Generation Five (or 5G) No Longer Line Wide Relaunch

[manwhohaseverything]

Why would they glance something that clearly felt like marvel ripoffs? They might have tried differentiate from marvel characters. But, it doesn't matter. perception matters in sales. And what was pushed as front and centre was the likes of sideways/spiderman and damage/hulk.They might not be these marvel characters. But, the designs, poses and marketing sure as hell didn't give that vibe.

New superman, i admit was great book.But, it died because of the title of the book . People aren't going to buy chinese superman when there is a real one. They should have called the book zhulong. Had superman be there for the launch for the extra push. Supersons sold cause guess what? It found its audience and was properly built up to the launch with the superman books.New superman didn't do any of that. It didn't provide a any reason why this superman is different before the launch other than him being chinese. That ain't enough. They should had him use chi based things in superbooks before the launch. Shown chinese imageries to boot in buildup.Set up the conflict as well. Then spun it off.

[kilderkin]

Instead of saying that they'll have actual progression, which means that older characters will be semi-retired and new ones taking their place, which led to a lot of vocal anger by a lot of the readers who were already up in arms against the New 52 and any change to the character they read as kid/teenagers. The same crowd who killed the New Age of Heroes because "those are new characters in new mantles, so it won't work so I won't even support them" and is now ups in arm at the idea that, "oh my Goddess, Batman may not be Bruce Wayne not because he's "dead" but just too damn old and a black man is now under the cowl!"

DC could (should) have said "screw it, we're going full speed ahead, because it's time that mainstream Superheroes comics shed the never progressing aspect and finally be reignited, with the passing of time, generations and the like!".

Instead, we'll just have more of the same characters, and I'm willing to bet that they'll be rehashing the same tropes and stories. Again, and again. And again.

No fan group kills off a character

They don't wanna read it, they don't buy it, they don't have too

People don't have unlimited money nor are DC a charity

I went all in on the new age, as derivative as it was

But think about this

Why would DC stop making batman, which seeks over 50000 regular

In the hope another character works, it isn't fans that stop this

And why woulda fan of s character be happy to see them go, not much of a fan there

There's plenty of book shelf for new characters, DC tried it with very derivative new age metal characters, they didn't sell enough

That's not any one group of fans fault, but if it was, surelyby your own logic it's actually the newer fans, coz clearly that group, which your summising are more ready to change, didn't buy into them either

The main reason you don't see progression as you put it is very simple, they can't afford to ditch characters that sell in the hope the replacement will work, new age metal proved the market interest from fans, of all ages just isn't there to do that

[Noodle]

How can something "No Longer" be when it was never confirmed to be to begin with? It should be "Old rumor is now new rumor."

It's not like it would have mattered anyway. Everyone knew Bruce/Clark/etc were all coming back at some point anyway.

[Frontier]

To establish what the history of the DC Universe is. Who the characters are, what their origins are, what their relationships are, what they've experienced.

Yeah, I think this is more important to a timeline then needing to age everybody up.

[Vakanai]

What's the point of a timeline if the characters don't age ?

What's the point of having mythic, iconic, legendary characters the world knows and loves if you're going to age them out of relevancy?

[kilderkin]

What's the point of having mythic, iconic, legendary characters the world knows and loves if you're going to age them out of relevancy?

I totally agree with this

There's space for new too

But you don't throw away your foundations to build on top

[manwhohaseverything]

What's the point of having mythic, iconic, legendary characters the world knows and loves if you're going to age them out of relevancy?

The current superman, batman, wonderwoman.. Etc are not the same characters they were in 1938.characters were always replaced. Whether it's retcon or a new origin.

[Digifiend]

Most new age heroes looked like avengers rip-offs.Its marketing didn't help either. that's not on people. Besides, the market isn't huge enough and nobody expected all of them to stay.

Yeah, it was a case of trying new ideas and seeing what sticks. Silencer did well enough that she got used in the TV shows, and appeared in Wonder Woman recently. Sideways is joining Young Justice. And The Terrifics did so well that they're still running.

But there was a lot of inspiration from Marvel. Sideways is Spider-Man with different powers, a quipper who has relationship drama. The Terrifics are similar to the Fantastic Four. Damage was totally a Hulk rip-off. Curse of Brimstone is similar to Ghost Rider.

[astro@work]

The New Age of Heroes were written off as soon as they were announced. Most readers didn't even glance in their directions, because they were new heroes, with new mantles. That they were rip-off is only true at a superficial level, DC did try (and in most case succeeded) in making them unique, expanding a lot of their mythos in doing so (hello, Immortal Men and the Five Houses of the Immortals).

But, what a surprise, aside from the one book where established characters were present, all of them floundered, and at least one of those (The Silencer) didn't do so because of artists or anything, but a clear lack of support for the readership, despite how touching and sympathetic the Main Character is. Another, Sideways, even had Rocafort for almost all its issues and yet was left to rot by the readership - and it can't be for a supposed lack in qualities, when Supersons, of all books, sold a lot more with such terrible storylines and characterizations.

Or, less recently, New Superman. Why isn't this book still an ongoing series if not because most readers of DC actively reject new things. It's blatant on those forums that most of the readership only wants more of the same stories, with the same characters, the same teams, and so and so. And no actual progression, only the appearance of it.

These are the exact reasons why DC/WB wouldn't sideline all the fan favorites as a big F.U. to those "older readers" in favor of these ethereal new readers. It would be a really stupid business decision, and kill sales in the long run. I AM in favor though of moving the status quo forward. I just don't want to see it rushed forward.

[iron chimp]

The New Age of Heroes were written off as soon as they were announced. Most readers didn't even glance in their directions, because they were new heroes, with new mantles. That they were rip-off is only true at a superficial level, DC did try (and in most case succeeded) in making them unique, expanding a lot of their mythos in doing so (hello, Immortal Men and the Five Houses of the Immortals).

But, what a surprise, aside from the one book where established characters were present, all of them floundered, and at least one of those (The Silencer) didn't do so because of artists or anything, but a clear lack of support for the readership, despite how touching and sympathetic the Main Character is. Another, Sideways, even had Rocafort for almost all its issues and yet was left to rot by the readership - and it can't be for a supposed lack in qualities, when Supersons, of all books, sold a lot more with such terrible storylines and characterizations.

Or, less recently, New Superman. Why isn't this book still an ongoing series if not because most readers of DC actively reject new things. It's blatant on those forums that most of the readership only wants more of the same stories, with the same characters, the same teams, and so and so. And no actual progression, only the appearance of it.

I read most of young animal. Didnt expect the books to stick around long and they didnt. Ive got a long box full of series that barely got started and were cancelled after 6 8 10 12 issues. Thats life.

But its pretty weak to trash other people for not supporting what i was reading when the book got cancelled. People can buy and enjoy whatever they like. My tastes and mindgarden arent the ultimate law of comics.

[Lee]

Sideways is Spider-Man with different powers, a quipper who has relationship drama.

Everything I heard about Sideways just made me think "this is New 52 Vibe". It's bewildering that they don't use Vibe anymore, even though he's been one of the core cast members on the Flash TV show for 6 years.

[Vordan]

Everything I heard about Sideways just made me think "this is New 52 Vibe". It's bewildering that they don't use Vibe anymore, even though he's been one of the core cast members on the Flash TV show for 6 years.

Dang I totally forgot Vibe existed. Why haven’t they brought him back? Put him on Young Justice or something!

[Frontier]

Dang I totally forgot Vibe existed. Why haven’t they brought him back? Put him on Young Justice or something!

Yeah, I don't really get why he wasn't in Rebirth. He would've made a lot of sense in Orlando's JLA (although given the quality of that book, it might not have helped him much).

[Korath]

These are the exact reasons why DC/WB wouldn't sideline all the fan favorites as a big F.U. to those "older readers" in favor of these ethereal new readers. It would be a really stupid business decision, and kill sales in the long run. I AM in favor though of moving the status quo forward. I just don't want to see it rushed forward.

I think that's the utter lack of progression and episodic nature of comisc which is killing sales. There is a reason why Goku, Naruto or Luffy are already has big or bigger than Superman and Batman in a lot of people's minds. Why invest in characters without clear beginnings, nor ends, and absolutely no vision in their stories ?

I read most of young animal. Didnt expect the books to stick around long and they didnt. Ive got a long box full of series that barely got started and were cancelled after 6 8 10 12 issues. Thats life.

But its pretty weak to trash other people for not supporting what i was reading when the book got cancelled. People can buy and enjoy whatever they like. My tastes and mindgarden arent the ultimate law of comics.

The problem is not that the series were cancelled. The problem is that when there was announced, a lot of people, here on CBR (and I suspect they just verbalized what a lot of current DC readers felt) decided, premptively, that they wouldn't even read the books because they were about new characters and thus wouldn't last.

They decided to not even give those books a chance because they wouldn't sell, and thus created an prophecy which could only fulfill itself. And those are often the same peoples screaming to high heavens that Superman without his underwear isn't Superman, that the Legion of Super-Heroes must keep their costumes from era X, etc. That's what I find infuriating.

[Lee]

I think that's the utter lack of progression and episodic nature of comisc which is killing sales. There is a reason why Goku, Naruto or Luffy are already has big or bigger than Superman and Batman in a lot of people's minds. Why invest in characters without clear beginnings, nor ends, and absolutely no vision in their stories ?

It's a bit late to start treating these characters that way, after 80 years of not doing. Can't unring that bell.