The New 52 version of Ditko's Creeper

[Earth 2 Chris]

change?
something new?
something different?
taking risks?
something creative?

comic readers accept nothing of the kind!
keep everything the same!
right?

Art, I have nothing but respect for you and your work, but that Creeper design screams "phoned in". If it was well-thought out with a nod to the past, I'd be all for it.

Chris

[Random Axe]

change?


something new? - New for DC, not for comics
something different? - Not really. Looks like any demon found in a Witchblade/Darkness book
taking risks? - A bigger risk would be to make his old look and concept work within the new 52 universe
something creative? - Eh. Much like Blue Demon, seems borrowed and cliche

comic readers accept nothing of the kind! - They can accept changes made for good reasons and good storylines
keep everything the same! - Keep everything consistent! Creators leaving six issue arcs after two will not help anything
right?

Maybe...


In all seriousness, I couldn't care less about the Creeper, but it's exhibit A how to completely destroy the core of a character, both in look and concept. DC is completely flying without navigation.

[Red Hulk]

That's bad really bad...

[EMCE Hammer]

It looks like an extreme Percy Jackson villain.

I love you Art - I get way more ****ed every time I need to tell my kids that DC cancelled another one of your books. But change is change; crap is crap. I'm the guy who didn't mind Kyle Rayner, and who kinda likes the "new" Blue Beetle. I'd need a microscope to even find a speck of Creeper DNA here. I know it could be argued that I should give it a chance. Well DC, call it something else, and write a great story instead of alienating me by destroying a character I enjoy just for the sake of using a recognizable name.

I don't mind people on my lawn. I do get ticked when they leave dog turds.

[johnnystorm]

Agreed- it's not being creative or taking risks...it's trying to capitalize on the good works of someone else and applying a "brand name" to something it ain't. You can pee in a Gatorade bottle, but it won't taste the same.

[The Toyroom]

Much of the initial New 52 as well as stuff from subsequent replacement waves has tanked already. Story lines have been altered or dropped altogether in midstream, creators fired and then rehired, and general chaos seems to be the rule of the day. The company is bleeding profusely creatively and there simply aren't enough band-aids and tourniquets to stop it. At some point I would suspect they'll have to quietly reintroduce parts of the old characters and their continuity in order to hold everything together.

[Random Axe]

The best thing they could do is take 6-8 months off publishing and develop a cohesive and long term strategy. Then they can either decide to continue on with 52 continuity as is, add elements of classic stuff or just freakin go back to pre 52. A much needed break would do them good. Then they can some out all guns firing and whatever happens determines the future of the company.

[ctc]

Hmmmm....

THIS one seems odd since it's such a departure from the original. In a case like this I don't see why they didn't just make up a whole new dude. Does the Creeper REALLY carry that much cache it's worth doing a tie-in for the name?

>comic readers accept nothing of the kind!
>keep everything the same!

I think, in a sideways kinda way you've hit on it. They may have wanted a new character.... or at least saw a space in their continuity that a new character could/should fill, but it's much better to go with a known than an unknown; even if you really aren't.

>How do you offend Steve Ditko and Jack Kirby?

Mention Stan Lee?

>Turn the Creeper into the Demon.

Well.... okay, yeah. But this Creeper seems more like Spawn than Etrigan.

Say; does Spawn REALLY carry that much cache that it's worth ripping him off?

Don C.

[ctc]

>The best thing they could do is take 6-8 months off publishing and develop a cohesive and long term strategy.

I think "redo the universe every year or so" IS their long term strategy. And it works. Kind of. As was pointed out a -ways back; for the last decade or so, Marvel and DC have been swapping around the same audience. Whenever one does their big redo/non-event they gain the majority of this audience, for a while. Then they taper off until the NEXT redo/non-event. It makes sense from a business angle since it's the safe money. An actual, meaningful redo would be a huge risk. You could gain a new audience, or lose the current one for good. Or at least until circumstances required an emergency reset; which would just start the ball rolling, slowly, again.

Personally, I think they need a grand housecleaning. Comics reset every decade or so, and the Big Two-ish missed the last one.... hence them getting marginalized in the comics game. If they REALLY wanted to get back on top they'd go all Silver Age, gut their ENTIRE continuity and start from scratch. Whole cloth, putting together something that'd appeal to the youth of today. Oldsters be damned. New artists, new writers, new characters, new origins. But that'snot going to happen 'cos firstly there's no reason for them to do it (see my last); and secondly they're both part of giant entertainment conglomerates now. The characters are more a brand than characters, and the marketing department would doubtless frown on making Batman a female, or saying Wonder Woman was the last survivour of Krypton, or any other meaningful change. ("Change the Creeper? Sure. I guess. He was on that cartoon.... 'Justice Friends' or something.... wasn't he?")

Don C.

[palitoy]

change?
something new?
something different?
taking risks?
something creative?

comic readers accept nothing of the kind!
keep everything the same!
right?

Nah Reboots and change can be fun. If it weren't for reboots and change, we wouldn't have the Kamen Rider family, Byrne's Man of Steel, Batman Year 1 or new Doctor Whoseses.

I just sort of lament an underutilized character being gutted so severely, they trimmed some steak there.

[MIB41]

I just equate the new 52 to the same lessons taught to Coke. There is room for both new age and classic versions. Throwing one away is never good for the brand. It's akin to throwing the baby out with the bath water. Honestly it was a much unneeded lesson to learn. And they're paying for it.

[HumanWolfman]

How do you offend Steve Ditko and Jack Kirby?

Turn the Creeper into the Demon.

or Spider-Man