Out of all of the New 52 launch titles, the only one to get close to its issue 52 without cancelation or new creative teams coming in was Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s Batman (the final issue would be taken over by frequent collaborator, James Tynion IV). This 51 issue epic exploring the Dark Knight, the history of Gotham, and the inexplicability of the Joker ran the gambit of genres from post-apocalyptic nightmare to detective story. But at its heart was the story of Bruce Wayne and his impact on Gotham City. What follows is a retrospective of the run that highlights what it was, for good and ill.
DC Comics
Just Imagine… Stan Lee Creating The DC Universe, Vol. 2
When one thinks back on early aughts comic book curiosities, one prominent entry on the list might be Stan Lee’s Just Imagine… universe, in which he (and many, many artists) created a reimagining of the DC Universe by feeding Lee a basic premise and letting him go his own weird direction with the idea.
This shaky groundwork did not make for an especially groundbreaking series, and the issues have seldom been referenced since, with a few exceptions (every wild idea at DC comes back in a Grant Morrison comic at some point). Still, most things Lee was ever even remotely involved in are being recollected today, and so we’ve got a two-part trade that collects these wacky, wacky stories. We’re talking about the second volume of Just Imagine Stan Lee Creating the DC Universe here. [Read more…] about Just Imagine… Stan Lee Creating The DC Universe, Vol. 2
The Old 52: DC’s New 52 10 Years Later – The Launch & What We Can Learn
The more things change, the more they stay the same. It’s been nearly 10 years since the New 52. DC’s messed around with their continuity some more, between Rebirth and Metal and Doomsday Clock, but everything’s even more convoluted now than it’s ever been before. And ultimately, that’s okay. In around a month, DC will be relaunching their line again with their new Infinite Frontier line, spinning out of a 2-month linewide initiative called Future State. But the real question we’re asking – okay, the real question I’m asking – is whether or not DC has actually learned from the lessons of the New 52. What makes this relaunch any more likely to succeed? [Read more…] about The Old 52: DC’s New 52 10 Years Later – The Launch & What We Can Learn
Where to Start With DC Comics In 2023
DC Comics has been publishing Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman comics starting all the way back in the late 1930s (Whereas Marvel Comics has a relevant continuity dating back to a paltry 1961). If you want some context around Superman and Batman’s longevity, their creation predates World War II, the Cleveland Indians’ World Series drought (Go Cubs!), and TELEVISION.
As a result, DC Comics has a heckuva long publication history that can be a challenge for new readers to navigate. [Read more…] about Where to Start With DC Comics In 2023
Theses on Three Jokers by Geoff Johns & Jason Fabok
Ed. Note: Spoilers for Three Jokers (and more or less the oeuvre of Geoff Johns) follow!
0. Let’s just get this out of the way: The Killing Joke is not that good of a comic. Even by the standards of bad Alan Moore comics, this sticks out in terms of its quality. Where most other trademark bad Alan Moore comics are bad for more interesting reasons (Neonomicon and later volumes of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen are bad for interesting yet horrifying reasons), The Killing Joke is perhaps Moore’s only major work that’s bad for the boring reasons most other comics are. It’s bad because it lacks ambition to be anything other than a story about Batman and the Joker. It’s bad because it treats Barbara Gordon more like a prop than a character. It’s bad because the environment it came out of was toxic to the point where Alan was explicitly told to “Cripple the b*#ch.”
In short, it’s bad in the same way comics like the Vigilante arc “Father’s Day,” the Violator miniseries, and Three Jokers are bad. [Read more…] about Theses on Three Jokers by Geoff Johns & Jason Fabok