How would you feel if DC decided to move forward with the main universe?

[DrNewGod]

Oh. This again.

I'm all for an E2 setup where we can play in these kind of waters. That said, it's simply not realistic to expect DC to gamble their high dollar IP on something like this.

In truth, it's not the characters that have supported stories for near 100 years that need to move on, but the fans that don't want to read them anymore.

[lemonpeace]

I've said it once, I've said it a million times: stories need to end. look at manga, no one actually cares about telling the same story forever, they just want good stories. I always find it hilarious how people will pretend this isn't anything but corporate move to play the nostalgic ego of fans. why is Batman aging, retiring, or actually finishing his story and being put to rest bad? because people don't wanna feel old. if we're being honest that's all it comes down to and it's honestly just sad and ridiculous to me.

[Ra-El]

I've said it once, I've said it a million times: stories need to end. look at manga, no one actually cares about telling the same story forever, they just want good stories. I always find it hilarious how people will pretend this isn't anything but corporate move to play the nostalgic ego of fans. why is Batman aging, retiring, or actually finishing his story and being put to rest bad? because people don't wanna feel old. if we're being honest that's all it comes down to and it's honestly just sad and ridiculous to me.

Look, speaking as someone who just can't stand to read another story about Thor losing his hammer, Superman questioning how much he should intervene on Earth or a dethroned Aquaman, I can see where you are coming from.

I like stories that have endings, where the characters progress and things aren't undone or redone every 5 or 10 years. I got those stories with Invincible, Nailbiter, The Fade Out, Sheriff of Babylon or even Mister Miracle. Stories that have a ending goal and that when is done, liking or not I know that is the end. Is also the reason why Hitman and Starman are my two favorite superhero runs, period.

I also know, that having a true ending is against the medium we are talking about here, Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman weren't created to have an ending, they weren't created for us. These characters were created to be read by kids and teenagers, that would move on from them, they were created to have one off adventures set in a more or less static status quo.

I used to have the same vision as the op, the stories in DC and Marvel should end. But now, I think that we should stop wanting from the mainstream superhero comics, things that go against it's very nature. For years now, I have been decreasing the number of DC and Marvel comics I read, my general idea is to eventually just move away from the main universes and only read titles like Superman Smashes the Klan and the Earth Ones, stories that do have ends.

What I mean is that maybe the problem is not that Tim and Conner are still Robin and Superboy, but that we grown up.

[Lightning Rider]

I think you can have both if done right. A line that moves on would be great, but there's just no need to abandon classic characters.

Despite decades of stories and lots of ups and downs, I've yet to run out of ideas for new stories with the likes of Bruce, Kal, and Diana, which means they haven't worn out their purpose yet.

You can also have stories set before the "end". Looking back, writers could have easily written many stories featuring Hal and Barry before their demise. That arguably would have been more rewarding than a simple return, they'd be tied to an era. There would be limits of course, but not that many. Most stories don't alter the status quo irreparably. Flash and GL went on a thousand adventures before their deaths and they could have gone on a thousand more at the hands of modern writers.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

I think the DC characters would benefit more from less stories churned out monthly to meet whatever quota management wants and more stand alone stories told by creators who have something to say and are given the time and resources to make their stories as good as they can be.

The sandbox is great. I dearly love that shared continuity, but it needs to stop being the engine that drives the DCU. Digital allows them to throw a lot of darts out there and see which ones hit the bullseye.

[Lee Stone]

Look, speaking as someone who just can't stand to read another story about Thor losing his hammer, Superman questioning how much he should intervene on Earth or a dethroned Aquaman, I can see where you are coming from.

I like stories that have endings, where the characters progress and things aren't undone or redone every 5 or 10 years. I got those stories with Invincible, Nailbiter, The Fade Out, Sheriff of Babylon or even Mister Miracle. Stories that have a ending goal and that when is done, liking or not I know that is the end. Is also the reason why Hitman and Starman are my two favorite superhero runs, period.

I also know, that having a true ending is against the medium we are talking about here, Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman weren't created to have an ending, they weren't created for us. These characters were created to be read by kids and teenagers, that would move on from them, they were created to have one off adventures set in a more or less static status quo.

I used to have the same vision as the op, the stories in DC and Marvel should end. But now, I think that we should stop wanting from the mainstream superhero comics, things that go against it's very nature. For years now, I have been decreasing the number of DC and Marvel comics I read, my general idea is to eventually just move away from the main universes and only read titles like Superman Smashes the Klan and the Earth Ones, stories that do have ends.

What I mean is that maybe the problem is not that Tim and Conner are still Robin and Superboy, but that we grown up.

Sherlock Holmes is a good example of what can happen if you give a character an 'ending'. It wasn't received well.
However, an ending could work if there's still room for stories from before their ending.

Holmes can also give a good example of continuing to create stories set in the prime of the character's career. Because there's no ongoing body of work that governs what 'continuity' is, writers can pick and choose when to place their stories freely. Not surprisingly, most are set in the Victorian era.

[kurenai24]

Didn't we get a taste of how people felt when rumors of 5G ran abound...

[gambit2051]

I just want good stories. I don't care if that comes from moving the timeline forward, or aging certain characters. I just want good stories.

Heck, the stuff I've been enjoying the most from DC lately are alternate universe stories (stuff like Injustice or the YA novels) that allow for new and unique takes on different characters because it allows them to take chances and try something different. As long as it's good, I'll read it.

Tom Taylors Injustice & DCeased Titles are a lot of fun, and 100% agree. DC main has felt Stale for awhile now. Snyder's Dark Metal, sorry, Death Metal being "Inspired" by Secret Wars does not help with that either...

[gambit2051]

Always felt it a bit self-entitled by fans to think they get to be ones who decide when a character's story is over, which is almost always when they're reading it not say 10-20 years from before they got into the characters.

yeah, let their Creators decide....oh wait...

[Ra-El]

Sherlock Holmes is a good example of what can happen if you give a character an 'ending'. It wasn't received well.
However, an ending could work if there's still room for stories from before their ending.

Holmes can also give a good example of continuing to create stories set in the prime of the character's career. Because there's no ongoing body of work that governs what 'continuity' is, writers can pick and choose when to place their stories freely. Not surprisingly, most are set in the Victorian era.

In my ideal world, DC would turn one of the Superman titles into something like Invincible was, it woul really move forward and all changes would actually matter, let's say it would be Action Comics, while the Superman comic would remain what it is, set in a shared universe, that would be reseted whenever someone decided that they wanted Clark to be single again or that DC have too many GLs.

The Sherlock Holmes take could also work very well, something like Conan for example, stories that would take place all over the character life, without direct negating everything else. If the current writer wanted to tell stories with the characters early years he would, if he wanted to tell stories about the older semi-retired version it would be fine too.

[Gaius]

yeah, let their Creators decide....oh wait...

Kind of proving my point? If character's original creators didn't get to write or envision an ending, why should fans from decades (almost a century in the case of some characters) get to decide?

If you want an ending or the illusion of story progession, there's plenty of alternate stories and continuities that provide that, (DKR, All-Star Superman, etc.) Granted not all of them are good (Injustice or DCeased) but it's there if you want it.

[Lightning Rider]

I think the DC characters would benefit more from less stories churned out monthly to meet whatever quota management wants and more stand alone stories told by creators who have something to say and are given the time and resources to make their stories as good as they can be.

The sandbox is great. I dearly love that shared continuity, but it needs to stop being the engine that drives the DCU. Digital allows them to throw a lot of darts out there and see which ones hit the bullseye.

"Creators with something to say" should be the guiding principle for any project. That's what I'm hoping for with this upcoming shift in direct market strategy. At this point, with so many characters and past stories, I don't need run-of-the-mill superhero adventures that tread just enough water to justify a monthly title.

[Lee Stone]

"Creators with something to say" should be the guiding principle for any project. That's what I'm hoping for with this upcoming shift in direct market strategy. At this point, with so many characters and past stories, I don't need run-of-the-mill superhero adventures that tread just enough water to justify a monthly title.

Nothing wrong with those kind of stories, though. It's like comfort food for the soul, artistically. Main reason why cozy mysteries and romance novels do so well.

I do agree that there should be room for 'creators with something to say'. That's why we have independents and graphic novels.
It's kind of expected from them.

DC could do a line just for those kind of stories. Vertigo became that as it grew, but it's gone now.
And Black Label could've been that, if they didn't just use it to re-label their superhero stuff to make them look more high-brow.

[skyvolt2000]

YOu can have an ending story.

NOTHING and I do mean NOTHING prevents you from creating new untold stories before that ending.

Need proof????

DR WHO says HI.

Although it is in comic form we are still getting new stories of Dr Who 1-12 while 13 is running around.

You can do both.

Didn't we get a taste of how people felt when rumors of 5G ran abound...

That was more of an issue of WHO got to take over.

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

I grew up with Batman Beyond and Bucky Barnes was Cap so moving forward didn't really bug me when I was younger. Plus I'm a bit bored with DC and the big 7 so some new people in the mantles could be interesting to me.

As an older fan, I don't really care as I don't read the main line as much. Right I read Far Sector and the Sandman Universe. I actually want Far Sector in its own universe unemcumbered by DC editorial shenanigans.

Didn't we get a taste of how people felt when rumors of 5G ran abound...

DC's main problem was they never define what 5g was. Only thing you could pull up online was rumors, speculation and hearsay. It allowed the dissenters to control the narrative instead of DC.

I'm not denying there was a backlash against minority replacements but that could've handled better by DC taking control.