Wednesday, April 3, 2013

5 reasons the New 52 sucks.

I have thought this for some time and keep forgetting to blog it, DC had a string of really good books recently the new Flash, The whole All Stars idea, Green Lantern hit his stride with the sinestro corps war, and even the spectrum lanterns that came after it. I was digging the new Doom Patrol, and even Superman's walk across America. But all good things must come to an end.  However most just end they don't get a painfully directed craptastic reboot that was the last nail in the coffin that made me give up comic collecting with the big two. So what is so bad about revamping the books to attract new readers? I mean some might even consider this a noble calling. Normally I would agree but Jim Lee and the staff at DC had their heads up their collective asses with this reboot. and here are 5 perfect examples.

5-The gay Green Lantern- I want to lead with this only because it may seem crass to complain about moving a character forward in this way as it is an impressive step towards equality. The idea of a gay Green Lantern isn't what bothers me here though. What bothers me is the hows and whys. so far we have had 4 (now 5) Earthborn Green Lanterns. In short more than any other sector Earth has a but ton of Lanterns. Add to this that the real reason for the decision to make a major DC hero gay was to steal the thunder of Marvel's wedding of Northstar, who was originally designed to be gay in the 1980s, but thanks to politics then was temporarily a space elf, until it was socially acceptable for marvel to pat them selves on the back for their forward thinking. Logically speaking in the DC universe Batman would be the logical choice. he has kept the advances of more women away where Superman, had Lois Lane, the Flash has Iris and each GL has had a serious relationship that seems hard to part, So why make a green lantern gay? simple it's a bit of a trick Alan Scott from the new Earth 2 comic line is gay. Allan Scott was the original golden age Green Lantern with a different power source (later ret-conned to connect with current DC) but to make Guy or John or Hal Gay might cause too much of a stir and Batman, no way so let's make it the most obscure version of a major character we can, a reboot of a golden age character in a technically alternate universe where it's effect are not part of current official DC Cannon. Way to show your pride DC!

4- Wait, She can Walk now?- Poor Barbara Gordon was effectively taken out of commission as bat girl in one of the few good examples of a change that stayed in comics. It was a brutal and terrible act, but it was nice not to see a comic company backpedal and say "It was all a dream," or "Now that we've rebooted, let's forget that corner we painted ourself into!" So she's back as batgirl, no real explaination I have heard, and no sign of her replacements.

3- Retconning Crap to fit the Movies- Why is this done other than to legitimize crap that made me so freaking annoyed at the movies. Why is Hal Jordan, serious space cop, now have to sound like he is a warmed over Ryan Reynolds character. Hal was 1000X cooler than that Van Wilder douche but hey if we make him more like Ryan Reynolds in the comic maybe people will forget that he was not a "perfect choice" to play the emerald gladiator. Also way to step up the writing now, I thought I was reading a comic about interesting characters not what would it be like if Van Wilder had a power ring.

2- Costume Changes- I think that it's one thing to subtly change costumes over time, the way many heroes have superman's "S" becoming more diamond shaped and stylized for example but much of the costuming changes here just seem unnecessary with an eye for busing up the look to make them more "futuristic" and at the same time very quickly less classic. then there is the other new superman from Action Comics, WTF man, just WTF.


1- Change, for Change's Sake: When has this ever been a good idea? "Let's make Steele more like Shaquille O'Niel" Yeah gangbusters!  Many writers may have good even great ideas of where to take the DC universe next I really liked the premise of Flashpoint and enjoyed the specral lantern sagas, but to just one day put a whole new coat of paint down and ignore what has come isn't evolution it's a callus and cheap attempt to line your coffers and set up a me too JLA movie with a new continuity that the "Kids" will get Changing Captain Marvel's name to Shazam (awesome now he can't even say his own name without transforming) Making Superman and Wonder Woman DC's new "power couple" and adding all of Jim Lee's Wildstorm characters into DC cannon for no other reason then to net him some more money. This isn't the actions of one of the greatest comic companies of all times, this is corporate market speak destroying what fans hold dear, hence I voted with my wallet and I doubt I am alone there..

10 comments:

  1. Could not agree with you more. I've been a DC fanatic for many years.....but now it is a struggle. I hate the New 52!

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  2. I used Flashpoint as a jumping off point personally, I was born in 82 so the only DC universe I've ever really had a connection with was the post crisis one, while I still buy trades of pre New 52 stories I haven't even leafed through any New 52 stuff, it all just seems a bit......I don't know......pointless I guess, to just reboot/smoosh everything together like they did.

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  3. same here phill, I loved post crisis DC, Byrne's man of Steel, Dark Knight, but Flashpoint is where I took a walk. as a standalone idea (sans the new 52 bs) flashpoint was a cool idea. but as just another reboot. it lost it's appeal.

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  4. Really? That's ALL you find fault with? I can go on for days about about where DC has screwed the pooch. I mean they're continuity is all fubar now. Take Birds of Prey as example. One minute Dinah and Babs acknowledge the past, make note of her Walking and their past friendship, then they suddenly just met a year ago and Babs has never been shot by Mr J. WTF??? Madam Xanadu is in love with Jason Blood? WTF?? (And how did she now get the name 'Xanadu' BEFORE her time with Kublai Khan? Stupid!) Batman titles can't decide if this is all brand new or if there really have been years of different Robins. Don't get me started on Hawkman and Grifter. Rob Liefield is the most craptastic comic writer of all time!! I mean talk about flashbacks of how Dan Didio screwed up Outsiders... I think what pisses me off the most though is this need to make Superman single. Yep, now he can date Wonder Woman! *beats head on desk* All those years of building up to and finally delivering on the plot promise between Lois and Clark and now FOOM!* Its gone. Oh and hey kids, all those years of gradually turning Catwoman into someone likable? FOOM! How she's Bruce's bootie call who no longer knows his secret! Thank you DC for really classing it up. And Green Arrow, OMFG! In this case I wish they had gone with making him like the TV show cause even that would be better than this new load of garbage they've turned him into!! Harley Quinn is now in Suicide Squad and her origin bleaches her hair perfectly simetrical to fit her new look??? I could go on and on and on.... DC just blows now and they desperately need to Retcon the Retcon. The only kewl thing to come has been All Star Western and the Court of Owls. I much prefer the Valiant Reboot by miles!!

    (*FOOM! is a term used to describe the destruction of Gallifrey by ham-fisted Doctor Who writers back in the 90s.)

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  6. One more thing, cause now I'm in a zone. Blue Beetle. WHY do comic writers now falsely assume the general public can now speak Spanish? Do they really intend for us to just interpret from the art what's going on? They might as well save frame space and put in tiny word balloons: 'Something in Spanish'

    I mean I can't be the only one having to rely on the artist to tell the story here. They might as well be typing in Hieroglyphics for all the sense this makes to me... (grumble, grumble...)

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  7. the reboots are getting far too frequent in ten years they'll be one every other issue
    and itll be a tired year one re hash

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  8. Agree with everything except Batgirl. While your reasoning is compelling narratively, it never made sense to keep Barbara disabled in a world where Batman is friends with super scientists, people with access to alien tech and gods.

    Where these people fail to show imagination is assuming because she's able, that she goes back to Batgirl. Much more interesting for her to stay Oracle, even letting people think she's still disabled and have a whole cyber PI/Dick Tracy thing going on. But that would have involved creativity, something the New 52 fails at....

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  10. Really dispicable what they have done to the Man of Steel, man Jerry Seigel and Joe Shutster would be turning in their graves if they found out how much the writers have tarnished Superman's Story and his costume! What have the done to Darkseid and The new God's origin my god DC is stupid! SMH Don't they know that the should never have tampered with Jack Kirby's original master piece! Darkseid and The 4th world is never supposed to be affected by anything not multiversal crises or other such effect, that was what made the 4th world a strange unique part of DC for good reasons too. First was for great plot devices since it had unique and awesome background and characters it always was in store for great stories. It had a more important use as insurance, to bail out DC of horrible cringeworthy mistakes in continuity. If a idiot writer messes up badly and ruined the continuity or canon then they use the 4th world since the new god are unaffected by retcons (at least pre52) then they would learn of the change and someone like darkseid would whip the universe back to normal unintentionally by some huge complex sceme. The 4th world in a nutshell was DC's undo button, but the the writers have caused permanent damage to their own company by making the new 52's 4th world become affected by the "flashpoint" so yeah the 4th world isn't anything special anymore so thanks Dan Didio for letting you and a team of talentless hacks ruin DC comics for good. P.S. Cyborg in the Justic League! come on that's strange on so many levels! Who's next Beast Boy? I can name a thousand other heroes who are more worthy to be in the sight of the JLA than freaking Cyborg he is way better in the Teen Titans you morons! I despise you dull hipster writer you have destroyed the legacy of many talented authors in the span of just 4 years ugh!

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