Today, Marks The Start Of The New Universe.

[The Bat]

The 90's drove me away from a lot of comics including the xmen and the Batman books. The events and the nonstop barrage of spinoffs really did it for me. Not to mention all the Image wannabes working on the art.

Yes, I already knew this about you Joe...it's not news. Let's just say that our tastes in art run a bit differently. Me...I prefer a more "traditional" looking Batman. Even Lee's Batman redesign stays closer than your vision of Batman.

[boynightwing]

Okay, so I bought Flashpoint #5 and JL #1.

Flashpoint was great. I enjoyed it as a series and I see how it leads in to the new universe. I also noticed where they stashed a parachute for when this thing fails and they need to put things back to normal. So that makes me happy because...

Justice League #1 was nothing short of terrible. In my opinion that is. I wont say more because I think there are some people that want to read it and I don't want to give anything away...not that there IS anything to give away. It was just really bad.

[Cosmicman]

This whole thing is going to fail. Probably by next summer they will have a whole summer cross-over event to bring back the continuity they jettisoned. They have to feel the sting of the failure before they learn.

I know it and you know it. If this blows up in their face....this is why DC has the multiverse so they can save this for some kind of DC Ultimate Universe world for the ones who like it and the original DC will still be intact. Mark my words it will happen to save asses.

[The Bat]

Just read Flash Point#5 and JLA #1...and loved them both! So far I don't see what there is to get upset about? With the exception of the slightly altered costumes...it still seems like the same Universe. The only difference being(and I don't think this is spoiler)...that issue #1 goes back in time to "re-tell" the forming of the Justice League. As the very first panel on page one says..."5 years ago". This first storyline is simply a flash back and I believe once it's over...the Justice League book will jump back to the present.
The ending of Flash Point #5 proves my point.

I believe the rest of the 51 books are in the present...only justice League is doing a flash-back story.

[ctc]

>This whole thing is going to fail.

I have this creeping suspicion that "fail" is the wrong word. From a READERS perspective, yeah; 'cos it's all gonna get undone in a year or so.... but from a COMPANY perspective it generates hype, boosts sales for a bit, and gives 'em some financial wiggle room until next years do-over. I'm kinda' thinkin' that's why we get one of these things every year now; 'cos (from the compnay's perspective) they work.

Don C.

[The Toyroom]

Just read Flash Point#5 and JLA #1...and loved them both! So far I don't see what there is to get upset about? With the exception on the slightly altered costumes...it still seems like the same Universe. The only difference being(and I don't think this is spoiler)...that issue #1 goes back in time to "re-tell" the forming of the Justice League.

There's a big difference...Cyborg is a founding member apparently and J'onn J'onnz is not...not the same universe.

[The Bat]

There's a big difference...Cyborg is a founding member apparently and J'onn J'onnz is not...not the same universe.

True...but that's a minor detail to me, as I never liked J'onn J'onnz anyway.

[Riffster]

I loved JL#1 it's a good start, i know everything won't be a home run but i love it so far

[The Bat]

I loved JL#1 it's a good start, i know everything won't be a home run but i love it so far

[samurainoir]

Found the finale to Flashpoint kind of disappointing after all that build-up. I think this would have made a good stand-alone Flash/Batman story if it didn't have the entire weight of the new DCU resting on it, not to mention the whole crossover Event tie ins that I didn't really follow other than that Batman book (which was quite good).

Nice twist, but I felt like that it wasn't strong enough to sustain all that had come before. It really does feel like backflips to try and give Barry some kind of heroic motivation via tragedy.

Not sure what is up with this hooded lady, but there isn't enough to really draw my interest right now. They hint at a previous crisis and some kind of upcoming threat that this new combined Dc/vertigo/windstorm universe must face... So they are already planting the seeds for the NEXT crossover.

As for Justice League... Bombastic Jim Lee art, but not much to set it visually apart from All Star Batman other than new costumes... Thus far not enough story to really hang your hat on. Lots of gritting and posturing. Mostly Green Lantern and Batman teaming up... Which I just read a variation on last week in the final Green Lantern Emerald Warriors. Vic's new origin is intriguing, and his story is obviously going to be the through line for this series. I guess I'll keep reading to see what it amounts to, but not expecting much after the Flashpoint hype.

[emeraldknight47]

I may pick up JLA #1 at my LCS tomorrow if they have any left. He usually doesn't order huge amounts of stuff and he was not at all happy with DCs reboot idea.

BTW, so, to those of you who have read this, are you saying this is the possibility of an alternate DC universe, which would give them an out if this whole thing blows up in their faces...?

[Riffster]

I see earth 2 as being the "out" but i'm not getting the feeling that it's an alternate universe

[aquatroy]

JLA 1 left me a bit cold. The dialogue reminded me of how the "cool kids/jocks" talked to each other in high school. Certainly there's been an element of gamesmanship in previous Leagues. Just not this kind of "my dick is bigger then yours"ness.

[emeraldknight47]

JLA 1 left me a bit cold. The dialogue reminded me of how the "cool kids/jocks" talked to each other in high school. Certainly there's been an element of gamesmanship in previous Leagues. Just not this kind of "my dick is bigger then yours"ness.

heh he heh heh he heh heh he---aquatroy said "dick."

Sorry---couldn't resist!!!!

[knight errant00]

JLA 1 left me a bit cold. The dialogue reminded me of how the "cool kids/jocks" talked to each other in high school. Certainly there's been an element of gamesmanship in previous Leagues. Just not this kind of "my dick is bigger then yours"ness.

Okay, I'll say it: I think one of the big problems in comics today is the creative teams -- namely anyone writing -- don't have any real-life experience to draw on *and* they're trying to be "artistic" and "realistic" in their writing. Old timers like Roy Thomas were fanboys who "made it" and told fun and sometimes compelling stories about their favorite characters' adventures (Bronze-age Avengers, Invaders). The new guys are fans, and in trying to "shade" the personalities of their characters, they start adding negative attributes -- the problem is, their experience of that is typically a--h---- publishers and annoying fans, so they go by the people they didn't like in life (HS jocks, for example) and then congratulate each other on what a fine job they're doing. The Ultimates take on Captain America uis another example of this, drawing on military-guy-as-bossy-jerk as a way of imparting a "personality. And don't get me going on the whole idea (thanks, Fank Miller) of Batman as complete psycho acting out his emotional issues on the world in a mask and cape.

That's what I loved about the Captain America movie this summer -- Cap as a good-hearted guy who goes out and does his best to mke the worl better. That's the real example superheroes set for kids, and I think its absence in favor of thin, pop-psych characterization and stunt shock-tragedy/(Identity Crisis) is what's really been killing the comics industry for years.

I haven't picked up any of the DCNU titles yet, but instead of a step in the right direction, so far it sounds like more of what I think is currently wrong with comics .