DC 5G: the Replacements

[vasir12]

Now that it's clear they are looking beyond the direct market, this seems like the perfect time for a digital first intiative for in continuity comics. If they are succesfull, it could lead to a healthier industry overall and could get new readers into actual comic shops.

If this is like an ultimate line, it could go very well. New versions of characters without throwing away the old.


... Let's just hope it doesn't lead to someone getting eaten alive.

[Korath]

Tom King never should have been thrown off Batman! What a waste. He said it was in part because they needed to build up to 5G with tie-in stories and whoever they used was going to be filler to get to 100- now we're stuck with Tynion for a good long while probably (who is super, super generic and has never done anything memorable and is continuing to not do anything memorable in Batman).

Of this whole mess, removing King from Batman and making his Bat/Cat non-canon (or even cancelled) is the one good thing which has happened. King ended doing almost irremediable damages to Batman, the biggest property of DC Comics, after all...

But I'm really bummed that 5G is canned. I don't trust readers to support a non-main Earth line. Especially with diverse characters, no matter what they spout.

It really makes me wish Bendis hadn't created Naomi at DC and instead had had more freedom to do it elsewhere, because now it's clear that DC will pivot back to the handful of big names and re-thread the Groundhog Day vibe as much as possible...

[Vampire Savior]

I can't really get a good feeling of what may be ahead for DC. Giving more attention to digital comics is a good idea. Trying to get out--or at least not be so reliant--on the direct market is a good idea. The current fans DC has may like the direct market, but that path is a total dead end that only leads to death, which seemed slow, but given the current circumstances, may be faster than some may think. Getting rid of DiDio was a great idea. He was insane, and I blame him more than anybody for the big nonstop event that mainstream comics have become ever since he became Editor in Chief at DC.

What comics really need is outside business people who aren't necessarily emotionally invested in comics but are interested in making money. Maybe this Pam Lifford is that person. It sounds like a strange thing to want, but I think balance is the key, and things got waaaaaaaaay too skewed toward "tradition". Doing things just because that's the way things have been. That has led to old-timey thinking that put mainstream comics in a state of arrested development...no just a state of decline. And 5G is not the type of departure from tradition that comics needs. Business traditions need to be broken, which we actually see happening, which is a good sign. Where that goes is anyone's guess at this point, but it's nice to see one of these big companies actually doing something to give the industry a fighting chance.

[Robotman]

Of this whole mess, removing King from Batman and making his Bat/Cat non-canon (or even cancelled) is the one good thing which has happened. King ended doing almost irremediable damages to Batman, the biggest property of DC Comics, after all...

But I'm really bummed that 5G is canned. I don't trust readers to support a non-main Earth line. Especially with diverse characters, no matter what they spout.

It really makes me wish Bendis hadn't created Naomi at DC and instead had had more freedom to do it elsewhere, because now it's clear that DC will pivot back to the handful of big names and re-thread the Groundhog Day vibe as much as possible...

Two of DC’s most popular digital and floppy comics have been the Injustice line and DCeased. Both books set on their own earth with their own continuity. Neither book has been focused on tradition.

[Digifiend]

Robert Venditti was going to be invovled in 5G? Feel bad all of those writers won't get to see any of their work published.

But the actual news in that article about a potential online intiative is interesting, I guess that means the walmart digital titles are selling well or could this have been planned before that.

The Digital Firsts do do well, but their $1 price probably has something to do with that.

[Vampire Savior]

The Digital Firsts do do well, but their $1 price probably has something to do with that.

Well, digital comics generally should be cheaper than the paper ones.

[Digifiend]

Yeah, they're usually not, and I think that's a major factor in why they're usually not as successful. Cut the prices and people will be willing to go digital.

[Vordan]

https://bleedingcool.com/comics/rumo...ng-initiative/

Rich is reporting that 5G is dead.

Sounds like DC is perhaps finally planning to do an “Ultimate” Universe, with Superman and Batman being the foundation Ellis, Zdarsky, and Fraction creating a The Wild Storm type intro comic to this new universe. Could be interesting.

[kingaliencracker]

THANK GOD!

As I said in the very first pages of this thread, I have no desire to see a new Superman, Batman, or Wonder Woman, and I would have given up DC if they went that direction.

Again, not saying that means anything and I may be the problem with the current fan base but it's how I feel. The minute creators start feeling the characters are the problem is the time it's time for a creative overhaul.

[Sacred Knight]

This type of initiative sounds like the perfect place to focus on taking place in other worlds on the multiverse. It could be where I could pin a hope on seeing Earth 52 again, if any truth to it. Though it'd probably be more likely they start out with iterations of the characters different in more substantial ways. First thing that comes to mind of course would be different ethnicities, as another place to do a diversification movement. But maybe later. But, understanding its grain of salt for now.

Either way I wonder if this also means Generations is toast. Techincally it could have worked independently of 5G, but I'm also guessing there would have been a buttload of important foreshadowing and connectivity in each Generation that would lead to 5. So maybe it couldn't be salvaged.

[skyvolt2000]

THANK GOD!

As I said in the very first pages of this thread, I have no desire to see a new Superman, Batman, or Wonder Woman, and I would have given up DC if they went that direction.

Again, not saying that means anything and I may be the problem with the current fan base but it's how I feel. The minute creators start feeling the characters are the problem is the time it's time for a creative overhaul.

Who was forcing you?

Because history has shown everyone comes back eventually. So it was not something permanent.

Also does that praise including more diverse voices being shut down since John Ridley's History of DC is axed as well? Remember this is not just about Batman, WW & Superman.

What about John Stewart and all the diverse characters who seem to can't get a decent shot?

[Sacred Knight]

I can't speak for any other longtime reader but myself, but for me it wasn't that I didn't understand that it would all come back around. Obviously it would have. Its that I'm just tired of stuff happening that makes me wait for things to come back around. And this would have been everything at once, with nowhere else to turn in that interim of however long it lasted. In general the waiting game is exhausting when you've waited out bad ideas more than once. I wasn't up for it again.

With my luck though they'll just make Jon Superman here. And deage him to a kid in the main line. Double trouble to annoy the ever living crap out of me and keep me away, lol.

[Vampire Savior]

Who was forcing you?

Because history has shown everyone comes back eventually. So it was not something permanent.

Also does that praise including more diverse voices being shut down since John Ridley's History of DC is axed as well? Remember this is not just about Batman, WW & Superman.

What about John Stewart and all the diverse characters who seem to can't get a decent shot?

I think it's dishonest to imply that fans are intentionally wanting to shut down diverse voices when it's clear they just don't want the characters they like to go away. That whole diverse voices thing is, or at least should be, a totally separate issue. People should not be badgered into black or white "you're either this or that" situations.

Not every issue going on is going to be or has to be about the black people. Fans just want their characters, and I don't fault them for that.

[kingaliencracker]

Who was forcing you?

Because history has shown everyone comes back eventually. So it was not something permanent.

Also does that praise including more diverse voices being shut down since John Ridley's History of DC is axed as well? Remember this is not just about Batman, WW & Superman.

What about John Stewart and all the diverse characters who seem to can't get a decent shot?

No one is forcing me. I think I made it clear that my opinion on this subject may make me part of the problem with the current fan base. I'm not going to apologize for how I feel, however. I've been reading comic books for over 30 years. I think I've read enough Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman comic books to tell you they are not the problem. And you're probably right - this wouldn't have been "permanent", although it seems pretty clear that Didio wanted it to be as permanent as possible. But in whatever time that Clark Kent wasn't Superman, I wouldn't be reading Superman comic books. Again, I freely admit that this may make part of the problem but I've been reading Superman comic books since 1989 and I have no desire to see DC attempt to replace Clark Kent.

Having said all of that...they weren't even going to replace Superman with a minority character, so I'm not even sure why that's being discussed in response to my post.

[kingaliencracker]

I think it's dishonest to imply that fans are intentionally wanting to shut down diverse voices when it's clear they just don't want the characters they like to go away. That whole diverse voices thing is, or at least should be, a totally separate issue. People should not be badgered into black or white "you're either this or that" situations.

Not every issue going on is going to be or has to be about the black people. Fans just want their characters, and I don't fault them for that.

I'm not even sure why the issue of diversity got brought up in response to my post. Again, Clark Kent wasn't even going to be replaced with a minority character, so this notion that 5G was going to be a huge diversity push seems unlikely or disingenuous to me. What I feel is that those in charge at DC were bankrupt creatively and rather than come to terms with that they somehow shifted blame towards the characters themselves.

My issue in replacing Clark Kent, Bruce Wayne, or Diana Prince is that I'm attached to these characters. Admittedly, that makes me selfish and probably short-sighted but again, it's how I feel.