How do you give feeback to DC Comics?

[oasis1313]

Depends on what you think "the same crap" is. If you are talking about the very Identity Crisis-esque Heroes in Crisis, I think the success of Rebirth is what gave DC editorial the confidence to try darker storytelling again after their relatively brighter and more optimistic tone of the past few years. Despite its many faults and its controversial reputation, Identity Crisis sold very well and garnered a lot of positive reactions, so I can see why DC would want to continue to experiment with different tones and styles.

I respect that these kinds of stories aren't for everyone and when they are done badly, they are reaaaaally bad like the infamously terrible Cry for Justice. Thus far, I am cautiously optimistic that DC's latest attempts to diversify their line will have more hits than misses, but you never know. Like I said, it's impossible to please everyone. Dedicated fandoms like ours are a notoriously grumpy and dissatisfied bunch. Try one thing and you piss off one group. Try another and you end up pissing off an entirely different group. The only option is to try your best to create comics that excite you and hope that enough people agree with you.

George Perez once said (wisely) that people will go along with almost anything as long as it's done well. The problem is that things aren't being done well. I'd rather have more family-oriented books and fewer books that have to be censored.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

You're being too much of an optimist. As soon as some of the people who had their hands taken off the decision making got back into it, we've got dead Wally and Ric Grayson and amateur Titans etc. The configuration of the DCU sucks yet again, and ut has a signature.

That's pretty much the same old crap. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Optimism strikes me as a more productive disposition than cynicism these days. I spent much of my youth being a cynic and I came to realize that it accomplished absolutely nothing of value. Approaching the world with negativity is too easy and, frankly, lazy. However, if thinking everything sucks because people suck is really making you happy or making your life better, go ahead. You'll either come around to my way of thinking sooner or later or you'll stay miserable, focusing on what you hate, rather than what you love.

[BohemiaDrinker]

Optimism strikes me as a more productive disposition than cynicism these days. I spent much of my youth being a cynic and I came to realize that it accomplished absolutely nothing of value. Approaching the world with negativity is too easy and, frankly, lazy. However, if thinking everything sucks because people suck is really making you happy or making your life better, go ahead. You'll either come around to my way of thinking sooner or later or you'll stay miserable, focusing on what you hate, rather than what you love.

It's not about cynicism, just objectivity. I've seen this very same movie before (hence the "same old crap" line). And I'm not miserable, I'm just proclaiming that the current status quo sucks. IMO, it does. So that's that,

[Bored at 3:00AM]

George Perez once said (wisely) that people will go along with almost anything as long as it's done well. The problem is that things aren't being done well. I'd rather have more family-oriented books and fewer books that have to be censored.

Some things are being done well, some aren't. That's the way it's always been. There's never been a period in which every part of the DCU was firing on all cylinders. There's always been creative and editorials missteps, just as there have always been great comics being published. I've been reading comics for decades now and there's never been a time in which you couldn't find comics fans shouting from the rooftops how awful the current state of comics is, only to have people remembering it fondly a few years later as one of the greats. This is simply how hardcore fans behave. That fiery passion is both the best and worst elements to any fandom. Their love and hate are so intermingled with each other.

I think DC is doing a good job moving into the family-oriented market more and more. Zoom and DC Ink have some great line-ups, and The Black Label books also have some really interesting stuff coming up that I'm excited to read. The market will dictate whether or not these family-friendly books will continue to grow, but I think DC is being smart about how they are approaching it. A diverse DCU will a diverse line of material designed to appeal to many different kinds of readers is a much better idea than focusing exclusively on the diminishing returns of the hobbyists and hardcore fans. DC Superhero Girls has done a great job of bringing young girls into the DCU in a way that nothing has been able to do before. Hopefully, DC can use that to further grow their audience beyond the traditional comics fan.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

It's not about cynicism, just objectivity. I've seen this very same movie before (hence the "same old crap" line). And I'm not miserable, I'm just proclaiming that the current status quo sucks. IMO, it does. So that's that,

My apologies if I wrongly assumed you were cynical, but that's certainly how the vast majority of your posts read. If you aren't a cynic, you've been doing a very good impression of one whenever I'm talking with you.

Also, a subjective opinion on art is not objectivity. You can feel however you want about the DCU's current output, but you cannot be objective about something that is, by definition, a matter of personal taste. I respect your opinion, but I won't treat them as objective reality because that's not how art works.

[BohemiaDrinker]

Also, a subjective opinion on art is not objectivity. You can feel however you want about the DCU's current output, but you cannot be objective about something that is, by definition, a matter of personal taste. I respect your opinion, but I won't treat them as objective reality because that's not how art works.

I think you mis-understand me.

I'm not saying something along the lines of, say, "Heroes in Crisis is objectively bad".

What I mean is this: there's a configuration of the DCU that I like: a certain JL line-up, a certain generation of characters, a certain treatment given to some characters (or the status in-universe, if that's clearer). Things that I feel are important for DC to feel DC (not all of them being to my personal taste, but all of them being equally important) Dan Didio (mainly, but not solely) has a vision for the DCU that pretty much disregards all of it, and he makes a point of crapping on them whatever chance he gets. Back in the New 52 he did exactly that, and he was trying to do this, and sometimes succeeding, even before.

Now, you mentioned Rebirth and proposed that "it's success made DC feel more secure to take risks. But, back at Rebirth the guys that were demolishing the DCU in my opinion were forced to take a back seat and let Johns fix their mess (not my first pick,but hey,, you take wat you can get). And then, due to a lot of editorial moves and corporate shenanigans, those same guys came back to the decision-making position.

And what they did was "pull the same old crap".

That is an objective look at the situation: the people who take the decisions I think suck whenever they are in power are back in power, and surprise, they took decisions I think suck.

This can change tomorrow, and then I will look and say "that's great", but right now I'm looking and seeing suckage. And personally, I see no point in seeing something bad and try to find the good in it: I'll just call it how I see it. Hence the objectivity.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

I think you mis-understand me.

I'm not saying something along the lines of, say, "Heroes in Crisis is objectively bad".

What I mean is this: there's a configuration of the DCU that I like: a certain JL line-up, a certain generation of characters, a certain treatment given to some characters (or the status in-universe, if that's clearer). Things that I feel are important for DC to feel DC (not all of them being to my personal taste, but all of them being equally important) Dan Didio (mainly, but not solely) has a vision for the DCU that pretty much disregards all of it, and he makes a point of crapping on them whatever chance he gets. Back in the New 52 he did exactly that, and he was trying to do this, and sometimes succeeding, even before.

Now, you mentioned Rebirth and proposed that "it's success made DC feel more secure to take risks. But, back at Rebirth the guys that were demolishing the DCU in my opinion were forced to take a back seat and let Johns fix their mess (not my first pick,but hey,, you take wat you can get). And then, due to a lot of editorial moves and corporate shenanigans, those same guys came back to the decision-making position.

And what they did was "pull the same old crap".

That is an objective look at the situation: the people who take the decisions I think suck whenever they are in power are back in power, and surprise, they took decisions I think suck.

This can change tomorrow, and then I will look and say "that's great", but right now I'm looking and seeing suckage. And personally, I see no point in seeing something bad and try to find the good in it: I'll just call it how I see it. Hence the objectivity.

Fair enough, but I think you are assuming more about the inner workings of DC than may be true. Neither of us can know the objective reality of what's going on inside DC because all we have to work with are rumors and the products themselves. I don't know exactly what decisions Dan Didio, Jim Lee and Geoff Johns have or haven't made and the reasoning behind them them, and neither do you.

Again, you are perfectly entitled to look at products that DC is putting out and not liking it. There's plenty DC puts out that I don't care for, but I choose to not focus on that stuff because it accomplishes nothing. I don't read that stuff because I don't enjoy it. I read stuff I do like, of which there is plenty right now. If that ever dips down to almost nothing again like it did during the New 52 and DCYou, I will take another break because I see no point obsessing over comic books I don't enjoy. You're in the same spot right now, yet you are choosing to focus on what you hate, rather than what you love. I'm not sure what you think that will accomplish, but it's your time. I think I've spent enough time trying to convince you to do so, but I enjoyed talking about it with you. I hope I got to you understand my point of view, as I think I understand your views better.

[theoneandonly]

email?.

[Raijin]

Optimism strikes me as a more productive disposition than cynicism these days. I spent much of my youth being a cynic and I came to realize that it accomplished absolutely nothing of value. Approaching the world with negativity is too easy and, frankly, lazy. However, if thinking everything sucks because people suck is really making you happy or making your life better, go ahead. You'll either come around to my way of thinking sooner or later or you'll stay miserable, focusing on what you hate, rather than what you love.

Being cynical is easy because not much thought goes into it, to be honest. (which is why I think appreciation threads are useless) I think if one is constantly negative and cynical, they have to look at themselves in the mirror and works some things out obviously. Always been a firm believer in focusing on what I love. Giving energy to things you hate is very tiring. Do you think I talk about comic books that I hate? No, it's extremely useless. I tired to get into the new Nightwing direction and decided that it wasn't for me. I didn't go on and on and on about it. I simply look for something that would be of interest. People who just decide to only see the bad in everything are pretty problematic imo.

[Raijin]

And to answer the question of the post. Just try tweeting at creators and editors. But be respectful. A lot of fans just lash out which can turn them completely off.

[James Hunter]

And to answer the question of the post. Just try tweeting at creators and editors. But be respectful. A lot of fans just lash out which can turn them completely off.

Fair enough but I'm still waiting for a*serious* answer forthose of us who aren't on twitter...

[BohemiaDrinker]

Fair enough, but I think you are assuming more about the inner workings of DC than may be true.

Not really. This stuff is pretty public by now.

I will take another break because I see no point obsessing over comic books I don't enjoy. You're in the same spot right now, yet you are choosing to focus on what you hate, rather than what you love. I'm not sure what you think that will accomplish, but it's your time.

Dude, I'm neither obsessing, nor trying to accomplish anything, really. I'm just discussing stuff in a discussion forum.

The current bane of my life is politics, not comics. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[BohemiaDrinker]

Fair enough but I'm still waiting for a*serious* answer forthose of us who aren't on twitter...

There is a "speak with us" button on DC comics website somewhere that leads to an email, but honestly, best thing if you actually want to give feedback is Twitter. Creators are usually accessible and nice (with a few exceptions) unless you're a dick to them.

That said, editorial is a little harder to reach: Dan Didio left twitter during the Berganza shitstorm and Lee doesn't engage much.

[kjn]

I also wouldn't be surprised if one of the junior editors has as part of their duties to monitor Twitter, Facebook, and forums like this one. And we know that Gail Simone has an account here on the forum and writes at times (though not often).

[BohemiaDrinker]

I also wouldn't be surprised if one of the junior editors has as part of their duties to monitor Twitter, Facebook, and forums like this one. And we know that Gail Simone has an account here on the forum and writes at times (though not often).

Back in the old days several creators did: Gail, Mark Waid, Kurt Busiek, Martin Pasko, EVS (not really nice) and Justin Jordan are just guys I interacted here personally. There were others.

But little by little Twitter became the go-to forum.