[DC Comics] Rebirth #1: Well . . uh . . wow. Okay. (spoilers)

Atomika

Today you can buy Rebirth #1, the launching point of yet another reboot of the increasingly complicated DC Comics universe, only a few scant years after the New 52 reboot. But before you all groan and roll your eyes clean out of your head, hold up just a minute-- this actually might be good. If the first issue is any indication, Geoff Johns (the new honcho at DC Films) is tired of the convolutions and srs bzns sturm und drang polluting DC's stable lately and wants to bring everything back to a time when the characters were respectable and enjoyable to read. Is a new era of brightness, optimism, and simplicity just around the corner for our four-color heroes? Only time will tell, but in just one issue Johns has thrown a ton of stuff at us . . . including that ending. Holy jeez that ending. What the fuck.

Find it here on Comixology!

DO NOT LET ANYONE SPOIL IT!!!

If you have read it and want to discuss it, please use spoiler tags until a reasonable amount of time has passed.

Until then, enjoy a look at the new and (mostly) improved costumes for the relaunch.

pirateluigi

Spoiler-ish:

Holy cow. When I heard there was a massive twist, I made a joke spoiler to my friend that involved crossing two traditionally separate universes. I think the actual ending was even twistier than my fake, joke spoiler!

TexiKen

I liked it, it made me feel something for DC for the first time in years, especially with Superman.

God I miss Superman.

OptimusZed

I had this spoiled for me. Which I'm not at all mad about, to be honest. It might actually get me to pick up a DC book for the first time inn years.

DevoutlyApathetic

I can see the future. Ten years from now some young kid will lay all the dark and broody at a certain author's feet and I will scream and rage and have to buy a shovel and some lye.

MalReynolds

hahahah what is even going on

Thats amazing

Brainiac 8

For the first time in a long time I'm happy with DC.

Welcome back the one true Superman and Lois Lane.

This

Jesus DC is a ridiculous company.

I was honestly half-expecting a Dave Sim move where the outside power turns out to be the writers themselves. What we got is actually just about as nutty.

Gaddez

Two questions rise up from this for me:
1. How much of this decision occured in relation to DC's recent Live action films and Television shows?
2. Is this indicative of a serious revision of the direction their LA film department will be engaging in?

darkmayo

Gaddez wrote: »

Two questions rise up from this for me:
1. How much of this decision occured in relation to DC's recent Live action films and Television shows?
2. Is this indicative of a serious revision of the direction their LA film department will be engaging in?

Since Johns is in control of both I would say these changes will reflect how the film side proceeds in regards to tone etc and I have no doubt that the failings of the DC movies are spurring these changes, Marvel is making the rudest of bank and DC wants a piece of it. I hope they succeed too.

that said.. when is Zach Synder being fired or demoted to being the guy who gets everyones coffee.

Muddypaws

I hope they like their coffee black and gritty.

Gaddez

darkmayo wrote: »

Gaddez wrote: »

Two questions rise up from this for me:
1. How much of this decision occured in relation to DC's recent Live action films and Television shows?
2. Is this indicative of a serious revision of the direction their LA film department will be engaging in?

Since Johns is in control of both I would say these changes will reflect how the film side proceeds in regards to tone etc and I have no doubt that the failings of the DC movies are spurring these changes, Marvel is making the rudest of bank and DC wants a piece of it. I hope they succeed too.

that said.. when is Zach Synder being fired or demoted to being the guy who gets everyones coffee.

Then this is indeed excellent news; DC my not have the same appeal to me that Marvel does, but I certainly do respect the history and grandeur of their comics and god knows I've raged at how badly abused it's been by the talentless Zack "the Hack" Snyder.

TexiKen

I think the comics side of DC has nothing to do with the movies and more to do with how badly they've fallen off in comics the past five years. They basically rebooted the comics half assedly because Didio and Lee were trying to woo the new President of DC Entertainment into not firing them or doing something drastic to the comics line (I do not buy the rumors they would stop publishing comics). But the problem as it started was Diane Nelson knew jack squat about comics and let them do what they did with no understanding of the business or how it relates to modern media consumption (it's a think tank, all it needs to do is just be profitable for licensing and ideas)

Here was the way things went for DC in the past; they would have one or two books in the top 10, but they owned the middle of the sales charts. And they owned the trade paperback market like what, the only thing that came close was Walking Dead's trades. Marvel, on the other hand, always had the top spots on the charts but also the real bottom sellers, the books that no one cares for stop trying to make fetch happen (Captain Marvel yeah I said it what it's true). And when Marvel was increasing prices and reducing page counts, DC tried to stay at 3 bucks for 20 pages.

But now, five years later, there' no bloom on the rose at DC; they tapped into that one-off thing of Before Watchmen, creative decisions are made spur of the moment, Fables ended along with Vertigo being essentially shuttered with the rise of Image and independent comics, they moved to LA (smart move honestly), reintroduced the multiverse, they tried to give the internet what they wanted with DCYou with stupid commie Superman and Prez and Robot Batman and just stuff that looked like fan art and fan fiction compared to real stories (though DC was in such a creative mess there was nothing to distinguish it), sales dropped even more because the internet doesn't buy things not matter how much they bitch about stuff.

The coincidental fact that DC movies have also been met with meh has nothing to do with the comics outside of Diane Nelson needing to be fired because one relatively meaningless ad campaign targeting charity aid in Africa is nothing compared to bleeding sales. So now, alienating the old guard who liked super swick comics like Joe Kelly's Action Comics run or Peter Tomasi's Nightwing or Simone's old Secret Six, and realizing tumblr doesn't buy anything, they had to resort to milking Frank Miller and Dark Knight III for a bit and finally admitting they screwed up and are trying to put things back together. That's why this Rebirth, with the Hanna Barberra relaunch and a new mini Vertigo brand with Gerard Way as creative director are occurring. DC could very well be at the point where Steve Jobs came to back to Apple. At least I hope so.

Doctor Detroit

How about this

Do the same thing with the Murderverse. We all think they're building up to Darkseid, but when the reveal happens...Surprise! Blue dong!

DasUberEdward

Hold on there was a Hanna-Barberra relaunch?

Mr Khan

"Think tank" is a good description, @TexiKen , the stuff just needs to break even and produce a few marketable ideas a year, the rest is what you make off of movies, shows, games, and merch.

DasUberEdward wrote: »

Hold on there was a Hanna-Barberra relaunch?

I don't know if it's occurred yet, but yeah, comics versions of Wacky Races, a cross-section adaptation of the 60s action toons (Herculoids et al), and a fairly controversial redesign of Scooby Doo.

Atomika

Robin is still the worst. I wish the Bat-family was just Batman, Batgirl, and Alfred.

OptimusZed

Atomika wrote: »

Robin is still the worst. I wish the Bat-family was just Batman, Batgirl, and Alfred.

I haven't read a Bat book in years, but some of my favorite stuff from the early 00's was Bruce fighting the murder charges (or not) and the whole extended Bat-Clan running around Gotham trying to put it all right. Over a dozen Bat-Spinoffs working with and against each other. Made that corner of the universe feel really big and vibrant. I'm sure if I go back and reread it I'd probably feel differently now.

cloudeagle

Yeah, I wouldn't read into this comic as a sign the movie division is going to change... the planning and direction of Rebirth likely happened some months before BvS was released.

Harry Dresden

Texiken wrote:

But now, five years later, there' no bloom on the rose at DC; they tapped into that one-off thing of Before Watchmen, creative decisions are made spur of the moment, Fables ended along with Vertigo being essentially shuttered with the rise of Image and independent comics, they moved to LA (smart move honestly), reintroduced the multiverse, they tried to give the internet what they wanted with DCYou with stupid commie Superman and Prez and Robot Batman and just stuff that looked like fan art and fan fiction compared to real stories (though DC was in such a creative mess there was nothing to distinguish it), sales dropped even more because the internet doesn't buy things not matter how much they bitch about stuff.

Who? DCYou was an excellent addition, with a promising future, but it takes time to build on that and they did;t give it enough. There's also the fact Marvel has been a huge rival for these fans, as well as manga, then there's the fact DC has eroded trust with that particular slice of fandom for a long time. They should have thought long term with it, short term is how we get the current reboot train wreck.

The coincidental fact that DC movies have also been met with meh has nothing to do with the comics outside of Diane Nelson needing to be fired because one relatively meaningless ad campaign targeting charity aid in Africa is nothing compared to bleeding sales. So now, alienating the old guard who liked super swick comics like Joe Kelly's Action Comics run or Peter Tomasi's Nightwing or Simone's old Secret Six, and realizing tumblr doesn't buy anything, they had to resort to milking Frank Miller and Dark Knight III for a bit and finally admitting they screwed up and are trying to put things back together. That's why this Rebirth, with the Hanna Barberra relaunch and a new mini Vertigo brand with Gerard Way as creative director are occurring. DC could very well be at the point where Steve Jobs came to back to Apple. At least I hope so.

Agreed. I applaud Way's Vertigo, but that seems a little to late - as well doing it with a crippled Vertigo (the contracts were remade years back, which essentially meant the next Sandman was going to Image instead).