I hadn't been in a comic shop in a while, I recently went back to grab the IDW Transformers. Getting back in the habit, I also got the first couple issues of All Star Superman.
I kinda want to read DC comics again. I was neve that big on Marvel, but I could always find a couple DC books I liked.
Then I noticed EVERY SINGLE BOOK had some kind of Infinite Crisis tie in. And with so much volume I decided I'm pretty much out of the DC universe until the dust settles and I can read the important bits in a TPB, which leaves me pretty much not reading any regular DC book until spring 2007.
I know this seemed like a big good idea and had I been on from the beginning or had a bigger comic budget, I might've been on for the ride. But being a casual reader and not wanting to buy 8 books a week for the next year just to sort out what the fuck is going on is really off putting.
In the end will this REALLY change Batman or Superman or any of their big heroes? I mean, it can't. Not if DC hs any sense. Theres a new Superman movie coming, and theres always Batman stuff everywhere... shouldn't they have more mainstream stuff to get new readers and casual readers hooked in? Shouldn't they at least make it easier for casual readers to jump into Crisis or any other major arc? Or did they just fucking give up and put out the All Star books so they could have an out of continuity comic for casual readers while the Infinite Wank-a-thon rolls into actual infinity...
[link]
I kinda want to read DC comics again. I was neve that big on Marvel, but I could always find a couple DC books I liked.
Then I noticed EVERY SINGLE BOOK had some kind of Infinite Crisis tie in. And with so much volume I decided I'm pretty much out of the DC universe until the dust settles and I can read the important bits in a TPB, which leaves me pretty much not reading any regular DC book until spring 2007.
I know this seemed like a big good idea and had I been on from the beginning or had a bigger comic budget, I might've been on for the ride. But being a casual reader and not wanting to buy 8 books a week for the next year just to sort out what the fuck is going on is really off putting.
In the end will this REALLY change Batman or Superman or any of their big heroes? I mean, it can't. Not if DC hs any sense. Theres a new Superman movie coming, and theres always Batman stuff everywhere... shouldn't they have more mainstream stuff to get new readers and casual readers hooked in? Shouldn't they at least make it easier for casual readers to jump into Crisis or any other major arc? Or did they just fucking give up and put out the All Star books so they could have an out of continuity comic for casual readers while the Infinite Wank-a-thon rolls into actual infinity...
[link]
posted by Zac at
11:15 AM
1 Comments:
Shwiggie here.
From what I can gather, the point is two-fold:
1) sell an ass-load of hyped-up comic books, and
2) rearrange the DC universe itself.
Ignoring the Master of the Obvious #1, #2 is far more interesting. For one thing, it's just a matter of creating an artificial onramp for new readers. The One Year Later stuff that happens in March is ostensibly there to let new readers (re: yourself) pick up some titles that interest them, while also giving people already into them something to salivate over in the form of the weekly 52 title. This will basically tell what happens in the "lost year" between One Year Later stories and the cliffhanger ending of Infinite Crisis #4.
This not only provides a means for new readers to get into things, but gives them time to figure out what's been going on. This essentially leads into #1 again, when these readers will either let it go or buy up the trades that led to IC itself, not to mention the IC issues as well.
But the net result is a universe that is more flexible. The intent of Crisis on Infinite Earths twenty years ago was to consolidate the various dimensions and versions of characters into a single, unified setting. But there were problems that were difficult to resolve, such as the role of the 30th century Legion of Super Heroes, the existance of Wonder Girl/Donna Troy, Power Girl, and various others; and some plain old gaffes in the CoIE plot. Zero Hour in the early/mid nineties was intended to rectify a lot of this, but it was lackluster and really didn't do anything but make it more conglomerated.
It's been said that the outcome of Infinite Crisis will essentially "fix" all these problems. One issue is the continuing issues with the characterizations of various heroes (Superman being a pussy about things, Batman being borderline insanely paranoid, etc.), which are supposedly going to be offset a bit in the "new" universe. They're not going back to their fifties characterizations by a long shot, but apparently they'll actually be heroic again rather than follow the tired anti-hero crap that was a result of late eighties/early nineties "grittiness".
The universe is supposed to have all the wrinkles ironed out of it as a result, as well. I don't know how they're going to take care of things, but that's the reason I've spend many hours and dollars on the subject...so I can find out for myself and be there when it happens.
Personally, I think they're trying to get the DCU to resemble what we see in the JLU cartoon...a bit more camaraderie among characters, but retaining their ability to be badass and tell great stories.
I agree, it's lots of hype. Yes, they're milking it for all it's worth. But the sheer spectacle that is the Infinite Crisis makes it worth watching in my estimation.
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