Dead Universes are back ?

[Knightt]

I have noticed that quite a few of the Dead Universe book lines are back in print. Books like the recently printed Next Men, THUNDER Agents, various New Universe books, and the upcoming Atlas line. Even Crossgen seems like it will see the light of day again while DC has already printed many Red Circle/Impact! titles like The Web, The Mighty Crusaders, the Black Hood and The Shield.

While I keep the former printed material within my own lists of Dead Universes as I think that they stand on their own... this new material kind of brings them out of the DU (to a certain extent). I have not read the entire issue but Next Men appears to be trying explain away some of the past. To confirm this I will have to go and read the old Next Men and then this new issue but this brings up a good discussion point and question: What do you guys think about the rash of formerly out of print (sometimes we call them Dead Universe) titles that are being published over the past few years ?

[Chiclo]

Don't forget Milestone. A new Xombi 1 is solicited in the current Previews.

[Knightt]

Don't forget Milestone. A new Xombi 1 is solicited in the current Previews.

Thanks for that info...

[Doorman]

hooray for continuations ... boo to re-imaginings and retcons.

[Cyberstrike]

I posted my reply to this thread in my blog which any of you can read by clicking the link here.

[robb77]

waste of time re-boots if it aint broke..

[Knightt]

Well technically if these books were not broke in the first place (due to often outside circumstances), they would not be Dead Universe-ish books and would still be in print.

I can also see the POV in that many a good book went under as they were not able to keep up with the Big Three but we also have DU books that are in the Big Three.

Dammit, I just confused myself.

But I hope you know what I mean...

[xodacia81]

I posted my reply to this thread in my blog which any of you can read by clicking the link here.

I'd say we're largely in agreement. It is sad to see so much potential wasted because companies would rather bring back the past instead of look for new ideas. I have no problems with the past, but when titles are brought back the way most have been the last few years? It's far more than sad. It shows a complete lack of imagination. Everything old is new again? Only when it doesn't suck, and that's just not the case 9 times out of 10.

[Draco]

So far most of what has been said above make good sense, which is always nice and im sure most things have been covered, but do we moan too much?

Many publishers went under for reasons that dont always just equate to bad comics and lack of customers, so bringing back cool books into print isnt always for me a lack of imagination, but maybe just a very nice excercise in nostalgia and or to finish something that was unfortunate enough to not have the pleasure first time round.

I also think that with comics it really is hard to do new stuff ( unless you are Alan Moore and even then...) from a Super hero perspective after 70+ years a few million comics. Everything is a rehash of a rehash, but most tv is similar as are other forms of entertainment, so i dont personally get too hung up on that.
I do find now that there are many publishers not all trying super heroes, which makes me much happier than ever before with what is in print.

I do agree that continuations over re imagining is better, but where the former isn't necessarily possible the ill happily try the latter over 20 Batman. Spiderman or X-men books anyday, just for something different.

[Knightt]

I can dig that, Draco.

I've posted it before, that there is a lot of nostalgia books going to print these days.

My major disappointment these days is the Dynamite (Dynamic Forces) comics Project Superpowers. I have never had any exposure with characters from these books, so when they came out I thought it might be an entirely new set of characters. To learn that these were from the WWII era and THEN used to tout Alex Ross' personal political opinions of the then current governmental administration, it made it VERY hard to plow through these and just brought Ross into the spotlight of contempt in my book. But, I kept buying these to give it a chance. They were still someone else s superhero characters though.

[xodacia81]

So far most of what has been said above make good sense, which is always nice and im sure most things have been covered, but do we moan too much?

Many publishers went under for reasons that dont always just equate to bad comics and lack of customers, so bringing back cool books into print isnt always for me a lack of imagination, but maybe just a very nice excercise in nostalgia and or to finish something that was unfortunate enough to not have the pleasure first time round.

I also think that with comics it really is hard to do new stuff ( unless you are Alan Moore and even then...) from a Super hero perspective after 70+ years a few million comics. Everything is a rehash of a rehash, but most tv is similar as are other forms of entertainment, so i dont personally get too hung up on that.
I do find now that there are many publishers not all trying super heroes, which makes me much happier than ever before with what is in print.

I do agree that continuations over re imagining is better, but where the former isn't necessarily possible the ill happily try the latter over 20 Batman. Spiderman or X-men books anyday, just for something different.

Agreed about the reason some of them went under and some have been brought back. But, the thing that makes me leery is how all too often things wind up like VH2 or what the new Cross Gen sounds like, which is not giving me much hope at all.

[Knightt]

Well Marvel (A Disney Company) is associated with them so my hopes are not very high. I am a HUGE HUGE HUGE Crossgen fan, did I say HUGE ? But, you don't see me jumping up and down at this recent news.

[Draco]

I can dig that, Draco.

I've posted it before, that there is a lot of nostalgia books going to print these days.

My major disappointment these days is the Dynamite (Dynamic Forces) comics Project Superpowers. I have never had any exposure with characters from these books, so when they came out I thought it might be an entirely new set of characters. To learn that these were from the WWII era and THEN used to tout Alex Ross' personal political opinions of the then current governmental administration, it made it VERY hard to plow through these and just brought Ross into the spotlight of contempt in my book. But, I kept buying these to give it a chance. They were still someone else s superhero characters though.

I love the look of the Dynamite books overall to be honest, but cannot escape from the fact that they are Dynamic forces and how bad they were for comics.
That *SQUEE* on QVC talking more crap than i thought humanly possible and telling bare faced lies about the scarcity of the books he was touting left a bad taste in my mouth and i will never forgive him/them for that.
It makes it more soul destroying when i see so many good properties being picked up by a publisher who made their money do dishonestly, but i can't deny that seeing some of them in print is a good thing, but for me personally it hurts at the same time.

[Knightt]

And the 'names' that are touted within the books. I mean the 'Leader' of the U.S. during the books, well their super hero team is named the 'Dynamic Forces'.

The books are just one continuous play on words, doing an incredible amount of govt bashing. Now everyone is entitled to their opinion and entitled to print what they want, cool thing about America and other great countries but I wish that in this case that super heroes that were used to bolster a country are now being used to trash the very same country. I REALLY like the work of Alex Ross... Marvels and especially Kingdom Come are the most favored books in my collection but later Ross would and continue to espouse his beliefs, political beliefs in comics. I know, double edged sword but, I have always looked to comics as a positive mode of entertainment. To sit there and roll my eyes every time Black Terror speaks gets pretty tiresome after a while.

How about The Mighty Crusaders from DC, former Red Circle... has anybody checked those out ? I have a few of them (Later issues) as well as The Web but would rather read my old ones first and then follow up with these. They look like a lack luster series even from back in the day but lordy, they have been around for a while and I wonder if this 'update' to the characters/team is working out ?

Another question... yep, me big Crossgen fan. Simply awesome stuff from years ago. I am not very confident or trusting of Marvel to treat these books with respect. I almost think that it would be treated better if an edgier office of Disney were to take these books and spin the tales. Do it under another name because you can't have Disney associated with some of the themes directly but at this point my money is on Disney doing a better job (if it HAS to be done).

[Draco]

The Red Circle DC books were pretty cool, but as mentioned many times before, when they publish so many unnecessary books something has to give on the weekly list for most customers and the non continuity books go first.

The problem i also see on other groupings of characters that DC have now got is that they were once rival ideas, but all based on or similar to what DC had, so they are almost like a What if or Elseworlds all over again and you can see why they dont get the readers for more than a six issue run.

I have come to the conclusion that there is little any of us can do to change the way the big guns publish and i just take the positives that do exist, because across the board there are plenty of them IMO.

I think there is enough crap in this life to worry about, so ill lay off getting too upset about what Marvel and DC could and should do, but dont for reasons unknown to me.

[Cyberstrike]

And the 'names' that are touted within the books. I mean the 'Leader' of the U.S. during the books, well their super hero team is named the 'Dynamic Forces'.

The books are just one continuous play on words, doing an incredible amount of govt bashing. Now everyone is entitled to their opinion and entitled to print what they want, cool thing about America and other great countries but I wish that in this case that super heroes that were used to bolster a country are now being used to trash the very same country. I REALLY like the work of Alex Ross... Marvels and especially Kingdom Come are the most favored books in my collection but later Ross would and continue to espouse his beliefs, political beliefs in comics. I know, double edged sword but, I have always looked to comics as a positive mode of entertainment. To sit there and roll my eyes every time Black Terror speaks gets pretty tiresome after a while.

I think a lot of it has too due with a pent-up frustration/rage that a lot liberals felt and still feel for GW Bush. For almost 8 YEARS after 9/11 many liberal American comic book creators felt that they couldn't make a statement against him and his administration without being considered an "anti-American terrorist sympathizing traitor". While guys like Mark Millar and Warren Ellis had the advantage of not being Americans (and that is how they got away with it), but guys like Alex Ross, Kurt Busiek, Erik Larsen, Peter David, and many others felt like that couldn't say a damn thing about that no-good son of a b!tch and how he and administration helped to ruined this great country without being fired and/or black listed.

My advice is: either don't buy and/or read the book, or if you do buy and/or read it then just deal with it.

[Chiclo]

I think a lot of it has too due with a pent-up frustration/rage that a lot liberals felt and still feel for GW Bush. For almost 8 YEARS after 9/11 many liberal American comic book creators felt that they couldn't make a statement against him and his administration without being considered an "anti-American terrorist sympathizing traitor". While guys like Mark Millar and Warren Ellis had the advantage of not being Americans (and that is how they got away with it), but guys like Alex Ross, Kurt Busiek, Erik Larsen, Peter David, and many others felt like that couldn't say a damn thing about that no-good son of a b!tch and how he and administration helped to ruined this great country without being fired and/or black listed.

My advice is: either don't buy and/or read the book, or if you do buy and/or read it then just deal with it.

Alex Ross didn't seem too bothered making statements about GW. I recall a painting he did with Bush as a vampire sucking the blood of the Statue of Liberty. It didn't blacklist him, only seemed to make him more popular.