How to fix DC Comics- Know who you are and remember what works- part 4
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- Опубліковано 11 вер 2024
- Mike and Reed discuss strategies for how DC could reposition themselves in the marketplace of Comics, animation, Movies, TV and Video games. They also discuss the importance of growing the next generation of fans and how less is sometimes more for comic book companies
I also wanna point out that although I think the crisis films are redundant it's the only movie series in a LONG time that has actually respected Wonder Woman. Treated her like the Hero she was not just a combat loving violent women but the embodiment of love and compassion that she's supposed to be. Wonder Woman's fighting style in those movies was amazing. I've never seen her fights look that amazing. The way they were having her fight with the lasso was some of the most interesting creative Wonder Woman combat I have seen in a long time. Thats an area she's sorely been lacking in. Making her fight sequences cool and interesting. I know it seems like an irrelevant point but plenty of people are often excited for seeing batman or superman fight because they know they will see something cool. The same is rarely said of Wonder Woman. So they definitely need to improve what they do with her fight scenes in animation AND in the Comics.
Crisis did really handle diana well, wish it had been in more inventive movies that were a bit better or an actual Wonder Woman film but it was a very solid representation of the character
People being honest with themselves about the quality of writing at DC is something I've been pushing for for the longest. It's tough for people to admit that some things just don't work anymore because a lot of the fans and creatives(atleast within DC) are fueled by nostalgia for the past. I've been saying for the longest time that the relationship between Clark & Lois doesn't work anymore but you're never gonna get people to have an honest conversation about that because the fandom lives on nostalgia for what they grew up with. So people have a knee-jerk reaction and refuse to accept it. Because it's like your attacking their childhood. DC as a whole tends to refuse to admit when they've fucked up or put out bad books but that extends to Marvel as well.
Nostalgia certainly has its place and when executed correctly can absolutely unite fans but when done poorly (like lucasfilm did with star wars and indiana jones) it becomes the most divisive and damaging thing to the overall brand. Sometimes the best thing for an overall story is to let something truly have an ending. Its where some of the choices in the NEW 52 really could have worked if DC had truly dedicated to them because the original continuity prior to new 52 really did give some great closure to some of the classic elements of the characters
At this point, the only way to save the Big 2 is for both to clean house. Right now they're just switching seats on the Titanic. They can announce all these new series, ideas, and new takes on these characters, all they want. But, as long as the current crop of "creatives"(given the way they've been treating these characters throughout the years more like destroyers.) is still there nothing will ever change. They desperately need new blood from the top to the bottom. They need to bring in people with new ideas and passion who have respect for these characters and universes. The current crop of "creatives" lacks all of these traits.
Have certainly seen this sentiment shared by many and it is tough to find any disagreement. For every great writer at the big 2 who is doing great, there seems to be an equal amount (if not more) of folks making character decisions that really harm the entire line of books.
It should also be noted that these characters are going into the public domain soon and it's questionable if WB will actually keep DC Comics when that happens. But the question should also be asked if we even want them to. Because the reality is that WB has severely mishandled DC as a franchise. I don't think they truly even care about it or take it seriously. So do we even want them to still have it? Maybe someone new should buy the rights? As for who I don't know but a lot of the failures of the DCEU can be attributed to poor rushed decisions from WB. A smart thing to do will be to start talking with partners who would be willing to buy them within the next decade.
Public Domain for Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman seems like it will be a massive game changer, partially wonder if the new absolute versions of the character are simply a way for DC to get new versions of the character that they will own all the elements of for the foreseeable future as opposed to the classic version which are slipping into public domain in the next 8-10 years
Yeah the advantage of the DC movies was introducing the general populace to classic DC stories and familiarizing people the DC universe. Though there are some problems with the way those movies are handled like the way they frequently disrespect Wonder Woman in various ways. Like rewriting her into some deranged killer in the flashpoint universe when she tried to be diplomatic with Arthur in the comics. Or undermining her by cutting out her role in the New Frontier and giving her dialogue to Lois Lane for no reason when Lois wasn't even a part of that comic. Even going so far as to have Lois talk down about Diana to make her sound like some ignorant island woman when she wasn't anything of the sort. They have a habit of tearing down Diana to prop Lois up. That behavior definitely needs to stop.
Wonder Woman has had some poor adaptations lately, leaning into the "warrior" part of her character way too frequently and forgetting to balance that she is also by far the most compassionate character in DC as well. Especially stings when it is done to elevate other characters.
I couldn't agree more with having the line trimmed down to 16 titles per month. Have 2 or 3 Batman titles and bring back the Batman Family title for all of the other bat characters. Same with Superman. I really miss the 70's and 80's comics.
It should just be Batman and Detective (normally I would say add a Nightwing book but that title needs a LONG break, it's been bad since he got shot and turned into Ric Grayson 5 years ago. Same with Catwoman, needs a hiatus.)
Certainly would be good to reduce the titles down, especially for the bat family and Superman family characters, with every title being 4 to 5 dollars its hard to keep up with some of those great characters because its just too much money and too many titles to collect, but if say all the robins and batgirl characters were in one book, it might be a great book worth reading each month
@@jbbrolic Certainly some of those books need a creative reset and might benefit from a few months off.
“I love the White Sox!”
Man, I am so sorry. This season is just… :/
I actually started following DC last year with Dawn of DC (23 years old then). Do I count as young? I didn’t read single issues like that when I was a kid.
HAHAHA, yeah it has been an absolutely brutal season for Sox's fans. I guess the only positive is that it can't be worse next year...can it
Great set of videos, I agree with nearly all you guys are saying. I noticed that the DC portion of my pull list had been continually shrinking. But I'm all in on, umm... All In, and am down for the 3 main Absolute Titles due in October.
There's probably so many Bat titles because at the end of the day, Batman sells. Sounds like I need to check out Batman Off World! I get what you are saying regarding the movies - that having 2 Batmans will be confusing for the public. But I don't know how Pattinson's Batman could be incorporated into Gunn's new DC movie universe, as the tone between the 2 seems to be completely different. Thanks, Stuart.
Batman offworld has been surprisingly good, certainly worth a look. Pattinson's batman may be challenging, but I think they could course correct what they need to make in work in a DC universe more easily than having 2 separate batman franchises.
I don't want to be "that guy" but Absolute DC absolutely isn't going to work. I also want DC to succeed but THAT is just not going to be how they do it. This is not the way. What they need is a complete overhaul of creatives, editors, and management, with a whole new plan for how they approach the universe. Start looking at the pieces they have at their disposal and figuring out how to best have them function in their universe. Have long term stories planned that last for years and have a definitive ending. Things like that would fix DC. At best this is new Absolute Universe is just slapping a new coat of paint onto a broken run down house. They haven't addressed ANY of their real core problems. So I give this a year before it fizzles out and flops.
Hoping that isn't correct, but based on how, NEW 52. DC you, DC rebirth, DC earth one and Dawn of DC worked, it wouldn't be at all surprising if this fizzled out soon
The multiverse thing is definitely frustrating and I think as a concept it definitely needs to go. but if they're going to use it then why not just push the versions of the DC Universe that we already know exist instead of creating this "Absolute" Universe? It just makes this AU concept seem totally redundant. That said, I think DC needs to get rid of all the variations of these characters. We got too many of them and too many of them happening at once. It's gotta stop. There needs to be definitive iconic depictions of these characters and that doesn't work if every version under the sun is all out there at once because it just confuses people.
Multiverse has certainly been overdone, it has its place for sure but overall the multiverse has been overdone to the point where it is hurting the overall universe
I like both marvel and DC but I lean more DC mainly for Batman. But if I'm being honest with my self, this whole "every one gets a family and 70 sidekicks" formula really turned me off from the modern continuity. they should commit to growth of characters, and have a clear cut journey for their heroes which end with a meaningful resolution (death/ultimate sacrifice, retirement, turning evil....) and passing on the mantle... I wouldn't mind the busy universe then. but as it is? not for me.
Dan Didio once joked in an interview about the whole killing night wing situation: " I had to kill him before he became older than bruce".
Just clean house, hire new hungry (and talented) writers (like marvel did with bendis, Millar or DC with Johns in the 2000s) with 5 year plans to move the universe forward in concert and congruity. That way you have real stakes and pay offs (like manga). they must be willing to let bruce, clark, Diana and the rest of the original heroes go in a bitter sweet good buy.
this must be coupled with an ultimate like line ( current absolute line as an example) where we see a different re imagining of the original cast in a separate universe... sprinkle in black label titles featuring them and bam, they can have their cake and eat it too.
a Never ending cyclic story is bound to get dull and stagnant after a while. they must take the initiative and see why manga is doing better, besides the obvious (quality, price...), its a story that has a coherent continuity and a satisfying conclusion.
Certainly something for DC and the big 2 overall to consider, they either need to let the heroes age or stop creating 70 different variations of the main characters, they have tried to continually let some characters like Dick Grayson age and grow but others like Batman have not really aged and it becomes a bigger problem every year, especially with manga and stuff like the ultimate universe as competition
both Reeves and Pattinson
don't want to be a part of the new DCU
ahhh the tomorrowverse
ahhh no no
I LOVE MY WORLD'S FINEST
they can cancel what ever they want except that