DC Relaunching Everything? - Part 9

[TheCorpulent1]

I'm actually okay with a lot of what Johns has changed. Returning Arthur to a human/Atlantean hybrid rather than a full Atlantean? Great; I actually prefer that. Rewriting his angsty rejection of the surface world in his youth into this Others thing? I'll probably be cool with that too, although it's still in progress so I don't know. The only major retcon that's really bothering me so far is that Aquaman grew up like a normal American kid with the lighthouse keeper (I'm still not sure if he's named Arthur Curry, Sr. or Tom Curry this time around). It removes a lot of that sense of "otherness" to Aquaman that I loved. He had to learn to adapt to the surface world and Atlantis both. He was a quintessential outsider. Now he's basically a kid from New England who found out one day that he could breathe underwater and, oh yeah, he's probably heir to some ancient underwater kingdom or something.

But even that I could get past. My main issue with Johns' Aquaman as a character is that he's boring. He has zero personality. Johns threw the fourth-wall-breaking idea that people in the comics make fun of Aquaman too in there to liven things up, but that's essentially just a distraction from the bland cardboard cutout of a person that Aquaman is. And the constant ridicule got really irritating after the first issue, to boot. Mera's not much better. Rather than being totally personality-less like her husband, she has exactly one trait: She's angry. Really, really angry. Why? Who knows? She just is, and Johns wants to make sure you know that. So in every panel of every issue, she will be angry. Because she's angry. You have to remember that about her: she's angry.

So Mr. Beige and Mrs. Rage are our ostensible leads in this comic. How could it not be amazing?

But I do still love the idea of Aquaman enough that I haven't quite dropped it yet. Hopefully Johns will fix some of the problems in future issues. The execution so far hasn't been great, but I appreciate that he's at least attempting to provide Aquaman with some form of a personality in the current arc. Although right now it's limited mainly to his past, from his time with the Others. And... it's basically just "angry" again.

[Cain]

Originally Posted by TheCorpulent1

I'm actually okay with a lot of what Johns has changed. Returning Arthur to a human/Atlantean hybrid rather than a full Atlantean? Great; I actually prefer that. Rewriting his angsty rejection of the surface world in his youth into this Others thing? I'll probably be cool with that too, although it's still in progress so I don't know. The only major retcon that's really bothering me so far is that Aquaman grew up like a normal American kid with the lighthouse keeper (I'm still not sure if he's named Arthur Curry, Sr. or Tom Curry this time around). It removes a lot of that sense of "otherness" to Aquaman that I loved. He had to learn to adapt to the surface world and Atlantis both. He was a quintessential outsider. Now he's basically a kid from New England who found out one day that he could breathe underwater and, oh yeah, he's probably heir to some ancient underwater kingdom or something.

But even that I could get past. My main issue with Johns' Aquaman as a character is that he's boring. He has zero personality. Johns threw the fourth-wall-breaking idea that people in the comics make fun of Aquaman too in there to liven things up, but that's essentially just a distraction from the bland cardboard cutout of a person that Aquaman is. And the constant ridicule got really irritating after the first issue, to boot. Mera's not much better. Rather than being totally personality-less like her husband, she has exactly one trait: She's angry. Really, really angry. Why? Who knows? She just is, and Johns wants to make sure you know that. So in every panel of every issue, she will be angry. Because she's angry. You have to remember that about her: she's angry.

So Mr. Beige and Mrs. Rage are our ostensible leads in this comic. How could it not be amazing?

But I do still love the idea of Aquaman enough that I haven't quite dropped it yet. Hopefully Johns will fix some of the problems in future issues. The execution so far hasn't been great, but I appreciate that he's at least attempting to provide Aquaman with some form of a personality in the current arc. Although right now it's limited mainly to his past, from his time with the Others. And... it's basically just "angry" again.

I agree with this post. If I remember correctly the dad is back to going by Tom Curry. Though I think there is some merit to Arthur himself. I don't find him as one dimensional as you do. Granted it's pretty nuanced though through the art and so I credit Reis for that and not Johns since it's not very expository.

But there are many things in the 8 issues so far that show how he's a more reserved individual this time. As opposed to a more militant and headstrong king; he seems like a more compassionate and logical one. It does show some growth. Though the 4th all breaking jokes are tired as hell already.

[Cain]

Originally Posted by TheCorpulent1

I haven't read Flash at all, so it may very well be the bee's potatoes, for all I know.

You're really missing out. Barry is actually not boring anymore amongst many other awesome things.

[CConn]

Don't bother. He won't listen.

[Saint]

Hrm, I think I just realized I want to see Superboy Prime in the New 52 at some point--maybe, like Psycho Pirate, remembering the old universe.

Fact: Superboy Prime is sweet.

[Cain]

No....just no.

[CConn]

Prime should stay put in his parents' basement.

[hippie_hunter]

Agreed. Making him a legitimate threat once more would just be god awful. His ending in Legion of Three Worlds was just perfect.

[Scarecrow_King]

I've never understood why people like Prime or the Anti-Monitor. They both already served their purpose, but still won't go away.

[hippie_hunter]

I think that Prime works as a parody character that makes fun of the whiny fanboy culture that dominates much of geek culture. But as a serious character, his stories were Infinite Crisis, Sinestro Corps War, and Legion of Three Worlds. His time as a serious character is over. As you say, he's served his purpose.

[Scarecrow_King]

I don't even like him as a parody character that makes fun of the whiny fanboy culture. Mostly because that's the only stereotype of geek culture that exists in mainstream media, and I resent it. Not every comic book reader is like that, but everybody else thinks that they are.

[TheCorpulent1]

Originally Posted by Cain

You're really missing out. Barry is actually not boring anymore amongst many other awesome things.

Originally Posted by CConn

Don't bother. He won't listen.

Finally, you're learning.

[Saint]

Originally Posted by hippie_hunter

His time as a serious character is over.

That's fair--he certainly became more and more a comedic parody as time went on. In Crisis, Sinestro Corps War (and to a lesser extent, Legion of Three Worlds) I appreciated that he was a logical inevitability. Eventually, somebody was going to get that sort of power and not be emotionally prepared for the burden of it. I also loved that nothing could stop him; he just kept coming back and coming back and coming back. He was like the Hulk if the Hulk were as dangerous as everybody says he is; he was to the heroes what Superman must seem like to the villains--no matter what you do, he doesn't go down. He just comes back and ruins all your **** again.

He was also exactly the right mix of scary, funny, and a little bit honest. Even though he was often played as more of a force of nature (and also a joke) than he was as a real character, there was, as I mentioned, truth in the concept that yeah, there would be a guy like this if powers like these existed.

I'm completely blocking his Countdown appearances from my memory, of course. Countdown never happened.

I'm also a sucker for alternate dimensions. I honestly can't believe that DC hasn't had a huge event with an evil alternate universe Batman as the mastermind. It's so obvious; there's so much material to leverage and so much fanboy hatred towards the Bat-God approach that it almost writes itself.

[HighFivingMF]

So, Justice League International is possibly on the way out, Lobdell's co-writer is taking over Superboy, and the 12th issue of DC Universe Presents is a Kid Flash solo one-shot.

But I'm gonna guess that JLI will just get a revamp and DiDio will take over as writer.

[hippie_hunter]

I am utterly baffled that they solicited the final issue of Justice League International.

[CConn]

Wow, I'm surprised they canceled something that wasn't even selling that badly.

Did they announce a title to replace it yet?

Didio and Giffen on JLI would be the ****.

[flash13]

Maybe Booster will get his own book again.

[CConn]

I was fine with him just being in the JLI.

Provided it didn't, Y'know, suck.

In any case, are any of you ****s reading Superboy? Has it gotten any better with DeFalco on board?

[hippie_hunter]

I picked it up for the Culling. And it sucks.

[CConn]

That's a shame.

DeFalco can actually be pretty good.

[Mystirious]

Originally Posted by hippie_hunter

I picked it up for the Culling. And it sucks.

The Culling has been awful on a waffle

Maybe it will be better when the crossover is done

We can always hope

Originally Posted by Cain

No....just no.

Yep Superboy Prime no longer existing is one of the good things about the new DCU

Originally Posted by TheCorpulent1

The only major retcon that's really bothering me so far is that Aquaman grew up like a normal American kid with the lighthouse keeper (I'm still not sure if he's named Arthur Curry, Sr. or Tom Curry this time around). It removes a lot of that sense of "otherness" to Aquaman that I loved. He had to learn to adapt to the surface world and Atlantis both. He was a quintessential outsider

They should have kept the origin where he's raised by dolphins

It's actually impossible to make an origin story that's better than being raised by dolphins

[HighFivingMF]

Not even being raised by LGBT dolphins?

[hippie_hunter]

Originally Posted by Mystirious

Yep Superboy Prime no longer existing is one of the good things about the new DCU

Actually since Superboy Prime was not on New Earth, Earth-13, or Earth-51, (or Earth-2 for that matter), there is no reason to assume that he doesn't exist since he was in a universe that wasn't affected.

[Llama_Shepherd]

This whole timeline revamp only raises questions about the mulvtiverse, to the point where it's not even funny.

[HighFivingMF]

Originally Posted by Llama_Shepherd

This whole timeline revamp only raises questions about the mulvtiverse, to the point where it's not even funny.

There's a point where that would be funny?