More Tom King trouble for DC, its readers and the writer himself ?!?

[Ilan Preskovsky]

"For Mature readers" can mean anything. Just make a clear cut rating system and save everyone the headache. Most modern comics run between Pg-12A.

Yeah, that's fair.

[iron chimp]

"For Mature readers" can mean anything. Just make a clear cut rating system and save everyone the headache. Most modern comics run between Pg-12A.

The books say teen + on the cover. For some reason the walmart reprints dont though.

[kjn]

Feigning outrage now like it's something "new" to this gen. seems hypocritical. LOL.
Walmart has just exposed to more people, what was already long ago, common place in comics.

I can say the following: the people reacting aren't feigning anything, and they're very well aware that this isn't a new thing. They are deeply sick and tired of women being shown mutilated on page to further a man's story, and wishes it to stop.

[Green Goblin of Sector 2814]

Yeah, I'm gonna side with King on this one. I'm sorry, but for anyone who has ever had a loved one, its natural from time to time to worry about that person's safety, especially if that person has a dangerous career. There have been many times I've agonized over whether or not people I loved were hurt or unsafe. Its only natural that Superman would as well. From what I'm hearing, its not like King actually killed off Lois Lane. He crafted a story about the types of anxiety that a husband in Clark's position would have for his wife given the circumstances. That's real. That's something people would relate to. We shouldn't penalize him for that.

[j9ac9k]

Yeah, I'm gonna side with King on this one. I'm sorry, but for anyone who has ever had a loved one, its natural from time to time to worry about that person's safety, especially if that person has a dangerous career. There have been many times I've agonized over whether or not people I loved were hurt or unsafe. Its only natural that Superman would as well. From what I'm hearing, its not like King actually killed off Lois Lane. He crafted a story about the types of anxiety that a husband in Clark's position would have for his wife given the circumstances. That's real. That's something people would relate to. We shouldn't penalize him for that.

Without having read the issue, I will say that there's a difference between the concept of a story and its execution.

[CaptCleghorn]

Without having read the issue, I will say that there's a difference between the concept of a story and its execution.

That's so true. Worrying about a loved one while you're apart can cause great emotions. And that emotion can be expressed in stories for young people, but that fear doesn't need to be paired with explicit blood and violence. But, like j9ac9k, I haven't seen the story either. King handled mature concepts in his Mister Miracle series without explicit actions or scenes. (the ^%&$ swears were sill though). I'd believe he'd be capable of handling this idea without closeups of faces being blasted by bullets.

[cranger]

Without having read the issue, I will say that there's a difference between the concept of a story and its execution.

Exactly, and I think the original complaint exaggerates quite a bit. The only part of the execution here that I would have changed (as the editor) is the panel of Lois' face, but even then it is not out of line with comics for the last couple decades. All the other stuff was portrayed just fine.

[Ilan Preskovsky]

Yeah, I'm gonna side with King on this one. I'm sorry, but for anyone who has ever had a loved one, its natural from time to time to worry about that person's safety, especially if that person has a dangerous career. There have been many times I've agonized over whether or not people I loved were hurt or unsafe. Its only natural that Superman would as well. From what I'm hearing, its not like King actually killed off Lois Lane. He crafted a story about the types of anxiety that a husband in Clark's position would have for his wife given the circumstances. That's real. That's something people would relate to. We shouldn't penalize him for that.

Sure, this all makes sense. What doesn't make sense, for me, is simply that I don't think it belongs in a Wallmart comic. At least, if it's anywhere near as graphic as it was described in the CBR description of it.

[Gaastra]

For a adult aimed dc comic comic today the picture is tame (dc has had far worse). For a book trying to get kids and new readers it's a bit of a shock. If this was in a issue of superman it would have went under the radar as dc has done far worse but in a family book not sure what dc was thinking.

Is it as bad as they are saying? Or is it overblown? Here is the picture.


[IMG][/IMG]

[TheNewFiftyForum]

The books he's writing for the company, including a more or less dead property like Mister Miracle, all sell like hot cakes, so apparently DC fans aren't THAT ticked off.

[Restingvoice]

The books say teen + on the cover. For some reason the walmart reprints dont though.

This is a thing for trade paperbacks too. They don't include ratings in Trades.

Also, again, it's Walmart. That means the readers will include people who don't usually read comics. I can't blame them for being angry when there's literally children books about the same characters that's more available in regular book stores compared to the comic themselves, and the book they target to attract commoners don't even have age rating.

[David Walton]

For a adult aimed dc comic comic today the picture is tame (dc has had far worse). For a book trying to get kids and new readers it's a bit of a shock. If this was in a issue of superman it would have went under the radar as dc has done far worse but in a family book not sure what dc was thinking.

Is it as bad as they are saying? Or is it overblown? Here is the picture.


[IMG][/IMG]

That's a really well written sequence IMO.

For one thing, there are already hints that it's a hallucinatory/dream type sequence, because Lex is a bit off.

And secondly, of course Lois won't beg for her life. Clark knows that and naturally, the kind of risks Lois is willing to take factor into his anxieties (and more importantly, his love for her).

[Naked Bat]

That's a really well written sequence IMO.

For one thing, there are already hints that it's a hallucinatory/dream type sequence, because Lex is a bit off.

And secondly, of course Lois won't beg for her life. Clark knows that and naturally, the kind of risks Lois is willing to take factor into his anxieties (and more importantly, his love for her).

Yeah, but don't you know King is the worst writer evar and he is a one trick pony and also he should stop writing batman because nobody loves what he does.

[CaptCleghorn]

For a adult aimed dc comic comic today the picture is tame (dc has had far worse). For a book trying to get kids and new readers it's a bit of a shock. If this was in a issue of superman it would have went under the radar as dc has done far worse but in a family book not sure what dc was thinking.

Is it as bad as they are saying? Or is it overblown? Here is the picture.

Based on this page, I'm leaning towards overblown. I wouldn't want my younger kids reading this, but certainly a preteen could handle this. It's not as graphic as a description I built an argument around.

I will give the artist crap for the shadows on Luthor's head making him look like he has a Norman Osborn haircut.

[Aahz]

Again, I'm a huge Tom King fan but HiC would be so much better received - and would work better in and of itself - if it was an out-of-continuity, standalone prestige series. Dividing DC into kid-friendly and adult-friendly lines may seem regressive but I do genuinely believe it would greatly benefit their books by pulling them out of this nebulous T/T+ status that they have been stuck in for so long.

The way DC rates the comics seems anyway very arbitrary, Batman is for example only rated T, but is imo often darker than some of the T+ books like for example Green Arrow or Red Hood and the Outlaws (which are on the other hand not really darker than most T books).