Is DC KNOCKING IT OUT OF THE PARK right now?

[BatmanJones]

Am I happy with the state of the DCU right now? Nope. Things are improving in certain areas, but for the most part, the characters I care about either aren't around in any form or aren't in the positions I'd most like them to be in, to say nothing of the fustercluck that is the timeline right now and the slight possibility that the garbage future presented in Doomsday Clock will actually become the status quo.

No offense intended but if you're basing your opinion about the D-Clock future purely on recaps and reviews and posts, but are not reading it, you really can't know whether you'd like it or not. Readers of the series have incredible context through which to view the D-Clock future but you're missing out on the context.

Would you review a book you never read, based solely on what you've read about the book? Because that's sort of what you're doing here.

[BatmanJones]

Tell that to Nora Allen.

Nora Allen survived the Silver Age. Word to Mar-Vell: there is absolutely nothing wrong with having a Silver Age fetish, you're right. It was the age during which comics were most imaginative and fun.

[Assam]

Would you review a book you never read, based solely on what you've read about the book?

No, but if before I read the Harry Potter series someone had described Hogwarts to me, I'd be able to judge whether or not I thought it sounded like a cool setting.

[MajorHoy]

Tell that to Nora Allen.

Nora Allen survived the Silver Age.

Yes, she did.
But she couldn't survive Geoff Johns.

[BatmanJones]

Yes, she did.
But she couldn't survive Geoff Johns.

I didn't like that retcon either. I'm a huge Johns fan but every once in a while I deeply disagree with what he's done. This retcon was a total bummer, I agree. As the appreciation thread says Flash isn't supposed to be about tragedy.

I just don't think you can pin it on love of the Silver Age.

[BatmanJones]

No, but if before I read the Harry Potter series someone had described Hogwarts to me, I'd be able to judge whether or not I thought it sounded like a cool setting.

I would so happily gift #1 to you if you'd be willing to read it. If so, PM me your email and I will.

[Assam]

I would so happily gift #1 to you if you'd be willing to read it. If so, PM me your email and I will.

I did read the first issue when it came out. It didn't interest me at all.

[Mar-Vell]

Nora Allen survived the Silver Age. Word to Mar-Vell: there is absolutely nothing wrong with having a Silver Age fetish, you're right. It was the age during which comics were most imaginative and fun.

Damn straight, Batman Jones, and sadly we'll never see anything like it again. However, all is not lost, because DC is absolutely knocking it out of the park right now!

You don't believe me? Just check out the votes my friend.

[MajorHoy]

. . . However, all is not lost, because DC is absolutely knocking it out of the park right now!

You don't believe me? Just check out the votes my friend.

Actually, you have more people choosing one of the "NOT SURE" options (53 total at the moment) than the 32 people (currently) that voted straight-up "Yes!"

I'm not sure that even qualifies as an "inside-the-park home run" yet.

[Trey Strain]

I will say that the management shakeup makes the company look better to me than it did a couple of days ago.

[BatmanJones]

Damn straight, Batman Jones, and sadly we'll never see anything like it again. However, all is not lost, because DC is absolutely knocking it out of the park right now!

You don't believe me? Just check out the votes my friend.

The votes are very encouraging and indicate there's a sizable group of lurkers that isn't nearly as vocal about their happiness with DC lately than the group that dislikes the current direction. Major Hoy did some voodoo economics on the poll results but it's common in polling to group the two positive categories ("Yes" and "not sure but confident") and the two negative categories ("No" and "not sure but skeptical"). The result there is 66% to 44%. In some polls that result would be a very clear victory and in others it would be less instructive. But on a comic book fan site where there is always so much division, where there are always many posters that remember me to Comic Book Guy ("worst publisher/era EVER"), that's a clear win. If only 66% of vocal posters were optimistic. It seems many of those that are keep their mouths shut for fear of having their heads bitten off. But on a comics fan site 66-44 is a very clear win.

[MajorHoy]

. . . Major Hoy did some voodoo economics on the poll results . . .

You know, not only am I tired of a lot of what DC is putting out these days, but I'm tired of people who complain because I'm saying what I feel about DC.
So much for this site. Nobody seems to want me around.

[WTNew]

No offense intended but if you're basing your opinion about the D-Clock future purely on recaps and reviews and posts, but are not reading it, you really can't know whether you'd like it or not. Readers of the series have incredible context through which to view the D-Clock future but you're missing out on the context.

Would you review a book you never read, based solely on what you've read about the book? Because that's sort of what you're doing here.

DC is certainly producing better books than they have in years. Even though continuity is in flux, at least the characters are recognizable these days. "Knocking it out of the park" might be over-stating things, but the DCU hasn't been this good in years.

However, the main point of worry for me is Doomsday Clock. While the current DCU in general has a less grim and angsty vibe than it has had since before Identity Crisis, D-Clock is wallowing in the muck and mire that was Watchmen. Don't get me wrong -- Watchmen was a great read, but its influence has nearly destroyed the superhero genre.

Doomsday Clock has (so far) been a very poor re-working of Watchmen -- a sequel that did not need to happen. It could be that future issues will prove me wrong -- and I hope that happens -- but the plodding pace and depressing tone makes it hard to keep interest between long release dates. I was hoping Johns would take the Watchmen characters and concepts and turn them on their heads, just as Alan Moore did with superhero archetypes in his original work. Instead we are getting a thin retread that reads like fan-fiction.

Johns is better than this and the DCU characters -- and its fans -- deserver better.

[PunishedFire]

I know I'm really enjoying Damage and Bane Conquest. Might start picking up more stuff soon too. Deathstroke v Batman by Priest will be something I have to get as well.

[Godzilla2099]

I buy several titles a month. So far, I'll say DC is in far better shape than its been in quite some time

- Green Lantern: The book I bought religiously when Geoff Jones launched Rebirth. I had zero expectations when Vendetti took over. At first I couldn't stand it to the point where even I dropped it. Now its really good. I can't exactly remember when it picked up (probably after the gauntlet storyline) but so far I've been really enjoying it.

- Superman: Only a few issues on Man of Steel but man, I haven't been this happy with Superman's Comic in a long time. Bendis really got Superman's Character down. So far the characterization and plot is getting me hooked. This is the book I look forward to the most.

- Batman: Really depends on the the story and where its at. I mainly read it for the ideas and to keep up.

- New Superman: Shame it ended but I really liked that book.

What I'd like to see

- Cassandra Cain: Would it really hurt to have two Batgirls? She was my favorite heroine. (Before Nu52. This current version has none of her strengths but all her limitations)

- Hal Jordan and Martian Manhunter as in the Justice League