Will The DC Relaunch Stick?

[StarBrand]

I think sales and market share will ultimately answer this question, don't you guys?

[400yrs]

I think sales and market share will ultimately answer this question, don't you guys?

Yep. So this is really a vote about the future of comics. Since this is the first real shot at digital, I hope they get it right. Jim Lee in charge doesn't inspire any confidence in timeliness.

[leonmallett]

DC has published several different Justice League and Green Lantern books, but has never, that I can recall, done the retro numbering that Marvel has.

Disclaimer: past performance does not guarantee future results.

I am actually looking forward to some of the new stuff.

Adventure Comics (under its recent relaunch) and Wonder Woman are at least 2 examples.

[Draco]

I think sales and market share will ultimately answer this question, don't you guys?

I would think so, but Marvel have a much larger chunk at this time and im not sure how many extra single unites Dc would have to sell to match them.

If DC are above Marvel in 6 months then it's a success all round. if they are below it may not be a failure, but that again depends on how many units away from Marvel they are.

[dhudson1]

DC has published several different Justice League and Green Lantern books, but has never, that I can recall, done the retro numbering that Marvel has.

Disclaimer: past performance does not guarantee future results.

I am actually looking forward to some of the new stuff.

Adventure Comics (under its recent relaunch) and Wonder Woman are at least 2 examples.

Yes, I forgot about WW, I don't remember Adventure doing that, but you are probably correct.

[Cyberstrike]

I have to say that I'm on board for this endeavor. I think DC is very brave to try this, when the potential to fail is very great, but I really feel like they're doing this in the best way possible by making a good jumping on point for new readers that seems to (from what little we know) be still acknowledging what came before for the major things that have been happening for current readers.

What seems clear to me is that they are trying to remain relevant to the largest part of the current readership by basically continuing what's been going on with the biggest-selling stories. There's no point in kowtowing to people who haven't been actively reading DC since the late '90s or even within the past few years. Their method seems to be to cut off most of the baggage of the admittedly cluttered/convoluted past and only bring along what has been appealing in maintaining readership and/or attracting new readers.

I would say that DC easily has the densest (most dense?) mythology simply because Marvel was basically founded on the concept of continuity where DC had to adopt that idea into their method of operation. I'm hoping that they have more or less (nothing is perfect) devised a way to pull new readers in while not dismissing the best of what has come before. I genuinely feel that DC has the overall strongest set of characters because they seem to--on the whole--beckon to those ancient archetypes where Marvel has always been more concerned with the here-and-now. I would argue that DC's past stories hold up better over time than Marvel's simply for that reason. Marvel appeals to current trends where DC appeals to a more timeless sensibility.

The problem is that the reason for this so-called "reboot" has already been contradicted by things that DC executives have already said. Batman and Hal Jordan are suppose to meet for the first time in the new JLA #1, and yet it's also been stated that events and stories where these characters have already met is still considered part of the DCU. The problem is that DC can't figure out how or even make a clean break from their tangled history and continuity and in the end it will be even more confusing for new readers to figure out.

If they had said that absolutely nothing from the 70+ years (including Flashpoint itself) of the DCU is no longer considered part of the DCU and that the new JLA #1 is the starting point of a new DCU and they show that they are willing to stick with it, then I might have given it a chance, instead they're cherry-picking and playing selective continuity which is something I loathe from all comic companies.

I also get the impression that this is an idea cooked up by Dan DiBio, Jim Lee, Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, and Bob Harras because they all say this was in works for years and yet it seems like they were the only ones that really knew and other creators seemed more confused by it.

[Lightning Strike]

The problem is that the reason for this so-called "reboot" has already been contradicted by things that DC executives have already said. Batman and Hal Jordan are suppose to meet for the first time in the new JLA #1, and yet it's also been stated that events and stories where these characters have already met is still considered part of the DCU. The problem is that DC can't figure out how or even make a clean break from their tangled history and continuity and in the end it will be even more confusing for new readers to figure out.

Exactly. As soon as they stated that some things were still in continuity and others were not, they set themselves up for failure. Green Lantern is still in continuity so all of those stories are. How do you explain that? You can't. This will simply be a 2 or 3 year run, people will pick up the books because they are "new and #1's", then the sales will drop and when DC realizes they made a mistake, they will go back to the old DCU.

[OmenSpirits.com]

Two words.


African. Batman!


(I just received a preview of the coming DC books with an order)




This all has longevity written ALL over it!

[BruceReville]

Two words.


African. Batman!


(I just received a preview of the coming DC books with an order)




This all has longevity written ALL over it!

Batwing - He's from Batman Inc. He is loosely based off a character that appeared in a kids story from Batman 250. Morrison introduced him as the African Batman in Batman Inc. #5.

[OmenSpirits.com]

6 issues, max.

[Chiclo]

DC has published several different Justice League and Green Lantern books, but has never, that I can recall, done the retro numbering that Marvel has.

Disclaimer: past performance does not guarantee future results.

I am actually looking forward to some of the new stuff.

Wonder Woman. The current volume changed numbering at 600. I forget where it was at before 600 but it was below 50.

[BruceReville]

DC has published several different Justice League and Green Lantern books, but has never, that I can recall, done the retro numbering that Marvel has.

Disclaimer: past performance does not guarantee future results.

I am actually looking forward to some of the new stuff.

Wonder Woman. The current volume changed numbering at 600. I forget where it was at before 600 but it was below 50.

#44

[dhudson1]

The problem is that the reason for this so-called "reboot" has already been contradicted by things that DC executives have already said. Batman and Hal Jordan are suppose to meet for the first time in the new JLA # it's also been stated that events and stories where these characters have already met is still considered part of the DCU. The problem is that DC can't figure out how or even make a clean break from their tangled history and continuity and in the end it will be even more confusing for new readers to figure out.

JLA 1 is set five years ago in the new continuity, this has been stated several times, so the stories they say are in continuity do not contradict the first meeting of Batman and GL

[400yrs]

The problem is that the reason for this so-called "reboot" has already been contradicted by things that DC executives have already said. Batman and Hal Jordan are suppose to meet for the first time in the new JLA # it's also been stated that events and stories where these characters have already met is still considered part of the DCU. The problem is that DC can't figure out how or even make a clean break from their tangled history and continuity and in the end it will be even more confusing for new readers to figure out.

JLA 1 is set five years ago in the new continuity, this has been stated several times, so the stories they say are in continuity do not contradict the first meeting of Batman and GL

I don't understand this. Can you explain?


When I read those 6 pages, I read it as a complete reboot because Batman and GL had to have met more than 5 years ago in continuity, right? Or are they saying that the DCU is only a few years old in continuity?

I don't get it. How is it in continuity?

[Cyberstrike]

The problem is that the reason for this so-called "reboot" has already been contradicted by things that DC executives have already said. Batman and Hal Jordan are suppose to meet for the first time in the new JLA # it's also been stated that events and stories where these characters have already met is still considered part of the DCU. The problem is that DC can't figure out how or even make a clean break from their tangled history and continuity and in the end it will be even more confusing for new readers to figure out.

JLA 1 is set five years ago in the new continuity, this has been stated several times, so the stories they say are in continuity do not contradict the first meeting of Batman and GL

I don't understand this. Can you explain?


When I read those 6 pages, I read it as a complete reboot because Batman and GL had to have met more than 5 years ago in continuity, right? Or are they saying that the DCU is only a few years old in continuity?

I don't get it. How is it in continuity?

I will say this: the four titles in Heroes Reborn line continuity wise made a whole more sense than the "new" DCU.

[leonmallett]

The problem is that the reason for this so-called "reboot" has already been contradicted by things that DC executives have already said. Batman and Hal Jordan are suppose to meet for the first time in the new JLA # it's also been stated that events and stories where these characters have already met is still considered part of the DCU. The problem is that DC can't figure out how or even make a clean break from their tangled history and continuity and in the end it will be even more confusing for new readers to figure out.

JLA 1 is set five years ago in the new continuity, this has been stated several times, so the stories they say are in continuity do not contradict the first meeting of Batman and GL

I don't understand this. Can you explain?


When I read those 6 pages, I read it as a complete reboot because Batman and GL had to have met more than 5 years ago in continuity, right? Or are they saying that the DCU is only a few years old in continuity?

I don't get it. How is it in continuity?

The headline heroes have been around about 5 years in the upcoming continuity; JLA starts its first arc '5 years ago' (along with Action Comics I think). In the present day therefore, there have been plenty of meetings between Batman and GL since that (new) first meetimng 5 years ago.

[400yrs]

The problem is that the reason for this so-called "reboot" has already been contradicted by things that DC executives have already said. Batman and Hal Jordan are suppose to meet for the first time in the new JLA # it's also been stated that events and stories where these characters have already met is still considered part of the DCU. The problem is that DC can't figure out how or even make a clean break from their tangled history and continuity and in the end it will be even more confusing for new readers to figure out.

JLA 1 is set five years ago in the new continuity, this has been stated several times, so the stories they say are in continuity do not contradict the first meeting of Batman and GL

I don't understand this. Can you explain?


When I read those 6 pages, I read it as a complete reboot because Batman and GL had to have met more than 5 years ago in continuity, right? Or are they saying that the DCU is only a few years old in continuity?

I don't get it. How is it in continuity?

The headline heroes have been around about 5 years in the upcoming continuity; JLA starts its first arc '5 years ago' (along with Action Comics I think). In the present day therefore, there have been plenty of meetings between Batman and GL since that (new) first meetimng 5 years ago.

Right. I got that. So..... that doesn't fit the old continuity, right?

[BruceReville]

The problem is that the reason for this so-called "reboot" has already been contradicted by things that DC executives have already said. Batman and Hal Jordan are suppose to meet for the first time in the new JLA # it's also been stated that events and stories where these characters have already met is still considered part of the DCU. The problem is that DC can't figure out how or even make a clean break from their tangled history and continuity and in the end it will be even more confusing for new readers to figure out.

JLA 1 is set five years ago in the new continuity, this has been stated several times, so the stories they say are in continuity do not contradict the first meeting of Batman and GL

I don't understand this. Can you explain?


When I read those 6 pages, I read it as a complete reboot because Batman and GL had to have met more than 5 years ago in continuity, right? Or are they saying that the DCU is only a few years old in continuity?

I don't get it. How is it in continuity?

The headline heroes have been around about 5 years in the upcoming continuity; JLA starts its first arc '5 years ago' (along with Action Comics I think). In the present day therefore, there have been plenty of meetings between Batman and GL since that (new) first meetimng 5 years ago.

Right. I got that. So..... that doesn't fit the old continuity, right?

Compared to the timeline in the back of Zero Hour #0 then no. JLA was formed 10 years in the past from that point back. This has to be considered a complete relaunch/reboot as a majority of past events could have never had happened within the 5 years indicated.

http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb2 ... meline.jpg

[400yrs]

Well, I hope this works to bring people in to comics.

I'm just sticking with Animal Man for Lemire and the artist and Batman for Snyder. It's the creators that I'm going with, not the characters....

[Jersen]

The problem is that the reason for this so-called "reboot" has already been contradicted by things that DC executives have already said. Batman and Hal Jordan are suppose to meet for the first time in the new JLA #1, and yet it's also been stated that events and stories where these characters have already met is still considered part of the DCU. The problem is that DC can't figure out how or even make a clean break from their tangled history and continuity and in the end it will be even more confusing for new readers to figure out.

If they had said that absolutely nothing from the 70+ years (including Flashpoint itself) of the DCU is no longer considered part of the DCU and that the new JLA #1 is the starting point of a new DCU and they show that they are willing to stick with it, then I might have given it a chance, instead they're cherry-picking and playing selective continuity which is something I loathe from all comic companies.

I also get the impression that this is an idea cooked up by Dan DiBio, Jim Lee, Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, and Bob Harras because they all say this was in works for years and yet it seems like they were the only ones that really knew and other creators seemed more confused by it.

If this is really that serious of a consideration then I would say this is being taken way too seriously, even for comic fans. I wonder if the Greeks or Vikings worried this seriously about the continuity of their mythology. I'm pretty firmly rooted in the school that I ultimately make up my own continuity. A story that I like that is very clearly left out of continuity in the new order I may personally decide just takes place at a later time, even if a story that is included from the same year IS included.

I also sometimes take the approach of creator-centric continuities.

One thing I know is that I love the John Byrne Superman relaunch and I haven't let what's happened lately ruin either that or the recent Superman stuff I've followed, nor will I let my love of the Byrne Superman ruin what's about to happen or let what's about to happen ruin the fact that I've loved the Byrne Superman setup since I was a little kid.

[Cyberstrike]

The problem is that the reason for this so-called "reboot" has already been contradicted by things that DC executives have already said. Batman and Hal Jordan are suppose to meet for the first time in the new JLA #1, and yet it's also been stated that events and stories where these characters have already met is still considered part of the DCU. The problem is that DC can't figure out how or even make a clean break from their tangled history and continuity and in the end it will be even more confusing for new readers to figure out.

If they had said that absolutely nothing from the 70+ years (including Flashpoint itself) of the DCU is no longer considered part of the DCU and that the new JLA #1 is the starting point of a new DCU and they show that they are willing to stick with it, then I might have given it a chance, instead they're cherry-picking and playing selective continuity which is something I loathe from all comic companies.

I also get the impression that this is an idea cooked up by Dan DiBio, Jim Lee, Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, and Bob Harras because they all say this was in works for years and yet it seems like they were the only ones that really knew and other creators seemed more confused by it.

If this is really that serious of a consideration then I would say this is being taken way too seriously, even for comic fans. I wonder if the Greeks or Vikings worried this seriously about the continuity of their mythology. I'm pretty firmly rooted in the school that I ultimately make up my own continuity. A story that I like that is very clearly left out of continuity in the new order I may personally decide just takes place at a later time, even if a story that is included from the same year IS included.

I also sometimes take the approach of creator-centric continuities.

One thing I know is that I love the John Byrne Superman relaunch and I haven't let what's happened lately ruin either that or the recent Superman stuff I've followed, nor will I let my love of the Byrne Superman ruin what's about to happen or let what's about to happen ruin the fact that I've loved the Byrne Superman setup since I was a little kid.

I think what DCE is doing is STUPID. I don't think it will work and it will in the long term it will hurt them.

[BruceReville]

Interesting Note: After reading the Editorial in this weeks Flashpoint comics it seems that the "Aftermath Of The Green Lantern Wars" and "Search For Swamp Thing" lead directly into the relaunch.

CrapCrapCrap!

[StarBrand]

Interesting Note: After reading the Editorial in this weeks Flashpoint comics it seems that the "Aftermath Of The Green Lantern Wars" and "Search For Swamp Thing" lead directly into the relaunch.

CrapCrapCrap!

Cool info.

[StarBrand]

Have you guys read the free preview to this launch? It says "continued in Justice League 1. If this short story isn't included in Justice League 1, does that make the free preview the first appearance of these characters?

[caxiotis]

I talked to the owner of my LCS today and he said that there were more people requesting the new dcu titles for their pull lists. This has definitely brought more interest to dcu on area.

Oh....... BTW, I still don't understand the continuity of this new line and until somebody clearly explains it to me I will not buy any of the new dc titles. (Which wouldn't really be any different than my current buying patterns) The sad part is that I am getting interested in this gimmick, but until it is properly explained to me I am going have to opt out.

Hear that dc!!! Explain this *SQUEE*