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

[Dzetoun]

FCBD postponed, which means Generation One is now due out before Generation Zero. Whoops.
https://www.bleedingcool.com/2020/03...to-the-summer/

Not necessarily. None of the Generations books have been solicited yet. With FCBD postponed, they could just withdraw Generation Zero from the FCBD lineup and release the books in whatever order they want. Or else they could release Gen Zero at FCBD in the summer and then just do a rapid roll out of the others.

[Noodle]

None of the Generations books have been solicited yet.

Generation One was in the May solicitations. Generation Two was missing from the June ones, but Generation One was actually solicited.

[SiegePerilous02]

I smell another reboot on the horizon!

I would legit not even be bothered by one at this point.

[Tzigone]

I would legit not even be bothered by one at this point.

I share the feeling. Reboot after reboot is a losing game, but continuity is so snarled and unworkable right now that I don't know what else to do (save pick a choice and sweep all else under the rug). As a fan of older characters, I wasn't keen on 5G, but nonetheless think the company itself stood a much better chance going with 5G outright (even if it alienates many fans) than with this half-reboot that just mucks things up more and leaves us with no way forward and where new readers can't even get a synopsis on what's what, because either no one knows or it doesn't make sense/conflicts in different titles).

But if they are going to do a new one, they need to plan it out before they do it instead of making it up on the fly. They need to know what happened and what didn't and for editorial to make sure that's kept to.

[Digifiend]

Not necessarily. None of the Generations books have been solicited yet.

The first one already was...

With FCBD postponed, they could just withdraw Generation Zero from the FCBD lineup and release the books in whatever order they want. Or else they could release Gen Zero at FCBD in the summer and then just do a rapid roll out of the others.

Too late. It's been printed already.

[Vordan]

With FCBD being delayed I expect Gen 0 to be radically altered as well regardless of if it was already printed or not. Hell the pandemic may turn out to be a mixed blessing for DC, it’s bought them time to readjust what happens.

[Menacer]

Everyone keeps mentioning continuity... or how mixed up it is... how its gotta be fixed..


But isnt that what the concept of hypertime is supposed to explain away... dc is is a soft continuity.. beyond a vocal hardcore fan minority does anyone actually care?

What's happened is what the story you are reading at the moment tells you happened... and if that story references a past event or story then that info is important..

Soft continuity is more then enough imo

[Doctor Bifrost]

.. beyond a vocal hardcore fan minority does anyone actually care?

I don't know how vocal we are. I'm not sure how hardcore we are. And I haven't seen the statistics on how small of a minority we are.

But I care. When it comes to a world building and creating a narrative setting, especially in science fiction and fantasy - whether it's in a single novel, an ongoing series, or a shared universe setting - I find it a tremendous attraction when it's well-done. And I consider it as much a part of the craft as dialogue, pacing, and plot. I don't expect it (or any of the other three things I mentioned) to be done perfectly (even The Lord of the Rings didn't do it perfectly), but I tremendously appreciate a good-faith effort.

I realize not everybody reads the same way I do, and they're entitled. I suspect continuity fans are more of a minority than they used to be - because many of the writers and editors have driven them away. I'm not sure that's good business, though.

But that's just me. (Well, not just me.)

[Menacer]

I don't know how vocal we are. I'm not sure how hardcore we are. And I haven't seen the statistics on how small of a minority we are.

But I care. When it comes to a world building and creating a narrative setting, especially in science fiction and fantasy - whether it's in a single novel, an ongoing series, or a shared universe setting - I find it a tremendous attraction when it's well-done. And I consider it as much a part of the craft as dialogue, pacing, and plot. I don't expect it (or any of the other three things I mentioned) to be done perfectly (even The Lord of the Rings didn't do it perfectly), but I tremendously appreciate a good-faith effort.

I realize not everybody reads the same way I do, and they're entitled. I suspect continuity fans are more of a minority than they used to be - because many of the writers and editors have driven them away. I'm not sure that's good business, though.

But that's just me. (Well, not just me.)

I'd love more continuity too.. I mean why not. But beating a dead horse us just dumb for your own enjoyment and others...

Lord of the rings was 3 books written over 17 years by 1 author... like seriously...

2019 over 500 books were published by dc. By dozens and dozens of writers... in 1 year... so even in 5 years you are talking about 2500 books???

Dc includes retcons and soft reboots and reboots and events... concepts like the multiverse-- and hypertime for a reason...

And marvel does the same...

At this point other then the soft continuity that exists... hard continuity is a fantasy that has never been true in the last 80 years... frankly it was way worse for the first 40 years then it is now...

Like I say hopefully some database can be created to aid writers so continuity can be more fixed...

But you do yourself as a reader a disservice if you cant just focus on the parts that work and ignore the inconsistency...

Every hollywood movie and series as plot holes and continuity problems in just 1, 2 hour movie... or between sequels.. if u focus on that you won't enjoy any movie.


This site has a comprehensive lotr error list

http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Mista...kien%27s_works

Again 1 writer and 17 years to get it right.. he couldnt

[Vampire Savior]

Everyone keeps mentioning continuity... or how mixed up it is... how its gotta be fixed..


But isnt that what the concept of hypertime is supposed to explain away... dc is is a soft continuity.. beyond a vocal hardcore fan minority does anyone actually care?

What's happened is what the story you are reading at the moment tells you happened... and if that story references a past event or story then that info is important..

Soft continuity is more then enough imo

I think that's a dangerous thought process to have in the creative writing field. "Who cares whether our content actually makes sense and adds up, because...no one cares!"

It sells the reader short, it gives excuses for lazy editors and writers who can't be bothered to read stories that happened prior to their runs, and readers won't care if the people behind the scenes don't care.

I think it's okay if every single tiny story nugget does not align flawlessly with every other book being published in the shared universe, but readers should at least know the history of the character they are reading and there should be more overt connections with stories from the past, instead of so many writers being like, "I don't know, I didn't read any of that stuff, I'm just going to totally do my own thing". That's just smart editing in publishing because, when done well, your front list should sell your back list.

[Menacer]

I think that's a dangerous thought process to have in the creative writing field. "Who cares whether our content actually makes sense and adds up, because...no one cares!"
red universe, but readers should at least know the history of the character they are reading and there should be more overt connections with stories from the past.

I mean I ultimately agree more continuity equals better.

But in 80 years of comics its never happened.

There is certainly enough continuity that if a writer wants to mention a past story or event you can go OH okay this is related to that...

As far as even the last 10 or 30 years lining up.

It's totally unrealistic to want that...

If writers always stuck to continuity then superman may have never flown. His powers wouldn't be sun powered. Batman would still use guns... etc etc

[Ascended]

Everyone keeps mentioning continuity... or how mixed up it is... how its gotta be fixed..

But isnt that what the concept of hypertime is supposed to explain away... dc is is a soft continuity.. beyond a vocal hardcore fan minority does anyone actually care?

What's happened is what the story you are reading at the moment tells you happened... and if that story references a past event or story then that info is important..

Soft continuity is more then enough imo

You're not wrong; if the story in your hand isn't good, then the continuity doesn't matter.

But continuity is important. Now, I'm probably closer to your way of thinking than I am to being a continuity nut, but continuity isn't just "In 1973, Batman said his favorite food was bangers and mash, but in 2019 a writer mistakenly claimed it was hot dogs!" That kind of detail oriented nitpicking is great when writers can maintain it, but more often than not it doesnt matter and isn't consistent anyway.

But things like Lex Luthor's journey as a martian fused apex predator? Sure, you can't have "normal" Lex showing up in the middle of that. And continuity helps ensure characterizations remain consistent and make sense, etc. Continuity is why Dick Grayson and Wally West got to grow up and become Nightwing and Flash, it's what let Superman get married, and that sort of stuff does matter.

The little details continuity establishes are largely a non-issue. It's a shame, because those details, if they could be handled consistently, would deeply enrich characterizations, but between the endless serialized nature of the medium and the dozens of people who will write a single character even within a single year (team books, solos, guest appearances, events, etc) it's not really feasible (though why DC doesn't just have a Google doc with all those little details for writers to reference is beyond me). It's the broad stroke stuff that matters; the bullet points of history and characterizations are consistent because of continuity, even if the little details get lost.

So it does matter. It's not the most important thing, but it does matter.

[DragonPiece]

FCBD postponed, which means Generation One is now due out before Generation Zero. Whoops.
https://www.bleedingcool.com/2020/03...to-the-summer/

I'd be genuinely shocked if generation 1 wasn't delayed at this point.

[superduperman]

That's part of the problem with firing someone. You then have to do something with all the projects they were in the middle of. Didio left them in a bind. At least some of the stuff he initiated they have to go through with just because there's no way to stop it. Or you go two or three months with no product on the shelves. All you can do is work around what's already there.

[Menacer]

QUOTE
"But things like Lex Luthor's journey as a martian fused apex predator? Sure, you can't have "normal" Lex showing up in the middle of that. And continuity helps ensure characterizations remain consistent and make sense, etc. Continuity is why Dick Grayson and Wally West got to grow up and become Nightwing and Flash, it's what let Superman get married, and that sort of stuff does matter."

Well really I agree with everything your saying...

And as far as major continuity i think DC adheres...

And when they dont you can just fall back on hypertime.

And line stories up mentally..

It's just odd to me that there is this minority of fan that is demanding this crazy amount of alignment out of so many books and so many writers...

Like my post earlier mentions. J R R Tolkien spent 17 years on just 3 books and they have continuity problems. As I linked to.



I mean the bible spans thousands of years. It's a total mess even just the for gospels




Those bible books cant get continuity perfect and people bu the billion adhere to those stories as tho they are perfectly inspired by god.

Why cant comic book fans just not sweat the small stuff