The problem is that it makes each individual world smaller.
It doesn't help that being part of a shared universe decourages aging as a whole.
The problem is that it makes each individual world smaller.
It doesn't help that being part of a shared universe decourages aging as a whole.
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Marvel | Spider-Man | X-Men | NEW!! DC Comics | Batman | Superman | Wonder Woman
Since the 80s, with Crisis on Infinite Earths, DC has demonstrated that they weren't really comfortable with a shared universe *for their comics,* so it hardly shocks me that they are not exactly nailing the landing on adapting the DCU into a shared movie-verse. There's always been a bit more creative freedom to ignore the 'shared DC setting' when crafting stories in the DC universe, and anything that was too far off tone would get Flashpointed out of continuity in a few years anyway.
I'm fine with them making great standalone Wonder Woman, Teen Titans, etc. movies and shows, and not bothering with the shared universe concept, for now. You gotta learn to make a sammich before catering a meal for a sixty guest wedding. Get the solo stuff right. Worry about crossovers later.
Honestly I would prefer a Superman stand alone universe right now, instead of being used as the tool in a shared one.
The problem with DCEU is giving directors too much creative freedom while handing the mainline into the hands of one director.
They should do it the way comic does it, you make your own movie, then you come together to make a team movie together,
not the other way around.
I like the shared universe, but I feel the balance has shifted to the shared universe being bigger than any individual character in it (except Batman, who is arguably his own shared universe within DC's).
For DC this really started changing in the 90's, where you'd get the occasional guest-star (say GL in Flash) and there would be a yearly cross-over that took over an issue of every book DC published. This continued spiraling until (what became) Infinite Crisis started to consume almost every book DC was running for the better part of two years. They broke away from this in the weird, directionless period between 2005-2011 but still characters crossing over was incredibly common. Then you have New 52's Justice League being DC's main book with other titles having to reflect it and you have a huge problem.
With the exception of Justice League and Batman/Superman (which should each be, for all intents and purposes, their own continuities), I think characters crossing over should become a rarity again. It makes the shared universe more special.
"Has Sariel summoned you here, Azrael? Have you come to witness the miracle of your brethren arriving on Earth?"
"I WILL MIX THE ASHES OF YOUR BONES WITH SALT AND USE THEM TO ENSURE THE EARTH THE TEMPLARS TILLED NEVER BEARS FRUIT AGAIN!"
"*sigh* I hoped it was for the miracle."
Dan Watters' Azrael was incredible, a constant delight and perhaps too good for this world (but not the Forth). For the love of St. Dumas, DC, give us more!!!
Yeah, Titans couldn't exist without the shared universe, as it started with the sidekicks of Batman, Green Arrow, Aquaman and Flash, plus an accidentally created new character who the writer mistook for Wonder Woman's sidekick (she wasn't - Wonder Girl was originally just a younger Diana, Donna had to be retconned as WG's secret identity later).
Appreciation Thread Indexes
Marvel | Spider-Man | X-Men | NEW!! DC Comics | Batman | Superman | Wonder Woman
Age is something that affects the younger characters more. Like I find it harder to care about Tim Drake still being Robin. If he goes back to high school, I'd wouldn't care. But I think it's more cause I'm not that interested in redoing the past. I rather see characters move forward than back. Tim in College would appeal to me more.
With the older crowd, they have more options because adulthood is longer and more meandering. If you are bored with them, I'd suggest just reading other characters. I stopped liking Spiderman and switched to Daredevil.
Ironically they could've replace the characters more easily in the Bronze age. That started in the 1970s so you could've had the Titans grow up and affect the 70s more. Same with Crisis or New 52.
The pre-52 had Dick Grayson as Batman, Wally as the Flash a few years before. So just letting them take over is easier to commit too for me.
Last edited by the illustrious mr. kenway; 04-12-2021 at 10:56 AM.
Strictly speaking, Rambo Terminator and Die Hard exists in the same univerese: they are movies in on our universe. Lol.
Sorry, but I understand your point.
The idea of shared fictional universes come from old. Just remeber Abbot and Costello meeting Frankenstein... with Bela Lugosi. And older references can be found, but I'm to lazy to search.
I suppose it is a phenomenom normal. We like something and we want more of that thing, but eventually that thing, concept or idea becomes so satured, overexploded or repetitive, than we grow tired of everything.
And always remember, these are works of fiction, the only real conection is what happens outside the pages. They are fan jokes and speculation. But now the big corporations had found they could make money with that fan game and create expectation and obtain revenues. But as big bussiness go, they will overexplote the concept and make people grow tired of them eventually.
I must add, I am a fan of multiverses, but in the last few months, the idea is slowly becoming a repetitive trope lacking new surprises and I glady welcome histories more concentrated in one reality only.
Last edited by Thor-Ul; 04-12-2021 at 10:57 AM.
"Never assign to malice what is adequately explained by stupidity or ignorance."
"Great stories will always return to their original forms"
"Nobody is more dangerous than he who imagines himself pure in heart; for his purity, by definition, is unassailable." James Baldwin
They don't have to stay young. Most Of the old guard at DC and Marvel are in their mid 40s to me. Plus I don't think the Silver Age cats make for convincing young people to me. So just letting the kids grow up and deal with adulthood is more easier to me than forcing the old guard to be "hip".