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Green Arrow has been hot and cold with me over the years. Even though I lean right, I prefer Ollie as the liberal hero we’ve come to know over the years. When the New 52 rebooted, he lost that and he seemed to become “Batman with arrows” again. The Rebirth issue and this issue have surprised me with how much I’ve enjoyed them. I discussed with Alex last week how I prefer a house style with superhero comics but I really enjoyed Otto Scmidt’s art here.

“Alex: To be honest, your take on the issue didn’t strike my mind.”

Who talks this way? Learn English, fellas.

Imagine that, corporate-owned superhero garbage is largely the same as it ever was. Will fanboys ever learn?

Well, given the plummeting sales, maybe they finally have.

Alex,
Not being snarky at all but can you explain what you mean by “house style”? Personally, I believe that comics from the Big 2 should have a somewhat consistent look ( if we’re on the same page with the term). Not a cookie cutter approach where everyone is drawing like Jim Lee but I grew up with Byrne on the X-Men while Perez was on the Avengers, Starlin, the Buscemas, etc… Using current artists, I prefer a Fabok or a Pelletier to be on DC books rather than the sketchier, cartoonier artists that I prefer on indie books or a book like Gotham Academy.

based on feedback from our customers, they are off to a very good start, each title had over 100 people adding the comics (all 5) to their reserve/hold. same performance as last week, DC is on to something here. these comics are getting a much stronger “word on the street” then the last batch of Marvel Now titles

“I prefer a Fabok or a Pelletier to be on DC books rather than the sketchier, cartoonier artists that I prefer on indie books or a book like Gotham Academy.”

Not every title has to appeal to your very limited, shallow tastes. But looking at DC’s poor output, that’s what they’re going for now.

Easy there, Brave Keyboard Warrior….

Hi Shawn,

I think we have the same understanding of the term “house style”– a look that, while not necessarily 100% homogeneous, has a large number of consistent features across all titles. May I ask why you prefer this look?

Personally, I dislike the idea that a large publishing company could ever have a house style because it leads to creative stagnancy across a large line. You can have stores that only sell bone broth or one kind of artisanal bagel because they’re small boutique outlets that target a small corner of the market. A company like DC or Marvel, who wants to and does capture the largest market share among comics publishers, is not a boutique brand. Paradoxically though, in DC’s case, they target the audience for house style books as though it’s the totality of the market rather than just one niche in a greater whole. Their strategy is what MacMillan’s would be like if they only published horror novels or Simon and Schuster acted like they were Harlequin.

I believe that the art style of a comic dictates its tone. I also believe that superheroes are not just a vehicle for action stories, but can be used to tell a variety of tales. Having a house style limits that possibility because personally, I don’t think a romance book with Jim Lee on art would fare as well as something drawn by Joelle Jones. Large publishers like DC and Marvel should and finally are diversifying their visual lineups to accommodate the fact that they are, in fact, large publishers with a wide variety of audience members who want to read different things.

We’re probably not too far apart in thinking, we may just be viewing it from opposite preferences. I like a house look probably because that is the way my brain is wired for superhero comics. Like I previously wrote, I was raised on John Byrne, George Perez, Frank Miller, John Buscema, Sal Buscema, John Romita Jr., and others who were popular (and doing regular work) from the late 70’s through the 80’s. Just using Marvel as an example, Peter Parker looked like Peter Parker in not only the Spider-Man titles, but also when he guest starred in other books. Depending on the artist, he can look different in his own book these days. For a while, Captain America’s costume looked different from book to book. Of course these are just personal preferences (which I’ve heard are “shallow and limited” lol) but they take me out of the story. I agree that the tone of a book is dictated by the art, I think that Neal Adams would me a bad fit on Invincible just as I agree Jim Lee wouldn’t be a good choice for a romance comic. And preferences change, as a kid I HATED Bill Sienkiewicz on the New Mutants but now I look at those issues and love them.
I appreciate your opinion and your willingness to have these conversations in the comments section helps make this sites one of the great ones.

I’m just glad to see The Flash drawn by someone named Carmine again!

DC should just call itself “Bloodlines Comics” to better reflect where its priorities are (spoiler: stuck in 1993).

Survivors’ Club and Last Gang in Town ended last week.

Slash & Burn, by virtue of Vertigo’s lowest-selling title for April 2016, ended that month.

Seriously — are trade sales of Doctor Fate what keeps that book going? Paul — come back to the Legion!

I’m curious why Midnighter and Martian Manhunter, both great books that are being cancelled, are being kicked to the curb while Doctor Fate, selling worse than both of those, is apparently continuing post Rebirth? Makes no sense. Maybe you’re right, Steve, and it’s trades sell well?

RE: Green Lantern: Edge of Oblivion – I am still for about the 3rd month wondering why the numbers for GL: Lost Army are not included in the past counts.

As for Bloodlines, I remain convinced that DC has to do things with titles every once in a while for some reason in the family of trademarks/copyrights. There are too many times when older names get thrown out for no reason. Like “Star-Spangled Comics featuring G.I.Zombie” – why not just “G.I.Zombie”?

Alexander, perhaps in your rush to write up a few more snarky comments about Batman v Superman, the facts got lost along the way. Collider reported that the extended version of the film will be released *digitally* on June 28th, while the Blu Ray and DVD editions will be on sale starting July 19th.

For the record, I liked the movie and look forward to seeing more of it.

Egg on my face, you’re right and I’m wrong!

I’m glad you enjoy the film. I didn’t, particularly. Not trying to take the piss out of anyone who likes it. I was really looking forward to it and was sorely disappointed, so I find my peace in criticizing the work. I won’t ever criticize its fans.

What a gracious reply. Thank you for the distinction. Sorry the movie wasn’t your cup of tea.

I don’t think even Dave Gibbons, who generally seems to be pretty chill about Watchmen, would go along with this. That’s probably why they didn’t ask him. They didn’t think they’d get his blessing and didn’t care if he opposed it.

I wonder if they’re going to actually use the Watchmen characters, perhaps instead using some of the storytelling motifs and using the Charlton characters they were based on….

*Note – I have only read Rebirth #1 at this stage so don’t beat me up because I haven’t read a DC comic in years. :-)

Either DC knew he’d say no, or they don’t care what he thinks. Says it all really.

All you fanboys happy about defending ‘Before Watchmen’ now, are you?

Since Dave Gibbons doesn’t own the Watchmen characters, There isn’t any necessity to ask his blessing or permission. It would have been a courtesy, but entertainment conglomerates are not usually big on courtesy. Does anyone seriously think that it would have stopped Geoff Johns and DC from going in this direction if they’d asked and Mr. Gibbons had told them it was a bad idea and nothing he could endorse? If it’s not something that readers can get behind, then those readers needn’t buy it. Those who don’t have a problem with it: enjoy what could turn out to be a pretty good story.

Gibbons has style.

Not his characters. Who gives a flying fruck.

I’m with Sean and Skottie. Who gives a shit about creators? We like comics. Comics are put out by corporate executives and lawyers who make contracts and sell merchandise. Writers and artists just think up ideas and write them down and draw them. Big deal! Comics readers are into contracts and legal ownership and plastic toys made in Indonesia. The creative people don’t matter!.

Does Dave Gibbons own the characters? If the answer is “no,” and they were products of “work for hire” and belong to DC, why would DC check with him first? Grow up.

[…] Well, in an interview during MCM London Comic Con recently, several reporters asked Gibbons about the fact that Dr. Manhattan was going to be a part of the actual DC Universe, and an adversary at that. He then told the reporters “no comment,” and when a follow-up question asked if DC had even sent him an email about using Dr. Manhattan, he replied, “No, they didn’t.” Time to make some calls, DC. You already have one Watchmen co-creator hating on you…you don’t want two. [Comics Beat] […]

Kevin, I agree completely! The legacy of a literary classic shouldn’t be decided by the people who made it! It should be decided by the people who took over the jobs of other people who came out ahead in a legal negotiation twenty-five years ago! That’s why we’re all still reading the J.B. Lippincott Company’s To Kill a Mockingbird and Random House’s Ulysses. It’s why J.K. Rowling has never been consulted in the use and exploitation of that Harry Potter bloke! The business of comics is exactly the way it should be!

Alex,
Janin is continuing with the series. He was named as part of the rotating art team with Finch when the series was first announced a few months ago.

Having not read any of the New 52 Superman, I actually enjoyed Superman: Rebirth. I found it quite moving.

How interesting! I haven’t been able to find hide or hair of that information, unfortunately. DC’s site only lists Finch in the first arc of issues and all the promo also only speaks to Finch. Do you have a source?

It was announced at WonderCon, http://comicsalliance.com/dc-rebirth-announcements-wondercon/
which was great news to me of course!

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Having completely dropped Marvel, I have high hopes for Rebirth. I was only buying Batman and Justice League a few months ago. I’m a Superman fan so I liked his issue. I didn’t particularly like the Green Lanterns book so it’s 3 likes and 1 meh for me.

looks much stronger than the initial new52 pool of creators. let’s hope for the best.

Looks stronger than the initial new 52? Except for bringing in Rucka, it’s the same gang of idiots.

PRE-FLASHPOINT SUPERMAN IS SUPERMAN!!!!!

Hey, Scott Lobdell is down to one book a month now. That alone is a victory. Maybe Harras will finally have to not give him any more writing assignments after he runs Red Hood further into the ground.

Overall I like Snyder, King, Jurgens and Seeley staying on the Batverse side of things and it feels like the books will just organically grow into the new status quo for some reason. Otherwise until I see some real descriptions of concepts behind the titles not really overly interested in any of these titles just based on a marketing burst.

And so we have Barbara Gordon still as Batgirl. So much for the hopes of a return to the old continuity.

Can’t say I’m blown away by the old-new mismash going on above, but I can see a couple of books I’m definitely picking up and a couple more I’ll keep an eye on. That’s more interest than I was able to scrape up for Marvel post-Secret Wars.

Also, how the hell did DC managed to score Christopher Priest on Deathstroke?! That’s amazing.

Comics are synonymous with habits. For those of us who’ve been away, it might just be easier to maintain the habit than go out of the way to look in on DC’s characters again. Especially since such irrevocable damage has been done to them.

That includes the travesty of the cinematic universe.

More for everyone else, I guess. :)

Yep, I sure do remember Tom King, Christopher Priest, Hope Larson, Gene Luen Yang, Simon Oliver, Phil Jimenez, and Dan Abnett’s total of 0 comics in the New 52 launch.

Yes, many of these writers are *now* writing DCU books (though not Larson, Priest, Oliver, or Jimenez, let alone relatively new writers like Percy, Semper, or the Bensons) but there’s a lot of people with titles coming out this summer that weren’t at DC post-Flashpoint.

Sorry to see SECRET SIX, BATGIRL OF BURNSIDE, and DOCTOR FATE go (along with the promised second PREZ series, most likely), but turnover is inevitable. Sigh.

PRIEST! HOLY CRAP!!!

Man, good thing they locked-down talent like this.

Point-of-fact: Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is an ABC show, not on NBC.

[…] From The Beat:  […]

“The comic is written by Geoff Johns (Justice League) with art from Ethan Van Sciver (Green Lantern: Rebirth), Ivan Reis (Aquaman), Gary Frank (Batman: Earth One) and Phil Jimenez (Wonder Woman) ”

Doesn’t sound like a fresh start to me….

Superman kills someone. Oh, wait, they already did that in Injustice.
A lone wolf goes on a mass-shooting spree, killing a supporting character.
(Cue the “purple skins” scene from Green Lantern #76.)

Meh. I’m not sure DC can go in another direction with hype like this. The real news is the creative assignments. Admittedly, this big one shot doesn’t sound particularly new or different to me, either. Fingers crossed, and for cryin out loud, let’s see who the creators are already!

It’s Geoff Johns, so I’m gonna take a wild guess and assume someone gets an arm ripped off.

It seems there will be some sort of amalgam of past continuity in DC’s “Rebirth”. With that in mind, I’ve jotted down the top ten possibilities on what that “controversial scene” might be:

#10 – Superman uses his magical eye vision from Superman IV and builds a wall between the U.S. and Mexico.

#9 – Bruce Wayne finally comes out of the closet and wears his Rainbow Batman costume from the 1950’s.

#8 – Wonder Woman brings her Lasso of Truth out of mothballs and uses it on candidates in the Presidential debates (all fail.)

#7 – Mighty Isis is detained by airport security for, well — being called Mighty Isis.

#6 – The Vigilante becomes a right-wing radio talk show host.

#5 – The Red Lanterns are discovered to be running a brothel in Amsterdam.

#4 – The Teen Titans are shut down by Child Protective Services,

#3 – A supporting female character from past continuity is NOT revived for the sole purpose of being raped, beaten or shot in the spine.

#2 – In order to complete All Star Batman and Robin — Rip Hunter, the Infinite Man, Clock King, Tick Tock Tyler The Hour-man, Chronos and the Time Trapper lock Jim Lee and Frank Miller into the Legion of Super-Heroes time bubble — give them all the time in the world — and they still can’t finish it.

And finally — the #1 possible “controversial scene” will be —

The Flash’s Mopee is blamed for the New 52.

A return to the pre-flashpoint DCU would be nice. keep what worked from Nu52, but incorporate it into the previous canon. And just bring back the old costumes for characters like Superman. going tacticool LINESLINESLINES and no underwear was cool at first, but it’s gotten old.

They’re going to show us that Uncle Ben is alive and served as an assassin for the Soviet Union.

He’s gonna kill Bruce Wayne, because he is a failure and needs a legacy. Douche.

I know – Max Lord will shoot Blue Beetle in the head.

No wait – Wonder Woman will strangle Max Lord with her magic lasso.

Oh I’ve got it – how about having Dr Light turn out to be a rapist?

Or maybe they can have Superboy beat the Golden Age Superman to death with his bare hands.

I guess to be fair to DC – they were selling a lot more books back when they were pulling cynical stunts like that than they are now, so I can see why they would be looking to recapture the “magic.”

I was very excited for DC Rebirth – it gives me Hope – which I haven’t had since… 2010? I haven’t been excited by a DC Comics announcement since 2010.

But then Dan says something abominably stupid like this. I’m still excited and hopeful, but less so than before this asinine comment.

Let’s hope it doesn’t involve any rape or dismemberment! but the track record suggests otherwise… ugh. :(

Isn’t he stating HIS run is ending with 12? Not necessarily that the series is ending at that point? This article makes it confusing.

ACTION COMICS #957
DETECTIVE COMICS #934

Wait… WHAT?

They’re clearly reverting to the old numbering for Action and Detective so that they can make a big deal of it when those titles hit #1000.
Also, the semi-monthly release schedule of those books will get them there within two years.

ACTION COMICS #957
DETECTIVE COMICS #934

Gah. They’ve totally turned into Joe Quesada’s Marvel comics now. ;) Ugh.

Sigh the Marvel method of dual shipping is good way for me to not want to invest my time or energy and instead just drop the few remaining DC books I do read..

Finally… I hope

“Ethan Van Sciver, Ivan Reis, Phil Jimenez, and Gary Frank.”

Party like it’s 2006, DC!

Bleeding Cool says Batman bi-weekly for Tom….

OH MY GOD THEY LOCKED DOWN JOHN TIMMS?!?!?!?!

So…does that mean no more Valiant work for Mann? Is King off Vision?

King just stated on twitter that he will be on Vision through issue 12. And yeah, no more Valiant work for Mann in the foreseeable future I assume.

And Rich, that sounds good to me!

I tried to give this book a try, but the art gave me a headache. I like the style, I like the attempt at experimental layouts, but I just can’t look at it without cringing. Maybe it’s the coloring. I dunno. It’s like a sadist JH Williams.

And of course: the series is now cancelled, as part of DC’s “Rebirth” event.

Too bad! But it’s been reincarnated once since Wildstorm! Maybe Vertigo next? Orlando ‘ s accurate narrative portrayal and ACO’S edged lines and panel split action stretches are a sight to behold! The grit in the emotional structure of this series has been what held me.

[…] The Beat’s Alexander Lu calls Midnighter “DC’s Answer to Ms. Marvel.” “He is the post-modern gay superhero we deserve—someone who isn’t isolated from the struggles … […]