It’s been two months (give or take) since DC Comics announced that, come September, they would be relaunching their entire line of super-hero titles.
At first, I had absolutely no idea what to think.
52 comics beginning at #1. A complete redistribution of both writers and artists across the entire line. Some characters and their histories would find themselves being reworked or downright retconned, some to a much greater extent than others (as in the case of Superman and Batgirl), in order to make them more appealing to a more mainstream audience. Other characters from past company acquisitions (i.e. Wildstorm properties) were going to be introduced as part of DC canon officially.
Costumes were changed. Characters disappeared. Beloved books were cancelled and/or replaced. And an entire fandom simultaneously face-palmed itself out of utter incredulity at the prospect of another DC reboot.
But that was then. And things have mellowed a little bit.
Since the announcement was made, the higher-ups at DC Entertainment have made it their mission to justify such a drastic (and some might even argue dangerous) move in the eyes of an increasingly skeptical public.
Their motto has basically boiled down to the following three things:
1) Re-energize their entire line with respected creative teams bringing exciting new visions and directions for their properties.
2) Modernize, diversify and distill the essence of their characters in order to appeal to a potential mass-market audience.
3) Grab onto a larger portion of the market share and customers’ money that Marvel continually controls on a monthly basis.
This is clearly a business-motivated move from a company that’s essentially tired of being perpetually stuck at the number two spot for years on end and, as far as crazy, profit-grabbing schemes go, it has a very strong potential to work (at least for the first two, maybe three, months).
Yet, when it comes to the actual creative process behind this relaunch, there are concerns. Most specifically, regarding the changes involved in the histories and directions of such established characters. While some franchises will remain for the most part, if not completely, unaltered (specifically, all the Green Lantern books and most Batman-related titles), some are being rebooted outright.
For instance, and perhaps most controversially, after establishing her presence in the larger DCU as Oracle, cementing her as a bona fide role model for women and people with physical disabilities across fandom after Alan Moore famously had the Joker shoot her through her spine in 1988’s ‘The Killing Joke’ (which, granted, was originally meant to be as an out of continuity story, but I digress), why is Barbara Gordon back in her role as Batgirl?
Why is Superman, all of a sudden, wearing armor, an orphan and has never been involved with Lois Lane? Why is Cyborg a founding member of the Justice League?
And, for that matter, why is the JLA (historically) the first super-team when, up until now, we’ve had a Justice Society of America more or less active since the 1940’s?
Why is Dick Grayson back as Nightwing if he was such a popular Batman?
Why is Oliver Queen rich again?
Where’s Wally West?
Where’s Stephanie Brown?
Where’s Cassandra Cain?
Why is Wonder Woman wearing pants again?
The answer’s twofold:
The creative reasoning behind it all can be blamed on their Flashpoint event. I won’t get into specifics regarding what’s going on in that event because a) it’d take me a while just to try to come out with a simple summation, b) I’m not reading it and c) I just don’t care to do so.
All you and I need to know is that it involves time-travel, alternate timelines and Bruce Wayne died instead of his parents in Crime Alley that one night (the only really appealing and truly original plot-point of the entire series, in my opinion). At the end of that event, shipping in a little less than three weeks, everything will come to a head and a brave new DCU will arise from the ashes.
The more business-minded reason for it, however, is considerably more pragmatic than one might think initially.
By streamlining their Universe and the direction of their characters, modernizing them and focusing on their more iconic versions, with new writers and artists involved, they’re hoping to bring over a wide variety of new readership to the company, whether it’s on a retailer level or with digital sales.
Will it work? Probably. At least for the first few months, like I already said. But if they can keep the promise of good, quality (not to mention, exciting) storytelling at affordable prices (so far they’ve been “holding the line” at $2.99 for regular-sized books of 20 pages of content, whereas the competition arbitrarily charges a dollar more for the same amount of pages on their biggest-selling titles), they might yet be able to hold on to at least half, if not most of that potential new readership.
After all, we comic fans are a very fickle lot. While we may complain about too many changes, and/or the lack thereof, to our favorite characters, we can hardly resist the event “du jour” or new number 1’s featuring those very same characters we complain about. Inevitably, some of those relaunched titles are going to sell.
Especially if they have Batman or Green Lantern on the title.
I, for one, after some careful deliberation, made my peace with the move. It’s the very nature of super-hero comics to be cyclical. These characters have been in constant publication in one way or another for more than 70 years. And long after I’m gone, they’ll continue to exist and have their own adventures in whatever format one can imagine, whether it’s TV, movies or floppies.
Everyone has their own Batman. Everyone has their own Superman. Same with Flash and Wonder Woman and Green Lantern. These characters transcend the very page in which they are given life month-in and month-out and everybody has that one version that it’s invariably “theirs.”
As far as this relaunch is concerned, it’s an opportunity to define them for new generations to come. Yes, it’s a very romanticized and idealized look at a business-motivated endeavor from a company clearly more concerned with profit, but I’ve always seen comics as the next step in literary evolution and I have a deep love for these characters, for a wide variety of reasons.
Needless to say, while I’ll definitely miss things like ‘Batman Inc,’ Dick Grayson under the pointy-eared cowl, Wally West as the Flash, the Justice Society, ‘Secret Six’ and Lois and Clark, I’m excited for what’s next because, regardless of name and brand recognition, releasing 52 brand-new titles simultaneously is a risky business move and a bold creative decision.
And with 52 new comics, there’s a veritable world to choose among everything that’s coming out. So, with all that in mind, I’ve compiled a short list of the 10 titles I’m most excited about. I'll take another look next month, after their release, to see how they all stacked up against the hype.
Enjoy!
#10 – Wonder Woman
I have absolutely no idea what to expect from this book but it’s being written by Brian Azzarello and drawn by Cliff Chiang and that automatically means a “must-have” for me. Wonder Woman has been hit-and-miss for quite some time now and in desperate need of a strong, concise direction. The last great run on her title was during Greg Rucka’s tenure and that was six years ago.
Azzarello (‘100 Bullets,’ ‘Flashpoint - Batman: Knight of Vengeance’) has some detractors when it comes to his mainstream super-hero endeavors but his powerful character work, evocative dialogue and attention to detail is very well suited for Diana. In fact, his previous work with the character in Superman ‘For Tomorrow’ (which I’m a big fan of, despite its unconventional plot), can be considered as one of the strongest interpretations in as many years, despite its brevity.
And Chiang, even though he doesn’t necessarily scream “Wonder Woman,” still has a very unique visual style and I’m very keen on seeing how it plays out with Brian in that book.
#9 – Stormwatch
Originally meant to be as Wildstorm’s answer to DC’s Justice League, except darker, edgier and considerably more violent, Stormwatch has since been adopted into the DC fold, guided by the brilliant pen of one Paul Cornell (‘Knight and Squire’, ‘Action Comics’, DOCTOR WHO ‘Father’s Day’ and ‘Human Nature/Family of Blood’).
Featuring classic Wildstorm characters such as Apollo, Midnighter, The Engineer and Jack Hawksmoor with former JLA founding member, Martian Manhunter (the single, greatest Martian in fiction, period), thrown into the mix, this series could very well be a sleeper sci-fi/action hit with great visuals from Miguel Sepulveda. Expect lots of big Universe-spanning concepts, dynamic character interactions and action. Lots and lots of action.
Definitely one title to watch.
#8 – Justice League International
"Wait. Don’t you mean ‘Justice League’ by Geoff Johns and Jim Lee?"
No. ‘Justice League International’ by Dan Jurgens (the guy that killed ‘Superman’ in the 90’s and creator of Booster Gold) with art by Aaron Lopresti. That’s the one I’m most excited about.
I wasn’t a fan of ‘Brightest Day.’ Out of the two bi-weekly mini-series that were running last year post-‘Blackest Night,’ ‘Justice League: Generation Lost’ was the better story with the more interesting characters. It was funny, exhilarating and a genuine surprise. When the last issue came out, it ended with Batman and Booster conspiring to rebuild the JLI and the promise of a new series in the foreseeable future.
Now the time has come and, as I look at that roster, I can’t help but be excited: Booster Gold, Batman, GL Guy Gardner, Ice, Fire, August General in Iron, Vixen and Rocket Red. This is such a varied group of heroes with great histories, and the team dynamics alone are sure to be well-worth the price of admission on its own.
Only one missing’s Blue Beetle. Fortunately, he’s right at…
#7 – Blue Beetle
I’ve missed this book. Jaime Reyes may very well be the best new character of the last decade and his book, under the pen of John Rogers, then Matt Sturges, was always a joy to read and my favorite book on a monthly basis.
The very fact that they’re bringing the book back with Tony Bedard writing it, perhaps DC’s most underrated writer (‘Legion of Super-Heroes’ and the oft-overlooked ‘R.E.B.E.L.S.’), is just the icing on what I can only hope to be a very delicious cake.
After the book was cancelled in issue #36, I followed his exploits across ‘Teen Titans’ and, eventually, the aforementioned ‘Generation Lost,’ but it just hasn’t been the same. I’ve missed Jaime and his rag-tag group of friends and family. I miss the feeling of elation I used to get whenever I finished reading an issue. I miss that weird, sarcastic scarab and its banter with Jaime, quite simply, the coolest, geekiest kid in comics.
Come September, I get to have them all back on a monthly basis and couldn’t be happier about it.
Thanks for that, DC!
#6 – Green Lantern
Say what you will about the movie (and believe me, I have plenty to say on the subject) but Green Lantern is, far and wide, the most exciting franchise in DC’s entire line-up right now.
Ever since Geoff Johns began his work on the title with ‘Rebirth,’ the Green Lantern mythos have expanded in ways that were unforeseen for much of its history. Whether it was the simple, yet logical notion of the Sinestro Corps, the War of Light exploding into the Blackest Night, Larfleeze, Atrocitus and his Red Lantern Corps or the return of the mad Guardian, Krona, Johns has been building an intricate web of stories that have never failed to enthrall and entertain readers every month for 7 years now.
And the best is still yet to come. As Hal Jordan is stranded on Earth, his ring taken from him by the Guardians of Oa, Sinestro takes center stage as the Green Lantern of Sector 2814. But with his Brothers-in-Light in turmoil still reeling from the aftermath of the War, the mystery of the Indigo Tribe and the advent of the First Lantern, it won’t be long until Hal will be back in the saddle.
DC’s biggest selling franchise continues to get bigger and better. Movie aside, there’s never been a better time to be a Lantern fan.
#5 – Batman
Scott Snyder has been writing the best Batman comic in years for the last few months in his recent run on ‘Detective Comics.’ With the beginning of the Incorporated era last year, Dick Grayson remained as Gotham’s Batman while Bruce began a recruitment tour across the globe, looking for prospective Batmen to aid him in his latest cause.
Snyder’s run has been a work of genius. His handle on Dick has been some of the very best since legendary Bat-scribe, Chuck Dixon, on the 90’s and the stories have been dark, moody, disturbing and downright memorable (I mean, who could possibly forget the whale?). In essence, everything a good ‘Detective Comics’ story should be. Truth be told, I’m willing to wager that, years from now, people will still be talking about his James Gordon story in venerable tones. Not a single doubt in my mind that it’s nothing less than a classic in its own right.
Now he’s moving over to Batman, the super-hero title, with Greg Capullo (‘Spawn’) and while he certainly isn’t proven in the more mainstream aspects of super-hero comics, he has more than earned my respect and admiration as a storyteller enough to trust in him.
#4 – Nightwing
I have a real soft spot for Dick Grayson regardless of whatever identity he happens to be going by at the moment. I know him from TV shows as Robin from as far back as I can remember, but I met him as Nightwing in the books during the early Chuck Dixon years in the title right when I started buying comics.
While I’ve grown increasingly attached to him as Batman, thanks in no small part to Grant Morrison’s ‘Batman & Robin,’ and I’ll certainly miss his interaction with current Boy Wonder, Damien Wayne, I’m really looking forward to this book.
Kyle D. Higgins has been writing a brilliant Batman story in the current ‘Gates of Gotham’ mini-series that concludes later this month and his take on Dick comes from a place of love. He’s a fan and you can tell by the way he writes the book that he really wants to do right by the character. He "gets" Dick Grayson, in the same way that Snyder does in 'Detective,' and he seems to be having a lot of fun working on the book.
Seeing his name as writer of this new series meant an obligatory “buy” for me. Yet another book I’m anxious to read and have extremely high hopes for.
#3 – Aquaman
The King of the Seas is back!
After teasing this title for the better part of a year, Geoff Johns (‘Green Lantern,’ ‘Justice League’) and Ivan Reis (‘Blackest Night’) are finally reuniting to restore Arthur Curry back to his place of prominence in the DCU.
Despite being the subject of a lot of mockery from halfwits everywhere who have probably never read a single comic book in their lives, much less an Aquaman book, Arthur has always been a very interesting character for me to follow. Whether it was during Peter David’s tenure in the 90’s, Will Pfeifer’s ‘American Tidal’ or even his brief appearance in Joe Kelly’s superb ‘JLA’ run, he’s always been a commanding character that continually captures my attention.
And with the team responsible for DC’s best-selling, critically successful event of the past decade spear-heading his stories in brand new directions, this book can go a long way to becoming a classic of the new DCU.
#2 – Green Lantern: The New Guardians
Plain and simple, Kyle Rayner is my favorite comic book character. I wouldn’t be reading comics if it weren’t for his tenure as “the last Green Lantern” in the 90’s, under the direction of Ron Marz and Darryl Banks. Thanks to him, I discovered an entire Universe of amazing stories and characters that have been with me ever since. He was my first and, as such, I follow his exploits wherever they take me, from Green Lantern, to Ion, to Parallax, to Green Lantern again.
In the case of ‘New Guardians,’ this seems to be as the leader of a multi-colored Lantern Corps with tried and true characters from the current GL mythos, such as Arkillo, Saint Walker and the hilariously endearing Glomulus.
Written by Tony Bedard (‘Blue Beetle’), with art from Tyler Kirkham (‘Green Lantern Corps,’ ‘The Darkness’), this book can very well surprise a lot of fans as it expands into other less-explored corners of this post-War of the Green Lanterns Universe with the Torchbearer leading the charge.
And finally…
#1 – Action Comics
Grant Morrison. Superman.
Every time the two meet the results are classic, transcendental epics.
‘All-Star Superman’ is, in my honest opinion, the single greatest super-hero story I’ve ever had the privilege to read. Everything I love about comics is perfectly encapsulated in those 12 issues, masterfully rendered by Morrison and frequent collaborator, Frank Quitely.
‘Superman Beyond 3D’ is as perfect a coda as Superman’s story can have. Filled to the brim with metatextual subtext and mind-bending action, it was, at heart, a story about stories and the historical and symbolical importance of Superman, both as an ideal and as a literary character. Fun, explosive and thought-provoking: it was everything a great comic book story should be and more.
And now, ‘Action Comics’ comes along. Morrison has gone on record on several occasions saying that he’s always wanted to write Superman at the beginning of his career, before he became the planet-shaking quote/unquote man-god that we know now; when he was more concerned with helping the poor and downtrodden from the corrupt and a well-placed shot from a rocket launcher to the chest could still hurt him.
The so-called “socialist” Superman from the 40’s.
And this is it: ‘Action Comics’ #1. By Grant Morrison (‘Batman & Robin,’ ‘Batman Incorporated’) and Rags Morales (‘Identity Crisis,’ ‘First Wave’). A brand-new take on The Man of Tomorrow by super-hero comics’ most prolific writer.
Need I say more?
