Resurrection of the Off-Topic Thread

[Scott Taylor]

Succinctly?

They've embraced their legacy.

Well said. It feels like a homecoming of sorts to a simpler time in the DC universe when all was as it should be and 'edgy' was still relegated to just a couple of Frank Miller and Alan Moore stories.

[oldschool]

Succinctly?

They've embraced their legacy.

They've gone back to the core concepts instead of trying to de-age their characters and make them 'edgy.'

The individual books all read like their best selves, while also quietly seeding a well-crafted mystery involving mysterious players who have stolen ten years from the DC Universe.

There are some really cool elements in play for older fans, like New 52 Superman apparently dying and imbuing Lois and Lana with Kryptonian energy. Lois gets the traditional powerset, and Lana ends up with the Electric Superman powers.

Psycho Pirate is running around the Bat-verse.

Stuff like that.

So, not to give too much away, Geoff Johns has been personally involved in threading these mysteries throughout each book, working closely with the creative teams. As a result, there's not the kind of editorial chaos you generally expect from a DC 'Crisis' event.

But the biggest distinction, at least for me, is that where other DC 'Crisis' events have typically felt like a long goodbye, this feels like hello.

DC is finally saying yes, you can have your cake and eat it too.

And the quality across the board is the best it's ever been.

You should definitely give the first BATMAN and TEC arcs a read, oldschool.

Sounds interesting. Thanks, David. This also makes me wonder if maybe Marvel shouldn't follow a similar path.....their current output is largely rehashed epics and replacing iconic heroes with minority counterparts. Hardly "House of Ideas"- level stuff. I miss the Marvel of the 1980's where they valued strong characterization over all else.

[David Walton]

Sounds interesting. Thanks, David. This also makes me wonder if maybe Marvel shouldn't follow a similar path.....their current output is largely rehashed epics and replacing iconic heroes with minority counterparts. Hardly "House of Ideas"- level stuff. I miss the Marvel of the 1980's where they valued strong characterization over all else.

I don't know, but it's interesting to note that Clark Kent and Peter Parker are both married with a kid, but only the Spider-Man story is 'imaginary.'

(And yes, I know they're all imaginary.)

[David Walton]

I've also got to say I really appreciate DC's twice-a-month @$3 format.

You've got stories that would have previously taken six months to resolve for $24 wrapped up in 3 months for $18.

[David Walton]

Well said. It feels like a homecoming of sorts to a simpler time in the DC universe when all was as it should be and 'edgy' was still relegated to just a couple of Frank Miller and Alan Moore stories.

One of the first things I noticed was how much kinder and more human Batman's characterization has been.

[Pav]

I read some Dr. Strange comics via Marvel Unlimited today and yesterday:

For the first time, I read Strange/Doom: Triumph and Torment, and yeah - it was totally awesome. I can see how the become an instant classic and of the best stories featuring either character.

I also read the Mystic Hands of Dr. Strange special - an oversized one-shot featuring various creators, including a little bit of Marcos Martin! This was really fun and made me want more of the same.

I also read Fear Itself: The Deep, which was fun but not weird enough for me.

Finally, I read the first six issues of the current ongoing. The ideas are interesting, and while there's definitely a lot of weirdness (especially concerning Doc's appetite), it doesn't have the psychedelic vibe I prefer. And Bachalo's art is hard to figure out at times. Still fun though.

-Pav, who is very limited in his reading of Dr. Strange...

[boots]

I don't know, but it's interesting to note that Clark Kent and Peter Parker are both married with a kid, but only the Spider-Man story is 'imaginary.'

(And yes, I know they're all imaginary.)

didn't the lois and clark thing start off as an alternate universe separate to the new 52? or did i make that up.

[Kevinroc]

didn't the lois and clark thing start off as an alternate universe separate to the new 52? or did i make that up.

The Lois and Clark thing started as a part of the Convergence event. At the end of the event, Lois, Clark, and their son were transported to the New 52 Universe at its beginnings and basically spent years working on the down low. Since Rebirth, the Pre-Flashpoint Clark has taken on the role of Superman for the world again.

Although the mysterious Mr. Oz has made some rather odd claims that things may not be what they appear.

[David Walton]

didn't the lois and clark thing start off as an alternate universe separate to the new 52? or did i make that up.

Well, yes and no. I guess it depends on how you define alternate universes.

The post-Crisis, pre-Flashpoint DCU which Lois and Clark came from was created with the intention of being the 'prime' universe and remained that way for over twenty years.

So it's not quite the same thing as Renew Your Vows, which was always conceived as an alternate universe, and remains that way now.

Kevinroc gave a great summation of DC Rebirth as it pertains to Superman, but I'd just add that a lot of fans feel like the 'ten missing years' mystery means that the post-Crisis universe never really went away. There are multiple DC characters who have regained memories of events which, theoretically, they never experienced. Barry remembers COIE, that he 'died,' and Wally West replaced him.

So what you're probably looking at with Rebirth is an attempt to reconcile all the DC Universes, instead of blowing them up and starting from scratch.

But just to be clear, I wasn't saying either approach is good or bad, just that it's funny because the "hero is allowed to age, marry and raise a family in an alternate universe" thing has typically been associated with DC, not Marvel.

I mean, who would have put money down twenty-five years ago that the 'prime' Clark Kent would still be married (he was engaged at the time) and Peter Parker's marriage would be erased? That was very much a DC kind of twist back then!

[David Walton]

So my comic will be available on comixology next Wednesday.

Start saving that $1.99 now!

[Moral_Gutpunch]

So my comic will be available on comixology next Wednesday.

Start saving that $1.99 now!

Congrats! I'm hoping to get mine up on comixology in November

[David Walton]

Congrats! I'm hoping to get mine up on comixology in November

Thanks!

Have you already submitted your comic?

[Moral_Gutpunch]

Thanks!

Have you already submitted your comic?

I'm waiting for my artist to finish up the last details.

[Mister Mets]

So my comic will be available on comixology next Wednesday.

Start saving that $1.99 now!

Congrats. I know some people who had trouble getting approval, so there is certainly quality control

[oldschool]

So my comic will be available on comixology next Wednesday.

Start saving that $1.99 now!

Congrats!!