Impotent Fanboy Bitching

I’ve hesitated to say anything about the upcoming DCU Relaunch (Reboot?) for a couple reasons – One, simple lack of information. Despite the best efforts of Newsarama, Bleeding Cool, and the rest, I really feel like hard data is scarce on the ground.  Aside from creative teams and titles, much of what is out there in the ether is speculation. Even the art that we are seeing in the previews is shifting day-to-day as the recent “pants/no-pants” debacle with Wonder Woman indicates. So when I’m talking here, please understand that I don’t claim to know anything more than anyone else does. I’m reacting purely to the speculation, and my reactions are therefore suspect and subject to change as reality sinks in.

Second reason I’ve held off – Industry ambitions. As silly as it sounds, There is that element of my brain that warns that anyone with aspirations to work in comics should probably keep their opinions on the machinations of the Big Two firmly to themselves. But then again, regardless of my goals, I am a fan first and foremost. I have been for over 30 years, and I should at least be true to myself in that regard. So if anyone at DC is reading this, I do not mean to offend. I complain because I love. And if you are interested, I have "Power of Shazam" and "Challengers of the Unknown" pitches I would love to talk to you about. (Or Space Cabby. Come on! It’s like “Taxicab Confessions” in SPACE! It practically writes itself!)

I don't care what you say. This dude is AWESOME.

Third reason for my reticence – The stereotypical fanboy is one who is so consumed with complaints that he can’t actually stop and enjoy his hobby. I listen to people in stores or at cons, or I read things they have posted online, and I can’t understand why they’re still reading comics at all. There’s so bitter and joyless, it’s like the act of reading and collecting comics brings them physical pain. And yet, they keep queuing up.  It’s massively depressing. I don’t want to be THAT GUY.

Note: This isn’t isolated to comic enthusiasts. I went to a minor league hockey game a year or two ago with my buddy Ian. Attendance was sparce, but we still ended up sitting right by a trio of gentlemen who spent the entirety of the game bitching about how much they hated both teams, all the players, and most of the institution of hockey. I would like to clarify that there was nobody standing near them with a gun pressed to their temples. They seemed to be there of their own volition. It became clear from listening to them talk that they actually traveled all over the tri-state area, attending hockey games. AND THEY NEVER HAD FUN DOING IT. So much work for something that brought them so little happiness.

(Also, they stank like a garbage barge on fire. Apparently fanboy stench isn’t isolated to the comics community, either.)

So in an effort to make this as constructive as possible, let me not bombard you with a list of “complaints”, but rather a list of “concerns”.

THINGS THAT CONCERN ME ABOUT THE DCU RELAUNCH

1. MURKY CONTINUITY

Continuity is the big bugaboo of comics. Some fans, and a lot of creators, poo-poo the need for a cohesive continuity, believing that as long as they are telling good stories, the who-met-who-and-did-what-when shouldn’t matter. And, I will admit, too much continuity becomes troubling at a certain stage. If you’re paying attention to continuity, you have to reconcile a Batman that fought in world War Two, or a Superman who has been around since the Great Depression. 

But here is the dirty secret of super hero comic books – CONTINUITY MATTERS. People remember the stories they’ve read. Which means no matter how good your current Aresenal story is, you’ve also got to deal with a history where the character couldn’t get enough of an erection to hate-fuck his evil ex-girlfriend, so he went out and beat up some muggers with a dead cat. (Note to non-comics fans. I am NOT MAKING THIS SHIT UP).  You need to realize that the history of the characters will always affect your story in some fashion. And in a shared universe, that means dealing with the decisions of other creators.

There’s an entire argument for and against continuity to be made, by the way. But it’s a discussion for another blog. The concern I have with the DC Relaunch in terms of continuity is that they didn’t quite have it in them to do a full-stop reboot. Instead, they are doing a sort of “soft reboot” where certain things happened, but maybe not in the way we remember. This means that the recent Green Lantern storyline Blackest Night happened. But Hawkman and Firestorm couldn’t have been a part of it, because they are making their new debuts with the relaunch. It means that the Identity Crisis mini happened. But since Zatanna was never a member of the League, she couldn’t have been involved with the central plot of that mini, which was her magically wiping the memory of certain villains.

You can see where the headaches begin. DC is reportedly relying on readers to “makes sense of things for themselves”.  I am excited for the sweaty-handed slapfights that will likely ensue.

2. TOO MUCH, TOO SOON

DC’s releasing 52 new titles in the month of September. FIFTY-TWO. That seems like a huge market glut to me. And also seems to jeopardize the survival of some of the more fringe titles out there. I mean, I’m very interested in checking out the new books, with the new directions. But I’m not suddenly two hundred dollars richer every month, and I doubt anyone else is, either. I think we’re going to see some very promising, very exciting books get dropped by 2012 because of slow sales, not because the quality is poor, but because it’s too much, too soon.

Not to mention that out of those 52 books, there are multiple Batman, Superman, and Justice League books. Obviously, you want to go with what sells, if you’re DC. But I still think you’re strangling other books by overloading with the heavy hitters.

3. FIXING WHAT ISN’T BROKEN

This is a little picky, and I admit this, but… Did Superman NEED a costume redesign? Did Wonder Woman? Are sales really slow on these books because of the COSTUMES? Your characters are iconic. They are recognized as is worldwide. If people aren’t reading the books, the problem is probably not the uniforms.

4. WHERE ARE THE LADIES? WHERE IS THE NEW BLOOD?

The writing staff on the 52 new titles is very much a boys’ club. Aside from the always amazing Gail Simone (writing Batgirl and The Fury of Firestorm), there are NO WOMEN writing these books. 96% of the DCU is being written by men. And, with a few exceptions, the same handful of men. There are a million super insanely talented freelancers out there. Indie writers with unique voices and new perspectives? Where are they? If you’re trying to remake your universe, and increase your readership, why not bring in some new blood?

5. BABY WITH THE BATHWATER

I can’t quite fathom the decision making process behind which titles made the reboot, and which didn’t. Books like Green Lantern Corps and Batman Inc. make the cut. But books like Gail Simone’s insanely popular Secret Six don’t?

I CAN BE EXCITED ABOUT THINGS, TOO

Even with all my concerns, I’ll tell you a secret – I’m more excited about the DCU than I have been in years. There’s a lot of potential here. There are some ridiculously talented people on the staff of these books, and I think we are going to see some fantastic comics come out of this. And any continuity reboot, no matter how half-assed, means that certain characters who had been rendered “radioactive” by poor story decisions may have a chance at a second life.

Here are the five books I’m most excited for.

1. I, VAMPIRE by Josh Fialkov and Andrea Sorrentino

Josh Fialkov is the man, and the perfect example of the new blood I was talking about above. I, Vampire is an old school favorite of mine, and I’m excited to see it coming back in such capable hands.

2. RESURRECTION MAN by Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning, and Fernando Dagnino

I trust DnA in all things. They have yet to disappoint me with a book. And Resurrection Man is such a truly awesome character. Every time he dies, he comes back to life with a new super power! How freaking cool is that?

3. ALL-STAR WESTERN by Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Grey, and Meridat

Popular wisdom seems to be that westerns are dead. But the idea of Jonah Hex fighting crime in a Wild West Gotham City and the origins of the Crime Bible are too cool to pass up.

4. BATGIRL by Gail Simone

I would follow Gail into a fire. In my opinion, she’s one of the best writers DC has right now (I’d put her in the top three, probably, with Geoff Johns and Grant Morrison). And I have missed Barbara Gordon as Batgirl. As much as I loved Oracle, I’m excited to see Babs back in the costume, and I’m excited that it’s Gail writing her.

5. ANIMAL MAN by Jeff Lemire, Travel Foreman, and Dan Green

Another favorite character of mine. If they can do anything even a 10th as cool as Morrison’s old take on the character, I will be sold on this for sure.

As always, thought, opinions, love letters, and hate mail welcome. Hit me up.

Hugs and kisses,

(The)Travis

P.S. I would like to do another Q&A blog next week. So if there are any Qs, you’d like to see me A, please send them to me. Hit me up on Facebook, via email, in the comments here, or on the Bendis Board at Jinxworld.com.

READ MORE COMICS, ALEINA PAIGE!

I don’t have very many skills that would make me of use to a young person. I’m utterly, hopelessly, nonathletic, so I can’t be counted upon for a game of catch. I’m old enough now that my tastes in music are incredibly unhip, so the best I can do in terms of musical recommendations is to furrow my forehead, grab my walker firmly, and lecture the youth of today on how awesome Grunge used to be. I’m a reliable ride to the mall, I suppose, but that just means that once my younger relatives turns 16, they probably won’t have much use for me.

So imagine my delight when I had the following chat on Facebook with my younger cousin, Matt.

Matt: hey do you know how to play dungeons and dragons?
Me: Yes I do. Been playing for 20+ years. Why?
Matt: because the library here is holding dungeon and dragons tournaments and i was thinking of playing.
Me: Not sure how that would work. D&D is fun, though…
Matt: D&D?
Me: Dungeons & Dragons. Noob. :)
Matt: maybe when i get back or something u could teach me?

This kid has no idea how happy he just made me, I assure you.

And in an odd bit of coincidence, his step-sister, Aleina, hit me up on Facebook later in the week with a request to know “which comic books are the best?”. (It was probably something closer to “WHICH COMICS R TEH BESTZORS”, but you get the point. )

Now recommending comics is a responsibility I take VERY seriously. And I am thoroughly convinced that comics are a lot like music – Very few people like EVERYTHING, but there is absolutely something out there for EVERYONE.

Aleina is almost 19 years old. She’s an Air Force reservist, and an aspiring photographer. (I actually think she’s ridiculously talented, but if you tell her I said so, I’ll call you a liar.) She is also a voracious reader, but, to the best of my memory, she’s never expressed an interest in comics before. I spent the past few nights thinking of stuff she might dig, and put together a list of suggestions.

(NOTE: I avoided certain “classics” in this list. No Sandman, for example. Now, I LOVE me some Sandman. If you walk away from this blog thinking, “Travis does NOT enjoy Sandman,” you will be very mistaken. But my personal theory is that recommending things like Sandman and Bone doesn’t get new readers into comic book shops. It just gets them into Barnes & Noble.)

So, Aly Paige, here are nine recommendations of comics you might dig.

1. SCARLET (written by Brian M. Bendis, art by Alex Maleev)

I am a huge fan of Bendis’ comics. Dude is one of my comic book heroes, and Alex Maleev is one of my all time favorite comic book artists. Every previous collaboration they have done has been top-shelf, and Scarlet may actually be my favorite. Scarlet is a young woman who decides that the world is not the way it should be after her boyfriend is killed by a corrupt cop. She decides she has had enough, and beguns to fight back against corruption, inadvertently sparking a new American Revolution.  It’s an insanely good read, and weirdly prescient, given that it predates the uprisings in Egypt and other countries by only a few months.

2. LOCKE AND KEY (written by Joe Hill, art by Gabriel Rodriguez)

I really enjoyed Joe Hill’s prose work in his books Heart Shaped Box and 20^th Century Ghosts. So I was very excited when I found out he was doing a comic. And Locke & Key is one of the most brilliant comics I have read in a while. After the murder of their father, Tyler, Kinsey, and Bode Locke follow their mother to their family estate, a sprawling mansion called Keyhouse. Once there, they become entangled in a struggle against dark forces that seek control of Keyhouse, and the enchanted keys hidden inside.

This book is a brilliant combination of the fantastic and the horriffic. The art is amazingly clean and expressive, and the characters are very well-rounded and engaging. Nowhere near enough people are reading this book. It is fantastic.

3. ATOMIC ROBO (written by Brian Clevinger, art by Scott Wegener)

SO MUCH FUN! Atomic Robo is a robot built by Nikola Tesla in the 20s. Now he travels the world, investigating and combating paranormal and supernatural threats. Sort of like a Steampunk Hellboy. This is just pure fun comics. No ifs ands or buts. Just an awesome time and a great lead character.

4. CASANOVA (written by Matt Fraction, art by Gabriel Ba)

Fraction is one of my top five favorite writers working in comics currently. I have yet to read a comic he wrote that didn’t either completely entertain me, or utterly blow my mind. I will warn you that Casanova is not entry-level reading. Fraction’s writing on a whole different level here, and I actually have found myself requiring multiple read-throughs to pick up all the detail and craziness he is jamming in here. But MAN, is it worth it. Cassanova Quinn is a thief and spy, the black sheep of his family. His life turns around when he is shunted to a parallel dimension and forced to undertake missions across space and time.

It’s a wild ride. And Ba’s art is SO very cool.

5. KABUKI (by David Mack)

A breath-takingly beautiful book, and one that a LOT of people have said brought them (back) into comics. It features an assassin, named Kabuki, and the book travels through her memories, her dreams, and her thoughts. Mack is one of the most brilliant artists I have ever seen, and the emotional core of this book is his amazing imagery, brought forth in art that combines collage, photography, painting, and pencil work.

Also, on a side-note, David Mack is the nicest person I have ever met in comics. I’ve met the guy four or five times at conventions, and he is always so sweet that he makes me want to be a better human being. I have also been told that he is boy-band handsome, but I wouldn’t know anything about that.

6. X-23 (written by Marjorie Liu)

On paper, X-23 sounds kind of goofy. She is a teenaged, female, clone of Wolverine. She has been a prostitute, an assassin, and a member of the X-Men’s black ops team X-Force. There’s a lot of silly there. But Marjorie Liu is such a fantastic writer that she makes me really love and care about characters that I otherwise wouldn’t really give a crap about. This book is full of action, humor, drama, and (I have it on good authority) sexiness (many of my lady friends who love comics LOVE Gambit, who Liu has introduced into the book as X-23’s mentor, protector, and big brother figure). It’s also a nice gateway into super hero books, as it touches on the X-Men universe, but doesn’t really require any prior knowledge of it. Also, Liu writes the best Wolverine of anyone since Chris Claremont.

7. LOCAL (written by Brian Wood, art by Ryan Kelly)

I was a huge fan of Brian Wood’s DEMO, in no small part because of the comics crush I have on artist Becky Cloonan. His Local was touted as the successor to that book, but I actually think Local surpasses it in a lot of ways. It’s a 12-part series, each issue a stand-alone story set in a different town or city, and following Megan, a young woman searching for herself, and intersecting with a series of fascinating characters and events. Sometimes she is a main character, sometimes she is just in the background, but she’s the thread tying these 12 amazing tales together. Great writing, really vivid and realistic characters, and fantastic art.

8. 27 (written by Charles Soule, art by Renzo Podesta and W. Scott Forbes)

Taking off from the fact that a ton of artists and musicians (Cobain, Hendrix, Joplin) have all died at age 27, Charles Soule’s 27 follows a guitarist named Will Garland, who has lost his ability to play music, and will do anything to regain it.

Charles is a really good guy, who I have had the pleasure to meet at a few drink-ups over the years. I really dug his graphic novel Strongman, and had a ton of people talking this book up to me. Man, it did not disappoint. Probably one of the most creative premises and fascinating stories I have read in comics this year.

9. BATGIRL (written by Gail Simone)

This one won’t be out until September, as part of DC Comics’ Relaunch of their entire universe. But I am going to recommend it anyway based solely on the strength of Gail Simone’s writing. Gail is an amazing writer (and also a CRAZY PERSON) who has been kicking ass and taking names on DC’s Secret Six and Birds of Prey titles. She writes incredibly strong, interesting characters, and she is constantly taking her stories in directions nobody saw coming.

Gail is also my absolute favorite comic book person to follow on Twitter (@gailsimone), as her posts read like the diary of a lunatic. Even if I thought she was a horrible writer, I might still buy her books just because of the joy of things like #hauntedboat, #thatssowarrenellis and #kingsharkisashark. Gail rules.

YOUR TURN, INTERNET

I was going to make this a top ten list, but decided instead, I would rely on all of my internet friends to make recommendations for me. If there’s something Aleina should be reading, throw a recommendation into the comments here.

And Aly – GO READ SOME COMICS!

Hugs and Kisses,

(The)Travis