Coming Up: DC Comics Due May 2010
- Posted by Johanna on March 11, 2010 at 9:54 pm
- Category: Shopping Guide
I was excited by the idea of Brightest Day. Like Marvel’s Heroic Age, it seemed to promise a return to what superheroes should be, inspiring and amazing fantasy figures. However, DC seems determined to piss in my cornflakes. Apparently, expecting “Brightest Day” to signify optimism or anything else positive is just plain wrong. The following excerpts from their promotional copy show what I mean:
“Is everything from here on out going to be bright and shiny? No.”
“There are no grey areas here — it’s black and white and red with blood all over.”
“first appearance of the most dangerous, most twisted new Birds villain ever”
“battle to the death … what horrors await the rest of the Justice League”
Oh, how silly of me to want heroes that act like heroes instead of wallowing in gore and mayhem and angst. Oh, well, more money saved in not buying any DC superhero comics until they are interested in serving me as a customer again.
I thought I might get excited about the return of writer Paul Levitz with the launch of Legion of Super-Heroes #1, but then I realized no one has any idea what a first issue means any more. It is promoted as following up an earlier storyline and serves as a Green Lantern Corps tie-in. That doesn’t sound like a jumping-on point to me. I want to feel like reading more because I’m excited and want to, not feel pushed into doing more research, like homework. The harder the sell gets, out of desperation, the less attractive it all becomes.
Wait, I am looking forward to Teen Titans #83, because of the new Coven backup, as I already mentioned, plus I’ll keep reading The Great Ten and The Unwritten. Otherwise… it’s a shame the publisher has moved so far away from me.
March 11, 2010 at 10:27 PM
Wow, it’s like you are reading my mind. I saw both events from DC & Marvel as my jumping back in point. I’ve been perplexed more than anything. It just feels like more of the same. And things like Bendis continuing New “New” Avengers just reaffirms that.
I am getting Birds of Prey. But I am not sure what to expect. It just feels funny that I am most looking forward to the trade of Muppet King Arthur in May.
Sorry, to be a downer for others enjoying and excited by what is coming. I really hope my low expectations make my choices even better.
March 11, 2010 at 11:20 PM
I’ve been grumpy, too, but I have two more Previews posts coming, one each for manga and graphic novels, and in those, I’m much more optimistic.
March 12, 2010 at 12:44 AM
I could not agree more. It’s a sad day indeed when the most optimistic and introspective DC books (daytripper, unwritten, even Sweet Tooth in an odd way) are from Vertigo.
Of course, Marvel has done its share to perpetuate this 4-color Guignol. Look at the latest Ultimate Avengers, if you can stomach doing so.
Ah well. there’s still stuff worth reading, like Echo, RASL and the aforementioned Vertigo books.
March 12, 2010 at 10:53 AM
“No, not surprised, just disappointed.”
- Captain America
(as written by the same guy who’s running Brightest Day)
They’ve been playing the “no, really, we’re going to go more upbeat” card since before Infinite Crisis. I’ll believe it when I see it — and even then, I’ll be waiting for the other shoe to drop.
March 13, 2010 at 8:10 PM
I’d say the most optimistic DC books these days are their “Johnny DC” line (which include Batman: Brave and the Bold and Tiny Titans). At least in BATB Batman, etc. act like heroes (vs. various other four-letter words I can think of besides “hero”), and “Titans”, well, it’s just amusing…
Guess I should be drawn back into DC proper by the Milestone characters being folded into the DCU, but after already having seen one favorite batch of old characters run through the wringer recently (Captain Carrot and the Zoo Crew), and my wariness about the idea that they needed to be folded into the DCU proper in the first place (what’s wrong with staying in their own world? Plus Icon, Hardware and Static in the same universe as Superman, Steel and Black Lightning just dredges up the same problems Capt. Marvel has coexisting on the same Earth as Supes…), I have to go with “no thanks”…
March 13, 2010 at 8:11 PM
Oh, yeah, Tiny Titans. A few too many continuity jokes there for me to really love it, but I do enjoy watching the adorable kiddies.
March 13, 2010 at 8:11 PM
I’ve decided to be optimistic about Levitz’s LSH run. I mean two books for the team, so there has to be hope that it’ll nod to the GL story then blast forward.
I really wish there was a Human Target series like the TV series though. That show is so freaking fun!
March 13, 2010 at 8:11 PM
I imagine DC’s backed itself into a corner with the grim and gruesome tone of its main line of books. At this point, anyone who was turned off by the misogyny and gore in DC’s books has probably stopped reading. So DC’s audience consists largely or even primarily of readers who, for reasons best left to mental health professionals, actually enjoyed things like Identity Crisis. Backing away from that tone will only lead to them losing sales among the readers they have left.
March 13, 2010 at 8:12 PM
While I think they may be doing it backwards in terms of which title has which story, supposedly one of the goals on the first Adventure arc by Levitz is to create a good “Intro to the LSH” story; something you can hand to somebody new to the concept as a starting point. I don’t know how successful it will be; I do know I think it’s a good idea.
March 13, 2010 at 8:12 PM
Guess I’ll also throw into the previous Johnny DC list’s superhero titles that there’s a new “Super Friends” comic (with John Stewart as GL). Very kid-oriented (moreso than “Batman: Brave and the Bold”), but a lot of use of Silver Age DC characters/lore (such as an issue where the various super-pets—Krypto, Streaky, Ace, Topo, and a kanga from Paradise Island—show up to save the Super Friends, or last month’s issue with a mad scientists’ convention featuring villains like Mr. Mind and Wonder Woman foes Dr. Cyber and Dr. Poison showing up…).
March 13, 2010 at 8:12 PM
Johanna, on the too many continuity jokes in Tiny Titans. You didn’t happen to just check the recent issue Geoff Johns wrote did you?:) Cause that might explain the too many continuity jokes.:)
March 14, 2010 at 5:23 PM
Aside from a few random Superman and Batman TPs, I’ve pretty much given up DC (short for Dubious Continuity) Comics as a lost cause.
May 9, 2010 at 4:45 PM
[...] turned out to be so misleading. I was looking forward to more optimistic heroics. I know that DC backed off of that impression really fast, but I’m not the only one tired of never-ending stories and all-around depressing [...]
May 10, 2010 at 11:25 AM
Never-ending stories, I knew I was letting myself in for when I started.
Relentless grimness, though?