DC: The New 49
February 6, 2015 1:35 PM Subscribe
Four years ago, in the wake of the Flashpoint crossover, DC Comics made a semi-reboot of their comics universe and introduced the New 52.
This was, unsurprisingly, rather controversial.
In 2013, DC Comics announced that they would move their operations from New York to Burbank in 2015 to be closer to Warner Brothers Studios. While they’re packing boxes and putting everything in the U-Haul, DC will suspend all regularly scheduled comics and will instead publish Convergence, a two month event tossing together characters from many of their previous continuities (and something that is oddly being paralleled over at Marvel.)
Today, DC announced Divergence.
Dan DiDio: the new launches herald “a new era for the DC Universe which will allow us to publish something for everyone, be more expansive and modern in our approach and tell stories that better reflect the society around us.”
Jim Lee: “the June slate will showcase different styles and approaches to storytelling as we add offbeat, irreverently funny titles such as Bizarro, Bat-Mite and Prez. Truly there will be something for everybody as we simultaneously celebrate our rich legacy while embracing new voices and concepts.” (same source)
In 2013, DC Comics announced that they would move their operations from New York to Burbank in 2015 to be closer to Warner Brothers Studios. While they’re packing boxes and putting everything in the U-Haul, DC will suspend all regularly scheduled comics and will instead publish Convergence, a two month event tossing together characters from many of their previous continuities (and something that is oddly being paralleled over at Marvel.)
Today, DC announced Divergence.
Dan DiDio: the new launches herald “a new era for the DC Universe which will allow us to publish something for everyone, be more expansive and modern in our approach and tell stories that better reflect the society around us.”
Jim Lee: “the June slate will showcase different styles and approaches to storytelling as we add offbeat, irreverently funny titles such as Bizarro, Bat-Mite and Prez. Truly there will be something for everybody as we simultaneously celebrate our rich legacy while embracing new voices and concepts.” (same source)
Maybe DC should quit with the sweeping, era-defining pronouncements and just quietly start producing higher-quality content from a more diverse pool of artists.
posted by Think_Long at 1:46 PM on February 6, 2015 [57 favorites]
posted by Think_Long at 1:46 PM on February 6, 2015 [57 favorites]
Are these the folks who put out Axe Cop? No? Then who gives a shit?
posted by Sternmeyer at 1:52 PM on February 6, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by Sternmeyer at 1:52 PM on February 6, 2015 [5 favorites]
(I'm sort of joking above, but man, DC and Marvel are both in the doldrums as of late, and by as of late I mean the last ten or fifteen years.)
posted by Sternmeyer at 1:53 PM on February 6, 2015
posted by Sternmeyer at 1:53 PM on February 6, 2015
New Prez comics, man. Prez!
posted by Guy Smiley at 1:53 PM on February 6, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by Guy Smiley at 1:53 PM on February 6, 2015 [4 favorites]
Think_Long: "Maybe DC should quit with the sweeping, era-defining pronouncements and just quietly start producing higher-quality content from a more diverse pool of artists."
Meanwhile, at DC.
Marvel's trying to figure out how to make Squirrel Girl + Ms. Marvel Vs. DR DOOM and DiDio's trying to figure out where the turd he was polishing went.
posted by boo_radley at 1:56 PM on February 6, 2015 [5 favorites]
Meanwhile, at DC.
Marvel's trying to figure out how to make Squirrel Girl + Ms. Marvel Vs. DR DOOM and DiDio's trying to figure out where the turd he was polishing went.
posted by boo_radley at 1:56 PM on February 6, 2015 [5 favorites]
Greg Nog: "I hope Garth Ennis puts some swear words in his book!"
What if... lawlessness? But also dehumanizing???
posted by boo_radley at 1:57 PM on February 6, 2015 [11 favorites]
What if... lawlessness? But also dehumanizing???
posted by boo_radley at 1:57 PM on February 6, 2015 [11 favorites]
Maybe DC should quit with the sweeping, era-defining pronouncements and just quietly start producing higher-quality content from a more diverse pool of artists.
DC has been inconsistent, unstable and indecisive and decided that design flaw ought to be their selling point...
posted by Alexandra Kitty at 1:57 PM on February 6, 2015
DC has been inconsistent, unstable and indecisive and decided that design flaw ought to be their selling point...
posted by Alexandra Kitty at 1:57 PM on February 6, 2015
"All this has happened before. All this will happen again."
posted by Auden at 1:58 PM on February 6, 2015 [7 favorites]
posted by Auden at 1:58 PM on February 6, 2015 [7 favorites]
How about books with self-contained stories that are appropriate for kids (boys AND girls, natch)?
posted by themanwho at 1:58 PM on February 6, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by themanwho at 1:58 PM on February 6, 2015 [3 favorites]
DC is exhausting and off-putting to me, because they just have too much stuff and there's no way I can afford to keep up. I have a pull list at my local shop (limited to Doctor Who stuff, which is about all I can afford to keep up with), and when I'm in there I'll look at the new release wall and every now and then grab something on a whim.
I recently picked up "Pax Americana" because it's a #1 and it's Grant Morrison, so I thought, why not. Read the thing and it was absolutely inscrutable (aside from feeling like a shameless re-do of "Watchmen"), and a little digging shows that it's one in a series of one-offs that's part of another series of 52 NEW REBOOTS and OH MY GOD, what kinds of jobs do people have that allow them to keep up with all this, $3.95 at a time?
posted by jbickers at 2:00 PM on February 6, 2015 [5 favorites]
I recently picked up "Pax Americana" because it's a #1 and it's Grant Morrison, so I thought, why not. Read the thing and it was absolutely inscrutable (aside from feeling like a shameless re-do of "Watchmen"), and a little digging shows that it's one in a series of one-offs that's part of another series of 52 NEW REBOOTS and OH MY GOD, what kinds of jobs do people have that allow them to keep up with all this, $3.95 at a time?
posted by jbickers at 2:00 PM on February 6, 2015 [5 favorites]
DC doesn't publish Rat Queens, and cancelled Hellblazer, so fuck 'em.
posted by Pope Guilty at 2:01 PM on February 6, 2015 [9 favorites]
posted by Pope Guilty at 2:01 PM on February 6, 2015 [9 favorites]
Interesting, but still more excited about A-Force
Amusingly, Singularity won't be the first Marvel gender-shifting cosmological event that gains self-consciousness and decides to spend time on Earth as part of a terran superhero team.
posted by delfin at 2:03 PM on February 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
Amusingly, Singularity won't be the first Marvel gender-shifting cosmological event that gains self-consciousness and decides to spend time on Earth as part of a terran superhero team.
posted by delfin at 2:03 PM on February 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
I'm really excited about a batmite solo book. How wacky is that? I'm even more excited by Annie Wu working on Black Canary. Todays announcements have a lot of potential for entertainment.
posted by lownote at 2:30 PM on February 6, 2015
posted by lownote at 2:30 PM on February 6, 2015
DC and Marvel are both in the doldrums as of late
Ms. Marvel is some of the best comics I've ever read (over 32 years of reading comics). Captain Marvel is pretty damn entertaining, too, as is Black Widow, She-Hulk, Matt Fraction's Hawkeye...I'm getting the strong impression that Marvel's solo titles are much, much more entertaining and higher-quality than the big tentpole events they keep pushing.
Also, Rat Queens is basically the greatest thing ever. If you enjoy comics and you aren't reading Rat Queens, you're essentially inflicting the sort of self-harm that should require therapy.
posted by scaryblackdeath at 2:31 PM on February 6, 2015 [12 favorites]
Ms. Marvel is some of the best comics I've ever read (over 32 years of reading comics). Captain Marvel is pretty damn entertaining, too, as is Black Widow, She-Hulk, Matt Fraction's Hawkeye...I'm getting the strong impression that Marvel's solo titles are much, much more entertaining and higher-quality than the big tentpole events they keep pushing.
Also, Rat Queens is basically the greatest thing ever. If you enjoy comics and you aren't reading Rat Queens, you're essentially inflicting the sort of self-harm that should require therapy.
posted by scaryblackdeath at 2:31 PM on February 6, 2015 [12 favorites]
Also, when I saw the A-Force headline, I was a little skeptical; Marvel has done "all-female" stuff before that has been less than good. Then I saw that G Willow Wilson (Ms. Marvel) is writing it, and now I don't care what sort of continuity hoops the book requires as long as I get it in my hands as soon as possible.
posted by scaryblackdeath at 2:32 PM on February 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by scaryblackdeath at 2:32 PM on February 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
My sole exposure to Bat-Mite to date is his appearance during Morrison's "Batman of Zur-en-Arrh" issues in his recent-ish run, and I had no idea what the fuck to make of it beyond a sort of unfocused "this is like the greatest riff on The Flintstones ever" blink-a-thon.
In summary, yes, more Bat-Mite.
posted by cortex at 2:33 PM on February 6, 2015 [2 favorites]
In summary, yes, more Bat-Mite.
posted by cortex at 2:33 PM on February 6, 2015 [2 favorites]
In 2013, DC Comics announced that they would move their operations from New York to Burbank
Downtown Burbank is beautiful, or so I'm told.
posted by octobersurprise at 2:33 PM on February 6, 2015 [8 favorites]
Downtown Burbank is beautiful, or so I'm told.
posted by octobersurprise at 2:33 PM on February 6, 2015 [8 favorites]
...from New York to Burbank in 2015 to be closer to Warner Brothers Studios
Why bother if everything you produce with them is less tempting than a turd in a bowl of cornflakes?
posted by biffa at 2:36 PM on February 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
Why bother if everything you produce with them is less tempting than a turd in a bowl of cornflakes?
posted by biffa at 2:36 PM on February 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
If you enjoy comics and you aren't reading Rat Queens, you're essentially inflicting the sort of self-harm that should require therapy.
I've been reading Lumberjanes instead and I feel like a million bucks.
posted by Smart Dalek at 2:45 PM on February 6, 2015 [3 favorites]
I've been reading Lumberjanes instead and I feel like a million bucks.
posted by Smart Dalek at 2:45 PM on February 6, 2015 [3 favorites]
I've been reading Lumberjanes instead and I feel like a million bucks.
I just found out about this title from your comment and pre-ordered the first book for my niece. Thank you so much!
posted by The Minotaur at 2:51 PM on February 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
I just found out about this title from your comment and pre-ordered the first book for my niece. Thank you so much!
posted by The Minotaur at 2:51 PM on February 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
I more or less quit the comic book world in the late 90s and at that time Image Comics was ... not a laughingstock, per se, but certainly not a powerhouse. It was populated with things like Savage Dragon, Spawn, Youngblood, WildC.A.T.S., etc. which were all intolerably goofy (to a guy who was trying to escape hero comics, at least).
After fifteen years I came back to comics and some of the best titles I've ever seen - not just currently but in all my comics history - are being put out by Image. Saga, Sex Criminals, East of West, Pretty Deadly, and Rat Queens top that list. How? What happened?
Actually I don't really care what happened, all I know is that Image has my heart now and if DC wants to go on hitting the reset button on their costumed capers they're welcome to. My attention is in another direction.
posted by komara at 2:52 PM on February 6, 2015 [3 favorites]
After fifteen years I came back to comics and some of the best titles I've ever seen - not just currently but in all my comics history - are being put out by Image. Saga, Sex Criminals, East of West, Pretty Deadly, and Rat Queens top that list. How? What happened?
Actually I don't really care what happened, all I know is that Image has my heart now and if DC wants to go on hitting the reset button on their costumed capers they're welcome to. My attention is in another direction.
posted by komara at 2:52 PM on February 6, 2015 [3 favorites]
How? What happened?
Basically, DC gutted Vertigo, and the top talent had to take their creator-owned titles elsewhere. Also, since The Walking Dead is such a massive hit, it gives Image the ability to take more risks.
posted by 1970s Antihero at 2:57 PM on February 6, 2015 [8 favorites]
Basically, DC gutted Vertigo, and the top talent had to take their creator-owned titles elsewhere. Also, since The Walking Dead is such a massive hit, it gives Image the ability to take more risks.
posted by 1970s Antihero at 2:57 PM on February 6, 2015 [8 favorites]
I will say that Gene Luen Yang writing Superman is just about the coolest thing in the world. I think that's delightful and awesome and may actually mean I read Superman.
But ... this is about 5 years too late. I am about 90% sure that someone at DC listened to his speech at the National Book Festival gala last year (which, yes, was basically the best thing that has ever happened -- and I will brag and say I was totally there to see it) and went "Hey, who is this guy?" It's not like Yang was unknown in comics before this. American Born Chinese came out in 2006 & won all the awards in 2007 -- that was the time to grab him. Not nearly 10 years later.
DC is constantly playing catch-up. Some of these books seem like they'll be good and I'm glad DC is trying to at least try. But it feels like a lot of "too little, too late." So much of what DC does feels like five steps behind of where everyone else is.
It makes that whole Boom "move comics forward" thing seem pretty progressive (and I think that was kind of silly overall).
posted by darksong at 3:00 PM on February 6, 2015 [2 favorites]
But ... this is about 5 years too late. I am about 90% sure that someone at DC listened to his speech at the National Book Festival gala last year (which, yes, was basically the best thing that has ever happened -- and I will brag and say I was totally there to see it) and went "Hey, who is this guy?" It's not like Yang was unknown in comics before this. American Born Chinese came out in 2006 & won all the awards in 2007 -- that was the time to grab him. Not nearly 10 years later.
DC is constantly playing catch-up. Some of these books seem like they'll be good and I'm glad DC is trying to at least try. But it feels like a lot of "too little, too late." So much of what DC does feels like five steps behind of where everyone else is.
It makes that whole Boom "move comics forward" thing seem pretty progressive (and I think that was kind of silly overall).
posted by darksong at 3:00 PM on February 6, 2015 [2 favorites]
Yeah, Rat Queens...it's an indie so no issues there...
posted by Guy Smiley at 3:02 PM on February 6, 2015
posted by Guy Smiley at 3:02 PM on February 6, 2015
Marvel? Two words. Squirrel Girl.
posted by oneswellfoop at 3:09 PM on February 6, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by oneswellfoop at 3:09 PM on February 6, 2015 [3 favorites]
Yeah, Rat Queens...it's an indie so no issues there...
Roc Upchurch was immediately fired and replaced. What's Image failing to do that they should be doing?
posted by Pope Guilty at 3:09 PM on February 6, 2015 [4 favorites]
Roc Upchurch was immediately fired and replaced. What's Image failing to do that they should be doing?
posted by Pope Guilty at 3:09 PM on February 6, 2015 [4 favorites]
"DC ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES NEW BOOKS, NEW CREATORS, BROADER FOCUS FOR THE DC UNIVERSE"
Nice to see the writing hasn't improved over there. I'll continue to Make Mine Marvel.
posted by eamondaly at 3:11 PM on February 6, 2015
Nice to see the writing hasn't improved over there. I'll continue to Make Mine Marvel.
posted by eamondaly at 3:11 PM on February 6, 2015
Looking forward to Jim Lee's Big Book of Constipated Faces Volume 28!
posted by robocop is bleeding at 3:25 PM on February 6, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by robocop is bleeding at 3:25 PM on February 6, 2015 [3 favorites]
From the opening, theme-song filled page, it’s clear that creators Ryan North and Erica Henderson have no intention of backing down from Squirrel Girl’s less than plausible history. Rather than reinvent the character of Doreen Green for a modern audience, the duo instead embraces her (numerous) oddities, crafting a read that’s plucky, weird, and downright awesome.
In other words, doing right everything that DC Comics has been doing wrong for the last decade (at least).
posted by straight at 3:27 PM on February 6, 2015
In other words, doing right everything that DC Comics has been doing wrong for the last decade (at least).
posted by straight at 3:27 PM on February 6, 2015
Are they planning to keep the GLA in the new Squirrel Girl books or is that not known yet?
posted by angerbot at 3:37 PM on February 6, 2015
posted by angerbot at 3:37 PM on February 6, 2015
DC is just trolling us at this point, right?
posted by KingEdRa at 3:42 PM on February 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by KingEdRa at 3:42 PM on February 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
Remember in Countdown to Final Crisis where in a single one of the many storylines you had Firestorm, Karate Kid and Una of the Legion of Superheroes, the Atomic Knights, OMAC/Brother Eye, Desaad, parademons, the origin story of Kamandi's world and all sorts of other stuff all mixed in together and instead of being the coolest thing ever it completely sucked?
That's my go to example of DC being DC.
posted by jason_steakums at 3:47 PM on February 6, 2015 [6 favorites]
That's my go to example of DC being DC.
posted by jason_steakums at 3:47 PM on February 6, 2015 [6 favorites]
hey boo why don't you like Dan DiDio?
posted by boo_radley at 3:51 PM on February 6, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by boo_radley at 3:51 PM on February 6, 2015 [3 favorites]
Looking forward to Jim Lee's Big Book of Constipated Faces Volume 28!
I'm waiting for Frank Quitely's Big Book of Pinched, Piggy Little Pig-Faces (Collectible Hologram-cover Masterpiece Edition).
posted by The Tensor at 3:52 PM on February 6, 2015 [2 favorites]
I'm waiting for Frank Quitely's Big Book of Pinched, Piggy Little Pig-Faces (Collectible Hologram-cover Masterpiece Edition).
posted by The Tensor at 3:52 PM on February 6, 2015 [2 favorites]
Flashpoint was terrible. I thought it was DC doing some kind of reductio ad absurdum of the way things were going so that the New 52 would be a fresh start, but so many of the new titles were just so bad. The only title that has been consistently worth reading is Batman. Really for this new reboot they should just have Snyder continue with his Batman and include a backup with a different hero each issue. Maybe Grant Morrisson can write a one-shot or mini-series every now and again. Don't even bother putting anything else out there until they are able to make something else that doesn't suck.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 3:53 PM on February 6, 2015
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 3:53 PM on February 6, 2015
I'm getting the strong impression that Marvel's both companies' solo titles are much, much more entertaining and higher-quality than the big tentpole events they keep pushing.
Although Marvel has come out with them more frequently than DC, lately. Batwoman had a lot of promise until DC editorial decided that Kate Kane and Maggie Sawyer couldn't get married; the original team left, which had the effect of basically killing the book. And they didn't really support Gail Simone's The Movement while it was still a thing. But they put Charles Soule on Swamp Thing and Red Lanterns, at least for a while, so they got that goin' for them, which is nice, and Simone just got a resurrected Secret Six, which is even nicer.
But, really, this is just them playing catch-up with the realization that Flashpoint/New 52 was a badly-thought-out idea in the first place, with numerous babies thrown out with the bathwater. I really can't think of anyone who's better off because of it, save maybe for Jim Lee, whose WildStorm characters were clumsily shoehorned into the DCU as part of the event.
posted by Halloween Jack at 3:55 PM on February 6, 2015
Although Marvel has come out with them more frequently than DC, lately. Batwoman had a lot of promise until DC editorial decided that Kate Kane and Maggie Sawyer couldn't get married; the original team left, which had the effect of basically killing the book. And they didn't really support Gail Simone's The Movement while it was still a thing. But they put Charles Soule on Swamp Thing and Red Lanterns, at least for a while, so they got that goin' for them, which is nice, and Simone just got a resurrected Secret Six, which is even nicer.
But, really, this is just them playing catch-up with the realization that Flashpoint/New 52 was a badly-thought-out idea in the first place, with numerous babies thrown out with the bathwater. I really can't think of anyone who's better off because of it, save maybe for Jim Lee, whose WildStorm characters were clumsily shoehorned into the DCU as part of the event.
posted by Halloween Jack at 3:55 PM on February 6, 2015
They better not ruin Gotham Academy.
posted by ckape at 4:05 PM on February 6, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by ckape at 4:05 PM on February 6, 2015 [2 favorites]
I think this is great. I was a DC kid when I was little, and I've been completely turned off by the New 52 house style. Batgirl, Gotham Academy, and Gotham By Midnight are all great books, and it's nice to see a little of that weirder, more creator-driven approach drifting into non-Batman books.
Most superhero books suck, but there are plenty that don't if you are willing to give them a chance.
posted by joelhunt at 4:29 PM on February 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
Most superhero books suck, but there are plenty that don't if you are willing to give them a chance.
posted by joelhunt at 4:29 PM on February 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
I'm still hurting over the cancellation of the amazing cuckoo nuts genius that was Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A,D.E.
posted by KingEdRa at 4:31 PM on February 6, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by KingEdRa at 4:31 PM on February 6, 2015 [5 favorites]
How to be a comics company:
- Have a bunch of talented, passionate writers and artists, the best of whom are catching lightning in a bottle for you constantly and churning out classic after classic, constantly pushing the medium forward by making genius use of the living, breathing toy box of characters and history you let them play with.
- Discard all of that stupid pre-bottled lightning they keep handing you. Smash those dumb bottles into the ground.
- Attempt to generate your own lightning and force it into focus group-designed bottles adorned with cool labels depicting those safe bet characters that the tantalizing and just-out-of-reach non-comics-reading audience knows and mostly likes in event after event.
- Wonder where it keeps going wrong. Probably those stupid writers and artists and their dumb homemade bottled lightning distracting from those tiny sparks you tried so hard to force into those awesome shiny plastic jugs you made. Kick those brand-diluting jerks to the curb.
I was a DC reader for such a long, long time that I really want this to be a sign of them getting their ship back on track. The only thing of theirs that I'm reading is Multiversity and that only because it's supposedly Grant Morrison's capstone on decades worth of work over there.
In the meantime my daughter and I are sharing Ms. Marvel and Unbeatable Squirrel Girl and watching "Agent Carter" and I'm thinking I ought to pick up Lumberjanes because I keep hearing it's awesome.
The last issue of Multiversity was a guide book with a really awesome map of the DC multiverse and a take on Kamandi the Last Boy that combined his story with the New Gods and that was really intriguing but I just don't see them following up on it. Or replacing it with anything I care much about.
posted by Ipsifendus at 5:05 PM on February 6, 2015
In the meantime my daughter and I are sharing Ms. Marvel and Unbeatable Squirrel Girl and watching "Agent Carter" and I'm thinking I ought to pick up Lumberjanes because I keep hearing it's awesome.
The last issue of Multiversity was a guide book with a really awesome map of the DC multiverse and a take on Kamandi the Last Boy that combined his story with the New Gods and that was really intriguing but I just don't see them following up on it. Or replacing it with anything I care much about.
posted by Ipsifendus at 5:05 PM on February 6, 2015
The last issue of Multiversity was a guide book with a really awesome map of the DC multiverse and a take on Kamandi the Last Boy that combined his story with the New Gods and that was really intriguing but I just don't see them following up on it. Or replacing it with anything I care much about.
This is what's so infuriating about the DC/Morrison relationship. They love him, he loves them. He has incredible ideas about how to utilize the universe and an absurdly deep love for and understanding of it all. They give him constant work, because they genuinely love having him playing in their universe. But at the end of the day, they'll cordon him off to his own little corner because his stuff doesn't cater to the lowest common denominator.
posted by jason_steakums at 5:17 PM on February 6, 2015 [2 favorites]
This is what's so infuriating about the DC/Morrison relationship. They love him, he loves them. He has incredible ideas about how to utilize the universe and an absurdly deep love for and understanding of it all. They give him constant work, because they genuinely love having him playing in their universe. But at the end of the day, they'll cordon him off to his own little corner because his stuff doesn't cater to the lowest common denominator.
posted by jason_steakums at 5:17 PM on February 6, 2015 [2 favorites]
I recently picked up "Pax Americana" because it's a #1 and it's Grant Morrison, so I thought, why not. Read the thing and it was absolutely inscrutable (aside from feeling like a shameless re-do of "Watchmen"), and a little digging shows that it's one in a series of one-offs that's part of another series of 52 NEW REBOOTS and OH MY GOD, what kinds of jobs do people have that allow them to keep up with all this, $3.95 at a time?
jbickers
You should give Multiversity another shot if you're at all a fan of Grant Morrison. It's his dream project summing up everything he's done at DC and beyond. Sure it's inscrutable, but that's Morrison for you. It's the most Grant Morrison-y series ever.
There are only 9 books and I'm not sure what DC plans to do with the worlds introduced in the series but the series itself is well worth reading, chock full of Morrison's trademark mix of mind-blowing weirdness and immensely deep comics knowledge.
(And it's not a shameless re-do of Watchmen, it's Morrison's take on the Charlton characters with conscious homages to Watchmen and maybe some tweaking of grouchy fellow genius Moore).
posted by Sangermaine at 5:21 PM on February 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
jbickers
You should give Multiversity another shot if you're at all a fan of Grant Morrison. It's his dream project summing up everything he's done at DC and beyond. Sure it's inscrutable, but that's Morrison for you. It's the most Grant Morrison-y series ever.
There are only 9 books and I'm not sure what DC plans to do with the worlds introduced in the series but the series itself is well worth reading, chock full of Morrison's trademark mix of mind-blowing weirdness and immensely deep comics knowledge.
(And it's not a shameless re-do of Watchmen, it's Morrison's take on the Charlton characters with conscious homages to Watchmen and maybe some tweaking of grouchy fellow genius Moore).
posted by Sangermaine at 5:21 PM on February 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
*reads announcement*
Hm, yes, cool, yes ... hrm ....
*reads announcement again*
... maybe they're waiting til later in the week to announce their new ongoing series about Renee Montoya: The Question. That's probably it.
posted by EatTheWeek at 5:24 PM on February 6, 2015 [3 favorites]
Hm, yes, cool, yes ... hrm ....
*reads announcement again*
... maybe they're waiting til later in the week to announce their new ongoing series about Renee Montoya: The Question. That's probably it.
posted by EatTheWeek at 5:24 PM on February 6, 2015 [3 favorites]
Another reboot? Again?
I got a bold new direction for you, DC. Admit that you're giving up on infinite continuity stories that reach into the multiple hundreds of issues. Pick a creative team for a book, let them work out an outline for a year or two's worth of comics. Everything is a limited series. Everything is "#4 of 12" or whatever. Give them enough slack in the schedule to keep the same creative team on the entire series.
Because repeatedly saying "here is the new beginning that will go on for who knows how long!" just looks foolish.
Also at lest 50% of your output should now be Elseworlds.
posted by egypturnash at 5:25 PM on February 6, 2015 [8 favorites]
I got a bold new direction for you, DC. Admit that you're giving up on infinite continuity stories that reach into the multiple hundreds of issues. Pick a creative team for a book, let them work out an outline for a year or two's worth of comics. Everything is a limited series. Everything is "#4 of 12" or whatever. Give them enough slack in the schedule to keep the same creative team on the entire series.
Because repeatedly saying "here is the new beginning that will go on for who knows how long!" just looks foolish.
Also at lest 50% of your output should now be Elseworlds.
posted by egypturnash at 5:25 PM on February 6, 2015 [8 favorites]
Not everyone, but many people, should give the recent My Little Pony comics a try. The writing and art are so good.
posted by Wolfdog at 5:27 PM on February 6, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by Wolfdog at 5:27 PM on February 6, 2015 [3 favorites]
It sounds less like DC is rebooting their universe and more like DC is dropping "the new 52" as a marketing tool, now that their continuity is established and a couple years old. The real story is the list of creators they'll have producing books. It's an impressive list. Some of the books will probably be very good. At the very least some excellent creators will get to make some big league money. There isn't a downside to this story.
posted by kittens for breakfast at 5:45 PM on February 6, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by kittens for breakfast at 5:45 PM on February 6, 2015 [4 favorites]
I know when I think Bat-Mite manic mirthful mayhem, I think Dan Jurgens.
Also, what happened to poor Jeff Lemire? Wasn't he writing half of those things at one point?
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 5:54 PM on February 6, 2015
Also, what happened to poor Jeff Lemire? Wasn't he writing half of those things at one point?
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 5:54 PM on February 6, 2015
The real story is the list of creators they'll have producing books. It's an impressive list. Some of the books will probably be very good. At the very least some excellent creators will get to make some big league money. There isn't a downside to this story.
Yeah, as much as I am snarking on DC, the creator list is really great. I hope Ming Doyle does some covers or something when she's writing Constantine, because she's an amazing artist, too (actually an amazing artist first for me, I've never read anything she's written but I've always been a fan of her art)
posted by jason_steakums at 6:49 PM on February 6, 2015
Yeah, as much as I am snarking on DC, the creator list is really great. I hope Ming Doyle does some covers or something when she's writing Constantine, because she's an amazing artist, too (actually an amazing artist first for me, I've never read anything she's written but I've always been a fan of her art)
posted by jason_steakums at 6:49 PM on February 6, 2015
It makes me sad to think about Morrison when I realise nothing he does can top Doom Patrol for me. Best reuse of a goofy property IMHO.
posted by Ferreous at 7:25 PM on February 6, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Ferreous at 7:25 PM on February 6, 2015 [2 favorites]
Oh god, Morrison's Doom Patrol. "The Empire of Chairs" is the single best final issue of a comic ever.
posted by jason_steakums at 7:52 PM on February 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by jason_steakums at 7:52 PM on February 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
And that issue is heavily influenced by The Jam song "Liza Radley" which is a killer song. Five stars all around.
posted by jason_steakums at 7:55 PM on February 6, 2015
posted by jason_steakums at 7:55 PM on February 6, 2015
Today is a very good day for women in comics.
posted by mbrubeck at 8:58 PM on February 6, 2015 [5 favorites]
- DC announced a new editorial line-up including more female creators…
- Marvel announced a new all-female Avengers book — A-FORCE — written by G. Willow Wilson & Marguerite Bennett…
- And then, Captain Marvel & Ms. Marvel editor Sana Amanat was promoted to Marvel’s new Director of Content & Character Development.
Alisa Kwitney.
An African-American writer on an African-American hero.
Riley Rossmo.
Starfire in a costume that isn't embarassing.
Garth Ennis!
Gene Luen Yang on SUPERMAN.
I am cautiously optimistic.
posted by bgrebs at 9:11 PM on February 6, 2015
An African-American writer on an African-American hero.
Riley Rossmo.
Starfire in a costume that isn't embarassing.
Garth Ennis!
Gene Luen Yang on SUPERMAN.
I am cautiously optimistic.
posted by bgrebs at 9:11 PM on February 6, 2015
I literally went and bought 10 issues when they relaunched, only to octopus the fuck right outa there.
So, I guess, someone call me if there's an Ambush Bug.
posted by bq at 9:43 PM on February 6, 2015
So, I guess, someone call me if there's an Ambush Bug.
posted by bq at 9:43 PM on February 6, 2015
The last time I bought a DC comic in single issues was... let's see. 2008, I guess, because that's when that great initial run of Blue Beetle v4 wrapped up. Ooh, and when All-Star Superman ended. And I think that was when they put out that trade of Doctor 13: Architecture & Mortality.
...heyyy that was also the year they killed off Stephanie Brown. Now I remember why I stopped buying your shit, DC.
posted by nonasuch at 10:26 PM on February 6, 2015
...heyyy that was also the year they killed off Stephanie Brown. Now I remember why I stopped buying your shit, DC.
posted by nonasuch at 10:26 PM on February 6, 2015
This is the best news to come out of DC in ages, both in terms of creator diversity (Ming Doyle! David Walker writing Cyborg! Three of four Superman books written by Asian guys!) and in terms of genuinely interesting pitches. I mean, a Bat-Mite series, for Pete's sake.
But let's not beat around the bush, we all know what the real cause for celebration is here...
THERE'S A GODDAMN SECTION EIGHT SERIES EVERYTHING IS PERFECT
(Or should I say, everything is... heh heh heh...bueno.)
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 5:35 AM on February 7, 2015
But let's not beat around the bush, we all know what the real cause for celebration is here...
THERE'S A GODDAMN SECTION EIGHT SERIES EVERYTHING IS PERFECT
(Or should I say, everything is... heh heh heh...bueno.)
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 5:35 AM on February 7, 2015
You had me at "the return of Dogwelder."
posted by delfin at 6:14 AM on February 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by delfin at 6:14 AM on February 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
Flashpoint/New 52 was a badly-thought-out idea in the first place, with numerous babies thrown out with the bathwater. I really can't think of anyone who's better off because of it
I've said this before when folks talk about what a huge failure the New 52 has been, but a pal who owns a comic shop told me the reboot not only dramatically increased DC's sales at the time, but the increase lasted for a long, long time. Helped out his store noticeably, despite the terrible writing on a lot of the titles.
I'd guess this "reboot" is a response to a softening of that increase.
posted by mediareport at 6:40 AM on February 7, 2015
I've said this before when folks talk about what a huge failure the New 52 has been, but a pal who owns a comic shop told me the reboot not only dramatically increased DC's sales at the time, but the increase lasted for a long, long time. Helped out his store noticeably, despite the terrible writing on a lot of the titles.
I'd guess this "reboot" is a response to a softening of that increase.
posted by mediareport at 6:40 AM on February 7, 2015
Interesting news from the Marvel side of things.
posted by Ipsifendus at 8:15 AM on February 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Ipsifendus at 8:15 AM on February 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
I haven't read the link, but I figure they must be bringing back Vertigo in a big way because why would they bother announcing everything else?!? I'm so excited!
posted by anotherpanacea at 12:13 PM on February 7, 2015
posted by anotherpanacea at 12:13 PM on February 7, 2015
this is what I've been trying to say
posted by boo_radley at 7:19 PM on February 9, 2015 [4 favorites]
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posted by davros42 at 1:39 PM on February 6, 2015 [8 favorites]