DC’s big shake-up in September has inspired plenty of reaction across fandom, both positive and negative. Someone squarely in the latter camp has decided to get organized, starting a Facebook event called “Walk to protest against the new awful designs,” thus far inspiring 163 spurned readers to join in on the demonstration.
The event is scheduled for Saturday, July 23 at next month’s Comic-Con International: San Diego, though the exact location is “TBA.” Here’s what the event description, credited to Laura Hornack, has to say:
Are you utterly baffled, disappointed and just ANGRY to see how DC ruins your favorite character’s design and wipes decades of comic history out of the mainstream universe? Well, you’re not alone! And why not make some noise at the biggest pop-culture event this year, where creators, artists and writers appear in person – show them how fans – the fans of the classic characters, the (nevertheless slightly changing) designs, the character’s history and personality – really feel about it!
The comments on the wall are pretty split on the whole idea (762 are currently marked down as “not attending”). Many of comments are along the line of Joe Kontor’s: “How about you read the first damn issue before you decide you don’t like it?” though some are supportive. If the protest does go indeed go down, we’ll do our best to be there and see who shows up.
June 29th, 2011 at 7:26 pm
Is there some sort of “sterilization ray” we can aim at this thing?
June 29th, 2011 at 7:27 pm
I totally agree with these people and wish I could attend. Have a sign with save JSA, Powergirl, Stephanie, Shazam Family. Another one save DCU from DCNU.
June 29th, 2011 at 7:33 pm
dumbasses
June 29th, 2011 at 7:34 pm
Normally I would call this individual crazy, but I have heard the rumors that fan favorites like Donna TROY, Cassandara Cain, Stephanie Brown and Power Girl are now MIA once this relaunches. They have basically benched some of the favorite characters for individuals and to do that to me is almost unforgivable. We will see when the relaunch happens, but I am not holding out much hope at this point.
June 29th, 2011 at 7:35 pm
I think we’re overreacting a little. It’s not that DC hasn’t made the same move before (somone remeber Crisis on inifnite Earths?) Making a real mess of the DCU.
I understand the problem about the numbering, but let’s be reallistic. The only titles that count are Action, Detective, Superman and batman, Titles that i don’t think anyone has a full run since issue 1. The other major titles (JLA, GL, Losh, WW, Flash, Etc…) have at least 3 issues 1, so i don’t think i’ts such a big deal.
I also have the retailer perspective since i run a little online store in Argentina (Where the comic books are a lot more expensive that in USA) and most of my costumers have picked up more DC titles than before the relaunch. In the last years DC have really made a mess in the ongoing titles, be realistic again and tell me that you can fully comprehend Batman Inc if you didn’t read Batman and son, or Batman rip. Same goes for Green Lantern if you didn’t go onboard since Rebirth and so it goes.
I Really hope DC doesn’t mess this oportunity to make things right and make enjoyable again these comics that i love so much.
June 29th, 2011 at 7:55 pm
Not that they should protest, but their protesting something they haven’t even read. Witch to me just seems silly, but that’s fanboys for you.
June 29th, 2011 at 7:57 pm
Fanboy Rage! Fanboy Crush Puny Publishers!
Eh, it’ll change again next year, so why get bent out of shape? It is DC after all. Final Crisis of Infinite Crises.
June 29th, 2011 at 7:58 pm
Oops, that should say, Not that they shouldn’t protest.
June 29th, 2011 at 8:01 pm
I’m on the fence with the whole reboot, but to boycott something before even trying it is just plain stupid and reeks of the stereotypical crap that outsiders of the industry mock us for. Who is to say that the JSA, Power Girl, the Outsiders, Doom Patrol, Donna Troy, R.E.B.E.L.S, etc…won’t be back in some shape or form 6 months to a year after the relaunch. I love some of the more fringe titles from both Marvel and DC, but people are ridiculous to demand that a company keep afloat titles that don’t even pay their rent, so to speak.
June 29th, 2011 at 8:37 pm
I have to agree, why protest something you know next to nothing about? Seems like they’re just a bunch of fanboy crybabies here. I’m not a huge fan of it, but I’m willing to give it a chance at least.
June 29th, 2011 at 8:44 pm
“Are you utterly baffled, disappointed and just ANGRY to see how DC ruins your favorite character’s design and wipes decades of comic history out of the mainstream universe?”
Then welcome to 1986.
June 29th, 2011 at 8:47 pm
I don’t think we will know if the new direction DC is going will work till the end of the year. Sept will be great for DC but will it be a steady drop in sales afterwards or will there finally be the massive influx of new readers that the comic companies have been trying to get for so long? And if it doesn’t work then it is Heroes Reborn all over again and forgotten in a few years.
June 29th, 2011 at 8:54 pm
I understand. I do.
But I have to agree with the people that are saying that we don’t know enough about the relaunch yet to protest anything. Sure, DC has handled the press on this HORRIBLY, and while they’ve backtracked on the term “Reboot” after-the-fact, it just shows that they misstepped from day one, and the whole thing seems poorly thought out.
It could, truly, be just an utter cluster**** of their entire line. Or it could be fantastic. Most likely, there’s gonna’ be some great books, some horrendous books, and bunch in between. Same as always.
But here’s the thing: A hundred people, a THOUSAND people, it won’t matter. The only thing that will is, as always, voting with your wallet. That and word of mouth. But word of mouth has a lot more weight to it when you have actually at least read what you’re complaining about. To kvetch about it now… It proves nothing.
But, like I said… I understand.
June 29th, 2011 at 9:00 pm
I’m happy as long as Grant Morrison is still writing Batman, Inc.
June 29th, 2011 at 9:06 pm
This isn’t the first reboot and its not like everything is changing. Many things are staying the same, some are getting tweaked and some are complete reboots. This isn’t the first time and it sure won’t be the last.
I’ve heard it mentioned several times that none of the characters we all know and love are “gone”. They may not be the same, but they are still around or will be re-introduced into the new continuity.
I’ve seen Didio quoted as saying Karen Starr(aka Powergirl one of my favorites) will be a part of the DCnU and I think even in the JLA issue #1. Maybe her appearance and back-story has been tweaked(again) and she’s the mystery member everyone has been speculating about.
I’m not saying that all of the changes will be great or even good. There are some I’m downright sure will be horrible and fail, but even if only half succeed and lead to some good stories then I’m happy.
We tend to forget that almost none of these characters are exactly the same as they were when they were first introduced or even exactly the same as they were 10 years ago. They’ve been altered, reinvented, rebooted, tweaked and reimagined so many times over their careers that only the core concept of the character remains. That’s the important part of the characters. Not their costumes or their hairstyle. The core of who they are is what matters and I don’t think DC will change that. Superman will always be for Truth and Justice even if they remove Krypton, Smallville and Lois Lane from the mythos. Batman will always be The Dark Knight of Gotham City and the Flash will always be the Fastest Man Alive, no matter if it is Barry Allen, Wally West or Harold Mcgillicutty.
June 29th, 2011 at 9:20 pm
I think I protest is not the right approach.
AS per costume designs, I would never worry about those. If they really suck DC will change them in a heart beat. They don’t want to market subpar character designs.
I’m thinking a demonstration to show support for the missing characters is not a bad idea though. I personally am really upset about Stephanie’s de-cowling as Batgirl and also the lack of Captain Marvel/Shazam family news, and I think a demonstration showing to DC how much the fans care about the characters whether or not the characters are actually missing from the September publications is always a good idea because it shows DC their properties have fan support and prives that they’re marketable (at least to somebody).
June 29th, 2011 at 9:45 pm
I wish I could go… This “relaunch” is a BAD and TERRIBLE idea… Like I read on Facebook, if DC wanted new readers, and keep their current reader, they should have created a DC version of Marvel Ulimate Universe…
June 29th, 2011 at 9:46 pm
Good luck dude.
June 29th, 2011 at 9:53 pm
I’m guessing that most of the protesters are hard-core marvel fanboys. lol
Seriously though like they say “don’t knock it till you try it”. Also I’m pretty sure alot of questions that haven’t been answered yet will be at the con.
June 29th, 2011 at 9:54 pm
losers. why dont you put your energy into something that really needs to be protested? you are really going to cry and stomp your feet like spoiled little children because mean ol DC took yer funny book away? people dying of AIDS in Africa, Greece in utter turmoil, Libya, Syria, Iran. American economy in the toilet. if your heroes were real, do you really think that they would be applauding your efforts? so they took away Superman’s red underwear. Do you really think most people give a crap? Get a grip on reality.
June 29th, 2011 at 9:57 pm
Do you remember HEAT, the group of Hal Jordan fanatics that tried to boycott DC until Kyle Rayner was no longer Green Lantern? Remember how stupid they looked, averse to change and utterly confused in life, given their level of vitriol and ferver, relative to the actual long-term importance of the issue at hand?
That’s what’s going on here. Meet your new HEAT.
June 29th, 2011 at 10:00 pm
wah, I don’t like something that doesn’t adhere to what I perceive to be the correct version. Change is good and DC needed this change.
June 29th, 2011 at 10:00 pm
they could have simply done a marvel and release a new universe instead they destroy (exageration i know)the mainstream one instead of simply giving the newer DCU more media coverage that way everyone is happy ( weather they have the money to do that i don’t know but didn’t post crisis have all those differently aim Universe?)
June 29th, 2011 at 10:01 pm
If someone is not into the books don’t pick them up. I think people are upset not because of change, but because of an overall poorly conceived plan which in the long run will kill characters that have been around for decades.
June 29th, 2011 at 10:19 pm
There was no organized DC history before this relaunch. Do you realize Joker in the 40s was just funny like a clown and then in the 80s he decided to become a homicidal maniac? It doesn’t make sense. Much like pretty much everything in DC’s history. The relaunch gives everything a fresh start and allows people like me who CAN’T STAND the jumbled continuity a chance to jump on. Plus DC has aquired the best talent in the industry to make this all go down right. Anyone with 2 brain cells would be xcited about this.
June 29th, 2011 at 10:19 pm
One thing missing from this article is the push by DC to make comics available electronically the same day as the comic shop hard copies.
They want this to be a big deal for comics on tablets, cell phones, computers etc. From the press I’ve read it seems that they think renumbering everything to #1′s will give new consumers a “jumping” on point. Since even the best sellers in comic books sell only over 100k copies in a month and the lower end of the spectrum for books to survive is roughly around 7,000 they are counting on these “new consumers” to bolster sagging book sales.
The thing I find the most irritating about the push for comic book downloads is the fact that because of the way they are releasing them (Comixology) the electronic consumers won’t actually own a copy of the comic book as that method of delivery doesn’t download a copy to your computer, you read it streaming online. Who’s to say that further down the road when a better app gets developed that your electronic collection goes along with you? Certainly not the industry who is silent on the matter. Until they agree that my electronic purchase grants me a right to keep that work in my collection regardless of application or format I’ll continue to buy physical copies and convert them myself.
June 29th, 2011 at 10:37 pm
Anyone who agrees with this is a dumba**.
There isnt even much change. Its repackaging. Just like Marvel did about six months ago.
It disgusts me that fanboys are so rude and ignorant.
Grow some f*cking nuts and get over it.
And Donna Troy is dead (If you actually read comics shes in, you would know that so dont complain that shes mia)
For the people who dont see their favorite characters, be f*cking patient. Again, grow some balls.
June 29th, 2011 at 10:45 pm
Just in case you guys have not heard yet, there are more new books coming later this year. The ones coming out in September are not the only new #1s coming. Some of the missing characters will get their books later on. Shane Davis dropped the hint at the Philly Con that he was working on a new Atom book coming later this year. In regards to JSA/Power Girl/Marvel Family, the rumor is that those characters will be placed back on their alternate Earth’s that they started on and will be spotlighted in Grant Morrison’s upcoming Multiversity project.
June 29th, 2011 at 11:04 pm
Everyone has the right to protest.
Having said that, obviously DC has some sort of concrete plan for what they are doing after Flashpoint. Until we all can give them a read, it’s really just judging books from the covers & speculation. I enjoy fantasy for what it is, an escape from the confines of reality. The thought of something new excites me instead of reading something I am committed to but do not enjoy as much as I used to. Also, DC can’t release a series for every single character in their universe at once. It leaves no room for introductions at a later date and no #1′s for October, November, etc.
They say you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Hopefully Dan, Jim, Geoff & all of the creative people at DC can completely prove that wrong.
DC… The world is watching, don’t F it up!
June 29th, 2011 at 11:04 pm
@thejim: That didn’t work for Marvel, why would it work for DC?
Also. I agree with Always Right. Nobody’s ALWAYS right, but for this one, he is.
June 29th, 2011 at 11:08 pm
I’m on-board with the “don’t buy it if you’re not into it” strategy, but at the same time, if these are existing consumers/fans, then, assuming they keep things respectful, why shouldn’t they speak up? I do think, however, they should name specific changes they’re opposing.
June 29th, 2011 at 11:09 pm
The only aspect of the relaunch I have problems with is the 90′s Superman costume (and others- Deathstroke Supergirl etc). They all stink. Actually the Superman drawn by Jim lee above is a tad better than the George Perez abomination.
I’m actually excited about everything else. We’re headed into the unknown, fresh concepts (but as someone said earlier core stays the same) with new directions…this is a time to be intrigued and pumped for something new at DC. Stop the whining and give it a chance. Hold protests/rallies for children dying with no food, human trafficing, and atrocities against humanity. Stupid, uber-geeks.
June 29th, 2011 at 11:18 pm
Hold protests/rallies for children dying with no food, human trafficing, and atrocities against humanity. Stupid, uber-geeks.
By that same token, though, you could put that $3.99 for the new Justice League book into a fund for those kids. I see what you’re saying, but that argument’s a bit of a derailment.
June 30th, 2011 at 12:15 am
i have no intention of buying any of DC’s books after August, and i would attend this just to let them know that. why shouldn’t fans voice their opinion? it’s certainly more effective than trolling message boards.
June 30th, 2011 at 12:53 am
guys, it´s just comic-books! okay?!
June 30th, 2011 at 12:57 am
If they feel so strongly, then yes I support their right to protest. DC needs to stop taking their fanbase for granted. And like many I no longer buy much of their product – many of my friends also boycotted the recent crappa-lola Green Lantern movie — not that they needed to given the pounding it got by audiences and critics.
June 30th, 2011 at 1:22 am
i love DC Comics when they’re rebooting like this coming in september! i would never..ever.. need to complete my comic book series. it’s just so simple. why so serious?
June 30th, 2011 at 2:31 am
Basically, I don’t see such a problem with the new designs, they are quite good after all and seem to be inspired by Batman’s (Bruce’s) current look.
I have more of a problem with affording 52 books in one month!!!
June 30th, 2011 at 2:32 am
Good for them. If it would happen to Marvel I would be pissed off too. It’s like they are saying we don’t care abouut you fans as we like to attract new fans more.
June 30th, 2011 at 2:34 am
it’s almost sad that they think DC will care about a piddly 160 (if they even all show up) angry fans, because in the larger scheme of things that’s a meaningless number, but even worse that these kinds of people (kind of like the ones doing internet petitions to stop the renumbering of Uncanny X-Men) can’t even see that even if they had a chance in hell of changing anything, it’s way too late anyway. this is already in motion and well past the point of turning back. all the new books are set up and being worked on right now. there is absolutely zero chance that DC will just throw away all the time and money they’ve already put into this big plan (which their success kind of hinges on at this point by the way, with how far they’ve fallen behind Marvel in sales) just to appease a small handful of whiners. this protest will accomplish absolutely nothing except embarrassing the people who participate in it.
try again when you manage to get over 10,000 people on board and convince them all to actually stop buying the books in question and MAYBE then you might get noticed and taken seriously by a company, because as someone else said earlier on the page, that’s what the companies care about, the sales, not some people whining at a convention.
June 30th, 2011 at 4:02 am
yeah thats smart give them MORE piblicity. just wait until september when the damn thing comes out and THEN voice your opinion, otherwise you just end up looking like a nerdish troll… basics, people
June 30th, 2011 at 4:06 am
can´t believe this…
dude, there´s something called reality… the rest is entertainment…
let the dc people do their work, they are in the market even before your parents existed…
ah, another thing…
let Batgirl be Babs again! she is the only Batgirl, the only that became an icon
June 30th, 2011 at 4:43 am
“Is there some sort of “sterilization ray” we can aim at this thing?”
Don’t think that is going to be a problem
Since 90% of the anger is based on rumors I wish people would calm down and read some of the titles before they get the pitchforks and torches
June 30th, 2011 at 5:16 am
Wow, what basement dwelling mouth-breathers came up with this protest? Jeez- get a life. Get laid. Go enjoy your funny books. I like comics. I also have a life. Oy vey.
June 30th, 2011 at 5:41 am
I know that we still haven’t read the thing, but my gripe is that if you want a real change and start from scratch to attract new readers then you should reboot the entire thing. It looks like if you are the boss (Geoff Johns) of the boss’ pet (Grant Morrison) you can still do whatever you want.
Anyway, another day in Didio-verse…
June 30th, 2011 at 5:58 am
Pedemonti, what do you mean when you say “whatever you want”?
June 30th, 2011 at 6:00 am
Sorry, English is not my mother tongue and sometimes I’m not as clear as I’d like. What I meant is that the only stories that apparently will stay untouched are the stories within Green Lantern (Johns) and Batman (Morrison).
June 30th, 2011 at 6:15 am
I wouldn’t participate in something like this and I’ve never even been to SDCC but a lot of these ignorant “Get a life” comments make me want to grab a bullhorn and take to the streets.
That comment was stale 20 years ago and there’s NO ONE who posts on this site who can say it without irony.
The argument may be, “If you don’t like the DC changes, don’t protest just don’t buy it” (I agree) but by the same token, the counter argument is, “If you don’t like the protest, don’t be rude, just don’t take part in it.”
While I wouldn’t be part of this protest, I agree with the spirit and as of September, after 40 years in the hobby, I’ll be giving up every DC universe book I’ve been buying. The reason is simple. Yeah, I get the whole “Read it before you decide” but as others have pointed out, that means buying the books and Time/Warner won’t care what you *thought* of the books as long as you bought them. Buying them is a direct endorsement of them.
The other problem is that comic books don’t work like any other hobby. Most LCS that I know of don’t just fill the shelves and wait (and hope) for sales, they order stock based on pre-orders. That means the buyer is “in” for two or three issues before ever having seen one. (And I hope no one would decide that they don’t like the content and not buy the remaining issues they ordered, punishing the LCS owner who is not responsible for the content.)
DC is an entertainment content provider. There is a lot of entertainment content available to me and, like everyone, I have limited resources of money and time. It’s not my responsibility to “give DC a chance,” it’s their responsibility to convince me what they have to offer is worth my dollars and attention. There’s nothing wrong with watching a movie preview and deciding you don’t want to see that movie or relying on experience. (i.e. Michael Bay is a terrible director so I don’t need to buy a ticket to a Transformers movie to know it will be horrible or, at best, mediocre.) All the advance material DC has shown me has convinced me, this is not for me. I want the hobby to succeed so I hope DC will do okay. They’ve just convinced *this* longtime fan, however, that they’re not interested in keeping him as part of their dwindling customer base.
June 30th, 2011 at 6:26 am
This sounds like a future plot line from the Big Bang Theory.
June 30th, 2011 at 6:28 am
These dumbasses should plan on losing their virginity, and protest things that actually affect the world they live in. (Protesting a comic reboot? Really?)
June 30th, 2011 at 6:35 am
Seriously? Things don’t change in comics? Really? They had twenty years of continuity? Huh, they should be thankful they got that much. Comic sales are failing, and the industry is shrinking…DC don’t do anything to keep your business afloat. Pander to aging fans who feel they and they alone matter. If long time fans are behaving like this then something says to me these are older people and that is embarrassing. Really really how about spending your money on making the world a better place or protesting something that would make a difference to REAL people?
June 30th, 2011 at 6:49 am
If its one thing fanboy’s hate, its change.
Christ, its just superhero comics, I may not be on board with everything, but I’m finding more and more to get excited about and so I’m really looking forward to it…
June 30th, 2011 at 6:52 am
Dudes… and Chicks… seriously??? It hasn’t even happened yet! Give it a chance! I don’t see some of my favorites in the revamps… YET!!! I’m sure Raven and Beast Boy and Cassandra Cain and Ravager (Rose Wilson) and Jericho and Lobo will be surfacing at some point. And Power Girl has surfaced! She’s on the Justice League!
Do I like everything I’ve heard about this revamp? Oh, hellz to the no! But, am I going to give it a shot before being an Emo pessimist sitting in my room putting on mascara and planning a protest over message boards while listening to My Chemical Romance and cutting myself because Stephanie Brown hasn’t been listed as being involved in a book YET??? (The operative word here being YET.)
Barbara Gordon as Batgirl… How do we know this means no more Oracle??? Or that she won’t still be physically handicapped? WE KNOW NOTHING. It hasn’t happened and they are being VERY tight lipped about it.
Teen Titans? Does it look abysmal??? YUP!!! But, this book has become SO SCREWED UP that a total reboot is necessary. Geoff Johns did a great job years ago bringing it back where it needed to be. But since then? What a hot mess. I blame EVERYONE SINCE GEOFF JOHNS. What a crap book it’s become. Solstice makes me long for the days of Pantha. But as for the costumes, Superboy (to me) looks pretty badass, and Wonder Girl? I just wish it paid a LITTLE more homage to Wonder Woman. But it’s kinda hot. Kid Flash? He looks pretty similar to his old look. Red Robin? I kinda like the look. Not gonna lie. I know the feathers are throwing some people off, but I kinda dig them. I agree with the big girl and the rock girl being… well, I’m gonna give them a shot.
But, they are modern! Kids who have never seen these looks won’t be like, “oh, what a herb! Wonder Woman is wearing granny panties.” They’ll say, “Oh, snap! Awesome! Wonder Woman looks like she’s one of us!”
Harley Quinn looks slutty, yeah. Okay. I give you that. But, I am really excited about Suicide Squad for the first time ever. And the slutty works for me. And it’s an adult book, obviously.
Superman? I think the classic look was fine, but honestly it’s 2011… it’s time to make these costumes look like it. Superman hasn’t had a significant costume change since his inception… with the exceptions of those really bad 1990s looks… the black costume with the silver S and the rockin’ mullet. Now, granted, I only like his new look when drawn by Jim Lee so far. George Perez’s looks very… bad.
Aquaman, Green Lantern, the Flash… they all look awesome to me. Pretty much classic with some modern body armor-esque attributes. Mera? More regal. Deadman? The same. Hawkman? Badass. Cyborg? Badass. Deathstroke? Awesome. Firestorm? I’m a little confused, but intrigued.
Supergirl? Ummmm… okay, you got me. I hate it. So hard. I really, really, really hate it. Really. Really bad.
I can’t wait to see the modern images of the villains… I want to see Brother Blood, and Terra, and Lex Luthor’s armor, Brainiac, Cheetah, Mirror Master, Dr. Psycho, Dr. Light.
Anyway, let’s try to be a little optimistic. For a change. Give it a shot! It might be amazing!
And considering the state of the industry right now, we are pretty desperate for new readers. Maybe rebooting for the digital era (like they did years ago with modern print) will help?
June 30th, 2011 at 6:53 am
Dan Didio and company have been ruining DC way before this DCnU reboot. They should have been protesting after Identity Crisis, Infinite Crisis, World War 3, Amazons Attack, One Year Later, Batman War Games, Countdown to Infinite Crisis, Countdown to Final Crisis, etc. The idea that recent years of continuity to me actually sounds like a good thing, not a bad one. Of course the people who were responsible for ruining the past 6 years of DC are also responsible for “fixing” it, so I have no hope.
These people shouldn’t protest the reboot, they should protest that editorial wasn’t rebooted along with the continuity.
June 30th, 2011 at 6:55 am
seriously????? People give it a chance!!!!!!!
June 30th, 2011 at 6:58 am
Don’t absolve Geoff Johns, he laid the foundation and groundwork for the crappiness. What was so good about Geoff Johns issues? Nothing ever happened except making Bart into Kid Flash and robbing him of an interesting personality. Since then every issue was just a modern retread of a Wolfman/Perez issue. Brother Blood and Raven story, Deathstroke and his parenting issues story, Brother Blood again, Deathstroke again, Deathstroke corrupts and turns one of the Titans’ own against them, a through-the-chest stabbing involving Deathstroke and Jericho, except this time with the roles reversed…Under Johns the book had absolutely no direction, it existed solely as a cash grab to go along with the successful Teen Titans cartoon that had the Wolfman/Perez lineup in it, and all Johns did was recreate the Wolfman/Perez lineup and regurgitate the same 4 Wolfman Perez stories over and over again, then left the book.
June 30th, 2011 at 7:03 am
Just don’t buy the comics. Donate the money you would’ve spent to a nice charity.
June 30th, 2011 at 7:24 am
@ Zack “Just don’t buy the comics. Donate the money you would’ve spent to a nice charity.”
I think they aren’t even capable of thinking about something that is selfless and reality based. Fanboys/girls are rude and self entitled hypocrites. They have fulfilled every stereotype I have heard about them in the last few weeks and I am so glad this reboot is happening. DC good luck!
June 30th, 2011 at 7:27 am
Seriously all of you are the ones ho need to get a life, what’s eating you. If someone wants to protest let them, its none of your damn business how they want to use their time. Stop with the insulting comments about Dc fanboys, you dont know anything about these people, you may think you know how they work through big bang theory or some stereotypical BS geek movie but you don’t, this is Real life. Really, they shouldn’t protest because people are dying of Aids, there is war in Iraq, people are dying of poverty, BS dont you think they know that, and you know that too. What are you doing about it Mr humanitarian. No you are sitting on your PC moaning and telling people what they can and cannot do. If you can wait till september for the trainwreck good for you, doesnt mean everyone else will be sitting pretty waiting to be crapped on.
June 30th, 2011 at 7:29 am
Wow, fans are going to protest over the DCnU! Seriously?!? If these fans were so irrate, why didn’t they do anything for the SDCC! At least to me, these fans are nothing more than people who want to get their 15 minutes of fame and hope that they get reported in the nightly news.
If these fans are so irrate, why don’t they put their money where their mouth is?!? I bet that these same “upset” fans have already placed their DCnN pre-orders! If so, then they are nothing but a bunch of hypocrites!
June 30th, 2011 at 7:39 am
Wish i could be there with these people as well. The entire concept of, “Let’s change EVERYTHING” is being used to often. Most people get up in the morning and decide to do something differnet with their lives without some all powerful “reboot” going on. I would say this is two dimensional thinking, but it seems more one dimensional!
If nothing is going to change, except Supes and JLA, then why not concentrate on those titles, as opposed to shaking things up for everyone.
To me, that shows a great lack of creativity. You can’t twist and turn things without starting things over again. With as many times as Captain Atom has quantum jumped, i’m surprised the opportunity to make changes hasn’t already gone into effect.
June 30th, 2011 at 7:40 am
I’m sorry but as a rabid DC reader and fan of over 35 years I find this protest very sad indeed. As others here have said, protesting these books before reading them is just plain wrong on every level. I put it up there with the people who banned (and in some cases burned) Tom Sawyer from the school libraries years ago. Many of them admitted to not even reading it but heard the claims how evil a book it was and didn’t want their children in the same room with it.
So far, I’ve seen some of the protesters claim anger of no Powergirl (Didio said flat out she IS in one of the books), no Stephanie Brown (Didio said she’s still around and is the Spoiler), no JSA (honestly this confused me at first but not anymore with putting things into perspective) and no Marvel Family (none in the first 52 titles but who knows what’s in the October, November, or even December new titles…oh…that’s right…DC DOES!!!).
People complain that the whole DC Universe is being changed but honestly from what we’ve seen there are less changes actually happening than happened with CoIE. We now know that Batman and Green Lantern will be unchanged for the most part, Barbara will become Batgirl in story context logically, the Wildstorm (and some Vertigo) characters will be integrated within the DCNu, and most importantly that the events of the past who knows how many years will still have happened in the DCNu. What does that mean?
All the huge DCU events from CoIE on up to Flashpoint DID happen!!!
The costume re-designs people are complaining about actually make me wonder if the fans left from the 40s complained when they saw Barry Allen, Hal Jordan and Ray Palmer debut. The outlandish costume design changes they were exposed to…”Good lord!!!!! Atom AND Green Lantern have no capes!!!!!”. Yes they were “updated” characters and yes it probably ticked them off too, and you know what? Without those changes there would never be the heroes we have in DC today.
June 30th, 2011 at 7:44 am
This is when we need Shatner to step up to the podium and tell people to get a life. THEY’RE COMIC BOOKS. As long as they tell a good story and entertain, we should be happy. But as the old saying goes:
“You can please some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time…. but you can’t please a fan.”
June 30th, 2011 at 8:15 am
This may be a futile gesture, but I support them for making it-and if I weren’t several thousand miles away, I’d join them. DC is throwing away decades of history, the very history that drew me into reading their books 35 years ago and has kept me reading them since. If the JSA and the other Golden Age characters are gone, I see no point in continuing to give DC my money. It won’t be my DCU anymore. And there is nothing sad about fighting for something you care about, no matter how trivial it may seem to others.
June 30th, 2011 at 8:40 am
I bet that retard T. is behind this
June 30th, 2011 at 9:33 am
I have to say one thing most of the people who don’t care if the dc universe is change don’t really buy any comic books ,they’re people who pick up books once in awhile or go to a comic book store or huge bookstore read 20 comice an maybe buy one,or wait for ab trade or hardcover an have there library order to read with paying for anything.So this the group that DC is try to make happy not the collectors will mostly likely pick up books few books but will be dropping so many titles to much crap,so people boycott DC BY NOT BUYING THIS SHIT
June 30th, 2011 at 9:49 am
SMH wow, The Protest is silly. people do something better w/ your time.
June 30th, 2011 at 9:54 am
@ T. : I kind of disagree. He did bring them to a formula that works, and that does happen to be the family/tightness that the group had during their Wolfman/Perez days. The new take on Brother Blood didn’t remind me of Wolfman/Perez except that it was a version of Brother Blood. Making him a teenager was brilliant….
Wait…
This thread isn’t about that. But, that being said, aside from Ravager joining, Kid Devil (who I really liked) joining and… honestly, that’s about it, it’s been a shit show since Johns left.
June 30th, 2011 at 10:13 am
I think people are blowing this WAY out of proportion. I understand your upset, but it sounds to me like the characters that weren’t doing to good in the 1st place are the only ones that are going to be affected by this. Characters like Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, characters like that.
June 30th, 2011 at 10:31 am
People complaing about the protest ate being really obnoxious. So what if they protest? They kind of have a point. If dc thinks that putting pants on wonder woman or getting rid of supes briefs will improve sales then they are simply grasping at straws
June 30th, 2011 at 10:33 am
DON’T THINK PEOPLE ARE BLOWING OUT OF PROPORTION ,JUSTICE LEAGUE IS A TOP 30 BOOK EACH MONTH NOW THEY’RE CHANGING IT TO BE THE FIRST SUPERTEAM TO EXIST DUMMPING JSA INTO THE GARBAGE ,IF WE BAND TOGETHER NOT BUY THIS CRAP AN LET DC DISAPPEAR LIKE VALIENT COMICS
June 30th, 2011 at 10:43 am
Hey T,
Here and on CBR you sound like an idiot.
June 30th, 2011 at 10:53 am
Whether anyone supports this or not, it would have been nice to have seen a comic eventually reach its 1000th issue. Now it’ll be ANOTHER 73 years or so before this happens! And we won’t live long enough to see it. A shame, really.
June 30th, 2011 at 11:26 am
Eric Says:
June 29th, 2011 at 7:34 pm
Normally I would call this individual crazy, but I have heard the rumors that fan favorites like Donna TROY, Cassandara Cain, Stephanie Brown and Power Girl are now MIA once this relaunches
———————————————–
Rumors from who ? And if you look at the latest JLA poster, isn’t that Power Girl (in the cowl neck) on the right side of teh page ?
June 30th, 2011 at 11:45 am
Hmm…lots of extremes going on here. While some of the “anti DCnu” commentators have been a little…out there (I remember one poster actually wishing DC goes out of business! Isn’t that a little like saying, “If I can’t have it my way, I don’t want anyone to have it!!”?), I have to say the personal venom spewed by the “anti anti-DCnU” posters is really disappointing. I’m not saying there aren’t examples on both sides, but in general many more of the anti protest group have gotten personal and insulting.
Personally, at first I was cautiously optimistic of the reboot, but the more I have heard, the more I have changed my opinion to one of, well, let’s just say it’s reminding how I felt about “Heroes Reborn” in the mid-90′s.
I’ll try the reboots of the titles I am collecting now, but they are now on the chopping block whereas before some of them were safe. I am also not replacing any of the titles that are not being brought back (JSA, Secret Six, and Booster Gold) so, at best, DC will be losing $9 a month from me (or whatever their final cut is from the sales). It’s not that I am protesting anything, merely that none of the 46 or so titles appeals to me.
I hope the protesters at the convention make their point to DC that they are not happy (even if nothing comes of it), and I hope the venom spewers will realize that even if a cause is not theirs, it is still important to those protesting.
June 30th, 2011 at 11:51 am
I think it’s a brave move with some flaws. I think this reaction is a little extreme and won’t make any difference.
June 30th, 2011 at 11:57 am
I can’t understand why folk are finding the idea of a protest about a mainstream comics event, at a comics convention, so objectionable.
I can understand why it’s being called futile or funny, but, these people clearly care & expressing this in a visible & peaceful manner is totally fine with me.
Peronally, I think a letters campaign to DC would be more effective, if it’s substantial enough.
I think that putting awkward questions to the representatives at SDCC & any other public forum is also a good idea. Put ‘em on the spot & make ‘em sweat.
From a PR perspective, it’s all too easy to slam these people but remember, they’re going to take a lot of flak & verbal abuse, if the comments on here & other sites is anything to go by. All too easy!
And of course it depends on where you’re coming from.
For instance, fans of the Justice Society in particular, have every right to be annoyed right now. The message they’re getting from DC’s editorial chiefs seems to be “We can’t be arsed”.
Grant Morrison has achieved great success with Batman, having established the axiom “Everything happened”. Why couldn’t this example have been used as a template for the next Great Leap Forward?
And, if you don’t agree with their stance? Fine. Sit back & enjoy the comedy, because undoubtedly, there is humour here too.
Let’s debate with a bit of humanity.
June 30th, 2011 at 12:01 pm
The problem with american comics is that, in contrast with mangas,they do not end, so it is hard for anybody to keep up with 70+ years of continuity. Reboots or rewrites happen all the time in comics, either with major events or in different titles (Brand New Day, Secret Origins, new #1′s). Some are more successful than others. Maybe a new start may be a good thing, don’t jump to conclusions. Personally I’m hoping the new Teen Titans title will be good (as a big fan of New TT I wasn’t that excited wit TT even with JG on the title) and I LOVE Red Robins costume.
June 30th, 2011 at 12:22 pm
I understand WHY people want to protest (you americans love standing up for what you believe in, really I get it – Im Canadian. We only get mad when we lose the Stanley cup, but I digress). I know that you have the right. I still just don’t GET it. Did people boycott New Coke with a protest? Probably not, they just didnt buy it (which I think was a brilliant ploy by Coca-Cola all along). I just do not understand the energy people put into this. I have been reading comics for over 30 years now, lots of time invested in the darn things. But really, come on. If you put half as much passion into protesting something that would really CHANGE the world, then maybe I would be impressed. But its just a comic. Its not real. Its not going to save the world. I just think we all need to put things in perspective (Vancouver riots notwithstanding!)
I think we all should just sit back, READ the darn thing first, and then make a statement. Lets not take it too seriously, people….
June 30th, 2011 at 12:31 pm
Oh for God’s sake!
If they want the publisher to REALLY LISTEN TO THEM show it with their wallets! It kills me how people will just flippantly bitch about it site unseen without giving it a try.
Try it out first. THEN if it’s not to your liking, don’t buy it!
I don’t care how ADDICTED we are to buying it or not, DON’T BUY IT JUST BECAUSE YOU ALREADY ARE A COLLECTOR OR A FAN….JUST DON’T BUY IT. The loss of the money will speak volumes more than some protest.
June 30th, 2011 at 1:10 pm
Protesting just means they’re passionate DC fans and they want the current creative team to realize before going to press that they’re making some big, embarrassing mistakes. The fact that they think DC will listen to them says they have a lot of faith in DC.
I’ve read almost exclusively DC comics since 1991. Aside from the Green Lantern books, I can’t find any titles that interest me in the DCnU. All my favorites are either cancelled (Power Girl, Booster Gold), retconned (Green Arrow, Batgirl, Superman), are in the hands of a writer I have no faith in (Green Arrow again), or are wearing costumes too ridiculous for me to want to pay to look at (Justice League International).
I’m going to protest by not giving them my money until they make a product I want to buy again.
I bought the pulp annuals, Final Crisis, Amazons Attack, Countdown, War Of the Gods, Genesis, Rann/Thanagar War, Worlds Collide and Bloodlines on faith and was punished for it. But I stayed a reader because I didn’t want to miss any major milestones in continuity.
If continuity is no longer being adhered to, there’s no reason for me to buy anything that only mildly piques my curiosity. And I think a lot of other people feel the same way.
June 30th, 2011 at 1:20 pm
But we’re basing all of this off of BEFORE the fact issues. Let the stories speak for themselves before you judge.
June 30th, 2011 at 1:28 pm
Jeez, what a crybaby.
I was around for Crisis on Infinite Earths. Huntress and Robin of Earth-2 were killed, along with the original Supergirl. I remember an issue of All-Star Squadron when a bunch of characters just disappeared from a photo. After all those years of Superboy adventures with the Legion of Superheroes just turned out to be a pocket universe created by the Time Trapper.
But YOU’RE upset about the post-COIE continuity being changed? Give me a freaking break. I didn’t like a lot of those changes. But I also had a life. And I wasn’t a crybaby.
June 30th, 2011 at 2:12 pm
What are you protesting… Write the books the way I want them,they get to pick what product to put out. You vote by buying the product. Wearing a sign we Hate DC, only helps DC. I gave GL Kyle a turned when people demanded Hal back and liked it.
Wish Kyle stayed on. Not the product they wanted to do. I would go and became a writer or make my own company
June 30th, 2011 at 2:19 pm
These losers should get a life. It reminds me of that silly H.E.A.T. group that formed years ago when they were all disgruntled that Hal became an awesome new villain in Parallax, and Kyle became a new, refreshing, and BETTER Green Lantern.
I’m tired of all these nostalgic tards that like to wallow in the past and re-read the same cheesy garbage all the time.
Change is amazing, and what’s sad is that both Marvel and DC have pretty much killed themselves over the years because they couldn’t bring themsleves to change things without resorting to restoring things right back to the boring old “status quo” mere months later.
What’s even more sad is that this pathetic group is only going to be wasting their time and they’re going to look like absolute fools in the process. Why? Because they’ve already won!! Anyone that thinks any of these changes that DC is bringing is going to last… well, I guess they’re in for a surprise. Nothing ever changes for good. That’s why comics are boring and retarded now. I like my entertainment to be modern and cutting edge, both of which comics are certainly not. I’m not even that young also. I’m in my mid-30′s, so it shouldn’t be a big surprise why people younger than me think that comic books are lame!
If anything, there should be a group that demands CHANGES! Move forward with your characters and stories for crying out loud. Kill characters and KEEP THEM DEAD! Update costumes regularly. The last straw for me was DC bringing back Barry Allen to be Flash again. Pathetic!! And apparently Barry Allen will still be Flash in this new “DCnU” so what’s really changing?
Same old…same old…
June 30th, 2011 at 4:07 pm
Why not just sit back and enjoy it? They’
June 30th, 2011 at 4:16 pm
Typical internet comics fans. How often have we heard complaints that the publishers never allow changes to the status quo and never allow any significant changes to the characters. Of course, the instant DC announces some costume changes and continuity tweaks the fanboys literally take to the streets and march DEMANDING a return to the old status quo. The DC readership has spoken “We do NOT want books that take chances. We DO NOT want character progression. We want to read the same stories about the same characters over and over and over again and we will mutiny at the slightest hint of change or progression!”
June 30th, 2011 at 4:36 pm
Michael Cross Says:
These losers should get a life. It reminds me of that silly H.E.A.T. group that formed years ago when they were all disgruntled that Hal became an awesome new villain in Parallax, and Kyle became a new, refreshing, and BETTER Green Lantern.
Yes, exactly. One of the few times DC honestly tried to move the status quo forward in a major way so of course the majority of the fans loathed it. Of course, if you call them out on their inconsistency they will always deny it, saying Emerald Twilight was just “a bad story” or “It wasn’t consistent with Hal’s personality” LOL, as if Hal ever had a personality!
June 30th, 2011 at 6:05 pm
@Marius: They don’t end because fans don’t give good titles with new characters a chance
Blue Beetle is going to be axed twice because of the racist fanbase
Static will be axed because of the same Caucasoid fanbase.
Batwing won’t survive because IF it does show Africa as modern then it wouldn’t sell to the white fanbase.
Mr Terrific – About an intelligent black man, you figure it out.
June 30th, 2011 at 7:08 pm
The loudest voice these people could speak with is just not buying the damn things. (which I am certain will be an even lager group of people) No one wants to see or hear from these people. I agree with almost everything he said but that’s enough. He said it, he’s not buying, good for him!! Not just sit back and enjoying another DC Implosion. Better comics came from the last one simply because if DC wanted to survive they had no choice but to produce better books.
June 30th, 2011 at 8:28 pm
I’ve been reading comics for over 30 years. I understand they are only fictional beings subject to the whims of the creators in charge and I roll with the punches. I’ve learned one rule; if a book entertains me, I read it. If not, I don’t. Now, I have a wife and children to support, a mortgage payment, and a car note. I have friends and neighbors out of work and in danger of losing everything they’ve worked hard for because of this bad economy. There are people literally dying for freedom in other countries. If what DC is doing in September is the most dire crisis going in the lives of you “protestors”, I don’t know if I should envy you or pity your empty lives. My suggestion, though it will go unheeded and be met with angry replies, is to save your energy for something worth protesting. There are bigger things going on outside of your safe little fantasy worlds.
June 30th, 2011 at 8:32 pm
Here’s the deal.
DC is a big corporate company. I don’t care how loyal many of you FANS out there are, not a one of you OWNS a single DC property. NOT ONE.
To see so many of you crying, whining, bitching, foaming-at-the-mouth… when history has informed you repeatedly how big conglomerates like Warner use and abuse their ‘creations’… to see you upset about this is very pathetic.
They screwed-over Siegel and Schuster,they screwed over Jack Kirby… the list goes on.
Stop whining, stop protesting, stop with the fanboy tantrum… you look hella stupid!
Again, these characters/properties are NOT your’s, they never will be, DC/ Warner will do whatever they want to do, so get over it and move on in life.
June 30th, 2011 at 8:55 pm
It seems continuity has become a massive anvil around the neck of fans an publishers alike. It’s a pain in the ass.
In the 1990s, I felt DC got things right when they published ‘Legends of the Dark Knight’. Regardless of what went on in the regular continuity-driven Batman titles, you got to see story arcs in Legends that explored different incarnations of Batman, even experimental stories. If I understand correctly that’s what All Star Superman was about (I think…). This direction in format is the perfect solution,imo; you can tell stories about, say, the death of a character without having to invoke all manner of stupid convoluted retcons to bring them back to life.
They (DC) already have a solid solution, I just wish they’d use it.
June 30th, 2011 at 9:39 pm
A new DC reader here who is excited for the August relaunch! As a former Marvel fan, I’ve been reading a few DC books on and off for the past several years. I am looking forward to the relaunch – and to becoming a more consistent DC reader with several of the new books.
The new costume designs look sweet – and it’s great the company has the courage to make some needed changes despite a relatively small number of pissy “fans” who are fixated on one particular character or would be dissatisfied with any changes whatsoever.
DC knows how to write big groups of diverse heroes who do more than smash, punch, and kick (yeah, Marvel – I’m talking about you) – and I think that several of the new team books will really play to that strength.
July 1st, 2011 at 6:07 am
@Colour Code
Yeah right , because the original Blue Beetle was such a superstar and huge seller too /s …
Most didnt give a sh*t about Ted Kord till he was brutally slain in a rather appalling and gratuiteous crossover . Why should new beetle have fared any better ?
And The white Mr terrific outsold wonderwoman and green lantern too too , right ?
BAtwing wont sell much ? Shockers !! … i dont know many black guys , msyelf included , that would even pick him over any of the robins , batman or batgirls . At least for now .
But good job woving your own racial insecurities into low profil sup’ identities that would struggle no matter what .
July 1st, 2011 at 6:14 am
@MakeMineDC
No offense , but your argument is rather ridiculous , and not even just yours .
I see page of “blabla bla fans dont like changes” .
Are you guys high ? The last few years have been ripe with actual changes , for better or worse . Nightwing becoming a batman anyone ?
And here they have been for a few months , already undoing all of it , and washing the rest away with the reboot … and you guys are like .. “yay changes” ?
What changes ? BArbara gordon going back to uncrippled ? Nightwing stripped as expected from the bat mantle ?
Those arent changes , those are retreats , step backs , reboots , with a bone thrown as us like “oh but guys , dont worry , its not all magically forgotten , the chars still remember what happens the last few years ” .
I’m not buying it as change so far .
July 1st, 2011 at 9:28 am
Y’know, people should just have fun with this protest. Don’t go angry. Go in wanting to do a mock protest with signs like “Give Harlequin Her Pants Back” or “2011 does not equal 1991″ or “If the old comics were boring, weren’t you the ones writing the old comics? or “Lois and Clark not Lois and Steve” or “Batgirls Don’t Surf!” or even signs with the New DC Logo scratched out and the Old DC Disc on top.
And make out t-shirts with the slogans, sell them at the con, give them to Jim Lee, Johns, and Didio and give the money to ACTOR or the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.
Spin this protest into a positive thing that is fun. To take it too seriously will just cause unnecessary stupidity and make you the laughing stock of the press. Spin it into something self-referential and funny and you can get your point across AND have a good time at the con.
July 1st, 2011 at 9:58 am
I would like to protest how DC is launching a comic called “All-Star Western” that is set in an east coast city.
July 1st, 2011 at 10:16 am
CHILL GUYS IT’s JUST COMICS! I hate Superrman’s new costume as much as the next guy but its not like this move from DC is without precedent, remember Crisis on Infinite Earths? Zero Hour? It just happens when they feel the need to boost sales, just like Marvel likes to kill your favorite characters for six months. If its such a big deal don’t waste your time protesting Comic-Con just pick up an issue of Project Superpowers or Go read some old JLI
July 1st, 2011 at 10:25 am
I have no plans to be there. I’ll simply stop being a customer. I don’t get the vitriol against the protesters, though. It’s a convention and it’s their right. If you don’t like something and you do nothing, you are pretty much guaranteed nothing will ever change.
July 1st, 2011 at 5:30 pm
@meh
I don’t see any of these supposed changes your claiming took place over the last few years. I doubt Dick as Batman was ever meant to be a permanent change. It was a temporary story that reverted back to the statusd quo after a couple years, just like Bucky as Captain America. Beyond that the biggest changes we’ve seen from DC is the past couple of years have been
-Bruce Wayne being brought back to life
-The White Lantern characters all being brought back to life(Aquaman, Hawkman, Martain Manhunter, ect. ect.)
-Swamp Thing being brought back into the DCU
-John Constantine being de-aged and brought back into the DCU
-Kon-El being brought back to life
-The Legion being rebooted back into an earlier incarnation
So yeah, they haven’t exactly been pushing the envelope in terms of progressive storytelling
July 2nd, 2011 at 8:04 am
Quit your belly aching fanboys. You haven’t even read a single panel. Same ass wholes who said Heath would be a terrible Joker and got pissed about Damian Wayne. Im so tired of all these dumb-asses.
July 2nd, 2011 at 9:29 am
how much lamer can this get. deal with it. DC is not going to change their costumes just cos 2 person protest at comic con
July 2nd, 2011 at 10:09 pm
I’m pretty open minded about the relaunch. I think some of these can be really exciting. I think we should wait and read before judging. And considering how some of the best FLASHPOINT books (Grodd, Outsider) are the ones with less hype so maybe some of these new books have plenty to offer.
What I can objectively show disdain for is the designs. Some of them are just…ugh. what is this 1993?