Legend of the Golden Tweezers

August 25, 2011 9:58 AM

Their universe-wide reboot only weeks away, DC Comics has released 52 new logos for their books; they've been met with some praise and much griping. But what makes a good superhero logo? Maybe the design history of Daredevil (parts 2, 3, 4), The Hulk (parts 2, 3, 4), The Atom, (parts 2, 3), World's Finest (parts 2, 3, 4, 5, ), The Legion of Superheroes (parts 2, 3, 4, 5, Batman (previously) or Superman can shed a clue.

BONUS CONTENT

80 awesome integrated logos (Previously)
Chip Klein explains why Grant Morrison's New X-Men logo is his favorite
Grant Morrison responds
A brief history of DC's logo

posted by Toby Dammit X (30 comments total)

The Hulk?
posted by Ardiril at 10:11 AM on August 25, 2011

Universe-wide reboot you say?

Any chance of that catching on here in the meat-sphere?
posted by Winnemac at 10:15 AM on August 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

God I want Chip Kidd's glasses so much
posted by The Whelk at 10:15 AM on August 25, 2011 [2 favorites]

What makes a good heavy metal logo probably applies to comic books [sorry, graphic novels] given to substantial overlap between the two consumer bases: block letters and sharp angles.
posted by Renoroc at 10:20 AM on August 25, 2011 [2 favorites]

The brick Incredible Hulk logo is the one I've always associated with that book. I never quite understand why they switch off it when they inevitably return to it. Sure you can go with something different for a major event like World War Hulk but for the most part it just seems smart to go with the standard. Of course other than the Peter David run Hulk was always a mediocre book for me (especially 70-80s Savage Hulk).

The Daredevil logos were really interesting to look at though. I liked the Miller era Daredevil but it seems really dated in a 80s way these days. Not sure I like the revamps for the 90s and 00s though.

Classics like Superman and Batman just seem to get minor facelifts but not a big fan of that new Wonder Woman logo. Of course DC just simply can't get Wonder Woman right at all, and haven't for decades. That the third leg of their trinity can barely support a solo book is a big problem.

I'm kinda mixed on the idea of yet another continuity reboot for DC, between Johns continual Silver Age nostalgia and Morrison's WTFuckery there really doesn't seem to be a consistent editorial direction at DC. Marvel is also sorely missing a strong editorial direction beyond "Make Money" and "Let Bendis turn a 1 issue story into a 6 issue arc" but DC really seems to be adrift. Considering that DC has the Nolan franchise ramping up for the final part of the trilogy and an upcoming Snyder Superman the lack of focus seems disheartening.
posted by vuron at 10:24 AM on August 25, 2011

Justice League™
Justice League Dark™
Justice League White Chocolate
Justice League With Extra Peanuts
posted by XMLicious at 10:47 AM on August 25, 2011 [6 favorites]

"Let Bendis turn a 1 issue story into a 6 issue arc"

|------------------------------------|
|  What?                                     |
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|                                         ...    |
|                                                |
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|  ...                                           |
|                                                |
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|                                       ...no. |
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posted by griphus at 10:50 AM on August 25, 2011 [3 favorites]

all those logos up on one page is kinda dizzy-making
posted by Hoopo at 10:56 AM on August 25, 2011

Renoroc: "comic books [sorry, graphic novels]"

No, we're talking about comic books here. There is a difference.
posted by Plutor at 11:07 AM on August 25, 2011

Lotsa grit, huh?

A few of them stand out as excellent -- Firestorm is fantastic -- but some are kind of not-awesome. Breaking the word "Deathstroke", for instance, just makes the complete goofiness of the name horribly apparent.
posted by Shepherd at 11:09 AM on August 25, 2011

I'm kinda mixed on the idea of yet another continuity reboot for DC, between Johns continual Silver Age nostalgia and Morrison's WTFuckery there really doesn't seem to be a consistent editorial direction at DC.

What's really frustrating is that they had the opportunity to do get some editorial direction, even if it was "Make money by mining past properties" with the reboot, but then they backed off and stopped calling it one. I think it's a Relaunch now. Which basically means that some story details have changed (Barbara can walk again!) but others have not (ie, all of Morrison's Batman run). It doesn't work, it pisses off old fans and leaves things just as confusing for new ones.

If they had taken a hard line and started everything at zero or at least "zero + X" (X being the number of years Superman's been publicly active), they would have just as many pissed off fans who would have bought the comics anyways and a cleaner setting to encourage new ones. It's so weird that a company that could reboot its setting for an Animated Universe (Batman, Superman, Justice League DCAU, not that 'The Batman' abomination) could do it so poorly now. A firm hand is needed to guide the reins.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 11:40 AM on August 25, 2011

Man...Those logos would have looked dated ten years ago.
posted by Thorzdad at 11:55 AM on August 25, 2011

"Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E."?!?!?!? Talk about blowing the whole universe's credibility in under 40 characters.

And isn't JJ Abrams going to be suing them for that "Legion LOST" ripoff?
posted by oneswellfoop at 12:17 PM on August 25, 2011

I hadn't heard about this, and I think it looks awesome, just from the logos (besides the super logos that look the same as always) . I'm excited about this so far. Of course, I buy maybe one or two comics a year, so my opinion probably doesn't have as much weight as someone who actually gives them money.

I don't know the premise, but the most interesting titles to me or the JL Dark and the Frankenstein one.
posted by BurnChao at 12:21 PM on August 25, 2011

Man...Those logos would have looked dated ten years ago.

Yeah, the Captain Atom one reminds me of a tv show intro (and not a new one), but I can't think what it is.

I see they are running Stormwatch into the main DC universe, and including the Martian Manhunter, along with Apollo and the Midnighter and others from the Authority. I'm somehow not filled with confidence that this will be a good read.

And isn't JJ Abrams going to be suing them for that "Legion LOST" ripoff?

Everyone knows that Lost was itself a rip off of The Lost Islands.
posted by biffa at 12:24 PM on August 25, 2011

Interesting how much they're not changing the Superman logotype much at all.
posted by pts at 12:58 PM on August 25, 2011

Holy crap, this reads exactly the same as that monster fake comic book argument thread a day or two back.
posted by fnerg at 12:58 PM on August 25, 2011

"Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E."?!?!?!? Talk about blowing the whole universe's credibility in under 40 characters.

If it is 1/100th as good as the 7 Soldiers mini, then it will be the best thing DC is currently publishing.

</morrison_fangasm>
posted by lekvar at 1:11 PM on August 25, 2011 [2 favorites]

This Spirit splash page logo where you can see each letter behind the previous one is my favorite.
posted by straight at 2:25 PM on August 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

Man...Those logos would have looked dated ten years ago

Ten years ago, I would have sent almost all back for another round of revisions. What the hell is up with that Batwoman logo? Looks like something a 13 year-old metal head would scribble on his school binder in 1977.

Still, that would have been a fun project.
posted by Mcable at 3:49 PM on August 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

So, 52 new comics, and it seems like nearly half of them are Batman? What, exactly, is the big difference between the current continuity and the reboot?
posted by Ghidorah at 4:01 PM on August 25, 2011

I don't really know a lot about DC comics, but it seems to me that someone can make a lot of $$ at the cons if they were to redesign the Legion: Lost icon into Lesbian: Lust.

It would probably go over well with all those female comic fans out there who would just assume not sleep with the geeky, unwashed comic fanboys.
posted by markkraft at 4:51 PM on August 25, 2011

It takes willpower to avoid posting everything Chris Sims says to The Blue.

Most of these logos are very stupid.
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 4:55 PM on August 25, 2011

"Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E."?!?!?!? Talk about blowing the whole universe's credibility in under 40 characters.

That's the only one I want to read.
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 4:55 PM on August 25, 2011

This is a sad, sad, hail Mary pass. They need leadership, not whatever the hell this is.
posted by roboton666 at 6:12 PM on August 25, 2011

I'm just happy to see Birds of Prey.
posted by SPrintF at 8:57 PM on August 25, 2011

The Frankenstein book is being written by Jeff Lemaire (Sweet Tooth, Essex County) and if the Frankenstein Flashpoint tie-in he did is any guide, it looks to be the best thing coming out of this mess*. I give it 10 issues, max, before Johns & Didio decide we need a fifth Green Lantern title, since that crazy bastard Denny Oneil is presiding over, what, 8? 9? 10???? Batman related titles now

*Yeah, I'm looking forward to Grant Morrison's "Year 1" Superman in Action Comics , too, but I get the sense that he's doing more to complete his Superman trilogy than anything else.
posted by KingEdRa at 2:44 AM on August 26, 2011

Why don't most of you all just type "Get off my lawn." It would be faster and convey the same message.
posted by oddman at 4:33 AM on August 26, 2011

Why don't most of you all just type "Get off my lawn." It would be faster and convey the same message.

Which of these logos are you thinking represents the tastes of today's youth? The one that looks like the T-shirt their Dad wore to the Bon Jovi concert when he was 15? The one that looks like the intro to a TV show from 1979?
posted by straight at 9:48 AM on August 26, 2011

Marvel is also sorely missing a strong editorial direction beyond "Make Money" and "Let Bendis turn a 1 issue story into a 6 issue arc" but DC really seems to be adrift.

I can't disagree with the Bendis quip, but Marvel sat down and came up with a game plan for their universe seven or eight years ago, and it's been fascinating to watch them follow it. The results have been mixed, but man, the idea of a whole comics company deciding that they're actually going to tell a story? I can't give them enough props for that, and that's precisely the lesson I wish DC had learned in the last decade. Not "needs more reboot."
posted by Amanojaku at 5:04 PM on August 26, 2011 [1 favorite]