DC to REBOOT???

[The Lensman]

That's something they're gonna have to explain. There's a Mr. Terrific comic in the new 52... so, at least one legacy character exists... how they explain it remains to be seen.

Initially I agreed, but then again, in this rebooted world, there's no reason that Michael Holt is dependent on Terry Sloane for the identity.

They could just as easily say he came up with it on his own.

Edit: looks like C_Miller beat me to the punch, with some good points as well.

 

[Broccoli]

^ They just won't be legacy characters anymore. Instead of, for example, Jay Garrick starting the Flash legacy and it passing to Barry, it will now be Jay Garrick, the Flash of Earth-2 and Barry, the Flash of Earth-[insert number]. Different characters with the same name.

The more I think about it, the more I am coming around to the idea. If they are in an "Earth-2" scenario, it might provide an opportunity on DC's part. Depending on the success of the JSA book, it would be neat if they treated the Earth-2 as Marvel treats the Ultimate line. If it can support a few spin-offs (best case scenario, of course), have it be a separate line from the mainstream books with, perhaps, its own overall arc building to some Earth-2 event. The difference would be, of course, there wouldn't be any mirror characters (ie. a Earth-2 Superman, Batman, etc).

I guess my point is DC has an opportunity to do something unique/new with the Earth-2 concept. Before it outlived its usefulness and the shared universe, to me, was the better route. Now, that they are building it from the ground up, perhaps it can be made into a much more workable concept.

At the same time, it's time to separate the JSA from WW2. Seriously, I don't know why people think they belong in that time. On the DC forums, someone called it their "golden years" or "greatest moment".....

Why?

Yup. It's stupid and pure fan service that those characters are continually tied to WWII.

 

[the G-man]

This is a reboot. THAT frees the writers of that.

Only if they put the JSA back where they belonged.

But what does that mean? Earth 2? WW2? The WW2 of Earth 2? Where do they belong?



The 1960s is an interesting idea, it's certainly something different.

Just to play devil's advocate here...the "rebooted" versions we are about to get are, to a certain extent, a modernized return to the concepts of the characters as they existed in the silver age:

• Superman is unmarried, the Kents are dead, etc.;
  Green Lantern is Hal Jordon, pilot;
  Flash is unmarried Barry Allen;
  Batman not only still has some of Morrison's silveraged trappings but the Yvonne Craig-inspired Batgirl is back;
  Aquaman is wearing the gold and green outfit, has both his hands, etc.;

If one were to take the JSA and make them sixties versions of the characters wouldn't we be getting, in essence, silver age versions? After all, part of the reason they were updated and redesigned back then was to better reflect a different, non-GA, sensibility.

 

[JD]

Some more teases have been revealed.
“People are goin’ nuts. Wait ‘til they watch us kill him.”
– Rush in GREEN ARROW #1
“I’ve always enjoyed your sense of humor, Booster.”
— The Batman in JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL #1.
The Source also has some posts by Dan Didio, John Rood (Exec VP of Sales, Marketing and Business Development), Bob Wayne (SVP Sales), and John Cunningham (VP of Marketing)

 

[Professor Zoom]

In the end, do we need these characters to be legacy characters? It may see preposterous to some purists, but where is it written in stone that Michael Holt is not the first Mr. Terrific. Or Dr. Cross is not the first Dr. Mid-Nite. Or why does Stargirl have to be connected to the Starman legacy? In all honesty except for Starman, Sand, Atom Smasher, and possibly Hourman none of them are focused on the legacy. Just a few changes here and there and they're the same character, but devoid of the legacy.

True enough.

 

[C_Miller]

Also, except for a few of them, the Golden Age characters are not exactly classic or iconic. Green Lantern and Flash maybe, but other than that I think the modern JSA are closer to classic versions at this point. It's bay far the best selling JSA title ever and they have factored into the DCU more than their predecesores at this point.

 

[OdoWanKenobi]

Just to play devil's advocate here...the "rebooted" versions we are about to get are, to a certain extent, a modernized return to the concepts of the characters as they existed in the silver age:

• Superman is unmarried, the Kents are dead, etc.;
  Green Lantern is Hal Jordon, pilot;
  Flash is unmarried Barry Allen;
  Batman not only still has some of Morrison's silveraged trappings but the Yvonne Craig-inspired Batgirl is back;
  Aquaman is wearing the gold and green outfit, has both his hands, etc.;

Actually, Green Lantern is Sinestro, kinda. And it's not like Kyle, Guy, and John are going anywhere. Though clearly Hal is going to get his ring back somehow pretty quickly. Green Lantern is hardly changing a bit in the relaunch, it seems, besides splitting up the main characters across a few books. I think they got it wrong though. Kyle and Guy have developed such a great "bromance" over the past few years that I'm quite sad to see that they'll be headlining different books, and thus not interacting as much.

 

[Turtletrekker]

Can you imagine the super-hero comics industry today if DC had gotten THIS "re-boot"?

"Stan Lee presents Superman"? The mind truly boggles...

 

[Skywalker]

"Stan Lee presents Superman"? The mind truely boggles...

 

[Turtletrekker]

^Touche'.

But still, imagine all of these characters actually being produced by Marvel. I have to believe that they would be in much better shape today if the deal had been made, without any need for any kind of new "reboot". (although I could understand Marvel wanting to start fresh after obtaining the licence.)

 

[OdoWanKenobi]

Marvel and DC have very distinct styles for their characters, though. The DC characters under Marvel would not be the same ones that we know and love today.

 

[Turtletrekker]

Marvel's EiC at the time, Jim Shooter, cut his teeth in the industry with DC's characters. I think that he could've found the right style.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

From what I recall of his work, I really doubt it. AFAIC, the failure of this is the definition of "dodging a bullet."

 

[Broccoli]

But still, imagine all of these characters actually being produced by Marvel.

Hmm...I bet the post-credits scene in the upcoming Avengers film would have featured a bunch of crooks driving away from a crime before their car is suddenly lifted by a man with a red cape.

 

[Professor Zoom]

^Touche'.

But still, imagine all of these characters actually being produced by Marvel.

We might've gotten a good Green Lantern movie...

 

[OdoWanKenobi]

^Touche.

Let's rub some more salt in that wound.

 

[the G-man]

From what I recall of his work, I really doubt it.

Shooter wrote the second Superman/Spiderman team-up (which a lot of people at the time considered the best Superman story in years). Further, many people he trained/cultivated at Marvel ended up going over to DC and rebooting the character (Byrne, Stern, Louise Simonson, just to name a few) in the 80s-90s. All of that would tend to show he probably would have handled very well indeed.

 

[Nerys Myk]

From what I recall of his work, I really doubt it.

Shooter wrote the second Superman/Spiderman team-up (which a lot of people at the time considered the best Superman story in years). Further, many people he trained/cultivated at Marvel ended up going over to DC and rebooting the character (Byrne, Stern, Louise Simonson, just to name a few) in the 80s-90s. All of that would tend to show he probably would have handled very well indeed.

I think you might find that those folks became better writers/artists in spite of Shooter.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

From what I recall of his work, I really doubt it.

Shooter wrote the second Superman/Spiderman team-up (which a lot of people at the time considered the best Superman story in years). Further, many people he trained/cultivated at Marvel ended up going over to DC and rebooting the character (Byrne, Stern, Louise Simonson, just to name a few) in the 80s-90s. All of that would tend to show he probably would have handled very well indeed.

I think you might find that those folks became better writers/artists in spite of Shooter.

Pretty much, yeah.

Additionally, weasel phrases like "many considered..." are pretty weak tea offered in support of an evaluation of anything. They even have a term for that at wikipedia, don't they?

 

[Nerys Myk]

I had forgotten there was a second team up.