A Jason Todd publicity stunt, and a clear picture provided
Published by Avi Green on Tuesday, November 27, 2007 at 11:30 AM.
Let's see, in this LITG column (via Occasional Superheroine), we learn that Jason Todd, who was pointlessly brought back from the dead when Superboy Prime struck the "walls of reality" is now going to be taking up Bruce Wayne's role under the Batsuit. While Batman himself, from what I can tell, is going to become a New God!
Of all the theater-of-the-absurd stunts DC could pull lately, this has got to be one of the dumbest. If this is what's going to be, I wonder how it'll affect Batman and the Outsiders?
The biggest problem with replacing a protagonist like Bruce with one like Jason is that it's all being done in an incredible rush - even now, there's been very little to no serious attempt to provide Jason with some new character development and establishment. That's one of the reasons why putting him in Batman's role is a joke (let's also remember that he'd been out of the picture for almost two decades). As the news sources told earlier, Dan DiDio wanted to kill off Dick Grayson and rush Jason Todd in his role as Nightwing pretty quickly(!), until this was shot down thanks to some lobbying by Marv Wolfman and George Perez.
I think the best way for anyone who finds this whole stunt wretched is to react in something like silence: in other words, don't buy the books that depict Jason as Batman but at the same time don't make too much of a fuss about what they're up to.
And now, with that spoken about, here's a most intriguing comment that provides much to think about:
This also explains why, if memory serves, the return of Kara Zor-El to prominence in the DCU got so little attention in 2004 compared to an overrated monstrosity like Identity Crisis. Whether or not you consider Kara's reintroduction auspicuous, the idea of a much-celebrated superheroine returning to the fold clearly means very little to the MSM compared to what they think about a story where a minor but just as beloved superhero's wife got murdered and raped in flashback. The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly and various other major newspapers had plenty of articles all about IC, but what did they have to say about Supergirl coming back? Little to nothing, if at all. Death has apparently gotten stuck in the media's brains as something to celebrate, while life has been marginalized as banal.
That's why I got into the blogging business, doing my best to flaunt my own special approach as do many others - because there was something wrong the press to the extent the above news editor argues. And if the mainstream press isn't taken to task for their ludicrous approach, that's one reason why comics will never be taken seriously enough. At the same time, the comic publishers shouldn't be let off the hook, since, if they're going to keep going with this cycle of unwelcome deaths and demonizations just because certain mainstream news outlets will only pay attention that way, they'll only continue to hurt themselves more in the end. If they're smart, what they'll do is seek out those media sources that will take a fairer approach and rely upon them to help introduce the public, children and adult alike, to their products. But a horrible newspaper like the NY Times is not what they should be looking for. If I were them, I'd turn to the New York Sun, a more decent paper, to see if they'd be willing to help out. Maybe the big two'll consider that?
Of all the theater-of-the-absurd stunts DC could pull lately, this has got to be one of the dumbest. If this is what's going to be, I wonder how it'll affect Batman and the Outsiders?
The biggest problem with replacing a protagonist like Bruce with one like Jason is that it's all being done in an incredible rush - even now, there's been very little to no serious attempt to provide Jason with some new character development and establishment. That's one of the reasons why putting him in Batman's role is a joke (let's also remember that he'd been out of the picture for almost two decades). As the news sources told earlier, Dan DiDio wanted to kill off Dick Grayson and rush Jason Todd in his role as Nightwing pretty quickly(!), until this was shot down thanks to some lobbying by Marv Wolfman and George Perez.
I think the best way for anyone who finds this whole stunt wretched is to react in something like silence: in other words, don't buy the books that depict Jason as Batman but at the same time don't make too much of a fuss about what they're up to.
And now, with that spoken about, here's a most intriguing comment that provides much to think about:
Speaking as a newspaper editor . . . the death of Bruce Wayne is the only way the mainstream press will pay any attention to Batman comics. It was the same for Captain America and Superman before him. The thing is, depending upon events to spike sales is a lot like the bad business practices of the music industry when they would rely on a Michael Jackson release to save their industry for a few years. Eventually, that comes back to bite you on the ass - see downloading - and you can't do much about it.If I hadn't thought about it before, I am now. This explains a lot about why the big two are doing all this insanity - because the press will only take notice selectively. Only if it's about a hero dying will they take notice, and as Identity Crisis has proven, it's not limited to just the deaths of major flagship protagonists. In other words, the big two have become so desperate to gain attention and new customers that they've literally sold out to the MSM...by doing exactly what they'd like to see. But how far does it get them in the end? Not very.
I cover comics regularly - graphic novels with wide appeal that real people would not only be interested in buying, but can actually find if they want to purchase. So many media outlets are the same if they cover comics at all with any regularity.
It's because the monthlies are dead to everyone but what amounts to a handful of consumers - there are lots of reasons for this, but the biggest one is that they're a pain in the ass to deal with. And so the only way to bring in those outsider sales is to do something sensationalistic and get mega sales for one issue - unfortunately, these sales don't translate into any real regular boom for the comics companies.
It's companies like Top Shelf and First Second and Oni Press and Fantagraphics and on and on who have the real future, because they deliver a diverse, reliable product that normal people - a category that newspaper and magazine editors fall into - find of interest.
So go ahead and kill Bruce Wayne - it's the comic book equivalent of watching a mad man off his hostage in a seize out of desperation for everyone to hear the crazy point he's trying to make.
This also explains why, if memory serves, the return of Kara Zor-El to prominence in the DCU got so little attention in 2004 compared to an overrated monstrosity like Identity Crisis. Whether or not you consider Kara's reintroduction auspicuous, the idea of a much-celebrated superheroine returning to the fold clearly means very little to the MSM compared to what they think about a story where a minor but just as beloved superhero's wife got murdered and raped in flashback. The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly and various other major newspapers had plenty of articles all about IC, but what did they have to say about Supergirl coming back? Little to nothing, if at all. Death has apparently gotten stuck in the media's brains as something to celebrate, while life has been marginalized as banal.
That's why I got into the blogging business, doing my best to flaunt my own special approach as do many others - because there was something wrong the press to the extent the above news editor argues. And if the mainstream press isn't taken to task for their ludicrous approach, that's one reason why comics will never be taken seriously enough. At the same time, the comic publishers shouldn't be let off the hook, since, if they're going to keep going with this cycle of unwelcome deaths and demonizations just because certain mainstream news outlets will only pay attention that way, they'll only continue to hurt themselves more in the end. If they're smart, what they'll do is seek out those media sources that will take a fairer approach and rely upon them to help introduce the public, children and adult alike, to their products. But a horrible newspaper like the NY Times is not what they should be looking for. If I were them, I'd turn to the New York Sun, a more decent paper, to see if they'd be willing to help out. Maybe the big two'll consider that?
Labels: Batman, dc comics, golden calf of death
