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Editorial Mandate: DC's Villains Month Has a Diversity Problem (No, Not That Diversity, the Other Type)

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Grayson

Outhouse Drafter

Postby Grayson » Fri Jun 28, 2013 11:49 pm

Punchy wrote:Yeah, my biggest problem with DC is that all of their books have pretty much the same tone.


This has been one of my biggest complaints about the DCnU, especially the new Captain Marvel storyline. Everything has to be so cynical that DC seems to have forgotten about the optimism. :smt102
User avatar

Zechs

Outhouse Editor

Postby Zechs » Sat Jun 29, 2013 3:29 am

You know what's sad? The real sad part? Larfleeze the book is the only book that doesn't have the normal DC tone. Let me say that again. LARFLEEZE. I'm not saying that to piss off Punchy, I'm just saying from what I've seen of all books to be the only one not following DC's dark and gritty attitude?

It's a strange comic world we live in when that's the only DC book that doesn't follow the usual DC format.
User avatar

Punchy

Staff Writer

Postby Punchy » Sat Jun 29, 2013 5:21 am

Grayson wrote:
This has been one of my biggest complaints about the DCnU, especially the new Captain Marvel storyline. Everything has to be so cynical that DC seems to have forgotten about the optimism. :smt102


Shazam was good though, and by the end, the optimism was back.
User avatar

Punchy

Staff Writer

Postby Punchy » Sat Jun 29, 2013 5:42 am

Zechs wrote:You know what's sad? The real sad part? Larfleeze the book is the only book that doesn't have the normal DC tone. Let me say that again. LARFLEEZE. I'm not saying that to piss off Punchy, I'm just saying from what I've seen of all books to be the only one not following DC's dark and gritty attitude?

It's a strange comic world we live in when that's the only DC book that doesn't follow the usual DC format.


Nah, I can see that, Giffen is capable of actual good comedy writing.

But still, FUCK LARFLEEZE
User avatar

superfictious

Humuhumunukunukuapuaa

Postby superfictious » Sat Jun 29, 2013 7:37 am

DC's dark and gritty?

I've been enjoying DC books more in the last few months than I have in years. But I do agree with Blue about variety.
User avatar

Zechs

Outhouse Editor

Postby Zechs » Sat Jun 29, 2013 3:17 pm

Punchy wrote:
Nah, I can see that, Giffen is capable of actual good comedy writing.

But still, FUCK LARFLEEZE



Yeah but why didn't they do this with Jaime? Just go all out Kamen Rider but also keep the light hearted tone that made fans actually like the character?
User avatar

Juan Cena

DANG!

Postby Juan Cena » Sat Jun 29, 2013 3:21 pm

Zechs wrote:
Well they did with Batman and Green Lantern, but.. the two big writers on both books have left or are about too. Both seem to have a "event" changing megaevent three times a year now since none of the books under the "main" books are as good and always keep needing a shot in the arm.

Superman? Has a revolving door of creative teams on all his books. Wonder Woman of all places is the only book with a clear concise path with the same team that started during the relaunch.

Then you look at the minor books with DC's trying to universe build with them by showing the back story of this new universe or showing the differences of this universe to the old one.

I'll say it before and I'll say it again. 52 fucking new worlds and DC can't use a single one of them to appease a fan base. Or go ultimate and just tell a new universe tale while keeping to the "old guard" universe. That way everyone gets their cake and eats it. But oh right.. DC pissed off all the creators who could make sense of this all. :smt017

They're so screwed and Harras will go two for two in bankrupting major comic companies.


I doubt Harras is capable of bankrupting all of Time-Warner.
User avatar

Juan Cena

DANG!

Postby Juan Cena » Sat Jun 29, 2013 3:26 pm

Grayson wrote:
This has been one of my biggest complaints about the DCnU, especially the new Captain Marvel storyline. Everything has to be so cynical that DC seems to have forgotten about the optimism. :smt102


I think the biggest thing I see missing in DC today is nobility has taken a back seat in a lot of ways. Characters have come off as being more self-righteous and holier than thou (like Superman in Moririson's run).
User avatar

Zechs

Outhouse Editor

Postby Zechs » Sat Jun 29, 2013 3:51 pm

Juan Cena wrote:
I doubt Harras is capable of bankrupting all of Time-Warner.


Somewhere Bob Harras just stepped out of his chair shouting to himself: "CHALLENGE ACCEPTED."
User avatar

Arion

Twenty-Something

Postby Arion » Sat Jun 29, 2013 6:49 pm

Juan Cena wrote:Let's admit it: Who wants to create "original" concepts for DC or Marvel when you could do it at Image and own your creations?


And add to that DC's editorial interference.
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Draco x

PЦИKЧ ВЯЁ&#106

Postby Draco x » Sun Jun 30, 2013 3:16 pm

Juan Cena wrote:
I doubt Harras is capable of bankrupting all of Time-Warner.


Not unless they promote him to a very high position within the company.
User avatar

Draco x

PЦИKЧ ВЯЁ&#106

Postby Draco x » Sun Jun 30, 2013 3:18 pm

Zechs wrote:
Somewhere Bob Harras just stepped out of his chair shouting to himself: "CHALLENGE ACCEPTED."


Someone was stupid enough to hire him to DC, so I wouldn't be surprised if someone else is more stupid to promote him within Warner.
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Joshua Workman

FACEBOOKTron

Postby Joshua Workman » Thu Jul 11, 2013 2:04 am

There's a reason the majority of comics I read these days comes from smaller publishers like Dark Horse, IDW, and Big Dog Ink, while from the Big Two, I really only still read Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Justice League, The Avengers, Spider-Man, and Iron Man, with the occasional book or however many from the series of other Justice League and Avengers members when something in those books about those characters connects one another. That reason is because if I want something that's off the beaten path in comics, I have to try the smaller publishers, because DC and Marvel have history of doing very poorly with stuff that's not about the characters that made them the Big Two.

Oh, sure, every now and again, something universe-spanning comes along, Blackest Night for example, and I just have to have every single book that has anything to do with it, regardless of what character's book the additional arc info is in, but again, that's coming down to sales of the books of the characters that made them who they are. I was excited for those fantasy and western comics DC tried putting out a while back, too, because it wasn't the same books I'd always been buying. I wasn't surprised when they were cancelled, though. I knew DC wasn't really trying. I like Injustice: Gods Among Us, though. Fun little comic adaptation of the game. Still, if we do get western, fantasy, or war versions of DC and Marvel's best-selling characters, I'd buy them.
User avatar

Chesscub

WTF is this rank?

Postby Chesscub » Thu Jul 11, 2013 10:29 am

FBtron wrote:It even has spread to Frosted Mini-Wheats - they have fourteen versions of them now - including unfrosted Mini-Wheats - branded to look the same.

And you can't say DC tried that hard with war books, as they were $4 books against $3 books and it wasn't like they hired Ennis to write stuff. It was a half hearted stab at diversity - doomed to fail.

At least Marvel has the occasional Fury Max and Hawkeye book still, DC has the emaciated Vertigo line as their sole cool books.

With the advent of digital comics both companies have to try and get the casual reader to try books and the only way they can think of is to entitled them Batman, Superman, Justice League, Green Lantern, X-Men, Avengers or Spider-Man.


During the initial launch, they had Blackhawks and Men of War which were $2.99.

I like that DC is tries to do something with some of the odder properties (Dial H, Swords of Sorcery, Weird War Tales) but they need to make a consistent entry that lasts more than 8 issues.

Maybe if they did a Showcase with 8 page stories like they did in the 90's. Lead with a Batman family or Superman family story (I'd love to see a Nightrunner story). Then an Amethyst story or a Metamorpho story and a Sgt. Rock story or Blackhawks story.
User avatar

IvCNuB4

Staff Writer

Postby IvCNuB4 » Thu Jul 11, 2013 1:43 pm

Punchy wrote:
Shazam was good though, and by the end, the optimism was back.


Billy taking Black Adam's ashes back to Kahndaq for a proper burial was surprisingly nice turn to his character.
Too bad that action inadvertently sparked the JL/JLA fight :P

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