New 52 is officially over

[hedrap]

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=59085

Ironic how they're stating it as only an end to the branding/marketing use of New 52 while in the same move axing half the titles, replacing them with more non-unified books and now only publishing 48.

I wonder if they made any gains from doing this. I always liked the idea of a full-sail reboot, but it was obvious from the start they weren't seriously contemplating anything outside cosmetic changes.

And another sign of the DC film/tv tail wagging the dog with Dark Universe.

[johnnystorm]

Still more DC stuff I won't buy. The list of replacement titles is sad, a lot of retitled books starting over, a few "6 issue-ers", and more destruction of established characters like Black Canary being "BatGirled" (I.e. Made trendy for teen girls who won't be caught dead reading a comic book).
Yet another chance being squandered by DC, instead of going all out with top talent on fan requested stuff like Kamandi and JSA, or expanding on Morrison's Multiverse, they're giving us Bizarro, Prez, & Omega Men. I guess they've given up on war & western stuff now. But hey, two Robin series!!! Every Justice Leaguer gets a book! More Batman (he has battle armor now!) & Superman (with cool new uniform that looks like the same one he had only different & cool & he has a new super power he'll only use once!) .
The Nu48 is just more of the same. Leaves me time and money for the interesting stuff from independent companies.

[samurainoir]

The New 52 branding stayed a little too long... after the initial Big Push that put them at the top of the sales charts, Marvel responded with their new #1 initiative across the line, and then has more casually rebranded annually or every six months or so with a new slate of #1's, giving the illusion of a fresh coat of paint, while doing the exact same thing DC is doing. Marvel is currently winning at Event Driven sales.

As weird as it seems given their historical relationship in terms of sales and innovations, in this case DC is the Hare and Marvel is the tortoise. I'd argue the reversal of the 80's and 90's, although not surprising if you look at much of the top tier editorial and talent roster at DC currently IS in fact... 90's Marvel (Jim Lee, Bob Harras, Mike Carlin, Scott Lobdell, Greg Capullo, etc).

[ubermanx]

DC calls this the Batgirling of comics while I refer to it as the Hawkeyeing ..

The recent Hawkeye comic was very successful and proved that you can make a really good, creative and original comic with an existing property. DC tried this with Batgirl and is now trying it across the board.

So expect a lot of Amazing Spider-Man -> Superiour Spider-Man -> Amazing Spider-Man style "limited" series from both Marvel and DC. Less collecting a long run of a specific title and more colelcting a character.

As for the new line up ... there is a lot of soft reboots of existing titles that I am not particularly excited about but others are catching my eye. I'll wait for more details before deciding what I will order for June.

I have already grieved and mourned the loss of "my" DC. Wally West, the New Teen Titans with Cyborg, Nightwing, Donna Troy, et al. Superman's pants. Chilli loving, Canary dating, bearded, Liberal Ollie Queen. Etc, etc, etc ... So I have a more open mind for the new stuff. Wasn't easy but I'm in a good place now ready to move forward.

- Marty

[madmarva]

Some of this stuff will be good, most will be average and some will be bad. Just like always. It's a chance for them to get a little sales boost with some No. 1 issues and shake up creative teams in one fell swoop.

Can't blame em. But, no, nothing really different. I have a feeling there will be a Geoff Johns-written SHAZAM book at some point. From a skim over the solicits, he's only writing one announced book and I believe his contract calls for 2.

It does appear that some of the titles are being positioned more in line with WB's film plans.

I've lost the interest and intent to buy as much as I used to. One nice thing about the renumbering is that I've completely lost that old obsession with having complete runs of titles.

My favorite versions of these characters reside in my mind's eye and I have a lot of reprints, collections and some back issues to keep me busy beyond picking up a few collections now and then.

[madmarva]

"As weird as it seems given their historical relationship in terms of sales and innovations, in this case DC is the Hare and Marvel is the tortoise. I'd argue the reversal of the 80's and 90's, although not surprising if you look at much of the top tier editorial and talent roster at DC currently IS in fact... 90's Marvel (Jim Lee, Bob Harras, Mike Carlin, Scott Lobdell, Greg Capullo, etc)."


Yeah, it is interesting how the talent drifts from company to company. DC of the 80s was filled with Marvel freelancers from the 70s. And many have gone back and forth.

Cullen Bunn's named popped up all over the place in DC's solicits. It will also be interesting to see how Hitch does with writing JLA. I've always enjoyed writer/artist books for the most part.

[LadyZod]

I've been collecting and reading Superman for a long time. I enjoyed his Bronze Age adventures and watched him walk off into the sunset, only to be surprised and become enamored with the John Byrne Superman.

I enjoyed this "Man of Steel" age Superman and mourned his loss when the New 52 Superman show up with his armor, high collar, and no overpants. It hasn't been long enough to grow an attachment to him yet, but I *could* grow to like him if he stuck around. (Interesting to think I've developed more of an attachment to the Movieverse MOS Superman than Mr New 52. Go figure.)

I've gone back and read the Golden Age Superman, and I enjoy him a great deal, albeit in a different way than I loved the Silver Age goof of a Superman.

Each Superman has his own personality, and in my mind are different guys. Whoever is being published at the time just happens be the torch bearer for the time being. His time may be long, it may be short... but they'll always be a new Superman waiting in the wings.

So reboots, softboots, Crisises, retellings, new-tellings... don't care.

Lay it on me.

I'm a Superman fan.

I've been through worse.

[thunderbolt]

meh, don't care anymore. They lost me when they cancelled Frankenstein. The noodle-y Jim Lee redesigns left me cold. Hey, at least there aren't 4 GL titles anymore. I do really love the Bizzaro redesign, tho:

[Earth 2 Chris]

If DC is going to do this, then just cut your loses, and go to a classic, non-continuity style structure. Everybody's just the classic version. Put top creators on it. Press start, and go.

I know continuity will eventually develop, but for pete's sake, let's just try this.

As long as Batman 66 keeps going, I'm good.

Chris

[monitor_ep]

DC just keeps trying to round that square tire.

I am amazed that Jim Lee managed to get his time-machine to work. He took DC characters and made them into 90's Marvel characters!!! Now they are just going to 48 titles in the DCnU and the rest they are going to just through things at the wall to see what sticks.

That said I may look at "We are Robin" just to see who they are and Bat-Mite. Other than Aquaman and maby Batman Beyond I may be done.

[The Toyroom]

DC has already lost most of my money, I really don't see them getting much back with this new approach. The only title I'm really curious about is Hitch's JLA. The other stuff is hit or miss, mostly miss. I'm usually a fan of Dan Jurgens so I might check out his Bat-Mite.

But I agree with Chris...if they really wanted a "continuity-be-damned" approach they would have jettisoned much more. At this point in my "career" I'd much rather read stuff like Batman '66 or Sensation Comics were you don't have to have a knowledge of what's going on with 20 other books.

[madmarva]

Yeah, what intitially made teamups, crossovers and events fun was that they weren't the norm. Now, the interconnected universes get in the way of telling good stories. It's part of the reason many of the better creators run away from the big 2.

[monitor_ep]

I really miss those old school yearly team-ups of JLA/JSA.

[samurainoir]

aaaand right on schedule (just like they have been doing for the last ten years or so), Uncanny X-Men resumes it's old numbering with issue #600.

[Earth 2 Chris]

^You know one day DC will return at least Action and Detective to their old numbering. It will probably take a complete regime change, though.

Chris