DC's New 52: Reviews and Discussion (Spoilers welcolme and likely)

Yes. Yes, it should.

 

The "legacy" angle is what makes the JSA different than other superteams. Without that, its just the JLA by a different name. Which is what it was until Robin became a member in the 1960s ( sporting one of the worst costumes in history). The "Super-Squad" era helped cement that with the inclusion of Power Girl, the Star Spangled Kid and the Huntress. The 1999 revival was pretty much built around that concept.

 

Oh, I understand that. What I don't understand is why it has to be like that or, more to the point, why DC thinks bringing back a concept that was based on nostalgia in the first place, and has always been so, is the way to attract the elusive "new readers."

The original JSA stories are approximately seventy years old. The first JSA/JLA team up is closing on on fifty years ago. The Super Squad stories are getting close to being forty years old.

In contrast, the supposed "new reader" is going to be (I'll guess) 25 years old or less. I'm guessing DC had hoped even younger than that. World War II, for those potential readers, is as remote a concept as the Civil War was for readers in the golden age.

Furthermore, most of the GA heroes were rebooted several times since then, in an effort to make them more relevant to the new readers of that time: Jay Garrick became Barry Allen who became Wally West who became Barry Allen again. Allen Scott became Hal Jordan who became John Stewart/Kyle Rayner and then Hal again. Al Pratt became Ray Palmer. Ultimately, it begs the question: if the GA JSA was still relevant to more than a handful of nostalgia fans, why did/does DC have to keep replacing them with new versions?

What it really points out is that DC really has no idea how to attract new readers. They're basically still just recycling the same stuff into reboots and wondering why no one cares after the first few "collectible" issues.

 

And the proof is in the pudding (What the hell kind of phrase is that?)

The Golden Age JSA has never really seen much success post Golden Age and even in the Golden Age it never got its own book. They had occasional appearances in anthology series' and a series in the third volume of All-Star Comics that only lasted 17 issues. The All-Star Squadron comic lasted 67 issues, but it featured kind of Golden Age DC as a whole rather than focus on a few people. They had two very short lives series' in the early 90s and then that brings us to the 1999 relaunch which was insanely successful as was the relaunch of that in 2008.

I don't want to say it was the legacy characters that made it successful or Johns writing the best work he will ever do. But either way, something clicked and I'm a bit worried that they'll be throwing that away. I mean, that's what got me into the characters.

 

The JSA has had an ongoing series since 1999, IIRC it was pretty successful, too. So its appeal goes beyond WWII/Golden Age nostalgia. The team and its members have gained new fans.

As to why they revive/revamp/replace and return to old concepts. The reason is simple they were successful and have name recognition. The same reason Ford revived the Mustang name and VW the Beetle. Basic marketing. Plus they own those names.

Though when DC revamped their heroes/concepts in the late 50s and early 60 they weren't really counting on "nostalgia". They assumed anyone who read about Jay Garrick would have given up on comics by the time Barry Allen appeared. So the Flash was a "new" concept to the audience. Of course they were soon proven wrong and the readers got "Flash of Two Worlds". Which proved popular with readers, even those who never heard of Jay Garrick before that issue. I know I had never heard of Alan Scott the first time I read a Green Lantern comic. I picked it up because it looked cool. Though the first GL comic I bought was a crossover featuring Alan Scott, which prompted my life long interest in GA heroes. I wasn't old enough for nostalgia at that time.

I don't think DC or Marvel cares about the under 25 market anymore.

 

Nerys, the Mustang has never been revived, its been in constant production since 1964. You must be thinking of the Camaro.(Sorry Mustang guy here.)
I also think they care very much about the under 25 market. A new block of toons starting up, digital releases of comics, restarting a universe, all points towards looking to grab the next generation of fans.

 

So where do they think these "new readers" are going to come from?

 

Well 25 is probably not the right "cut off" age but since G-Man mentioned it I decided to use it.

The toons are a way to introduce the characters to younger folks in the hope that they will buy the comics when thy get older. The comics don't seem to be geared for the same age group. They seem to be looking at people in their teens, twenties and older for comics. Which is different from when I was a kid. I discovered comics and cartoons at the same time. I don't think a lot of kids in high school or younger read the magazines/websites that the previews get given to. Digital is just a smart way to distribute anything. I read my comics digitally. Don't even recall the last physical one I bought.

See above.

 

Squadron, but yeah. I liked the one where Billy Batson was a Nazi.

I like the one that gets like 25mpg but has 400hp. I'll never be able to afford it! Probably a Nazi plot.

 

It was "the Super Squad" ( thankfully for a very short time) What you're thinking of is the All-Star Squadron.

 

It's supposed to be rendered "the proof of the pudding is in the eating"; i.e. you may have baked a Yorkshire pudding correctly according to the recipe, but you won't know whether it's any good until you taste it.

Generations of illiterates have mangled it into the shortened phrase.

No, I don't know what this has to do with comics.

 

Bryan Q. Miller discusses "Smallville" Season 11.

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=36952

 

Spoiler: Action Comics

Looks like the Barack Obama Superman from Final Crisis is back for May just in time for campaign season.

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=36966 - Solicitations

Final Crisis #7 Preview http://www.newsarama.com/php/multimedia/album_view.php?gid=830&page=2

 

Yep President Superman is back! As someone mentioned before looks like they're getting ready to finally launch Multiversity this summer.

 

Yep, we have four versions of Superman on DC covers for May, five if you count the Superman Family kids title.

And, no red trucks in sight!

ncc71877

 

Well Superman can respond faster than the Fire Department.

 

I'm sorry there are six Supermen, I missed the cover to Beyond Unlimited.

ncc71877

 

There aren't really six Supermen. Just Supermen in different points of time really Or realities in the case of President Superman and Smallville Superman.

 

Oh, yeah. That was Roy Thomas. My bad.

 

Is it just me, or is this thread starting to die a bit? Perhaps the initial lustre of the relaunch wearing thin now? I know for me it definitely has. I'm down to about six or seven books. Anyway, my pulls for tomorrow are:

-Batman #6
-Supergirl #6
-Wonder Woman #6 (Cliff Chiang is back!)