DC heroes who turn 75 this year. Any you think should be a bigger deal?

[Flash Gordon]

Dick Grayson/Robin, surely should get some love. The Flash too, perhaps.

Everyone else? Not really. The Green Lantern concept wasn't remotely the same back then, so it doesn't really count until Hal Jordan appears with the mythology of the character.

[andersonh1]

DC is currently trying to downplay their long history when it comes to the vast majority of their output. They consider it a liability, not something to be celebrated, which is sad. And how about those Flash 75th covers? Jay, the actual Flash who has been around 75 years, got one or two. They were all about Barry Allen, which is just mind-boggling.

Still, we're getting a few anniversary volumes, so they're not entirely ignoring it. Personally I think they should be trumpeting the fact that DC essentially created the superhero genre in the first place.

[Johnny Thunders!]

I would love a best of monster omnibus about the original JSA. DC digest reprinted Solomon Grundys rampage through the U.S. It predates the Avengers chasing the Hulk, and Grundy seems like a zombie Jethro, which is way better than the Hulk.

[Jim Kelly]

DC is currently trying to downplay their long history when it comes to the vast majority of their output. They consider it a liability, not something to be celebrated, which is sad. And how about those Flash 75th covers? Jay, the actual Flash who has been around 75 years, got one or two. They were all about Barry Allen, which is just mind-boggling.

Still, we're getting a few anniversary volumes, so they're not entirely ignoring it. Personally I think they should be trumpeting the fact that DC essentially created the superhero genre in the first place.

It is sad. I don't know who they think they're fooling. Usually whenever a movie comes out or a TV show debuts, I see these puff pieces in the local newspaper where they've dug through the history of the character--this gives the paper a chance to use a gaudy comic cover from the '40s or the '60s. Sometimes there will be an interview with the local comicshop proprietor who gives some dry, statistics laden quote about the history of said character. Same thing sometimes with local TV news shows.

But even if it somehow escapes anyone's knowledge that DC is 80 years old--hard to believe with today's social media--it just makes DC look worse in comparison to Marvel not better. Anything from DC that appears on screen is likely to seem derivative of Marvel to the uninformed. And people want to see the genuine article not the copycat. It helps DC's cause if people know that these ideas originated with DC (or Quality or Fawcett or Will Eisner) and not with Marvel and Stan Lee.

I think this is one thing that hurt GREEN LANTERN (and also the non-DC movie, JOHN CARTER)--despite the fact that my local news did give the 411. Had more been done to let people know the long history of Green Lantern, audiences might have been more receptive.

With all the hoopla about the Justice League in the next Superman/Batman movie, I find it doubtful that anyone thinks they're a new thing. But people probably do think the JLA is a copy of the Avengers--rather than the other way around. A little more press about the Justice League and the Justice Society would help DC to escape their growing image as a Marvel wannabe.

[The Kid]

I find it depressing that the Joker is being celebrated more than the Justice Society of America characters.

Why? The Joker is a pop culture icon. One of the few comic book characters to really be famous in the mainstream. He deserves his props as much as any character

[colonyofcells]

When a character was created is not really a big deal. Current sales is the big deal. Dc has created hundreds of characters that have already been forgotten. It is probably time to forget obsolete characters like Jay Garrick.

[Flash Gordon]

I still stand by Dick Grayson/Robin getting a celebratory anniversary, especially since his book is the best book at DC.

The JSA just aren't popular enough to stop the presses and give a shout out. Maybe some kind of alternate cover deal, maybe.

[GlennSimpson]

It is sad. I don't know who they think they're fooling. Usually whenever a movie comes out or a TV show debuts, I see these puff pieces in the local newspaper where they've dug through the history of the character--this gives the paper a chance to use a gaudy comic cover from the '40s or the '60s. Sometimes there will be an interview with the local comicshop proprietor who gives some dry, statistics laden quote about the history of said character. Same thing sometimes with local TV news shows.

But even if it somehow escapes anyone's knowledge that DC is 80 years old--hard to believe with today's social media--it just makes DC look worse in comparison to Marvel not better. Anything from DC that appears on screen is likely to seem derivative of Marvel to the uninformed. And people want to see the genuine article not the copycat. It helps DC's cause if people know that these ideas originated with DC (or Quality or Fawcett or Will Eisner) and not with Marvel and Stan Lee.

I think this is one thing that hurt GREEN LANTERN (and also the non-DC movie, JOHN CARTER)--despite the fact that my local news did give the 411. Had more been done to let people know the long history of Green Lantern, audiences might have been more receptive.

With all the hoopla about the Justice League in the next Superman/Batman movie, I find it doubtful that anyone thinks they're a new thing. But people probably do think the JLA is a copy of the Avengers--rather than the other way around. A little more press about the Justice League and the Justice Society would help DC to escape their growing image as a Marvel wannabe.

I'm not sure TV/movie audiences care one way or the other about whether a character is new or not. Percy Jackson and the Olympians made pretty good money (as far as I know) and it was a major rip-off. Back in the day, I asked around about why non-comics people seemed to go to see Thor more than Green Lantern that year, and the general reply was things like "Thought the guy playing Thor was better-looking than the guy playing Green Lantern" - these are not deep decisions.

I think DC drags out these "75th anniversary" things because to some extent it builds excitement in some areas and gives them an excuse to do the variant covers, with the covers being the thing that drives additional sales. Keeps them from having to come up with ideas like "bombshells" and "selfies" every time.

[Jim Kelly]

When I was a kid and I would see that guy with the funny hat and the blue pants--who is also supposed to be the Flash???--it piqued my curiosity. Of course that was the basic theory for DC covers and house ads back then--what the heck is going on here???--and then you'd have to buy the comic to find out. I guess since they now advertise everything that is going to happen in the comic book months ahead of it coming out, that approach doesn't work anymore.

[ultradav]

I guess we should do away with celebrating George Washington while we're at it. Geez.

[Pharozonk]

Why? The Joker is a pop culture icon. One of the few comic book characters to really be famous in the mainstream. He deserves his props as much as any character

He's also one of the overrated characters in comics. In fact, I would say he's one of the least interesting member of Batman's rogues gallery.

[The Kid]

He's also one of the overrated characters in comics. In fact, I would say he's one of the least interesting member of Batman's rogues gallery.

Overrated is rating his quality which is very subjective. What isn't as subjective is his popularity. I'd say he's one of the few DC characters that has worldwide mainstream popularity. Batman and Robin, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Joker are the only ones I can think have that.

Even if you do dislike him, many consider him to be one of the greatest if not the greatest comic book villains ever and since 2008, people consider him one of the greatest movie villains ever. His impact is surely greater than 99% of the DC Universe

[The Darknight Detective]

Overrated is rating his quality which is very subjective. What isn't as subjective is his popularity. I'd say he's one of the few DC characters that has worldwide mainstream popularity. Batman and Robin, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Joker are the only ones I can think have that.

Even if you do dislike him, many consider him to be one of the greatest if not the greatest comic book villains ever and since 2008, people consider him one of the greatest movie villains ever. His impact is surely greater than 99% of the DC Universe

Yep and I would still say that even if he wasn't my favorite super villain of all-time since 1970.

[Blacksun]

Doctor Fate, Hourman, and the Atom aren't important to the DCU? I'm not sure if you're being serious or not...

hourman no. but doctor Fate is really important

[andersonh1]

With regard to the "75 years" promotions, what that signifies is success. These characters have been around a long time because they have been generally popular. Sure, that popularity comes and goes, but DC and their most high profile characters have staying power. That's worth some anniversary notice, IMO.