DC 5G: the Replacements

[paulojrmam]

The fact that they don't even intend to use the most obvious candidates makes me think this will feel even more forced than something like this would already feel.
The order should be having a well-received supporting character in a title, that is developed enough so that the fans of that brand come to like it and then when s/he takes the place of the title character it will be natural and even obvious.

[Zaresh]

Aquaman can be replaced by Jason Mamoa.

Man, wouldn't I read Jason Momoa aa Aquaman.

Best idea ever. Awwww yeah (XD)

[king81992]

Batman: Olive Silverlock
Superman: Gregorio De La Vega
Flash: Wallace West
Wonder Woman: Mari McCabe
Green Lantern: Jennifer-Lynn Hayden

or...

Harley Quinn as Batman
Harley Quinn as Superman
Harley Quinn as Wonder Woman
Harley Quinn as Flash
Harley Quinn as Green Lantern

If we're going completely random replacements, I'd prefer Terra as Wonder Woman over Harley.

[kingaliencracker]

I'm just not remotely interested in reading a Superman that isn't Clark Kent, a Batman that isn't Bruce Wayne, and/or a Wonder Woman that isn't Diana Prince.

Sorry, folks. Maybe that makes me part of the problem with comics right now, and maybe it'll be wildly successful despite my lack of interest. I saw Marvel try this a few years ago and it didn't work, so I have no reason to believe it'll work for DC. But if this is the direction they want to go in more power to them. I just won't be a part of it.

[Johnny]

I wouldn't say it didn't necessarily work. Kamala Khan became a breakout character. Jane Thor will be in a movie now. Sam Wilson will be the new MCU Cap. Robbie Reyes was in Agents of Shield and was planned to get his own show, etc. Even though the mantles inevitably went back to the classic versions, ANAD Marvel did a lot for some of those characters, especially in outside media.

[kingaliencracker]

I wouldn't say it didn't necessarily work. Kamala Khan became a breakout character. Jane Thor will be in a movie now. Sam Wilson will be the new MCU Cap. Robbie Reyes was in Agents of Shield, etc. Even though the mantles inevitably went back to the classic versions, ANAD did a lot for some of those characters, especially in outside media,

I'm not talking about outside media. I'm talking about the comic books themselves.

Marvel had and has had the benefit of a larger fan base and more media exposure, and they couldn't make it work within the comics which was why everyone went back to their original roles. So I have no reason to believe it'll work with DC.

Like I said, maybe it'll work, and it's their business so they can do whatever they like. I just don't have an interest in reading a different Superman after collecting his comic books for 30 years. Again, that probably makes me part of the problem and the type of fan that comics don't need anymore. I'm fine with that. This will just be the motivation I need to move on.

[skyvolt2000]

I'm not talking about outside media. I'm talking about the comic books themselves.

Marvel had and has had the benefit of a larger fan base and more media exposure, and they couldn't make it work within the comics which was why everyone went back to their original roles. So I have no reason to believe it'll work with DC.

Like I said, maybe it'll work, and it's their business so they can do whatever they like. I just don't have an interest in reading a different Superman after collecting his comic books for 30 years. Again, that probably makes me part of the problem and the type of fan that comics don't need anymore. I'm fine with that. This will just be the motivation I need to move on.

The mainstream audience is different from the comic one.

Marvel got attack because you had folks who took issue with skin color and gender.
Many of the complainers never read the books and had cherry picking memories.

Riri never called herself Ironman doom did. However who got attacked?
We have had 7 folks be called captain America. Why is Sam an issue?

The issue for dc is you have Too many alienated fans now.
So teen green lantern replaces Hal? How does the other 5 fans feel? Dc lost John Stewart fans. You want to lose the rest?

Will Luke Fox get the treatment rhodey got after he quit Ironman? 3-6 solo? Or get tossed away like Jason rusch?

[Rac7d*]

The mainstream audience is different from the comic one.

Marvel got attack because you had folks who took issue with skin color and gender.
Many of the complainers never read the books and had cherry picking memories.

Riri never called herself Ironman doom did. However who got attacked?
We have had 7 folks be called captain America. Why is Sam an issue?

The issue for dc is you have Too many alienated fans now.
So teen green lantern replaces Hal? How does the other 5 fans feel? Dc lost John Stewart fans. You want to lose the rest?

Will Luke Fox get the treatment rhodey got after he quit Ironman? 3-6 solo? Or get tossed away like Jason rusch?

at least rhody and tony are friends

[Tzigone]

Like I said, maybe it'll work, and it's their business so they can do whatever they like. I just don't have an interest in reading a different Superman after collecting his comic books for 30 years. Again, that probably makes me part of the problem and the type of fan that comics don't need anymore. I'm fine with that. This will just be the motivation I need to move on.

I do think the change from rotating fanbase to long-term fans has had negative consequences. Comic books went from something everyone consumed to (mostly) the domain of the hard-core fan. A smaller, but more intense, fanbase. That superheroes were the genre to survive and they used to be for kids also left it mark since many in the wider potential audience still think of them that way (and of movies as for everyone). Not sure if comics would have survived without change, though, once one company started it, and given other factors (CCA, type of distribution, etc.).

The more complex stories have led to more history you need to know to enjoy some stories, more convoluted continuity (since stuff changes now!), and longer stories where someone can't just pick up an issue and read a complete story. I love the history stuff, myself. I love the wikis that we have now so I can read summaries of issues I don't read (though I do wish for more that kept track of prior-to-retcon history within continuities, but that's probably more meta than is suited for a wiki). With digital copies, new readers can actually get access to older stuff to learn the history, which is great and does make comics a bit more accessible than they'd be without it, but a doubled-edged sword because they can get attached to old versions of characters or continuities that no longer exist anymore (happened to me). And the ones who do read all those old ones are probably the type that are already disposed to really getting into the minutia of fandoms and caring about continuity and so forth (again, like me - I love continuity porn in tv shows and so forth), rather than the type to just take the story as it is, without regard to whether it fits with the one from last year.

[kingaliencracker]

The mainstream audience is different from the comic one.

Marvel got attack because you had folks who took issue with skin color and gender.
Many of the complainers never read the books and had cherry picking memories.

Riri never called herself Ironman doom did. However who got attacked?
We have had 7 folks be called captain America. Why is Sam an issue?

The issue for dc is you have Too many alienated fans now.
So teen green lantern replaces Hal? How does the other 5 fans feel? Dc lost John Stewart fans. You want to lose the rest?

Will Luke Fox get the treatment rhodey got after he quit Ironman? 3-6 solo? Or get tossed away like Jason rusch?

Again, this may be a problem with just me, and I may be the type of comic book fan that needs to move on.

However, I could care less about skin color or gender. For me, Clark Kent has been Superman for over 80 years, 30 of which I've been following the character. I don't want to see him replaced with a completely different character, and I have no interest in reading a character named Superman that isn't Clark Kent or vice/versa. If it happens, I'm not going to read Superman anymore. It's just that simple.

[Clark_Kent]

Well, like I said, the topic here isn't meant to be "how do you feel about this?", but "how would you do this?"



I was thinking more of a current continuity take, to give it some grounding in speculation and relevance. But no real worries.



BleedingCool has a very solid track record in terms of rumor accuracy.

My issue with BC lies in the poor writing, lack of proofreading, and general editorial problems. Their "articles" are extremely amateurish. That's why I refuse to give them clicks.

[vasir12]

Speaking of BleedingCool they're missing that the teen lantern will replace Hal..... Eh. Seems like a stretch to me unless they age her up to. I'd expect these replacements to all be adults and having to do time shenanigans for Jon is already tough to swallow.

[SixSpeedSamurai]

Batman, Aquaman, and Wonder Woman won't last. Flash and Green Lantern not so much I don't think.

[lemonpeace]

. keep it a buck, would've rather they made David Zavimbe the new Batman, lean into the shallow Batman/Black Panther parallels. I'm interested to see how they plan to pull this off, if they are really doing this pretty much line wide then this is probably some kind of Year of the Villain type initiative and I hope it propels some new blood the same way All-New All-Different did. i think people are missing the forest for the trees on this one. I doubt the standard guys are gonna poof out of existence, these "replacements" are ephemeral, the big question is how will this springboard the characters going forward

* Superman: Jon Kent is fine, I'm intrigued enough

* The Flash: Wallace West (age don't matter if they can't stop you) but most likely Wally

* Aquaman: Jackson Hyde (I literally HAD to pick this one)

* Green Lantern: this is a weird one because the Lanterns are already a rotating lead. I would like John Stewart to finally get a landmark story of his own but anyone could go here.

* Wonder Woman: Hawkgirl (Kendra Saunders), just forego passing the mantle off and just let Hawkgirl be "the" flagship woman character; although they should have more than one at this point. but if we HAVE to pass off the mantle I'll swing way wide and say Ya'wara but most likely Artemis of Bana-Mighdall

I hope along with these Gen 5 "replacement" they launch other titles for other new/emerging characters on the same level. if they are doing this they need to make an actual effort like marvel did to define the this new era they are trying to build.

take Batman off and make it Black Lightning and the Outsiders or just Outsiders, Bring back Batwoman, keep supporting things like Gotham City Monsters, really invest in Naomi McDuffie as a new brand, bring back Kimiyo Hoshi, do more with Jessica Cruz (and Simon Baz ideally), grow Bird of Prey's profile, etc. I don't want this half-hearted attempt like they did with New Age of Heroes. I want consist promotion and cross-promotion.

[Vampire Savior]

Sounds like a bad idea...but whatever. Knock yourselves out, DC. If this is true, of course.

I see this as a desperate gimmick to get attention. It may sound old fashioned and too simple, but I think the best thing DC can do to pull themselves up is tell better stories with better editing. By "better editing" I mean have editors that know the continuity of the characters, and make it so they require writers to build upon that continuity instead of trashing it or ignoring it constantly. The lazy editing is a big contribution to me no longer buying DC Comics. I couldn't rationalize reading the stories when the continuity of everything I read was in question 6 months later.

When Jim Shooter inherited Marvel, his first objective was to get the books to ship on time. That was all. He didn't try to do some wacky gimmick. From there, he went on to improve the talent and working conditions for them, which created better content. From there, the company started to become a big success because the content was better. Seemingly simple fixes, but they worked. Sure, it was a different era, but I believe the same philosophy would apply for today. Less gimmicks, more dependable quality. Happier customers. Those customers are excited and talk about their passions to other people. More customers.