Is the inability of DC to create new monikers a sign of stagnation?

[Gaius]

Man, the sooner fans learn to critique something that goes beyond "feels like fanfiction" the better off we'll all be.

[Aahz]

For example: Tynion created many new characters in Batman comic, but many fans hated this.

Yeah but the thing is the Bat Franchise has already way to many characters, and it would likely be better to just add one at a time and put some real effort behind it, and not add like half a dozen, that all kind of infringe on aspects of already existing characters...

[phonogram12]

Man, the sooner fans learn to critique something that goes beyond "feels like fanfiction" the better off we'll all be.

Well, it was in this thread or in another that Johns basically just rewrites stories from his childhood and simply adds more gratuitous violence to the story. It just seems like that's all he really does with the notable exception of Stargirl for obvious reasons.

[ultradav]

There have been some however the consistency has NOT been there.

In some case the price of that success led some to being trashed later on or not being used again.

Whose fault is it Steel has had NOTHING since his 5 year solo run?

Impulse had a decent run as did Lobo. Who screwed it up? And NO Crush did not screw up Lobo-New 52 did that.

Because your editors and good old boy network won't use them and others. Except to kill off in crappy events.

Who failed Vixen the fans or DC management?

Yet she can find fans on tv shows.

Those are still all either pre Crisis or legacy characters. But I agree. If the character doesn't have a solid sense of nostalgia and history, then they're treated as disposable as soon as their creator lets go of them.

[thwhtGuardian]

True. I should mention that many comic fans won't appreciate if writers start to create many new characters.

For example: Tynion created many new characters in Batman comic, but many fans hated this.

Many fans hated them because they were poorly written.

[Zero Hunter]

I think the problem is too many new characters are created then just shelved right away. Look at the Teen Titans and how many new characters were created in the last 10 years. The problem is most of these new characters were just not that good. Of them all I think only Bunker has any real potential. Writers and DC editorial need to have a decent plan in place when they introduce new characters instead of just "oh this character looks cool lets throw them in a book" mentality.

[phonogram12]

Those are still all either pre Crisis or legacy characters. But I agree. If the character doesn't have a solid sense of nostalgia and history, then they're treated as disposable as soon as their creator lets go of them.

While I'm enjoying a number of their books at the moment, one of my least favorite things about DC is just how driven by nostalgia the company is. With the exception of the scant few concepts/characters the company has come up with the past few years, it really does seem to be the place where new ideas come to die.

[Lee Stone]

I was working on my own indie comic at one time, and thought it would be cool to do something with super-heroes.
I brainstormed for about 30 minutes for some character ideas, then spent days googling names to find that most, if not all, were already in use.

There's a reason why, when Image was threatening to be big into super-heroes and not failing like DC & Marvel expected them to, the Big Two both put out the '93 Annuals where they trademarked a bunch of super-hero names. Especially ones that sounded 'edgy' like what Image would put out.

Comic IPs and trademarks are much more valuable today than they were before the '80s and '90s.

[Zero Hunter]

A big problem is even when a new character is created it seems that as soon as a new writer comes on they are shelved. This happens so often. Take the Nu52 Teen Titans. They created 3 new characters Bunker, Skitter, and Solstice. Skitter was a non starter from the get. Solstice started decent then flopped. Then there is Bunker who most fans really seemed to take to. He was fun

[thefinalguy]

A big problem is even when a new character is created it seems that as soon as a new writer comes on they are shelved. This happens so often. Take the Nu52 Teen Titans. They created 3 new characters Bunker, Skitter, and Solstice. Skitter was a non starter from the get. Solstice started decent then flopped. Then there is Bunker who most fans really seemed to take to. He was fun

Exactly. It feels like no one wants to reuse characters anymore. And, maybe it boils down to people wanting to create something but I give a writer who can utilize an older character and revitalize them for a story more credit.

In the case of those Titans, you can tell Skitter was just there to be an extra number, she didn't make it to the end of that run.

No reason Bunker shouldn't have remained in stories in the past 11 years, it doesn't help he's trapped in a generation of heroes that no one knows what to do with.

And, they dropped the ball on Solistice by making her turn into a "dark cloud" figure, which completely sucked out all of her potential. She looked much more interesting pre-N52.

Another reason new characters can't stick: the next writer to touch them does a terrible job of going off their momentum.

[Lee Stone]

A big problem is even when a new character is created it seems that as soon as a new writer comes on they are shelved. This happens so often. Take the Nu52 Teen Titans. They created 3 new characters Bunker, Skitter, and Solstice. Skitter was a non starter from the get. Solstice started decent then flopped. Then there is Bunker who most fans really seemed to take to. He was fun

I liked Starling, and was surprised DC ruined her when she would've totally appealed to steampunk and dieselpunk fans if they just did something (positive) with her.

[skyvolt2000]

Those are still all either pre Crisis or legacy characters. But I agree. If the character doesn't have a solid sense of nostalgia and history, then they're treated as disposable as soon as their creator lets go of them.

Say that again for the folks in the back....

Exactly. It feels like no one wants to reuse characters anymore. And, maybe it boils down to people wanting to create something but I give a writer who can utilize an older character and revitalize them for a story more credit.

There are writers who would LOVE to use established folks but get told NO by EDITORS.

Would we have Harper Row if writers could have used Stephanie Brown and Cassandra Cain?

For example: Tynion created many new characters in Batman comic, but many fans hated this.
Many fans hated them because they were poorly written.

And how many of them got stuff Vixen, Huntress and others could get?

Do you know how many of those Batman Secret Files NOT starring Duke I could get for 25 cent at various cons and my comic shop? Duke was the only one who sold out at my store. Everyone else was in bulk.

And, they dropped the ball on Solistice by making her turn into a "dark cloud" figure, which completely sucked out all of her potential. She looked much more interesting pre-N52.

Funny thing is she was added at Static's expense. Because according to the writer "he wasn't A list enough". Yeah get rid of the guy who was the ONLY person on that team who held a hit tv show that did NOT need Batman or Superman.

And create a new person that could have ended up like the original version of Aqualad because of New 52.

[Konja7]

There are writers who would LOVE to use established folks but get told NO by EDITORS.

Would we have Harper Row if writers could have used Stephanie Brown and Cassandra Cain?

I think it's pretty possible Snyder will still create Harper. Writers really like to create new characters.

I've understood Harper has a cameo in Batman#1 because Snyder wanted to use Cassandra but he wasn't allowed. However, it has never been said he created Harper because he couldn't use Stephanie or Cassandra.

That said, the point is many writers don't care about using characters created by other writers. This doesn't apply so much to recognized, but new characters ecently created.

Do you know how many of those Batman Secret Files NOT starring Duke I could get for 25 cent at various cons and my comic shop? Duke was the only one who sold out at my store. Everyone else was in bulk.

I have no idea. We don't even know how much Batman Secret Files starring Duke that specific shop ordered. So, the comparison with other Batman Secret Files wouldn't say much.

[Aahz]

Do you know how many of those Batman Secret Files NOT starring Duke I could get for 25 cent at various cons and my comic shop? Duke was the only one who sold out at my store. Everyone else was in bulk.

Might be because Duke's was according to comichron the least ordered of the series.

Acoording to that side the orders were like that:
Huntress: 39K
Signal: 23K
Clownhunter: 31K
Miracle Molly: 47K
Peacekeeper-01: 31.8K

I guess retailers drastically over estimated how "hot" the new characters were, or thought they might sell better because their stories were (opposed Duke's) actually connected to what was going in in Batman or TEC.

Btw. I kind of lost track, is his current story in Urban Legends a follow up to the secret files story, or to something else?

[Digifiend]

A big problem is even when a new character is created it seems that as soon as a new writer comes on they are shelved. This happens so often. Take the Nu52 Teen Titans. They created 3 new characters Bunker, Skitter, and Solstice. Skitter was a non starter from the get. Solstice started decent then flopped. Then there is Bunker who most fans really seemed to take to. He was fun

Solstice is actually the last Teen Titan introduced before Flashpoint, so Lobdell isn't her creator.