The Four Color Media Monitor

The fluff-coated Wizard runs an interview with John Ostrander in which we discover that he too suffers from the problem of obsession with death obsession:

War is about to break loose in the DC Universe, and no one is safe—not even the junior superhero team, the Teen Titans. In a series of one-shots being released April 18 in conjunction with issue #50 of the weekly series 52, the DC Universe will feel the wrath of Black Adam. We sat down with writer John Ostrander to talk about World War III Part 3: Hell Is for Heroes, in which we’ll see one of the Teen Titans die. The comic veteran reveals that the issue will show readers how Black Adam’s rage is not without cause, and he hints at the possibility of another death in the issue.

Oh, I'll bet it's not. And that line about how no one is safe, I can't stand that either.

WIZARD: So, one of the Teen Titans is going to die, huh?

OSTRANDER: Someone asked me that question and I said, “Hmm…only one?” [Laughs]

[Wizard:] So more than one of the Teen Titans will die!?

OSTRANDER: You’ve been told one is dead. What happens to some of the others? Not pretty. Everyone is going, “Oh, they’re killing another Titan!” It’s not just that we’re killing them, we’re pounding on them. And it’s meant to be horrific. You’re meant to see what happens when characters like the Teen Titans go up against characters like Black Adam. They are in way over their head. The fact they are attempting to slow him down is what marks them as heroes. But what happens when you get into something you aren’t equipped to deal with?

Even if it's minor characters who do, I wouldn't waste my time on this mishmash for that. It's not why I read comics, nor is what's suggested this could be in the following:

[Wizard:] I’d say it’s going to be a gore fest with the Teen Titans, what do you say?

OSTRANDER: Yeah! I’d say so. What I can also say is that it’s not pretty when the Teen Titans manage to round up a quick group to go up against Black Adam and he just basically tears through them like tissue paper. I mean, they try to give a good account for themselves here because they have some pretty powerful characters, but [Black Adam] is virtually out of his mind with what he wants to do.

A gore fest? Even with teenagers in it? The older TT stories were not without their own share of bloody violence, but this is really sensationalizing the whole thing, and makes me even less encouraged to read it than ever.

Death and bloodletting is one of the worst ways to market and promote a comic book, and Ostrander has really fumbled the ball here, as has Wizard for paying lip service with their horrid sensationalism.

Labels: dc comics, golden calf of death, Titans