DC Comics Thread

G Willow Wilson tweeted she’ll be writing The Dreaming from March 2020. She got asked via video conference with the editor and Gaiman so looks to be a Gaiman selected appointment. I’ve enjoyed what Spurrier has done there but she should be a good replacement.

“For the first time, we’re going to introduce the DC Timeline. The whole idea here right now is, from our standpoint, we’re trying to organize a sense of when the DC stories took place and how they all fit together.”

As much as they say they recognise the problems that previous reboots caused, it doesn’t really feel as though they grasp the fact that constantly making continuity the focus of the DCU is a distraction from telling other, better stories.

It’s never going to line up precisely and fit together perfectly, so just accept that and handwave the odd inconsistency, rather than constantly going back to that well for big ‘event’ stories and relaunches.

Yeah, I quite liked History Of The DCU but as you say it was almost immediately contradicted. There’s no real need to try and pin this stuff down.

I’m with Dave here really. DCs obsession with its continuity, which they then change again on a whim anyway, is more off-putting than anything else.

The iFanboy ‘nothing makes sense, nothing matters’ quote about Rebirth was not a harsh criticism, it was that they didn’t really care because they found the books rather glossing over it all to be quite refreshing and they were telling good stories with the essence of the characters.

I think they should seriously consider abandoning the concept of continuity altogether. There are already a hundred versions of Batman, between different eras of the comic book, the different Movies, the different cartoons etc. Instead just establish some basic rules for each character. Batman is Bruce Wayne, he has a manor, a cave, a car etc. He may or may not have a Sidekick called Robin, who may or may not be Dick Grayson or Jason Todd or Damian Wayne. He lives in Gotham City. The police comissioner Gordon is his ally. Among his enemies you can find characters like the Joker, who in one story can be a homicidal maniac and in another a clown-themed bank robber with a getaway car that throws a giant cake at the pursuing cops.

Establishing continuity just means saying which made-up stories actually happened, and which ones are imaginary.

No one is complaining about continuity inconsistencies between the Robin Hood Movies starring Kevin Costner, Russel Crowe and Errol Flynn, but they are clearly seen as different takes on the same character. The super-hero stories should stand on their own in the same way.

(And most fans would probably hate it…)

Dave wrote:

Tobias Radesäter wrote:

He may or may not have a Sidekick called Robin, who may or may not be Dick Grayson or Jason Todd or Damian Wayne.

So fuck Tim Drake, you’re basically saying.

The Robins are so young, so I can’t possibly approve of that!

(Also, Tim Drake and Carrie Kelley might be included in “may not”.)

Tim Drake is by far the best Robin.

This new DC 5G idea would be cool if Didio etc hadn’t gone out their way to rewind things to the 60s and 70s. Wally just got more and more screwed.

“That’s where we made our mistake during the New 52 — we didn’t understand which stories matter, which ones didn’t. Once we understand how these characters connect, then we’ll be in a place to give you the true history of the DCU.”

Does it concern anyone that Dan Didio still doesnt understand how the DC characters connect?

I’m also concerned it’s how many years after New 52 and Rebirth and they are only trying to figure this now?

I guess as a non-DC guy it looks like basically a string of resets since DiDio came on board (2004 as head editor and then 2010 as publisher)

Mind you, I don’t care and I’m sure a lot of its good, but you have to take the good with the bad

I don’t have an opinion one way or another on Didio personally, as I don’t know him, but I will say that the majority of books on my pull list are currently DC books. Mainly the more out-of-continuity limited series stuff. I’m really glad they’ve been pushing that harder lately as it’s exactly what I’m looking for.

I tend to tradewait the in-continuity stuff more. The two “volume 2” Bendis Superman books are coming out soon, as well as the second volume of Hitch’s Hawkman.

(Did I mention I’m on a big Hitch kick at the moment? I think I did.)

RonnieM wrote:

Agreed. I have to actively manage the DC side of my pull list because there is so much good stuff and not enough time to enjoy it all.

Yeah, I’m in exactly the same boat and have been for while now.

I did my previews order yesterday and it took me ages because I had to keep whittling it down, mostly down to the number of DC books.

The Joe Hill imprint is making it even harder for me, I’m glad a few mini series that I buy are wrapping up soon to try get my order back to manageable levels.

Dave wrote:

What is going on with Batman: Last Knight On Earth #3?

https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/SEP190478

It looks like it’s been put back to 18th December, around five months after issue #2. Disappointing.

That mini series as a whole is disappointing. From what I recall of the second issue, it felt as if we were missing key parts of the story. The art is nice, though.

Maybe they decided to change the colour of a major character after the issue had gone to print and had to recall and pulp thousands of copies.

Ok, somebody needs to explain DC comics to me, because true to recent form they have completely failed to make anything easy to follow.
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I have just finished The Green Lantern #12. It tells me the story continues in Blackstars #1 in November.
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Three pages later, it tells me I “must not miss” The Green Lantern season 2 coming in 2020.
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So what exactly do I need to read to find out how this story ends?
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Supplementary question: are DC deliberately trying to drive readers away, or is it just incompetence?

All-Star talent celebrates 96-Page Wonder Woman #750

In January 2020, DC will mark a major milestone for Diana of Themiscyra with an oversized 96-page Wonder Woman #750.

The 96-page issue will feature stories from fan favorite Wonder Woman writers including Gail Simone and Greg Rucka and current writer Steve Orlando alongside up and coming talent such as Vita Ayala, Marguerite Bennett, Jeff Loveness, Kami Garcia, Mariko Tamaki, Shannon and Dean Hale, and more.

Artists for Wonder Woman #750 include Colleen Doran, Jesus Merino, Nicola Scott, Elena Casagrade, Gabriel Picolo, and more still to be announced.

Wow. The issue of Wonder Woman I picked up last month was #79. They’ll have to seriously increase their shipping schedule if they’re going to reach #750 by January. I’m not sure if my wallet will cope with 56 extra issues a week

DavidM wrote:

Ok, somebody needs to explain DC comics to me, because true to recent form they have completely failed to make anything easy to follow.
.
I have just finished The Green Lantern #12. It tells me the story continues in Blackstars #1 in November.
.
Three pages later, it tells me I “must not miss” The Green Lantern season 2 coming in 2020.
.
So what exactly do I need to read to find out how this story ends?
.

Read season 1 of green lantern (issues 1 to 12)

Read issue 1 to 3 of the blackstars mini series

Read season 2 of green lantern

I dare say they are doing this to give Liam Sharp some time to get art in the bag for season 2, rather than a plot to drive readers away

That is a great cover.

Geez. Any writer that wants to do a story outing Clark Kent should be forced to read Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? , and if he still wants to do the story he should be banished to the phantom zone and never allowed to write comics again.

I admire your optimism. I really do :)

Read SUPERMAN: YEAR ONE #3

I kinda like it in parts. The whole story throughout the series has been a little bit shapeless. A series of things happening more than building up to form a long arc from boy to man. I like some of the scenes and ideas, but in general, I’d say it’s best to look at this similar to the stories of ancient mythic heroes like Jason or Cuchulain where each episode is mainly a test to overcome or solve. Though, it is a little repetitive – like the labors of Hercules – with most of it being Clark standing still while some bad guys throw one attack after another at him to no effect.

Still there are just parts of it than can only be explained by lazy writing. Like the opening of this issue has Clark saving Lois Lane from something that is pretty unclear. Did the Atlanteans shoot at her and hit the volcanic spout? Did the Navy shoot at her? Is there some kind of conflict between the Navy and Atlantis that Clark’s in the middle of? Why is Lois Lane there? why are the Atlanteans there? Why are the soldiers there? They seem to have weapons made just for him, so are they following him around?

Well, doesn’t matter. It won’t have any bearing on the rest of the issue. Coulda tied it in to Luthor later, but why work that hard?

Then, the comic is filled with cliche. As soon as Clark gets to town, he has to save a kid from getting hit by a truck because the kid followed a ball into a street. That is not a daily occurrence. It hardly ever happens, because (a) kids who grow up in cities learn fast how not to get hit by cars, (b) kids in cities don’t play around heavy traffic or crowded streets and (c) parents these days don’t let kids out of their sight.

So, my guess is that Clark was bored, so his subconscious telepathy manipulated the kid to give him something heroic to do.

What’s up with that telepathy anyway? Does it show up much in this issue?

DavidM wrote:

DavidM
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Ok, somebody needs to explain DC comics to me, because true to recent form they have completely failed to make anything easy to follow.
.
I have just finished The Green Lantern #12. It tells me the story continues in Blackstars #1 in November.
.
Three pages later, it tells me I “must not miss” The Green Lantern season 2 coming in 2020.
.
So what exactly do I need to read to find out how this story ends?
.
Supplementary question: are DC deliberately trying to drive readers away, or is it just incompetence

Hmm, very confusing.

It seems the story will continue in this “Blackstars”, and likely conclude as all stories do, particularly in comic books.

“Green Lantern Season 2” is probably completely unrelated, but, you have been ordered not to miss it so you had better buy it (even though it probably has nothing to do with Green Lantern Season 1, because why would it? Absurd!)

Anonymous wrote:

Still there are just parts of it than can only be explained by lazy writing.

I agree on this though. Parts of it – this issue and the series as a whole – feel very disjointed and oddly paced. Lots of time spent on relatively unimportant sections that Miller is obviously enjoying writing, and then other major developments crammed into just a few pages.

The same was true for the recent Xerxes mini too. I feel like Miller is writing in quite a loose fashion and not working to a particularly tight plan.

That’s why this issue had to pack so much in, right at the end.

As it should be.

https://www.avclub.com/aqualad-discovers-his-first-love-in-this-you-brought-me-1839269996

From Alex Sánchez and Blue is the Warmest Colour‘s Julie Maroh.

He’s not wrong, though.

Yes, but there’s a clear difference between “commercial ruination” and “artistic ruination”

I just leave the links here out of humble respect for others.

@MaxMaxmarvel1

A lot of people here tradewait their books. Please add spoiler text to posts like these.

I know it’s probably in the headline of the article but they will also tend to avoid those sites too.

It does

It doesn’t work across paragraphs though. That was the same on the old board.

Nobody is bitching Max, just politely asking that we’re careful when posting on plot developments in recent comics or TV or whatever, we err on the side of caution as a rule.

About Tony Isabella thinks Batman is ruining DC Comics:
–
I get where he’s coming from, i do really, but Tony needs to realize that DC always stands for Detective Comics, so his characters are living in the Batman universe whether he likes or hates Batman.

Finished Event Leviathan today and was completely underwhelmed. I know Bendis loves to put a shine on old forgotten characters, but …
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Mark Shaw?
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No. Just no.

Newsarama posted “the 10 greatest Speedsters in DC”.
DC’s 10 greatest Speedsters

Of course they got it wrong but their 2 defining events that makes Barry no.1 make no sense

sacrificing himself to save all of reality in Crisis On Infinite Earths.

and

Barry was even responsible for saving reality again, by creating the timeline that became DC’s “New 52,

One has been negated. he’s back. It is like it never happened. Two has him creating new 52. Since when is creating the new 52 a good thing?

in terms of likeability(how much I like them) here are the best speedsters
1. Wally
2. Jesse, i loved her in JSA
3. Bart
4. Jay
5. Max
6. Barry

You have a point David but I was being timeist including only current and past speedsters

Rocket wrote:

Since when is creating the new 52 a good thing?

Never.
.
Not ever.

Solicitations for February 2020 thread
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DC for February- Newsarama
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HE-MAN Dealing With CRISIS ON INFINITE ETERNIAs

He-Man and the Masters of the Multiverse, the popular Mattel character’s latest DC limited series, will feature countless iterations of He-Man – putting the character through what series writer Tim Seeley calls a “Crisis on Infinite Masters of the Universes.”

Kicking off this week, the six-issue title will feature versions of He-Man characters like the He-Man from the Masters of the Universe 1987 movie, the young Skeletor character called Prince Keldor, and Anti-Eternia He-Man, an obscure but fan-favorite evil version of the character from a 1980’s German audio play.

Working with Seeley on art are Dan Fraga and Richard Friend, who are challenged with portraying He-Man versions that originated on everything from live action to video games.

Note: There is a big Bat-spoiler lurking in DC solicits for Feb.

For those who don’t care about it, a Q I need answering:
Is Alfred’s death by Bane Tynion’s idea or King’s?

Ah, might be the answer is in the solicits as there’s this bit:
“BATMAN: ALFRED PENNYWORTH TP – stories and art by VARIOUS – cover by ALEX ROSS – Following Alfred’s tragic death in “City of Bane,” Hard not to read this as a final ‘fuck you’ from King.

She’s moving over to take over writing on The Dreaming.

Well, bollocks. Bring back the old board with all its big brother crap – wait, we can’t afford – don’t I have a new keyboard somewhere around here? One that has that damn key working?

Actually, it’s just gone viral due Batman #83 previews so that will be all over the net already.