The "Bat Cliff" Perch Gives His Thoughts About Current DC

[Alpha]

I can only speak for myself and people I know, but for me it boils down 4 things.

1) Subpar writing in comparison to Marvel as late. (Yes there have been some good runs at DC, but overall the quality is much better at Marvel)

Hold up, like what? I've heard great things about Immortal Hulk, I liked Hickman on X-men, and Eternals has been solid, but what are the other strong runs right now at Marvel? I'm not throwing hate, but when Donny Cates is the most celebrated writer at the company, I feel like like something is going wrong.

[Captain Nostalgia]

Hold up, like what? I've heard great things about Immortal Hulk, I liked Hickman on X-men, and Eternals has been solid, but what are the other strong runs right now at Marvel? I'm not throwing hate, but when Donny Cates is the most celebrated writer at the company, I feel like like something is going wrong.

Well we'll agree to disagree. Donny Cates writing (Venom/Thor) has been far better than the stuff over at DC.

And Zdarsky has absolutely knocked out of the park with Daredevil. (I'm currently reading it)

You've mentioned Hickman (though apparently he's become a bit unpopular?)

Gerry Duggan on the X men and apparently novelist Benjamin Percy on Wolverine.

I didn't realize you lost Mark Waid to DC, so we got one back, but overall when I pick up a Marvel comic, the writing is normally a grade better.

[Alpha]

Well we'll agree to disagree. Donny Cates writing (Venom/Thor) has been far better than the stuff over at DC.

I've heard people cry about Al Ewing being replaced with Donny Cates.

I haven't actually read his stories for the last few years (I liked his Thanos Wins story but was bored by his Guardians run) but from what I understand he has spent it all making the entire Marvel Universe the playground for his dumb creation of the Necro God or something. And I don't see the appeal there. I mean, why would the symbiotes have a human looking god when none of them look like humans? (This is a rethorical question, no answer will satisfy me) and on top of all that, the guy looks like any generic cover for a heavy metal band. I feel like that symbiotes crossover lasted 2 years. Kept me far away from any Marvel comic.

Anyway yeah I heard Daredevil was good. I haven't cared about anything Zdarsky wrote at DC so I might not like it either (and I've never been a big fan of Daredevil to begin) but I might check it out one day. Daredevil is in prison wearing an orange mask right? That sounds fun.

I tried to get into the rest of the X-men line but it was just too much for me, I wanna go back and read a single comic not written by Hickman (whom I liked) but it's scary because od how much they all connected at first. I guess I'll check put Gerry Duggan right now, haven't heard him do anything interesting though.

Anyway,

DC has the bombastic Warworld Saga over at Action Comics. Everyone that reads it just loves it.

I heard great things about Swamp Thing

It has a solid Wonder Woman line right now with 3 different cannon books, exploring really cool worldbuilding. (the main Wonder Woman book doesn't have much worldbuilding but it has been so much fun)

Green Lantern has a cool writer right now, and I love his characterizations and the way he has handled the United Planets and the new role of the GL Corps, I just wish he would abandon the idea of the Battery being destroyed.

I only reas the first few issues of Flash but everyone says it has been solid, fun and cool.

If you like Suicide Squad they seem to be doing interesting things

Of course everyone says Nightwing is great but I'm not very into that character

Suicide Squad seems to be an interesting book if you like that concept

And there are other books I won't be commenting on.

[Captain Nostalgia]

I've heard people cry about Al Ewing being replaced with Donny Cates.

I haven't actually read his stories for the last few years (I liked his Thanos Wins story but was bored by his Guardians run) but from what I understand he has spent it all making the entire Marvel Universe the playground for his dumb creation of the Necro God or something. And I don't see the appeal there. I mean, why would the symbiotes have a human looking god when none of them look like humans? (This is a rethorical question, no answer will satisfy me) and on top of all that, the guy looks like any generic cover for a heavy metal band. I feel like that symbiotes crossover lasted 2 years. Kept me far away from any Marvel comic.

Anyway yeah I heard Daredevil was good. I haven't cared about anything Zdarsky wrote at DC so I might not like it either (and I've never been a big fan of Daredevil to begin) but I might check it out one day. Daredevil is in prison wearing an orange mask right? That sounds fun.

I tried to get into the rest of the X-men line but it was just too much for me, I wanna go back and read a single comic not written by Hickman (whom I liked) but it's scary because od how much they all connected at first. I guess I'll check put Gerry Duggan right now, haven't heard him do anything interesting though.

Anyway,

DC has the bombastic Warworld Saga over at Action Comics. Everyone that reads it just loves it.

I heard great things about Swamp Thing

It has a solid Wonder Woman line right now with 3 different cannon books, exploring really cool worldbuilding. (the main Wonder Woman book doesn't have much worldbuilding but it has been so much fun)

Green Lantern has a cool writer right now, and I love his characterizations and the way he has handled the United Planets and the new role of the GL Corps, I just wish he would abandon the idea of the Battery being destroyed.

I only reas the first few issues of Flash but everyone says it has been solid, fun and cool.

If you like Suicide Squad they seem to be doing interesting things

Of course everyone says Nightwing is great but I'm not very into that character

Suicide Squad seems to be an interesting book if you like that concept

And there are other books I won't be commenting on.

DC's flagship writer

Well I think the general consensus is that our flagship writer at DC (Bendis) has been underperforming (His Legion was horrendous, but I've harped on about it long enough)

I would really like to see Bendis on Green Arrow or the Question. He's a street fighting writer, and I find DC is at its best when good writers are writing something other than the trinity.

Batman

Our second in top tier writer James Tynion (Who now left) was okay....his JLD was good, but I don't think he was ready to head DC's premier title. His Batman wasn't great.
Mariko Tamaki on Detective Comics (Apparently this guy says fans say she is woke?) I'm not dialed into the politics so I didn't notice it, but again, I just found the writing subpar after the first story arch gave way.

Superman/Wonder Woman

I confess I don't read Superman or Wonder Woman that much, so you could be right, but maybe I will check out Action Comics if Mark Waid is on it.

Flash

The writer was good I don't know why I stopped. I'm one of those rare 50% Barry 50% Wally fans, so maybe I just came off the high of Williamson's run, and finally got use to the switch, to have things switch back to Wally again, which they haven't promoted very well. (I know hardcore Wally fans who quit comics after wiping him from existence that had no clue he was headlining)

I think this is part of DC's problem sales wise. Too many of the same people running around in the same uniform. Everyone has their favourite, and has become partial to who they want to support.

PS; Williamson is good, but after reading his Roy Harper stuff...couldn't write a street fighting hero if his life depended on it)

Green Lantern

I disagree, subpar writing and the sales reflect it, (I don't think it boils down to the character) but I couldn't get into it. Mind you I couldn't get into Morrison's Green Lantern run either. Personal taste I guess.

Other titles

Suicide Squad

Personal taste again I suppose. I'm a fan of the Peacemaker so I was behind the book, but I find the writing subpar and scattered. I dropped it a while back.
(It's also only Suicide Squad in name only to ole school fans....so it's days are numbered.)

I am looking forward to picking up Garth Ennis's Peacemaker though

Blue and Gold

I'm enjoying it, but Dan Jurgens is super old school. He must be in his 70's now.

I heard that DC is aiming to attract a younger audience with its writing? I think that would be a mistake. When I was in Elementary school my friends and I preferred all the violent adult stuff (Question, Vigilante ect)....but than again, today's generation is....let's be kind....softer.

Hmmm, part of the problem to could be that I prefer non trinity titles, so maybe I got lucky and spoiled over the decades.

[Aahz]

And he definitely indulges comicsgate dudes with his channel and has some weirdass complaints himself.

He talks with peoples from both sides, and goes often more for a business perspective than for a political one. Even if his brand of humor is likely not everybodies taste.

He has several videos he made together with people like Sean Gordon Murphy, Jeff Thorne or Joe Corallo, that I don't think people would associate. And I don't think that he has sofar ever made any collaboration with any of the big comics gaters.

He makes often collaboration with Thinking Critical, which is more right leaning but still quite moderate imo.

[SixSpeedSamurai]

DC's flagship writer

Well I think the general consensus is that our flagship writer at DC (Bendis) has been underperforming (His Legion was horrendous, but I've harped on about it long enough)

I would really like to see Bendis on Green Arrow or the Question. He's a street fighting writer, and I find DC is at its best when good writers are writing something other than the trinity.

The Flagship writer gets Batman. Bendis might be the highest profile writer (based on past work), but I wouldn't call him the flagship writer at DC. I'd probably put that on Williamson now with Batman, Robin, Deathstroke, and his Justice League stories coming. At this point, does Bendis have anything besides Naomi S2 that he's writing?

My current favorite at DC is Tom Taylor. He's knocking it out of the park on Nightwing.

[shooshoomanjoe]

Who?
………..

Dude's a birther. Can't take anyone like that seriously.

[jetengine]

I'm sorry, this isn't some crap social media has made up. It's all true especially at DC during New 52, but in general during the Didio era. Editors were encouraged to micromanage and writers were taken off books either at the whim of the editor or at the whims of Didio himself. Some recent noteworthy examples of this were Tomasi/Gleason and Tom King getting kicked off Superman and Batman respectively despite promises of giving them 100 issues. Tomasi/Gleason basically for Bendis and to kneecap Rebirth (it was getting too popular) and King apparently because Harras hated his writing. During New 52, people were getting kicked off in favor of former Marvel staff that were olds chums of Bob Harras's such as Rob Liefeld as well as people that were friends of Didio's. Also Greg Rucka's experience on Wonder Woman (he argued with Didio) and in general a lot of Superman/Action Comics writers from Infinite Crisis to well into New 52.

I'm pretty sure Hulk outselling Batman had a tad more to do with it then an individuals feelings.