Beast Boy filled in the role of a “monstrous” teen with his green skin). And lastly, where is Wally West? As far as the SDCC confirmed, Barry and Iris are not together, and if they’re not together, Wally West never met Barry and has not turned into the Flash. For those of us who grew up with Wally in Mark Waid’s run in the 90s – this is nothing less than a slap in the face.
There is also the blatant disregard for continuity – a ferocious outcry can be recalled when the announcement of Barbara Gordon’s time as Oracle was numbered with her demotion back to Batgirl. Though they have changed many of the character in order to make a “jump-on” point for new readers and to bring back the most recognizable character in the cowl – they still fail to announce that certain stories have been promised to remain in continuity even after this “reboot” – such as The Killing Joke. This seems to negate the idea of creating a “jump-on” point in the first place – trying to start fresh for people to not have to read the back issues but still employing a lot of history from back issues is counter intuitive. But besides the failure of the “jump-on” point proposition – once readers had time to mull over the fact that DC execs will be moving the time clock of various DC characters and organizations, many canon and continuity fans will be having a hard time fitting in the early years of Batman, Superman, and the entire superhero/villain community and cramming their histories in a span of about five years (seeing as how their idea of making Superman the first “superhero” in the last five years – making other heroes appear around the same time with as much bulky history behind them). Pretty much in condenses Grayson’s Robin days into a year or two – which logically makes no sense to go from a young teen to a adult in that time span.
But even with all the disgustingly grotesque use of change for the sake of change – I still held fast to the idea of “waiting-it-out”. It will end up like another Elseworlds – everything will go back to the status quo – there are all origin stories that will revert back to the way things ought to be.
But what if they don’t?
And upon reading DC’s most iconic character – Superman – and his utter change for the worse; it would seem that all is looking bleak in the world of comic books.
If DC can alter our American Mythology and change something as classic as Superman’s marriage with Lois, his humanity, and upbringing and rip it apart, shatter it, and bury it – then there is nothing sacred and nothing to hold on to and watch flourish. Part of the reasons comic book fans REMAIN comic book fans is because there characters have come to grow and evolve with us. Comic book lovers DO NOT despise change – we know that in order to keep these stories engaging and fresh CHANGE is a key ingredient – but what we DISLIKE, more so than anything else, is change for the sake of change. These aren’t changes to better the characters I grew up and learned to love, these aren’t changes that impact the universe I have meticulously followed for years, these are changes that shatter the continuity of the stories I collected and morph everything I have treasured.
They have distorted and blemished the characters I once knew and loved, removed and made obsolete the events and stories I grew up with for a small spurt of sales and the potential group of new comers who may or may not come.
I understand intimately and fully about the recession, the costs of paper and printing, and that writers, artists and editors a like need to make a pay check. DC is a business, and their readers are finite sources of income. In order for the industry to move along it needs to morph with the ages. Hence why change is not the comic readers worst enemy. However, when new comic readers do jump into the fray for special big comic book blockbusters, like this one, after awhile they leave – and why is that? Because of one of two things:
1) They simply aren’t interested – they just are fair-weather comic book readers. They just will never become advent comic book readers no matter how many reboots, relaunches, and big time story arcs comic book industries put out. They simply aren’t emotionally invested as the fans are.
2) The true enemy of comic book readers – sloppy and unimaginative writing. Usually when big story arcs occur – they bleed out all their energy into one focal point – destroying the stories of other areas of the universe in order to make this ONE story awesome. And once the arc is finished we move on to something else – leaving this part of the universe to the hands of less experienced writers – leaving the newbies who have fallen in love with this particular character betrayed and abandoned with the spotty writing – and they leave.
Though the DCnU may seem shiny and new and produce higher sales for the first six months of life – after the novelty of newness wears off- the uncommitted with abandon ship, and if writers continue to produce uninspired work as they have been doing for the past couple of months now – they’ll be seeing the rest of the newbies leave as well. Just because this is a “fresher” and “newer” type of universe doesn’t mean that writers will suddenly become INSPIRED - what makes people believe that writers will be more invested in stories and character if they haven’t been invested in them months before?
Ultimately, I’m afraid the reboot is a Hail Mary pass to increase a resource that will not come to fruition – not because they can’t keep up with “the times” but because they lack quality. It will make changes that are unnecessary and will disappoint a well established fan base that could potentially leave and never look back.
Me and my boyfriend being two of them.
Though it is a sad day when I leave behind something so ital to me for the past couple of years; it is even a bigger travesty for my partner who has invested over ten years of his life to these characters.
I am making here a final plea for all of those who have equally invested time, money and emotional currency into these characters, stories, and events. For those of use who looked upon these characters as more than just fictitious beings – but as friends who have been with us through think and thing and who we’ve seen grown into the people we know today and have helped us grow ourselves. And lastly, this is a conscious effort to stop the destruction of a world that I hold dear to my heart – and to gather in enough of these passionate readers to equally make a plea and pledge of their own to protect these stories and characters.
If we wish to make our voices heard and make a difference we must actively attack the pockets of the DC board members. We must stop buying these DCnU comic books in order to preserve our world; as the retcon of Mary Jane and Spiderman’s marriage proves, those who do not put their money where there mouth is have no right to complain about the degradation of their characters.
Again, if you HATE the disappearance of character and events that have remained canon for years; or just despise the new costumes – it’s up to YOU to make your opinions hear by NOT supporting the creation of the DCnU by NOT BUYING these stories come September. Together we can make our voices heard. Together we can preserve “Truth, Justice and the American Way”.
(And for those of you who can’t bare to miss a single story no matter how terrible – I;ve picked up every Neal Adams’ Odyssey – I suggest you download them off the internet – still voicing your disapproval by not buying in through the retailers – but still quenching your completion-ist appetite)
So yeah - that pretty much sums up my feelings about the whole mess...