The New 52 general discussion

[Zombipanda]

Yeah. It seems like a move on Robinson's part more than DC. I personally don't see any problem with Alan Scott being gay. It's not like heterosexuality is a core aspect of his character.

And as far as the hype goes, it doesn't seem like it was sensationalism on DC's part, honestly. Didio made an offhand comment at a convention about a revamped gay character being introduced, then Bleeding Cool picked up the story and it snowballed.

 

[Captain Canuck]

Marvel's made a MUCH bigger deal about Northstar's marriage.

 

[E]

I personally don't see any problem with Alan Scott being gay. It's not like heterosexuality is a core aspect of his character.

That's why it seems like sensationalism.

And I don't have any problem with it one way or the other; it just seems a little exploitive.

 

[Ultimate Houde]

I just wonder if he still has his two kids, one of who was gay in the old Earth.

 

[mike3717]

DiDio Reveals New 52 Zero-Issues in Sept. Plus Four New Series

Alongside the #0 issues for existing titles, the publisher is also launching four new series that month. "Talon," a spinoff from the current "Night of the Owls" crossover in the Batman world, featuring a story by Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV, written by Tynion and drawn by Guillem March, stars Calvin Rose, the only Talon to ever escape the Court of Owls. "Sword of Sorcery" is a new epic fantasy series anchored by an "Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld" serial by writer Christy Marx and artist Aaron Lopresti with a "Beowulf" back-up story written by Tony Bedard with art by Jesus Saiz. DiDio himself will write a new "Phantom Stranger" series for artist Brent Anderson spinning out of DC's recent Free Comic Book Day special. And finally, "Team Seven" continues the merging of DC and WildStorm as writer Justin Jordan and artist Jesus Merino tell a tale of the earlier days of the DCU through a team that includes Dinah Lance, Amanda Waller, Steve Trevor, John Lynch, Alex Fairchild, Cole Cash and Slade Wilson.



Jem! Truly outrageous!

[video=youtube;20BZID081Vk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20BZID081Vk[/video]

 

[ProjectX2]

That James Tynion guy sounds familiar.

 

[Dr.Strangefate]

What is going on? Is this real life?!

 

[E]

That James Tynion guy sounds familiar.

Didn't he used to come around here and light people on fire?

Congrats, Doc. That is too cool for words.

 

[Zombipanda]

Congrats Doc!

But ugh.... Didio writing a Phantom Stranger series?

 

[E]

The Animal Man Annual was really good. Is this the first establishment that there have been other Swamp Things? I don't remember it coming up in the Moore run.

 

[Ultimate Houde]

Umm..no? Saga of the Swamp Thing had a whole section about other Swamp Things. I think it's when Alec visited the Parliament of Trees or something. Unless I'm confusing it with the current series.

I'd have to go check.

*lovingly strokes his hardcover Swamp Things*

 

[Friday]

They didn't even use the same Swamp Thing for his second appearance. The House of Mystery guy was different than the Swamp Thing #1 guy and moore folded it all into his run.

Its why I was unhappy about Alec Holland coming back in Brightest Day. At the time I thought that the character had run its course and that anything to make he relateable again would be too convoluted. Scott Snyder has changed my mind on that.

As for the new books, i'll be getting Talon, and Team 7 sounds interesting but I'm not going to buy it. The others I have no interest in.

 

[Ice]

So CBR spoke to some Tynion guy...


TYNION SNATCHES A "TALON" FROM "BATMAN"

CBR spoke to James Tynion IV about writing "Talon," spinning out from the pages of "Batman," which tells the story of Calvin Rose, an assassin built but not broken by the Court of Owls.

 

[E]

Via CBR:

George Perez couldn't 'wait to get off Superman'

Renowned creator George Perez, who stepped down as writer and breakdown artist of DC Comics' relaunched Superman after just six issues, revealed he couldn't wait to leave the high-profile title because of frustrations over repeated rewrites and a lack of creative freedom. "It was not the experience I wanted it to be," he said.

"Unfortunately when you are writing major characters, you sometimes have to make a lot of compromises, and I was made certain promises," Perez said in a recently released Q&A video from this year's Superman Celebration, "and unfortunately not through any fault of Dan DiDio — he was no longer the last word, I mean a lot of people were now making decisions [..] they were constantly going against each other, contradicting, again in mid-story. The people who love my Superman arc, the first six issues, I thank you. What you read, I don't know. Because the fact that, after I wrote it I was having such frustration that I told them, 'Here, this is my script. If you change it, that's your prerogative, don't tell me. Don't ask me to edit it, don't ask me to correct it, because I don't want to change something that you're going to change again in case you disagree." No no, Superman is a big character. I was flattered by the responsibility, but I thought this was getting a little tough."

And...

Perez also divulged that he hadn't been told that Grant Morrison would be relaunching Action Comics as part of the New 52, or that the title would be set five years before the events of Superman.

"I had no idea Grant Morrison was going to be working on another Superman title," he said. "I had no idea I was doing it five years ahead, which means … my story, I couldn't do certain things without knowing what he did, and Grant wasn't telling everybody. So I was kind of stuck. 'Oh, my gosh, are the Kents alive? What's his relationship with all of these characters? Who exists?' And DC couldn't give me answers. I said, 'Oh, my gosh, you're deciding all these things and you mean even you don't know what's going on in your own books?' So I became very frustrated …"

If true, that's beyond idiotic.

 

[mike3717]

If true, that's beyond idiotic.

The whole new 52 relaunch was idiotic. The relaunch didn't fix anything that was broken. The books that were good before relaunch, Batman, Green Lantern, Action Comics etc are still good and the books that were bad are still bad. Justice League is still mediocre. Superman, still bad. Swamp Thing and Animal Man, arguably 2 of the best books in the new 52, didn't require this relaunch either. They (at least Swamp Thing) were set up in Brightest Day.

IMO there is nothing in any of these new books, aside from perhaps Wonder Woman, that couldn't have been done without this relaunch.

 

[E]

The whole new 52 relaunch was idiotic. The relaunch didn't fix anything that was broken. The books that were good before relaunch, Batman, Green Lantern, Action Comics etc are still good and the books that were bad are still bad. Justice League is still mediocre. Superman, still bad. Swamp Thing and Animal Man, arguably 2 of the best books in the new 52, didn't require this relaunch either. They (at least Swamp Thing) were set up in Brightest Day.

IMO there is nothing in any of these new books, aside from perhaps Wonder Woman, that couldn't have been done without this relaunch.

Granted I don't think I've read anything as far as interviews or whatever about the relaunch, but it seems obvious that "fixing" things was never the intent.

This happened alongside the move toward same-day digital distribution, and, with it, perceived incoming of a lot of new readers. They probably assumed a lot of those readers might not be active comic readers, and assumed they would be confused about where to start. Or, more accurately, they might be more likely to jump in if it was with a new number one issue. Along with all of this they could sweep aside irrelevant or confusing older stories (which itself is kind of irrelevant because most of those irrelevant stories are never mentioned again anyway).

So the reason that is idiotic like I said is that by not coordinating your stories you are actually creating MORE confusion that these new readers have to deal with.

 

[Captain Canuck]

it wasn't a bad idea from a marketing standpoint, it just hasn't been well executed from a creative/story standpoint

 

[mike3717]

it wasn't a bad idea from a marketing standpoint, it just hasn't been well executed from a creative/story standpoint

Agreed. I thought it had potential. And the mishandling of stories and characters that E mentions really just blows the whole "experiment" of the relaunch. There is not a lot that is new or improved and where they had chances they blew it with editorial edicts and poor coordination etc.

 

[E]

And the mishandling of stories and characters that E mentions really just blows the whole "experiment" of the relaunch.

Is there an experiment that was being done with this? I've never heard of one, and I think this was way to big to run as an experiment.

I really think it was only about simplifying things for (and to draw in) new readers. Nothing more.

 

[Zombipanda]

All I can say is, I'm reading more DC books than I would have before. Granted, I'm still waiting until they're in trades to buy them, but DC's getting more money from me than they were before the launch.

I think more important than the reboot itself is the consistent publishing cap of 52 books and the regular pruning of the line.