DiDio Details More of DC's "Convergence" Event

[CBR News]

DC Co-Publisher Dan DiDio has revealed more about the "Convergence" event, including a tease that took place in the first year of the New 52.


Full article here.

[Matt D]

I think that if Didio thinks the problem with the New 52 relative to Crisis or Zero Hour is mainly one of "not getting proper closure," he's going to be sorely disappointed. That just shows a severe lack of understanding his audience. I think it's more than that. It's him taking a look at the situation and trying to find an answer palatable to him, one that works within the world they've created. "Well, if we do this little band-aid, everything will be alright." I don't think that'll be the case at all and it's unfortunate that he's misread the audience so severely.

[Mooper Films]

So, let me get this straight... Convergence is to tie up those last loose ends from pre-52 and then lead into what ever has been planned since the launch of the New 52? Well, at least they will clean up story lines I carea bout like Hourman/Jesse Quick's baby, JSA's new city and the married Lois and Clark.

[geomon]

DiDio continues to be wrong. Shocker!

[RobinFan4880]

I think that if Didio thinks the problem with the New 52 relative to Crisis or Zero Hour is mainly one of "not getting proper closure," he's going to be sorely disappointed. That just shows a severe lack of understanding his audience. I think it's more than that. It's him taking a look at the situation and trying to find an answer palatable to him, one that works within the world they've created. "Well, if we do this little band-aid, everything will be alright." I don't think that'll be the case at all and it's unfortunate that he's misread the audience so severely.

This is a two month filler event. He's trying to spin it in a way that will get people buying into the core concept rather than skipping two months worth of comics.

[Kid A]

I think that if Didio thinks the problem with the New 52 relative to Crisis or Zero Hour is mainly one of "not getting proper closure," he's going to be sorely disappointed. That just shows a severe lack of understanding his audience. I think it's more than that. It's him taking a look at the situation and trying to find an answer palatable to him, one that works within the world they've created. "Well, if we do this little band-aid, everything will be alright." I don't think that'll be the case at all and it's unfortunate that he's misread the audience so severely.

Tell me more about this monolithic "the audience."

[GlennSimpson]

I think that if Didio thinks the problem with the New 52 relative to Crisis or Zero Hour is mainly one of "not getting proper closure," he's going to be sorely disappointed. That just shows a severe lack of understanding his audience. I think it's more than that. It's him taking a look at the situation and trying to find an answer palatable to him, one that works within the world they've created. "Well, if we do this little band-aid, everything will be alright." I don't think that'll be the case at all and it's unfortunate that he's misread the audience so severely.

Didio actually doesn't think there's any major problem at all; he's just pointing out an opportunity they have to accomplish one small thing here.

He is well aware of the concerns of the small group of "fans" who are entirely too wrapped up in continuity to enjoy anything; he just knows nothing is really going to make them happy and they don't make up a very big percentage of the readership anyway.

This is a two month filler event. He's trying to spin it in a way that will get people buying into the core concept rather than skipping two months worth of comics.

This too. This was not a real news interview - it's a PR/marketing piece designed to get people excited about the books.

[Dark_Tzitzimine]

I'd say this will put to rest any idea of the N52 coming to an end or getting the old DCU back on some level.

It definitely sparked my interest on Convergence's first week.

[Matt D]

I think the most impressive thing to me as a brand that DC has ever accomplished is the level that they've schismed their audience. For years it was basically just the Legion of Super-Heroes fans that they had the problem with, which is why they could never successfully relaunch the book. Now it's line wide. I'm not the entirety of the audience, but there's a core that has absolutely been alienated, and there's been a lot of turnover from people who were reading five years ago and those reading now. A lot of people jumped on with the new #1s but sales aren't that far off from where they were.

Didio actually doesn't think there's any major problem at all; he's just pointing out an opportunity they have to accomplish one small thing here.

I get that it's a PR piece too, but I think he framed his comments in a very particular way, not that it was an opportunity but that it was a solution. That's just how I'm reading it though.

[GlennSimpson]

I think the most impressive thing to me as a brand that DC has ever accomplished is the level that they've schismed their audience. For years it was basically just the Legion of Super-Heroes fans that they had the problem with, which is why they could never successfully relaunch the book. Now it's line wide.

Yes, now they have a lot of people who happily read their books every month, and a small vocal minority who just complain all the time.

[Sirzechs]

So before I heard that the old universe ended abruptly and that was one of the problem with the New52 but now when Didio says Convergence will address this fans change again and says Closure wasn't the problem? sigh.

[Poe]

Its like DC is trying their hardest to provide a good jumping off point for me. "Two months of good convergence stuff, and then we go back to the new 52 like nothing ever happened." One of these days, I'm going to take advantage

[RobinFan4880]

I think the most impressive thing to me as a brand that DC has ever accomplished is the level that they've schismed their audience. For years it was basically just the Legion of Super-Heroes fans that they had the problem with, which is why they could never successfully relaunch the book. Now it's line wide. I'm not the entirety of the audience, but there's a core that has absolutely been alienated, and there's been a lot of turnover from people who were reading five years ago and those reading now. A lot of people jumped on with the new #1s but sales aren't that far off from where they were.

There is no schism. Don't let the vocal minority skew your perspective.

Its like DC is trying their hardest to provide a good jumping off point for me. "Two months of good convergence stuff, and then we go back to the new 52 like nothing ever happened." One of these days, I'm going to take advantage

They are moving their offices from New York to Burbank. DC had two choices - run New 52 filler or run a big filler event. Either way, we get filler.

[Matt D]

That the old universe ended so abruptly and that the new one was such an editorial mess (which they've gotten far more under control in the last year or two it seems) was an issue and showed how rushed and poorly planned all of this was, sure. But the main issue is that the characters that people spent years getting invested and the runs that they spent years reading to create a personal history in their minds were gone overnight and replaced with something they didn't immediately catch them as being as worthwhile (be it due to the house art style, the more extreme feel of the first year or so of the new 52, the more artist-driven initiatives instead of writer-driven ones, or just due to sheer stubbornness and pettiness or any other reason under the sun).

I think that most (and I say most) people who spin it otherwise are being disingenuous for the sake of winning an internet argument and trying to seem like they have some more higher moral ground when it's simpler than that. They had something they liked, and loved, and spent years (most of their reading lives, for many) investing time and emotion in taken away. It's not rocket science.

When Crisis hit it was pretty much the same except for that the nature of fandom wasn't nearly as organized. Zero Hour is a worse comparison because that really didn't change all that much.

As for it being a "vocal minority," I think a lot of people who used to talk about DC comics just aren't anymore and other people are. I'd use "zero sum" instead of "vocal minority." I have a couple of websites I was on that were hugely into DC in the late 90s all the way up til a few years ago that are virtually dead now. A lot of people aren't complaining. They're just not reading anymore.

[blackbolt396]

Will all the books be $2.99?