DC’s Reboot Disaster
Holy bananas, I can’t believe I’m going back into this stuff.
DC’s Reboot is looking more and more like a company-killing disaster. They’re alienating readers, throwing scares into retailers, and running off good creators like Chris Roberson.
A lot of the new titles they’ve announced have not really made me excited — they might be good, they might be bad, but they’re uninspired enough to make me not care whether they exist or not.
Of course, some look pretty good, and I reckon I’ll be reading Wonder Woman, several of the Batman titles, Swamp Thing, and the new Static series.
But too many of the titles announced recently look shockingly bad.
First, there’s this one, from Monday’s announcements:
That one’s called “Red Hood and the Outlaws,” starring psycho former Robin Jason Todd, Arsenal (now with both of his arms again), and Starfire. It’s written by Scott Lobdell and illustrated by Kenneth Rocafort.
Okay, first, you’re rebooting your whole universe, you’ve given Roy Harper both his arms again, indicating that you’ve removed James Robinson’s horrible “Cry for Justice” from continuity, and you can’t bring yourself to erase Jason Todd from existence? I mean, no one likes Jason Todd. He’s the character who no one can believe was resurrected instead of Ralph Dibny or Ted Kord. He’s done nothing since coming back to make anyone think he’s a worthwhile character. Why not reboot him back to the character graveyard?
Second, superheroes should not wear baseball caps. I’m sorry — it just looks stupid.
Third, wait, why is Starfire an anti-hero? Oh, I guess they needed boobs in the series. Siiiiigh.
Fourth, Lobdell? Are you sure? I actually re-read some of his old X-Men books the other night, and they weren’t that good. Has he improved in the last decade?
Then came the Wednesday announcements, including this one:
A new “Teen Titans” series, featuring Superboy, Red Robin, Kid Flash, Wonder Girl, and a couple of new characters. Written by Lobdell again and illustrated by Brett Booth and Norm Rapmund.
Problems: Where the heck do we start? With Red Robin’s feathered cape? With Tim Drake’s new background where he was apparently never Robin? With yet another completely random costume for Wonder Girl? With the ridiculous Kid Flash costume?
Do we really want to ask why Superboy has his logo Scotch-taped to his back?
Another book by Lobdell. Frankly, not a good sign.
And then there’s this.
“Hawk and Dove.” Written by Sterling Gates. Illustrated by Rob Liefeld.
ROB FRICKIN’ LIEFELD.
Dan DiDio, Geoff Johns, Jim Lee — I will need your resignations on my desk this afternoon.
Fred (SpaceBooger) Said,
June 8, 2011 @ 2:12 pm
“Do we really want to ask why Superboy has his logo Scotch-taped to his back?”
If you look closely it seems as if Kid Flash is playing a prank… you know the old “Kick Me” style sign.
Anyway, I’m all in for something new and fresh. Plus if they are crap I can save money every month. I’m all in and excited.
VoodooBen Said,
June 8, 2011 @ 5:09 pm
No offense, dude, but I think you’re being WAY to hard on Scott Lobdell. I would argue that guy wrote the HELL out of the X-Books during a very trying decade for all comics, and under the thumb of some horribly incompetent editors.
Of course, I was a young, young man when I read those comics (in my teens for pretty much the entirety of it), so i have no doubt that nostalgia and youth is helping form that opinion.
scottslemmons Said,
June 8, 2011 @ 7:10 pm
Fred, if it’s supposed to be a “Kick Me” gag, it’s really not a good place for it. We can’t see anything else about Superboy’s costume, and everyone seems to think it’s a part of the kid’s uniform.
VoodooBen: We’ll see — god knows, there have been plenty of writers and artists I’d written off in the past, only to have them surprise me with awesomeness. Maybe that’ll be the case this time. But the ’90s-angstiness of those covers makes me nervous…
Fred (SpaceBooger) Said,
June 8, 2011 @ 8:41 pm
I also read somewhere that the TT image was a quick “thrown together” image to show, not the real cover. If that is true I don’t mind the gag, it does fit into Kid Flash’s personality, and is a nice throwback to the Young Justice days.
WizarDru Said,
June 9, 2011 @ 7:18 am
FWIW, Liefeld was the artist during Hawk and Dove’s heyday in the 90s, when Karl Kessel made them great characters (and when they destroyed that comic with the whole Monarch fiasco).
The rest of this? Meh. That’s my reaction. Just…Meh. It feels like DC has gone all-in, but the bet they’re making is on the wrong things. I appreciate what they’re trying to do here, but this is just…I’m not sure WHO they’re catering to, here.