DC's Downward Spiral is Marvel's Gain?

Every day I come home from work and check my sites.  I start with Facebook, then my e-mail, and then I check out what comic and entertainment news is happening.  I must say, in these last few weeks a few things, what I have read make it seem like things may be going astray at DC Comics.  Since their New 52 relaunch last year, I've been turned off by everything except Batman, Green Lantern, and Aquaman.  As a long time Superman reader the only comic featuring the Man of Steel I still remotely enjoy resembles Tom Welling.  Now, new things have come to light that makes me feel like things are rotten in the state of DC.

First off, back in June, a much respected comic writer, George Perez, stepped down as writer of Superman.  Perez is most known for his 1985 mini-series, Crisis on Infinite Earths.  He is quoted in saying, "A lot of people were now making decisions.  They were constantly going against each other, contradicting, again in mid-story. I can’t wait to get off Superman. It was not the experience I wanted it to be.”  Perez also expressed frustration with Grant Morrison's Action Comics taking place five years before 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. ‘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.”

This all seemed a bit peculiar, but yesterday Rob Leifeld, former co-creator of Image comics and currently writing DC's Grifter, Deathstroke, and The Savage Hawkman, gave his resignation from those titles via Twitter.  "I officially got off the DC52 treadmill this morning,” he wrote, adding, “I believe in what DC is doing, but had to preserve my sanity. I walked off all three books. Can’t wait to see any attempts to spin. I have every email.  I lasted a few months longer than I thought possible. Massive indecision, last minute and I mean LAST minute changes that alter everything. Editor pissing contests… No thanks. Last week my editor said ‘early on we had a lot of indie talent that weren’t used to re-writes and changes … made it hard.’ Uh, no, it’s you.”

Ok, so maybe it's DC Comics and the New 52 staff that are getting frustrated with re-creating these characters and making over 50 years of stories seem cool and fresh.  But let's look at the final piece of this disturbing puzzle.  On August 14, Warner Bros. announced that it was shutting down it's direct-to-dvd company, Warner Premiere.  This company has made DC animated films like Batman: Gotham Knight, Superman:Doomsday, Green Lantern: First Flight, and it's current project, The Dark Knight Returns, based on the famous Frank Miller mini-series.  Warner Bros. said all current projects will be completed, but come Fall, the company will be no more due to the downturn of the home entertainment industry.

So what does all mean?  To me it seems like DC is in trouble.  Sure, The Dark Knight Rises made lots of money, but it didn't come close to beating The Avengers.  Sure, the New 52 campaign started out selling well, but has slowly dwindled and is being out shined by Marvel's Avengers vs. X-Men mini-series.  Their last film before DKR, Green Lantern, was a flop and they put the new Superman movie in the hands of their supposed savior, Christopher Nolan, in hopes of a hail mary pass to try and catch up to the their #1 rival, Marvel Comics. But everyone knows when you make ludicrous plays when the game isn't even close you're only going to fall more behind. 

With the money Marvel Comics made off of their early hits like the Spider-Man and X-Men franchises they invested it in their own studio, and started making their own films.  This gave them financial freedom to not have to pander to corporate executives who've never read a Thor comic book.  DC is still owned by Warner Bros.  One theory behind the failure of Green Lantern was that too many people had a say as to what should be in the film.  When Joss Whedon made The Avengers he wrote his own script, shot the film his way, and it was a blockbuster hit.  The only reason Nolan's Dark Knight franchise has succeeded is because Warner Bros. trusted him enough to make them money.  Too bad they couldn't have had the same faith in Martin Campbell.

As far as the comics go that's just gone.  The New 52 relies on today's teenage BOYS to walk into a comic book shop and like their Superman like they like their Edward Cullen, except everyone except teenage GIRLS hate Edward Cullen!  DC's has alienated readers like myself who have stuck with these characters for twenty-plus years.  Their best titles are the ones they didn't change, like Batman and Green Lantern.  Marvel Comics has gone the opposite way.  Avengers vs. X-Men is rewarding readers who have been with them since 2005's House of M.  Then, after AvsX, Marvel NOW looks like it won't be a reboot, but a fresh stew that mixes up the pot and brings the X-Men into the Marvel main stream after being out of the loop for so many years.  The more I read about Marvel NOW the more I think it'll be good, which is the opposite of what I thought the more I heard about DC's New 52.   If DC wants to get back in the game they're going to have to change their tactics.  Here are a few of my suggestions. 

 

1) Lois and Clark are DC's power couple, put them back together, NOW!

2) Tim Drake should be the Red Robin he was BEFORE he had feathers!

 

3) Marvel spent 5 films building The Avengers.  Don't follow their lead.  I suggest going backwards.  Make a Justice League movie with the relative unknowns: Green Lantern, Flash, Martian Manhunter, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman.  This will introduce these characters, and the most popular ones get their own film. Then, in the second JLA film, bring in Superman and Batman to draw a bigger audience. 

 

4) Listen to your Chief Creative Officer, Geoff Johns.  He makes a great story.  Just let him do his thing and stay out of his way.

5) Keep Scott Snyder on Batman.  I haven't enjoyed Batman comics like this in years.

 

6) Don't let Grant Morrison write anymore Superman comics.  I'm still trying to figure out how all of the Batman R.I.P. titles fit together.

 

7) People got to know Green Arrow through Smallville, now let people know other DC heroes through Arrow and see what the people like.

 

8) If you want to attract teenagers make a movie about teenagers; hence Teen Titans or Young Justice.  People know who Robin is!

9) Marvel let their writers help in the film making process, not studio executives who couldn't even tell me where Superman is from.  I'm talking to you Jon Peters!

 

10) You don't have to reinvent the wheel, just make it more round.  (I really don't know what I'm trying to say, but it sounds profound, and I wanted to get ten things in here.)

 

So will DC read this blog and contact me on how to save their jobs?  Probably not.  All I know is the facts I've read and the sales numbers I see.  I've been reading comics all my life.  So what do I know?

My Ultimate, All-Star, Earth One, NOW, New 52 Review

     This week I learned about Marvel's upcoming plans for Hulk, Captain America, Wolverine, and all the other Marvel characters after the current Avengers vs. X-Men blockbuster.  Apparently their having another jumping off point to try and attract new reader with new #1's of Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor as well as other crazy titles like Uncanny Avengers and All-New X-Men.  It's another attempt to bring in younger readers and grow their support for years to come while their old, loyal, readers are getting older, dying out, or just stop comic reading all together because of all the damn re-boots publishing companies do in order to attract new, younger, readers.
     These marketing gimmicks are nothing new, and have been going on for decades.  Crisis on Infinite Earths cleaned up the DC Universe while giving it a fresh start.  Marvel's Ultimate Universe gave readers cooler, and fresher, origins for the people who went and saw the Spider-Man and X-Men movies and didn't want to collect 50 years of comics.  DC's response to that was the All-Star line-up with Superman and Batman with edgier, and out-of-the-box stories.  Recently DC has continued that idea with their Earth One comics with an emo Superman, I mean Superman: Earth One, and the soon-to-be released Batman: Earth One.  Sometimes I think those are the only two characters DC has any faith in.
     Marvel NOW promises another fresh start for comic readers with more intermingling between heroes, as if Wolverine isn't in every freakin Marvel comic to begin with.  But everyone knows this is Marvel's response to DC's re-boot known as the New 52.  Last year the character known as The Flash changed reality in Geoff Johns Flashpoint, but when he changed it back is wasn't as we all remembered it.  DC Comics took this opportunity to update characters, make them younger, break-up fan-favorite couples, and not do a damn thing with their best selling titles.  Some people I know have now sworn off DC comics all together because of New 52.  I think it's done more bad then good, but here's a little more about it.

BATMAN:  One of two characters/worlds that seem to come out of New 52 almost unchanged Bruce Wayne still has Alfred his butler, Dick Grayson as Nightwing, Damian Wayne as Robin, and Tim Drake as Red Robin, although not a very good one.  The main change is Barbara Gordon's return as Batgirl.  With the Court of the Owls storyline bringing more surprises each issue like Bruce's brother (yes he has a brother) and a new Batman film just weeks away from being released I don't see these titles sliding, and shouldn't be, as each one of them is a pretty good read.  Even Red Hood and the Outlaws.  RULING: WINNER

GREEN LANTERN:  The 2nd DC world that was virtually unaffected by Flashpoint, Geoff Johns continues writing these superb characters with the return of GL villain Sinestro back into the Corps. and the Guardians "Third Army" on the way.  I haven't been following the other three GL titles too closely, in fact I stop reading New Guardians after several issues, but with an interlocking storyline on the horizon you can be sure every fan will be grabbing all four titles with their mouths dripping with fan boy saliva. RULING:  WINNER

WONDER WOMAN:  To be honest I've never gotten into WW, maybe that makes me sexist, or maybe it just makes me a guy who can't relate to a strong female character.  At any rate, I have no idea what's going on, and could care less. RULING: DON'T CARE ENOUGH TO HAVE ONE

FLASH:  Johns re-built the Scarlet Speedster into a powerhouse enough to make him the center-point of his summer blockbuster, Flashpoint.  But after Flashpoint Francis Manapul has taken double duty as writer and artist.  Barry Allen is no longer with Iris, which I find interesting as a late-to-the-game Flash reader, but all signs point to them getting back together at some point.  But without Johns unique ability to tell a great tale Manapul's art seems lost on me.  I do appreciate the character but Manapul's words aren't not enough to keep me from saving three bucks a month instead. Plus I'm still wondering where the hell is Wally West?  The man was Flash for over 20 years for God sakes! RULING: LOSER

GREEN ARROW:  I first got into GA after One Year Later when Oliver Queen became the mayor of Star City and have enjoyed his adventures from marrying the Black Canary to his fall right before Cry For Justice.  Now Ollie is back in New 52 as younger, and now has a team around him when he goes out, and it isn't Speedy or Arsenal.  Oliver Queen is not a team player.  He's like Batman, except he's an asshole billionaire ALL THE TIME!  He doesn't want people around him.  Green Arrow #0 comes out soon with a re-telling of his origin, which could settle some of my ruffled feathers if the story is good.  But if nothing else at least Arrow looks like it's worthy of taking up space on my Tivo this Fall.  RULING:  LOSER

AQUAMAN:  Remember all the pop culture references that made fun of Aquaman throughout the years and everyone thought he was lame?  Well I only have one thing to say to you all; SUUUUUCK IIIIIIT!  Johns has made Aquaman a star just like he did with Green Lantern and Flash, having him take on underwater mutants, dealing with ocean soap operas, and even sprinkling in some origin tale along the way.  Aquaman is my vote for thee Best Comic DC Is Publishing Right Now.  My only wish is that Johns continues to write this title for almost a decade like he has Green Lantern.  RULING: WINNER

JUSTICE LEAGUE:  I've never really been a fan of the JLA the same way I've never really been big on the Avengers.  When you put the greatest heroes together, each who have their own book, it leaves no real time for character development, or decent interaction between the characters.  I enjoyed seeing Geoff Johns and Jim Lee together as much as the next fan boy, but after a while I was more excited for the Billy Batson and Shazam storyline at the end of the issue than the Justice League itself.  The Teen Titans work better as a team, the JLA can save world all by themselves accept for a few team-ups every now and then.  RULING:  LOSER

TEEN TITANS:  Another Johns title that was awesome until he left.  It's slowly been going down hill ever since and the New 52 couldn't save it.  The four main characters, Superboy, Wonder Girl, Red Robin, and Kid Flash are horrible interpretations of their former selves.  These use to be the four best friends in comics and now, well, just look at this picture, they look like they just stepped out of The Grid and into a CW 90210 episode, when we well know the Fox version is the only true 90210 that will ever matter!  These character went through a lot together starting all the way back from JLA: World Without Grown-Ups.  It breaks my heart.  RULING: LOSER  

SUPERMAN:  A few years ago Marvel did their Brand New Day storyline with Spider-Man and broke up Peter Parker and Mary Jane.  They turned back the clock and basically spit on 20 years of Spider-Man writers just to attract the herd of cows who had just saw Spider-Man 3.  I didn't get how some Spider-Man fans felt, but now I do.  I grew-up loving Superman.  I was there when he proposed to Lois and told her his secret.  I was there through the Death, the Reign, and the Return.  I was there with the Fall of Metropolis, and the birth of New Krypton.  This is not the Superman I loved!  The best relationship in comic book history has been sullied to a Twilight, emo, stalker, shell of what the Man of Steel is.  And I won't even go into the pussy boy that is Earth One Superman.
Clark pines for Lois in a loser fashion as they work at TV station, oh yes, a TV station.  I know practically no one reads actual newspapers any more, but they do read the Internet, and people still have to write on it.  Meanwhile I'm sitting here agreeing with a Nicola Cage quote, "The suit is like a Coca-Cola bottle, you don't mess with it."  You now have me quoting Nicolas Cage!  The whole Super family, including Supergirl and Superboy, look like hard, cold, unfeeling, aliens in those get-ups.  There is nothing warm and sweet about what they're wearing!  And Superboy had one of the best origins and character growth I've ever seen in comics, but hey, let's make him practically a robot instead.

And I have no idea what the hell Actions Comics is!  Whoever let Grant Morrison near Superman all those years ago needs to be locked in a cell for their crime.  He's got a cape and jeans?  Guess how many times Superman's origin has been re-told in the last decade in comics?  We just got 10 years of it thanks to Smallville, we don't need anymore (hint, hint, Zack Snyder).  My Superman is now Smallville: Season 11 because at least Bryan Q. Miller writes Lois and Clark together and gives us something old that seems new, and not recycled.  
RULING:  TAKE A GUESS

So, overall, I'd say my feeling on New 52 are pretty disappointing, bordering on foaming-at-the-mouth mad.  But I am actually excited about Batman: Earth One, mainly because the only good thing these days about DC Comics, Geoff Johns, is writing it.  I'll give Marvel NOW it's fair 6 month chance like I did with New 52, but if it stinks you may want to lock up every liquor store in town because if it's bad I plan on grabbing every thing I can find and watching the Christopher Reeves Superman anthology while crying into my glass the whole time.  Don't judge me.  

DC Has Changed In the Blink of Flashpoint

WARNING THIS CONTAIN SPOILERS TO THE END OF DC’S FLASHPOINT.

Everything you know will change in a flash. That’s what Geoff Johns promised his readers with summer’s blockbuster event from DC Comics. Not other words spoken were ever truer. Soon after the start of Flashpoint DC announced that they were revamping almost all of their titles. After years of reading comic books I knew they weren’t just going to hit the reboot button. The New 52 was going to be the aftermath of Flashpoint.

In 1986 Barry Allen sacrificed himself to save the world in Crisis on Infinite Earths. Barry was lost to a whole generation of comic readers until he appeared once again in 2009’s Final Crisis. It was like readers were getting a brand new Flash, but one that already knew how to be a hero. Little did everyone know Barry’s return would signify the end of the DC Universe as we know it.

Barry wakes up one day in his office and is no longer the Flash. His mother is alive, Aquaman and Wonder Woman are battling for control of the Earth, and Cyborg is the only hero interested in saving it. Barry is stumped as to what has happened so he turns to the world’s greatest detective for answers. Only Bruce isn’t the man behind the cowl anymore, his father Thomas Wayne is Batman. The two soon embark on a mission to gather the world’s superheroes together to try and put things back the way they were. Along the way they find out Superman has become a government lab rat, Captain Marvel is a gang of teenagers, and Lois Lane is helping lead the resistance to stop the coming war.

Barry finally gets his powers back and catches up with his arch-enemy, Professor Zoom. Barry demands he tell him what moment in time he changed so that Barry can go back and fix it. It was then that Zoom revealed that he did nothing, Barry did. Barry went back in time to save his mother and in returned he killed Bruce Wayne and his mother, made sure Kal-El was never found by the Kents, and turned Aquaman and Wonder Woman into bitter ex’s. Barry had to make a choice. It was either the life of his mother, or the life of billions of people. Since the Flash is a super-HERO I think we all know what option he went with.

The pay-off of this miniseries really didn’t come till the last issue. I have never questioned Johns genius, and even though the story lagged most issues, he stayed true to his abilities in the end. Flashpoint was an alternate reality story, but it was the details that made it enjoyable. I didn’t read any of the many spin-off miniseries of Flashpoint so I can only tell you what I like about the main series. Changing Batman from Bruce to Thomas Wayne was a nice touch. It gave a us a whole new Batman to learn about, and a whole new way he does things. His and Barry’s relationship was really the meat of Flashpoint I thought.

Thomas Wayne had been living in his own personal hell until Barry showed up and gave him a way to bring his son back. Barry is so hopeful while Batman is so bitter. It was great for the ying-and-yang to play off each other. Barry Allen’s decision at the end of issue #5 was also a great moment for the Flash. Barry said one goodbye to his mother before he technically killed her. It showed that it’s not hard being a hero. This whole story Barry was worried about when he went back to change the past other things would change. Well he got his wish because when he went back in time to stop himself from saving his mother he brought several parallel universes together, creating the New 52. He also brought back something for Bruce as well; A note from his father.

Overall Flashpoint wasn’t anything too special. It had a few good moment, but most of them being in the last issue. I guess I enjoyed most knowing that the New 52 isn’t a reboot, it’s the next chapter in the DC Universe, one that all fans can enjoy. I don’t know what will become of DC, but as a long time reader I’m willing to give it a shot. If it will help rejuvenate comic books in main stream media while giving us fresh stories with the same characters I think I may like it. But something also occurred to me after I was done reading Flashpoint and I thought about the new comics to come. Where the hell is Wally West? If you don’t mind I’m going to go take some deep breaths, remember that I trust Geoff Johns, and read Justice Leaguer #1.