 | DC Comics and their Identity Crisis |
DC Entertainment (as they now known) has once again decided to radically alter their heroes to reach the ever depleting audience of comic book readers. This marks at least the fourth instance of DC turning back the clock to restart their comic book universe (the most important one being Crisis on Infinite Earths in 1985, the same period that Watchmen and Frank Miller's Dark Knight rocked the world). The approach then was viewed as a tool to appeal to readers that were attracted to the more sophisticated Marvel Comics across the street (back when the rival companies really were across the street from each other).
Since the first time The Flash (Barry Allen) visited an alternate reality where an earlier version of the Flash seen in print (Jay Garrick) lived, the multiverse of numerous Earths had created a universe of fantastic worlds where heroes from various periods fought evil in divergent manners. This was far too silly for the growing adult audience that wanted to see a reality that was more believable (according to DC editorial at the time). The solution was two-fold, a massive event that brought into view all of DC's heroes for one last battle against their biggest challenge ever, leaving a clean slate to address the many 'problems that needed fixing.' Editorially it was a mixed bag and resulted in some successes and many continuity problems (the shaky realm of security that comic book fans rely on).
Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman, the Justice League and the rest started over again and the readers responded with interest. Some of the biggest names in comics were involved: John Byrne, Dick Giordano and Jerry Ordway on Superman, Frank Miller and David Mazzuchelli on Batman, George Perez on Wonder Woman, Tim Truman on Hawkman... etc. The revival worked. Some devotees to the old guard were disgusted, but the insurgence of new readers looking for a new take on classic heroes that had gotten stale stayed around, finding a new readership for DC to publish more articulate comics such as the new Swamp Thing by Alan Moore, Hellblazer by Jamie Delano, Doom Patrol by Grant Morrison and Sandman by Neil Gaiman (eventually leading to a new imprint called Vertigo).
Not long afterwards, DC felt they needed to fix the many problems again... and again... and again. Each time, readers fluctuated as some dropped comics in frustration, others attracted to the opportunity to get in on the ground floor of a character rather than trying to connect to a long line of continuity drawing back ten or twenty years.
The latest attempt at this need for revision is brought about by the new creative directors Jim Lee and Geoff Johns, both of whom are famous for revising characters from a writer's or artist's point of view.
Via TimesDaily:
DC Comics made two announcements Tuesday. The first is, starting Aug. 31, DC will release digital editions of its comics on the same day the print versions go on sale. In a world of iPads and Kindles, that was bound to happen, and you can bet DC's chief rival, Marvel Comics, won't be far behind in making the same move.
The second announcement, however, is more baffling. It's a sign of desperation.
DC is rebooting its entire superhero universe. No one is safe. Not Superman. Not Batman. Not Wonder Woman. All of the company's superhero comics are going back to square one, which includes each of them getting a brand new issue No. 1.
But that's just the window dressing. Inside, familiar characters will be younger, their costumes altered. (They're intent on making Wonder Woman wear pants.) DC is, if not going back to the beginning, at least turning back the clock.
Apparently, DC's powers that be — primarily Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns and Co-Publishers Jim Lee and Dan DiDio — have decided they've done such a lousy job of running DC Comics for the past several years that the only thing to do is blow up their superhero universe and start again.
They're half right about that. Virtually the only readable DC superhero comic of the past decade, apart from an occasional gem such as Paul Cornell's "Knight and Squire" miniseries, has been Grant Morrison's "Batman," which actually did something remarkable: It changed the status quo.
But changing the status quo is unforgivable when it comes to corporate-owned superheroes.
The author goes on to state that Marvel Comics poorly executes 'okay ideas' in their comics and that DC Entertainment is attempting to repackage an old idea in a new look. I partly agree, in that DC Comics is once again attempting to revisit their heroes from their origins, changing not just the appearance but identity of their heroes. The end result will be that readers will once again see Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman's origins, once again tackled from a more modern approach.
The need to do revise, in my opinion, is informed by a misconception that DC Comics' creations should ever be updated. The very appeal of Superman and Batman is that they are timeless icons. They are modern myths, untouched by the passage of time. The Rolling Stones didn't feel the need to release a techno album. Superman should not feel that he needs a fade haircut to fit in with 'the kids.' In contrast, Marvel's heroes are pulp characters who are very much a part of the current psychology of the modern world and they adapt to being changed and reworked (in good ways, anyhow).
Via NY Times:
For anyone who ever dreamed of owning a copy of Action Comics No. 1 they will have their chance in September. On Tuesday afternoon, DC Comics announced that starting Aug. 31, the company would renumber its entire line of superhero comic books.
As the devoted know, Wednesdays are the days that new issues of comic book series arrive in stores and a typical week sees the release of more than 10 Marvel or DC titles each. But on Aug. 31, DC will release just two titles: the final issue of the "Flashpoint" mini-series, about an alternate timeline that has affected the DC Universe of characters, including Superman, Batman, Flash and Wonder Woman, and Justice League No. 1, written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Jim Lee. (Last February, the two men were promoted to crucial positions in the company: Mr. Lee was named co-publisher along with Dan DiDio, and Mr. Johns was named chief creative officer of DC Entertainment.) Starting in September, more No. 1 issues will follow for DC's superhero line, which includes Action Comics, Superman, Detective Comics, Batman, Wonder Woman and more.
According to an article in USA Today, Mr. Lee has redesigned some of the character's costumes and Mr. Johns has said his Justice League will focus on the interpersonal relationships of the team.
The renumbering rumors have been recent fodder for discussion on columns and message boards of various comic-book Web sites. One of the big questions regarding the move has been whether these are simply new directions for the various characters (say, Batman moves to San Francisco) or a "reboot" (a new take on the character that ignores previous continuity, say, Batman is now a teenager or an alien from the future).
I think former EIC Joe Quesada said it best when he stated that DC has the best characters around. 'They have Superman and Batman,' Joe said. 'We (Marvel) should not be in business.' It's true. I'm a devoted Marvel Zombie, but DC's stable of heroes are gods in comparison to the Marvel line of madcap creations. The only thing getting in the way of DC's success is DC. The incessant revisions and reboots, successful in 1985, are a danger of drawing current readers away and alienating their creations from a public expecting to see the iconic versions of their favorite characters and instead finding new versions that have no relation to their understandings of the heroes from their childhood.
I have seen this failure in many ways in my interactions with fellow fans. The Batman animated series drew from the classic identity of the Batman mythos, different but similar enough to appeal to fans of the comics. The Justice League cartoon drew on these strengths and built on the history of the Batman cartoon. This crafted a long continuity that fans of the animated universe could call their own and that was similar enough to the printed world that it fit the legacy image of the icons. When the animated films started getting released direct on DVD, DC Entertainment chose to release stories that were divergent from the animated universe and the comic book continuity. Viewed on their own, the animated projects are fantastic, but to fans looking for a continuation of the animated universe they so adored, there was nothing but frustration. This was not the same Batman they had watched on TV, in fact in some cases it wasn't even the same voice. It alienated an audience that was hungry for the products that DC was releasing. The new Young Justice series is another example. I highly recommend it, but Young Justice presents viewers with yet another version of their animated universe, different enough to be distracting to anyone looking for continuity.
In my opinion, DC Entertainment has in its possession the most important modern mythology of heroes ever created and they are failing to use them correctly, leaving a large group of potential customers eager to purchase toys, DVDs, video games, and even comic books in the dust.
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