I'm an old jaded reader who remembers when words like 'Crisis' carried some sort of weight.
In the near 16 years I have been blogging about Supergirl and DC comics, I have seen more reboots, both hard and soft, to have a clear number in my head. From the dramatic New 52 relaunch to Rebirth, Dawn of DC, Black Labels, All-Star titles, semi-5G leanings, and Earth-One graphic novels, it seems even a staunch 'Wednesday Warrior' like me doesn't know what is in continuity or out.
I'm not even sure if it matters any more.
So I don't know what necessarily to make of the news broken by Bleeding Cool about Scott Snyder starting up a new sort of DC imprint called Absolute. Here is the link:
https://bleedingcool.com/comics/scott-snyder-ultimate-line-dc-absolute-comics-all-in/
https://bleedingcool.com/comics/scott-snyder-ultimate-line-dc-absolute-comics-all-in/
This sounds more like an offshoot than a re-write. Everyone seems to be saying it will be DC's version of Marvel's Ultimate line (although that sounds like what Earth-One was supposed to be). That's fine with me. There aren't many DC books set in the current continuity that I find engaging and maybe a new start somewhere nearby isn't a bad idea.
I think Scott Snyder is a solid writer who shone brightest on Batman. His Superman Unchained book was interesting but somewhat forgettable. And his non-DC work on independents have never really grabbed me in a way that I have stuck around. Still, he has some clout and probably has enough connections to bring some big names in with him to give this a decent send-off.
Will this be a unified Absolute universe, a sort of 'Don't call us the New 52' new DC world? Will it be 'stand-alone' vanity projects which sounds like the All-Star line? Or something in between.
Will this be built on some sort of foundation. The Absolute Superman coming from Krypton and being a good guy? Or will it be completely new where Superman could be someone from Earth who got powers?
I don't care. Just bring me good stories.
Well, I care a little bit. But bring me good stories.
But really, I have one selfish desire from this new line.
Give me a Supergirl book where she is fierce and determined. Where she is good and learning to be a hero. Where she has lived her life of loss but overcome it and will do her best so no one else suffers like that again. Where she is kind and bright. Where she is young and learning.
The Supergirl I want to read is all those things. Why? Because for the better part of 65 years she has been all those things. She should be all those things.
She isn't an angry brat, a shooter of schools looking to live the life of a rock star. (See the early issues of the Loeb/Kelly volume.)
She isn't a sullen loner, wishing nothing more than live alone at the bottom of the ocean. (See the early issues of the New 52.)
She isn't a sad drunk, crying in suns and bringing kids to public executions. (See Tom King's Woman of Tomorrow.)
She isn't a worried and anxious amnestic, eating cupcakes to drown her feelings. (See Mariko Tamaki's not special Supergirl Special.)
I guess I'd ask Snyder and DC Comics to find someone who knows the character and loves the character. Someone who will honor her history while bringing us some new iteration. Someone who respects her fans. You know Peter David pulled all that off with a protoplasmic other universe being merging with a flawed human to become an angel.
Someone like Sterling Gates or Gates himself?
Anyways, I am sure more news will come soon. And who knows if Supergirl even is on the Absolute radar. But I just want a good, entertaining Supergirl book from someone who wants to write a good, entertaining book about Supergirl.
All right. Thus endeth the rant. Thank you for listening.
14 comments:
Firmly agree with all of the above. And let's have Mark Waid working on a Legion of Super Heroes book!
If this is what it seems, that DC didn't do this a decade ago is somewhat mind-boggling. The current line is so mired in almost Earth-2 level history.
Lead characters with teenage kids, decades of muddled continuity, and - really - the comics essentially being about their own continuity. A hard reboot via a completely separate line has been the painfully obvious answer for a long, long time. We're now decades out from the context of Lois not knowing Clark Kent is Superman, Batman having a single Robin, Wonder Woman having anything like a coherent origin story or supporting cast... that I have no idea how you draw in new readers to these titles, let alone tell onboarding writers what the status quo is of any character, or the DCU in general.
And if it is starting with the arrival of Batman and Superman, I am okay with not rushing the arrival of Kara. There's a lot of ways to bring her in, but setting the table with a baseline DCU first gives her arrival all the more impact.
If this is what it seems, I'm glad they'll keep current continuity going for readers like myself, but - man. Give people under 30 a chance to step in without having to sort through decades of editorial mandates and inconsistent writing.
Thanks for comments!
It's funny how I feel like 1987, when the post-crisis stuff seemed to really get traction - Byrne Superman, Wally Flash, Suicide Squad, etc etc.
I remember that time to be thrilling and I was reading a ton of books.
So if we start a new, fresh, but relatable universe, I'll be there.
Metal completely lost me even as a slight Snyder fan so I can't see myself touching this unless it does Power Girl right.
A new Supergirl book done right would be great, but I don’t want to watch a whole new universe slowly grow. We’re not going to pull in new readers - look at how quickly bisexual Jon’s new fanbase wandered off to praise the next shiny thing. DC should just produce a few books for fans of the classics - original Legion, non-pointy stick Wonder Woman, unmarried Superman and so on.
I do wonder what the angle will be.
I agree a 'classic' line would be cool. We are seeing it succeed with Waid's World's Finest. But is that 'new and shiny' enough.
The excuse used by creators has always been "the characters have too much history for new readers to know what's going on." But that's NEVER been the problem. The real problem - which DC has been the biggest culprit of - is too many CONTRADICTING histories. Having alternate universes is fine, but when the "main" canon alone has countless revisions, reboots and retcons... THAT'S the problem.
What made the original post-Crisis era work was it was, all in all, simple. Some pre-Crisis history was kept, but not too much that it couldn't reasonably be contained in a duration of three-to-five in-universe years, give or take. But with the New 52, Rebirth, Doomsday Clock, etc. all rewriting things in quick succession, things just became a mess and impossible to keep track of. Why bother keeping continuity when there's every chance it'll be rebooted in some form in a few years anyway?
I get where Anj is coming from. I've not bought a Supergirl comic of newer stuff in forever. Why? Because DC keeps messing around with her and its frustrating. Like I may be mis-remembering but like, didn't every arc of hers post Nu52 start get derailed by larger events and editorial mandate? And that is just a reflection of comics (DC as far as I know) at this moment.
I follow Sasha at Casually Comics on YouTube who breaks stuff down, and with a lot of newer DC stuff she mentions how they went for 'loose' continuity, but now have changed the minds again...apparently.
I don't mind there being continuity I just wish they'd frankly stick with one thing from how the universe works, to the characters themselves, especially the ones I like.
Sorry if this doesn't add much but like, in general that's my thoughts. Maybe if they stopped messing with things every five mins, you could IDK grow some readers/fans of the comics medium and not just the IP in general.
Hey Anj, different topics but what do you think about an apparent pre-Crisis Supergirl's recent appearance in Superman vs. Meshi #20, and the effective confirmation from Adult Swim that a version of her will appear in My Adventures with Superman?
I dont read Meshi! Sounds cool.
Do you have a link to the Adult Swim info? I loved the first season of MAWS. Cool if Supergirl appears!
I think this may be what Anonymous may be talking about:
https://twitter.com/adultswim/status/1780974839081156686
It's the teaser for Season 2. There are some hints that Supergirl may be showing up.
As recently as 12 hours ago I could find multiple sites with a snapshot of that IMDB page listing Kiana Madeira. Ever since that trailer dropped they're all gone, which makes me suspect WB somehow got them pulled. They and that page were definitely real though (I remember seeing it a few months ago), and it's the basis for the stories I linked to. Beyond that, I would like to follow up on one point. You said you're a fan of My Adventures with Superman, but don't seem to have done a review of season 1. Might I suggest that in anticipation of season 2 a review of season 1 would from you would be quite interesting?
It is so bizarre that things TV companies are cagey about.
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