I hate shared universes

[LastSonOfShaolin]

In comics, in tv, in movies, in everything. Why is everyone so obsessed with everything having to connect to everything else?

DC could have had so many movies out by now for all their main characters in their own universe. But no we have to wait so long cause we have to keep starting over and build a foundation first and then have everything slowly sprawl from that. Cavill should be on his 4th Superman solo movie by now. Aquaman trilogy should also be in the books by now.

I cant just sit down and read an entire Supergirl series from any era cause its injected with so much bull **** from "events" that I have to put the comic down and pick up my phone to access Wikimedia to find out what's going on every other issue. Wait what??? Why is Supergirl and Powergirl stuck on Candor all of a sudden? What does this have to do with anything??????

Ok I'm calm now. I'm surprised Rambo Terminator and Die Hard hasn't been retconned to exist in same universe.

[Vakanai]

Agreed. Used to I was with everyone else, thinking the shared universe was a neat-o concept. 20 to 30 MCU movies in, 10-ish DCEU movies in, 2 to 3 failed "Dark Universe" reboots in, one sucky DCAMU in and a second starting up, 4 Monsterverse movies in, Star Wars expanding and expanding in, it's just like "enough already!" One shared universe is fine. Maybe two is fine. A shared universe that stretches for like a decade is kind of fine. But this is just too much already! There can only be one MCU alright, and we got it already! That is enough for everyone! And besides, the shared universe really is limiting, great for team up movies but restraining on what the solo films can do. And frankly, I've gotten over the need to see all my favorite heroes having to crossover and team up. We could go a decade without another crossover and I'd be fine with it. It needs to be given a break, or it stops being special.


All that said - why is this thread in the DC section specifically?

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

It's a cool gimmick but it can outstay its welcome. I just stopped taking it seriously and just read the comics I was interested in.

[CosmiComic]

Personally, I like it. It makes the universe seem bigger and more expansive. The problem comes when the individual characters don't get fleshed out enough.

But hasn't this been a thing for over 60 years in comics?

[MoneySpider]

Do WE live in a shared universe?

[Vakanai]

But hasn't this been a thing for over 60 years in comics?

Yes. But problem is only the comics were shared universes. And those two shared universe were "loose" on continuity for the majority of those decades with a rotating audience of kids.

Now with many shared universes across media and an emphasis on continuity aimed at an older audience? It's kind of a lot.

Do WE live in a shared universe?

Yes. What does that have to do with anything here though? We can't fly our punch out holes in buildings yet comics don't reflect that reality.

[Lightning Rider]

The Teen Titans.
The JSA.
Booster & Ted Kord.
Clark & Bruce.
Barry and Ralph/Hal & Ollie and Dinah.
Ray and Carter.
Wally and Dick/Kyle.

A DCU where those relationships didn't exist is poorer.

I think a bigger obstacle to a more fluid movie schedule is having to go through origins all the time. I think the next time they launch a Justice League movie, they should just launch it with a brand new cast right away. People are familiar enough with the characters at this point to just accept a universe in which superheroes and super-villains exist. The DCAU established their new JL team in an hour with "Secret Origins", a 2-hour movie should be able to introduce them as already existing team members without much trouble. Split them up in groups and let their personalities bounce off of each other from the jump.

[Lightning Rider]

Some of my favorite comics and stories are standalone. Everything in it serves the story alone, and the characters' impact on the world around them isn't at all confined by the existence of anyone else.

That said, some of my favorite comics and stories involve long-lasting relationships. Friendships, romances, rivalries - those come with time and overlapping world-building. When heroes pair up and relate to each other, or experience each other's contexts with new perspectives, it creates tons of potential.

I get the fatigue, but there's a way to have the best of both worlds. It just requires a level of planning that WB isn't interested in and DC Editorial has struggled with given the obstacles and oddities of the direct market.

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

In comics, in tv, in movies, in everything. Why is everyone so obsessed with everything having to connect to everything else?

DC could have had so many movies out by now for all their main characters in their own universe. But no we have to wait so long cause we have to keep starting over and build a foundation first and then have everything slowly sprawl from that. Cavill should be on his 4th Superman solo movie by now. Aquaman trilogy should also be in the books by now.

I cant just sit down and read an entire Supergirl series from any era cause its injected with so much bull **** from "events" that I have to put the comic down and pick up my phone to access Wikimedia to find out what's going on every other issue. Wait what??? Why is Supergirl and Powergirl stuck on Candor all of a sudden? What does this have to do with anything??????

Ok I'm calm now. I'm surprised Rambo Terminator and Die Hard hasn't been retconned to exist in same universe.

People like the idea of a story that connects with another story. It allows the world to feel bigger than it is.

If you don't like it, that's fine. Just maybe DC and Marvel aren't for you anymore. I agree with Sigfighter, you should go read some indies.

[lemonpeace]

I mean, weird hill to die on considering that's been the conceit of DC and Marvel since just about all of us have been alive; definitely been the case longer than it hasn't in the history of these companies. it's like when people try to lampshade superhero costumes and superpowers, it doesn't make much sense to invest in this particular niche if you don't buy into it's tropes and conventions. like Sigfighter pointed out there are other publishers that aren't centered around the shared universe concept; hell, there's also Webtoons (where you can support starving artists) and Manga (which is as popular as ever), and those are both typically standalone and super accessible. DC comics isn't the end all be all in graphic storytelling media, it's ok to just cherry pick and move on to other content.

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

Ok. I guess I thought it didn't work without them really interacting

You might like Penny Dreadful. That's basically Universal's Dark Universe done right.

Idk. That's like wondering why the army doesn't defeat the mob IMO. For me the bigger problem is the lack of permanent change

That's less a shared universe problem and more a storytelling problem. Most ongoing stories don't really change until the end. This is easier to spot in tv shows and such because closer to the end, they start wrapping things up.

[CosmiComic]

You might like Penny Dreadful. That's basically Universal's Dark Universe done right.

That's less a shared universe problem and more a storytelling problem. Most ongoing stories don't really change until the end. This is easier to spot in tv shows and such because closer to the end, they start wrapping things up.

I see. I personally don't think it's unreasonable for different heroes to not engage with each other all the time. Different situations may call for different power levels and so forth. If villains actually remained locked up, it wouldn't be a problem. But I think comics could do better by allowing the characters to age and evolve

[Vakanai]

I see. I personally don't think it's unreasonable for different heroes to not engage with each other all the time. Different situations may call for different power levels and so forth. If villains actually remained locked up, it wouldn't be a problem. But I think comics could do better by allowing the characters to age and evolve

If they did, we wouldn't have the characters we know and love today. With age and evolution comes death and new characters taking over. And I'm just not interested in some new Batman who isn't Bruce or a Superman who isn't Clark. A lot of people don't want these characters to change out.

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

I see. I personally don't think it's unreasonable for different heroes to not engage with each other all the time. Different situations may call for different power levels and so forth. If villains actually remained locked up, it wouldn't be a problem. But I think comics could do better by allowing the characters to age and evolve

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.

[BohemiaDrinker]

I'm surprised Rambo Terminator and Die Hard hasn't been retconned to exist in same universe.

Heh.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qn4xYUudWYg