More on the DC Reboot
Jun. 1st, 2011 06:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
angelophile
Thinking things over more, there's definitely positive and negative with the DC reboot.
I mean, I've been saying for a while that the DC universe is utterly opaque and daunting for new readers. I'm a comics fan, but Crisis after Crisis, Countdowns, big events and reliance on drawing heavily on past canon has kept me away from much DC content. There's a rich history at DC, but I don't even know what the original Crisis was, let alone want to see it referenced weekly, have events built on the multiverse... it's all seemed needlessly complex. Streamlining all this, to me, does seem an attractive proposition. This is the positive, along with embracing digital.
However, it's the logistics of it that has me concerned.
For example, take the current scenario of Batman Incorporated...
Where do you go with that? It's not a scenario that's friendly to new readers. Most people outside the fandom recognize Batman as a lone vigilante who sometimes has help from Robin and Batgirl. So you restore Batman to the solo status and those supporting characters. There, much more streamlined! But which Robin do you pick? Dick Grayson is, of course, the most recognizable, but that leaves Tim Drake and Damian Wayne out in the cold. So Dick can be Nightwing. But no-one outside the fandom knows Cass Cain or Steph Brown or Damian Wayne. So you reinstate Barbara Gordon and Tim Drake. And in doing so toss aside marginalized characters. This is, of course, a major concern for many. And this is just one tiny corner of the universe. Apply it to the who universe and many people's favourite characters will cease to exist.
Because another thing is who's behind it. The creators leading the way are those, let's face it, who have got the DC universe into its current state. There's a lot of noise in the press releases about diversity, but the sad thing is, the DC universe over the last five or more years is probably a less diverse place than it was 20 or even 30 years ago. Character deaths, the widespread slaughter and shuffling aside of characters from marginalized groups to return to the dated white-male model, the treatment of female characters - little DC has done gives cause for confidence.
In fact, the recent reboot of Wonder Woman could be seen as a trial run for this line-wide reboot. Rather than the reboot resetting Wonder Woman's continuity, the chances seem much greater that what's been done to the character in the last year will stick. Given that the Wonder Woman reimagining was, apparently, exactly where DC wanted to take the character, the thought of this level of quality and understanding of character and audience being applied across the whole DC line is, frankly, reason to be deeply worried.
If this was a fresh broom in the corridors of DC it could be different. New creative teams, new creators, new editors, new decision makers - I might be expecting something fresh. As it is these people have track records at molding the DC universe. And not positive ones.
As it is, I'm only picking up two or three titles. That could grow if the DC universe was made more user friendly. But that could easily shrink to none if the more obscure characters I do love are wiped from existence or rebooted out of all recognition.
ETA: Which looks like it may be happening already. Bleeding Cool is reporting that the Batgirl title post-reboot will star Barbara Gordon. So, say goodbye Cass. Goodbye Steph. And goodbye Babs as a positive role model for those with disabilities.
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Date: 2011-06-01 08:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-06-01 08:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-06-02 12:12 am (UTC)Same here.
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Date: 2011-06-02 07:31 pm (UTC)