"They can be a great people Kal-El, they wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way. For this reason above all, their capacity for good, I have sent them you. My only son." - Jor-El
Looking at the big picture.....
I'd like a clear idea of what the layoffs and refocusing means. It's going to take months and months for these changes to reach the shelf so it's not really an immediate issue, but I'd rather not spend all that time wondering. I think it'd be better for everyone if we know sooner rather than later and we can get past any uncertainty. So I want Jim Lee to tell us what their plan is, and I want some specifics instead of cheap non-answers designed to placate the fans; how many books will they cull from the direct market? How big an effort into digital are they looking to make, with roughly how many titles? What will the digital platform look like or do they think they way they've done it since 2011 actually works for anything except Injustice and Batman 66? Will digital be primarily licensed stuff like Injustice? What about their OGN stuff, should we expect to see more or less of those? Will it just be kid focused, or will we still get some Mature books out of it? How will they handle the transition to trades, and what criteria will they use to determine if a book gets a trade collection? And what is the cover price going to be like for all of this?
I doubt any of those answers will be provided, as this is, again, sort of a long-term consideration and Fandome isn't likely to cover anything beyond next the next 4-6 months.
On a personal level, I want answers to the following:
When will Nightwing get a new creative team, and who will it be? Can I stop worrying about his book being cancelled and will DC stop intentionally screwing him over and treating him like a useless sidekick?
When can I expect Naomi season 2, and in what format will it be? Floppy? Trade? OGN? Digital?
When the hell is Milestone happening, who's doing it and what books will be launched?
Superman. How much longer is Bendis sticking around, who replaces him when he leaves, and most importantly will they keep the new status quo going? Will Superman be getting any kind of out-of-continuity stuff, preferably one where he's not the villain? If so, what format?
What's up with the JSA and when can I expect their book to return?
What's going on with the teen heroes, and where will they end up? Where will I be able to find Aqualad?
Same with the NTT generation. Starfire, Wally, and Cyborg: where will they end up?
Can we expect some kind of stable continuity after Metal?
Final question (until I think of more anyway): when will DC put Dan Mora on a monthly book?
"We all know the truth: more connects us than separates us. But in times of crisis the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers. We must find a way to look after one another, as if we were one single tribe."
~ Black Panther.
How about happy anniversary to Cyborg, Raven & Starfire as they all turn 40 today. This is the day they all first appeared.
For DC Universe:
Add new comics after six months rather than after twelve months.
The addition of parental controls and multi-user set up like Netflix.
The addition of Vertigo comics to DC Universe.
For Comics:
Resurrection of Alfred Pennyworth, and the result that Batman behaving more like his Bronze Age self. Less of a jerk, and less miserable.
Undo the soap opera aging of Jon Kent.
Restore Donna Troy's origin to the first one established during the New Teen Titans era.
"We all know the truth: more connects us than separates us. But in times of crisis the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers. We must find a way to look after one another, as if we were one single tribe."
~ Black Panther.
2 new JSA ongoing by a A-list creative teams with one book set during WWII and the other book set in the present.
Currently(or soon to be) Reading: Alan Scott: Green Lantern, Batman/Superman: World's Finest, Fire & Ice: Welcome to Smallville, Green Arrow, Green Lantern, Jay Garrick: The Flash, Justice Society of America, Power Girl, Superman, Shazam, Titans, Wesley Dodds: Sandman, Wonder Woman, & World's Finest: Teen Titans.
Genuine fantasy announcements?
1. Mark Waid and Chris Samnee on "Shazam!"
2. Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino on a Question/Green Arrow Black Label project.
3. Mark Russell on a Jaime Reyes Blue Beetle series.
A relaunch of TT/YJ/Titans with a big push and big creative teams.
Hoping for at least a mention of Blue Beetle Jaime Reyes. I know he’s not getting a solo anytime soon but adding him to a team book would be great. Hell, even including him in a group splash page and he’s just in the background. Anything.
I think a lot of questions that we want answers to after the layoffs are for stuff where DC still hasn't yet managed to make up their mind. And when it comes to stuff like strategic directions, talk is cheap and easy to change. Also, what is is easier to communicate than what isn't, but what is excluded might be the most interesting at all.
Also, a lot of stuff will still be up in the air. Even if the YA line probably will get far higher priority in the post-layoff DC, it's unlikely that any such change will have had any effect between the announcements and the Fandome.
So the stuff I'd be paying attention to are:
* Future DC Young titles, both the amount of titles, which characters are included, and which writers and artists are mentioned. Also if any other DC editors join the announcements apart from Michele Wells. This can provide hints on how important this line will be for DC in the future.
* Announcements of OGNs. While I doubt Black Label will survive the layoff as any sort of semi-independent entity within DC, I believe OGNs will become much more important with DC in the future. Mentions of future OGNs will tell me if I'm right about that or not.
* The proportions of the OGNs when it comes to characters. While I'm fairly sure the Bat-titles will dominate DC's output when it comes to monthlies as titles are cut, I think OGNs will provide a better idea on which characters that DC will intend to push in the future.
* Who is allowed to talk about characters who have been controversial for DC in the past, when it comes to their treatment or frequent reimaginings.
* Any panels where both Javins and Wells are part, especially if they are real-time. The way they interact with each other will be interesting to see.
«Speaking generally, it is because of the desire of the tragic poets for the marvellous that so varied and inconsistent an account of Medea has been given out» (Diodorus Siculus, The Library of History [4.56.1])
Frankly, the only announcement I would give a damn about is a JSA ongoing.
AKA FlashFreak
Favorite Characters:
DC: The Flash (Jay & Wally), Starman- Jack Knight, Stargirl, & Shazam!.
MARVEL: Daredevil, Spider-Man (Peter Parker), & Doctor Strange.
Current Pulls: Not a thing!