DC UNIVERSE Reboots in September, Same Day Digital Linewide

[PhantomStranger]

Originally Posted by Lastdaysofrain

Couldn't they not have the red trucks due to the Simon/Shuster lawsuit about the costume design? It was a "change it just enough for it to be 'new'" kind of deal?

So in a year's time will Todd McFarlane be taking over Superman and we'll see the costume going it's separate way and bonding with a rival Daily Planet reporter to make an EXTREME! superman villain?

I think the change has less to do with the lawsuit and more trying to deal with the mainstream complaints that superheroes shouldn't wear underwear on the outside of their clothes. The sequence where the suit forms around him looks ripped off from the Iron Man movies. Notice how Batman dropped his underwear look years ago. And you better believe some writer down the line is going to turn the suit against Superman at some point to create a new villain.

DC tried to resist many of these gimmicks that had infested Marvel comics, but WB was pressuring DiDio to boost sales.

[fujishig]

I don't have the comic but it looks like he wears a shirt with the S shield that activates the rest of his armor. So what's the modernized excuse for why people can't recognize that he's Clark without glasses? He's not still vibrating his head at super speeds all the time is he?

[majorjoe23]

I think the best excuse will always be why would people think Superman has a secret identity? If I had a friend who looked like Michael Jordan, I wouldn't think he might really be him.

[kgrogers1979]

Originally Posted by majorjoe23

I think the best excuse will always be why would people think Superman has a secret identity? If I had a friend who looked like Michael Jordan, I wouldn't think he might really be him.

Pretty much. Just because someone looks like a celebrity doesn't mean he actually is that celebrity. He just looks like him. And really how many people really know what Clark looks like anyway? In a megacity with population in the millions, people really don't pay much attention to each other. Sure Clark's closest friends, like Perry White, probably suspect he is Superman but they respect him too much to let him know. Its just like Batman and Jim Gordon. Gordon definitely knows Batman is Bruce Wayne, but he has too much respect for him to let him know.

And yeah, I don't think many DC citizens really suspect Superman has a secret identity anyway. He doesn't wear a mask to hide his face like the traditional superhero who is trying to protect his identity. Superman acts like he has nothing to hide, so why would people ever suspect him. I don't know if his Kal-El name is widely known, but it is widely known he is an alien from Krypton. Most people would think an alien wouldn't pretend to be a "mere human" anyway. That's exactly what Luthor thought in Byrne's run. Luthor had built a supercomputer that deduced Superman was Clark Kent, but Luthor refused to believe it because he felt that a godlike being like Superman would never pretend to be a mere human being. A lot of DC citizens probably think the same.

[fujishig]

Originally Posted by majorjoe23

I think the best excuse will always be why would people think Superman has a secret identity? If I had a friend who looked like Michael Jordan, I wouldn't think he might really be him.

If you lived in Chicago, your friend was as tall as Michael Jordan and looked exactly like him, and he never was around when the Bulls were playing, you wouldn't be suspicious? Even if, I don't know, you were a sports reporter who's job was to follow Michael Jordan?

I know, I know, post Crisis Luthor used this same line of thinking (parodied by Byrne himself in Marvel's "What The--?!").

[ytrez]

Originally Posted by madcougar

I don't think it's been established his impervious to EVERYTHING in this new universe. Or maybe the suit acts as solar panels for Superman. Who knows.

The readers should know. And it's the writer's job to let us know. Assuming that DC's revamp of their universe was intended to stimulate interest and generate a long-term increase in readership, I can appreciate what they're trying to do. But throwing away as much history as they have (by virtue of that Jay Garrick picture posted earlier, this new unexplained Superman armor, the complete re-imaging of Captain Marvel, Supergirl's disposition, turning Starfire into a slut, and several other examples I'm sure other could name) is a akin to throwing away the baby with the bathwater, as far as I'm concerned.

[madcougar]

Originally Posted by ytrez

The readers should know. And it's the writer's job to let us know. Assuming that DC's revamp of their universe was intended to stimulate interest and generate a long-term increase in readership, I can appreciate what they're trying to do. But throwing away as much history as they have (by virtue of that Jay Garrick picture posted earlier, this new unexplained Superman armor, the complete re-imaging of Captain Marvel, Supergirl's disposition, turning Starfire into a slut, and several other examples I'm sure other could name) is a akin to throwing away the baby with the bathwater, as far as I'm concerned.

Meh. I don't like everything they've done, but I think it would have been difficult to hit the ground running story wise by sitting down and explaining every, single little bit of what the new deal is. From what I've seen they're explaining things as they need to be explained. I'm sure that's not fast enough for some people, but it it what it is.

[brayzie]

Captain Marvel

I always liked Captain Marvel as an alternative to Superman, though I originally thought his name was "Shazam." Anyway, Captain Marvel is too good of a character to play 2nd or 3rd fiddle to Superman.

I recently bought a Captain Marvel Archive collection and those Golden Age stories were amazing, so much better than the Superman stories of that era.

Jay Garrick
I thought the point of the revamp nu52 was supposed to once again streamline the universe and make it more accessible to new readers. Why bring in another Flash, and Earth 2 again?

Superman armor
I'm sorry but visually it's stupid. It gives the impression that he's not that super but reliant upon some kind of armor. I get that it's supposed to be some kind of Kryptonian ceremonial garb but it's just not good.

Seeing the effect of Superman's costume "appearing" looks pretty bland compared to the effects of seeing other super characters change into their alter ego.

[MinLShaw]

Regarding the pace with which things have been explained, I'm of the mind that an opening arc "bible" for the book is rather mundane. When I meet someone and we get to know one another, I don't expect a chronological breakdown of the key events in their lives. Things ought to be revealed organically.

[fujishig]

Well, they are coming out with 0 numbered issues, so expect some explanations there (although I thought Action was Superman's origin? They didn't explain everything there? I stopped reading but I'm curious).

[stingermck]

Originally Posted by fujishig

Well, they are coming out with 0 numbered issues, so expect some explanations there (although I thought Action was Superman's origin? They didn't explain everything there? I stopped reading but I'm curious).

Yes the bio-suit first appeared in Action.

[kgrogers1979]

Originally Posted by fujishig

Well, they are coming out with 0 numbered issues, so expect some explanations there (although I thought Action was Superman's origin? They didn't explain everything there? I stopped reading but I'm curious).

Really? I hadn't heard anything about new zero issues. Are they doing Zero Hour 2? Maybe that will be the Pandora event...

[The Valeyard]

First up is the Trinity War....whatever that is. We'll know more after FCBD.

In September, every New 52 title gets a 0 issue. Supposedly, it'll detail stuff we don't know yet (like Barbara Gordon's trip to Africa) while dovetailing into each title's Issue 13.

At least, that's what the rumors say.

[LorenzoL]

Originally Posted by kgrogers1979

Really? I hadn't heard anything about new zero issues. Are they doing Zero Hour 2? Maybe that will be the Pandora event...

Originally Posted by The Valeyard

First up is the Trinity War....whatever that is. We'll know more after FCBD.

In September, every New 52 title gets a 0 issue. Supposedly, it'll detail stuff we don't know yet (like Barbara Gordon's trip to Africa) while dovetailing into each title's Issue 13.

At least, that's what the rumors say.

http://www.comicvine.com/news/dc-com...tember/144595/

[MinLShaw]

Originally Posted by The Valeyard

First up is the Trinity War....whatever that is. We'll know more after FCBD.

In September, every New 52 title gets a 0 issue. Supposedly, it'll detail stuff we don't know yet (like Barbara Gordon's trip to Africa) while dovetailing into each title's Issue 13.

At least, that's what the rumors say.

1) I'm already annoyed with the "Night of the Owls" crossover in the Bat-books. This "Trinity War" could really irk me if it spills into what I'm reading and I have a hard time imagining that it won't since Bats is clearly part of DC's "Trinity."

2) I wonder how they'll present Batwoman #0 since that title had a pre-New 52 #0 that's actually being included in the first hardcover collected edition of that title. Minutiae? Sure. But that's what we geeks do better than anyone else.

[PhantomStranger]

There are some vague rumors floating around that DC might reboot the universe again (possibly bringing back the original continuity), or at least completely reboot a couple of characters over again. One character that has been mentioned is Wonder Woman.

[MinLShaw]

Finally got around to picking up and reading this month's books.

Batwoman #8
This structure of jumping around every couple of pages to a different character's story at a different part of the timeline is wearing thin. Also, the idea that there's some kind of rift forming between Kate and Maggie just didn't work for me. It wasn't organic. I loved Amy Reeder's art, though, and it's a damn shame DC did her the way they did.

Detective Comics #8
Catwoman is a pawn for Scarecrow, who's obviously manipulating Batman into doing his dirty work. Bats seems a little careless by dismissing Scarecrow to me. I hope this bites him in the ass somehow because otherwise, this is a pretty tame story--especially for this book.

Batgirl #8
I always read Batgirl last because it's consistently the most fun. I kind of liked that Barbara got her own "Joe Chill Moment" in this issue, and her family subplot feels very "SVU" at this point. I'm already eagerly awaiting issue #9 and I hope that the "Night of the Owls" spillover doesn't interrupt too much!

One other observation: This was a cruel month for critters! I got a bit squeamish a couple of times. They both work as story elements, but...yeah. I could do with a little less of that kind of content.

[Patman]

What did DC do to Amy Reeder?

[MinLShaw]

Originally Posted by Patman

What did DC do to Amy Reeder?

If you go back and look at Batwoman #0, published about a year ago (after being delayed from the end of 2010), you'll see she was part of the creative team for that book from the beginning.

From her blog last Fall, before the New 52 launched:

I will be doing variant covers for JH's five-issue run, and will be doing interiors (and covers--JH will be doing variants) for the next arc, issues 6-11.

She completed four variant covers before learning DC wasn't going to publish any of them, for reasons not given.

That was probably disappointing, but could fall under "business as usual," I suppose. However, she wasn't even allowed to finish her arc! From her blog post about that:

A lot of you have heard by now that I will no longer be drawing Batwoman, starting with issue 9.

The info was announced by DC a couple nights ago, very soon after it became final. It's strange (though sort of cool) having you all on real-time with me here--I'm still in a little shock and my future is up in the air. My two-year contract with DC is up at the end of this month.

...

I'm sure there's a lot of curiosity about what exactly happened, which is understandable. But I can't get too far into it--in addition to trying to be a professional and not burn bridges, it's complicated enough that I find it difficult (and frustrating) to explain even to friends.

The jist of it, though, was that it was a bad situation, and kept getting worse and more intense until it became impossible. I am a long-term project kinda girl and I was so excited about being on Batwoman...I didn't want to let go of it and fought until it was over.

On top of all that:

I had done part of issue 9 but they aren't going to use the pages. It's too bad; I was particularly excited about that issue. I'll probably post a page or two of the work once the issue comes out.

She does end the post by noting:

I'll also say that so far DC seems to want to make things right and find me work. Again, it's all very complex, so all I ask is for your continued enthusiasm and I will get busy finding the right project.

[Supermallet]

Before I start shelling out cash, was Supergirl worth getting into? I like the idea of a Kryptonian who doesn't have the love for humanity that Clark Kent does. But if it's not well done I won't waste my time.

[ivelostr2]

Ok, so it has been a busy couple months, and I’m catching up on DC stuff…

Batman 8 – Still good IMO. I thought the last few issues were losing steam, but this one was good…and when Batman came out in a giant bat-tank costume I was excited…

Justice League 8 – IS it me or have these last 2 issues been really disjointed…im just not into them…and the whole Martian Manhunter reference at the end. Is that explained in Storm Watch or was it a teaser for something coming?

[madcougar]

Originally Posted by Supermallet

Before I start shelling out cash, was Supergirl worth getting into? I like the idea of a Kryptonian who doesn't have the love for humanity that Clark Kent does. But if it's not well done I won't waste my time.

I want to tell you that it's been really good... but that would be an exageration. It's been OK, certainly not bad enough to the point where I would drop it. Don't know if I'd get into it if I wasn't reading it though.

[madcougar]

Originally Posted by ivelostr2

Batman 8 – Still good IMO. I thought the last few issues were losing steam, but this one was good…and when Batman came out in a giant bat-tank costume I was excited…

I loved that last panel. "Get the hell out of my house!"

[Supermallet]

Originally Posted by madcougar

I want to tell you that it's been really good... but that would be an exageration. It's been OK, certainly not bad enough to the point where I would drop it. Don't know if I'd get into it if I wasn't reading it though.

I did end up getting into it, and I quite like it. I think Kara's a more interesting character than Kal-El, to be honest.

[Patman]

Thanks for the recap MinLShaw! I haven't really been following creator/artist/publisher drama like I used to do. I don't really think her art really fits with Batwoman, either (judging by the pages I saw in 1-2 issues she did art for the title). Then again, JHWilliams is a tough act to follow.