The New DC Launch Thread [News, Titles, etc.]

[Dave Faust]

Good for them. I don't agree with them, but why not protest it if they don't like it? Fans get criticized all the time for just bitching and complaining on forums and doing nothing else about it. These people are doing something.

Well, they're bitching and complaining outside, so I guess that's something.

[AndrewRussell]

Well, they're bitching and complaining outside, so I guess that's something.

Nice! 

[Wood]

Good for them. I don't agree with them, but why not protest it if they don't like it? Fans get criticized all the time for just bitching and complaining on forums and doing nothing else about it. These people are doing something.

Good for them? Really?

I think it's probably the most pathetic thing I've seen from our "fandom" in some time.

[Lukeh]

Good bit of publicity for them though.

Anyone read the interview with Nathan Edmondson on iFanboy?

Man I am so pumped for the Wildstorm books, specially that one. Hope they bring in TAO as a villain somewhere along the line, and oh man how cool would it be to see Holden Carver bought in.

[Greg Leclair (greg1ca)]

I think Jason, Vince, David and Chris nailed it on the episode where they covered the re-launch in depth. There were always going to be people genuinely unhappy (and many unhappy just because) about the relaunch and tweaks to characters histories. This is not really a surprise. It's an outdoor version of what is no doubt happening on posting boards all over.

And as the 11OCs gents said as well - that's why DC is being smart/ courageous here - because they are taking the longer view. They are not focusing on crusty old guys like me who walk to an LCS (my city has a few). They are aiming at a new generation of tech savy readers (or as I call them whippsnappers).

I also believe that if the relaunch had occurred before SDCC these "protesters" would have to find some other way to fill their summer.

For my part, I have to hand it to DC. Apart from Vertigo I have been done with them for quite awhile. But now I am very interested to try some of the titles being launched (Resurrection Man, Sgt Rock and the Men of War, All-Star Western, Red Hood and the Outlaws, Legion of Super Heroes, Grifter, Blackhawks and AQUAMAN!)    

[Jeppe]

Protests? Really? Of all the suffering and injustices in the world, the fact that DC changes your favorite comic book character is the one that requires a protest?

The fanboy feelings of self-centered entitlement have reached new heights.

[deadcowaroma]

Good for them? Really?

I think it's probably the most pathetic thing I've seen from our "fandom" in some time.

Well, that's a half hearted "good for them", but still. So what? As if this is any dumber than people protesting the price increase from $2.99 to $3.99 (which I've done...not at an actual rally or nothing, just by refusing to buy books).

Protests? Really? Of all the suffering and injustices in the world, the fact that DC changes your favorite comic book character is the one that requires a protest?

The fanboy feelings of self-centered entitlement have reached new heights.

I don't buy that at all. So you're not allowed to protest against something you care about just because there is suffering and injustices in the world?

[Jeppe]

I don't buy that at all. So you're not allowed to protest against something you care about just because there is suffering and injustices in the world?

You're allowed to protest whatever you want, and I'm allowed to call you out on it if it's pathetic and self-entitled.

[deadcowaroma]

You're allowed to protest whatever you want, and I'm allowed to call you out on it if it's pathetic and self-entitled.

Then you agree that fact that suffering and injustices are taking part in the world should have no bearing on this protest?

[Jeppe]

Then you agree that fact that suffering and injustices are taking part in the world should have no bearing on this protest?

Depends on what you mean by bearing.
Does it highlight the self-centeredness of the persons who believe the change of a comic book franchise warrants a full fledged protest? Yes.
Does it change freedom of speech in the US? No.

[steve bryant]

I had a feeling something like this was gonna happen  :

http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2011/06/fans-plan-protest-at-comic-con-against-dc-relaunch/

Of course the "old" DC that they don't want swept away was the "new" DC 25 years ago. It's a cycle; it happens.

[PozrDu]

Something I don't get.  If DC were really going for new readers,
What difference does it make if it's a #1 or not?
...especially if digital is going to be a big chunk of the push!

If National Geographic were to reboot with a #1 issue,
would anyone see this as nothing but a pointless marketing ploy?

Would the 11 O'Clock Comics Podcast attract more listeners
if they all wore metal collars & renumbered as episode #1?

[Ryan 'gobo' C.]

Neither National Geographic or 11 O'Clock Comics are serial media, that's not a good comparison.

How many people go see Transformers 3 without Transformers 1 & 2? Or jump into Lost mid-season 4?

[hunter gathers]

They're protesting interviews, solicitations and promo art! That baffles me.

How can something be bad if you haven't actually seen one page of finished comic art? For me, it's like looking at a study done by an artist and saying the final painting is crap. You're seeing 15% of a finished product!

[deadcowaroma]

Depends on what you mean by bearing.
Does it highlight the self-centeredness of the persons who believe the change of a comic book franchise warrants a full fledged protest? Yes.
Does it change freedom of speech in the US? No.

I don't think it highlights anything. It's self centered, but it's self centered on it's own. It's not more self centered because of war crimes, etc. People are allowed to have strong feelings about unimportant things. That by itself isn't self centered.  

[Jeppe]

I don't think it highlights anything. It's self centered, but it's self centered on it's own. It's not more self centered because of war crimes, etc. People are allowed to have strong feelings about unimportant things. That by itself isn't self centered.  

I admit that I might be biased or jaded because of my job, but I am confronted weekly with protesters outside of my office, who are there because their family members have been killed by dictators, or because their entire villages have been wiped out by famine and disease, and they want someone to do something about it. I can't help but compare the planned protest of these fanboys to those individuals, and that makes it even more pathetic to me, personally.

I'm not usually one to play the world suffering card, but something about the self-righteous indignation of the people in the article just really pissed me off today  

[PozrDu]

How many people go see Transformers 3 without Transformers 1 & 2? Or jump into Lost mid-season 4?

Shouldn't they reboot every 3-6 issues then?
That way they'll know when to jump on.

[Ryan 'gobo' C.]

Shouldn't they reboot every 3-6 issues then?
That way they'll know when to jump on.

Sure, works fine for Hellboy, BPRD and Atomic Robo

[Dave Faust]

I don't think it highlights anything. It's self centered, but it's self centered on it's own. It's not more self centered because of war crimes, etc. People are allowed to have strong feelings about unimportant things. That by itself isn't self centered.  

I think the self centeredness comes from these "fans" who have greatly over-estimated their importance to DC. Foolish and more than a little sad. As for how it ranks on the scale of global importance, I don't really care since I don't pay much attention to the suffering of others. I keep my egocentrism pointed inwards.

The thing with these "fans" is...well, it's some serious irony. Here you have stories about change, evolution, overcoming insurmountable odds, and all these jackasses want is the same old shit over and over again. Erase a marriage and message boards crash. Reboot an entire universe and these skidmarks hit the cons Westboro Baptist style.

This post has been brought to you by Wild Turkey. The smoothest Bourbon in the world.

[MatthewA]

They're protesting interviews, solicitations and promo art! That baffles me.

How can something be bad if you haven't actually seen one page of finished comic art? For me, it's like looking at a study done by an artist and saying the final painting is crap. You're seeing 15% of a finished product!

I don't think the protest has much to do with the potential quality of the work, but rather the "starting over" aspect of the relaunch and the costume redesigns. The statement includes: "Are you utterly baffled, disappointed and just ANGRY to see how DC ruins your favorite character’s design and wipes decades of comic history out of the mainstream universe?"

There's a stated dislike of the new costumes, which aren't likely to vary from what we've seen in the promo art, so it's somewhat valid to criticize that aspect of the relaunch. In fact there actually is finished comic art in the form of the 52 covers we've seen. I don't see anything in the statement that says these comics will be bad, or won't be enjoyable, just folks lamenting the supposed loss of what they see as tradition.

Keep in mind I'm playing devil's advocate here as I'm completely favor of the relaunch and look forward to seeing what DC has in store. I couldn't care less about continuity (I do think Batman and Superman's new suits are stinky however). There just needs to be clarity on what exactly these people are angry about. Also, I doubt it would be an issue if there was a group of people gathering at the con to celebrate and praise the relaunch. People often get jumped on for negative judgment of as yet unreleased work, but if the message was "We love the looks of these new books, DC. They're gonna be awesome!" that would still be a prejudgement.

As others have said though, the real protest would be to simply not buy the books and downloads when they come out.