Wonder Woman

This news has me beyond excited. I stopped reading Wonder Woman a while back, soon after Rucka left. But starting in November, the series will be written by G. Willow Wilson, co-creator of the wonderful Ms. Marvel over at Marvel. The best part is that she'll be building on what Rucka did on Wonder Woman Rebirth, not ignoring it all as his successors did. Now if she fixes Donna Troy in the process, especially her origin/backstory, I'll be in comic book heaven. Well done, DC!

Just a Link

I agree with most of these suggestions for DC, but not the one about Catwoman. I much prefer the Catwoman as revised by Ed Brubaker and Darwyn Cooke, not classic Catwoman.

DC Rebirth

So, a lot was announced at WonderCon. Here's the scoop.

I'm going to have to rethink my pull list. But after I sample some of the new wares. I'm excited yet wary of this new reboot, because that's really what it mostly is for most of the characters, or so it seems.

The Problem with the Big Two

A very interesting article points out the problems with Marvel and DC as their sales decline, with an emphasis on how many titles they put out each month.

Here's my comment on the post:

I’m a Boomer, in my early 60s. I read more Image comics than from any other company. Saga, Lazarus, Velvet, Black Magick, Descender, Shutter, and Copperhead are amazing comics and they don’t force me to read crossovers with titles I don’t have any interest in. From Marvel, I read Ms. Marvel and am looking forward to the return of Captain Marvel and Black Widow. From DC, I read Red Hood Arsenal (but only because Roy Harper is my favorite character; the book kinda sucks right now), Harley Quinn, and Black Canary. Astro City continues to amaze and delight. 

I like diversity and variety. I grew up a DC reader, getting 30-40 titles a month, but I got tired of reboots and being made to feel like I don’t matter. I got tired of endless crossovers and the unrelenting lack of fun in most DC books. It was the New 52 reboot that drove me to find new comics to read and inspired me to sample Image titles. 

I can’t help buy wonder if DC and Marvel even know who their readers are or what readers they want to encourage. It seems that every time I get to like a character or comic, they’re rebooted or canceled. It’s too frustrating for me.

I wish I could enjoy the other good books at DC, but I feel I've read about as many Batman and Superman stories as I care to, at least right now. I'm tempted by the Lois and Clark book because it's the pre-new 52 version of the characters, or so I've heard, but so far, I've resisted. If I can't keep reading stories set in the pre-new 52 'verse, then I want something as different as possible from that. Harley Quinn and Black Canary are giving me that, with nice art, good writing, and a fun attitude. Similarly, Gotham Academy is something new to me. But Starfire is just too bland for me to take seriously, though the art is nice. It's a good book for younger readers getting into superheroes.

As for Marvel, I've never read more than a few at a time, but it seems that as soon as I get into a character or storyline these days, everything is turned over. And that's okay, as long as what follows is good. But I'm a bit dumbfounded by the change in Star-Lord, though I'm still giving the new, revised origin, year one book a chance. I'm nervously looking forward to the new Captain Marvel and Black Widow. And I'm very glad nothing substantial as changed with the excellent Ms. Marvel.

But all the event stories and crossovers and reboots, etc. are exhausting. I didn't mind a crossover for a book or two in the past, but these days, it's an investment in time and money I don't want to make. I've got stacks of graphic novels and collected editions (just finished Alias and have started The Pulse: Jessica Jones) to read. I don't want to have stacks of monthlies, too. Stories that continue for too long is another issue. Sure, Image books do that, but the best finish an arc with issues coming out on schedule, then take a break for their creative team to stockpile issues for the next arc. (I'm looking at you, Team Saga!) But with Image books, there really is a feel that you're reading a novel in monthly or bimonthly chapters, bringing to mind the old pulp magazines, the format in which authors like Charles Dickens were first published. If the story is good enough, the characters engaging enough, the art special enough, I'll happily read that way. At least the books stand on their own, each with its own universe. Each gives me a unique reading experience. The stuff DC and Marvel are putting out don't quite do that. After a while, it all starts to feel the same.

I applauded DC's most recent attempt to resurrect its lineup. Continuity didn't matter as much as telling a good story. But in reality, this doesn't work so well, at least not for me. Because when it's about characters like Starfire, who in her book seems to not have been in a relationship with Roy Harper, but in Red Hood Arsenal, Roy is still trying to get over their breakup, it leads to a mental disconnect I found confusing and irritating. DC, like Marvel, was always set in one universe or multiverse. We knew what Earth our Earth-bound characters were on. We knew where everyone stood. And we knew everything was connected somehow. But now, in an attempt to make their books more reader friendly, to entice new readers, they've created what I see as a mess, a muddle, a lot of pieces that might or might not be connected. And if they are connected and you don't read all the books -- the crossover events that seem to come more and more often -- you end up lost and might give up. When characters deviate too much from what they were, from their essence, you might give up, unless you love the new version more, and how often does that happen? And Marvel is probably just as guilty of this, but I don't read enough and haven't read enough Marvel titles to know for sure.

My solution to what bothers me about DC, and to some extent, Marvel, is to read more Image titles, with a smattering from other companies as they interest me, along with Vertigo and Dynamite imprints. Maybe a diversified market is good. Maybe more competition is good. Maybe it's time DC and Marvel shared the audience and the wealth. I can get behind that.

Ads

So, DC Comics is starting to put ads in their comics that are split page ads?! Sheesh. This is a horrible idea. I'd sooner not buy their comics anymore than have to look at these things. I'm disoriented enough by full page ads breaking up a story; half-page ads will be worse, especially if they're as hideous as the ones the articles shows. How anyone thought this would be a good idea is beyond me. Way to go, DC! Just when I was thinking of expanding the total number of DC comics I buy due to my being genuinely interested in the new direction come June, especially with so many characters I like getting books written by some of my favorite authors, like Starfire, for instance. Now I'm going to have to rethink this.

Big Week for TV Comic Book Shows

I've read some comics. I've got more comics to read. When I finish the new ones from this week, I'll post a review.

Meanwhile, I'm buying the trades of Captain America that brought back Bucky. There are a lot more of them than I realized, so it'll take me a while to read 'em all. I've gotten a bit obsessed with Bucky and it might have to do with Sebastian Stan playing him in the movies. Maybe. Possibly.

I also loved the season finales of Marvel's Agents of SHIELD (Wowzers!), Arrow (Nicely tied up a lot of plot points, and Thea as Speedy!), and we've got the Flash finale on Tuesday, which looks like it will be awesome, too.

Other TV items made me very happy this week. Not only did Supergirl get picked up by CBS for the fall, but the trailer was released and it looks fantastic. This is the Kara Zor-El I loved growing up in the '60s. I don't mind any changes they make. I just want the characterization to be right and from what I saw in the trailer, it's perfect. And since CBS owns the CW, there could possibly be crossovers with Flash and Arrow.

Another DC show is heading for the CW as a mid-season show, also from the makers of Flash and Arrow, using characters from those shows and more. The trailer has spoilers but it has me so jazzed, I can barely contain my excitement. Legends of Tomorrow features Arthur Darvill of Doctor Who (Rory!) as Rip Hunter (!!!). The DC TVU is expanding at a nice rate. I wish Constantine hadn't been canceled, but I'm pleased with all the DC we'll be getting on TV next season, because Gotham, though in a different part of the DCU TV 'verse, will also be back.

Also, Agent Carter will be back, along with Agents of SHIELD, so that's a relief. I really enjoyed Agent Carter.

Other news that made me happy this week is the promise of more crossovers between Flash and Arrow. While crossovers can be annoying in the comics because they're so overdone and involve too many titles/issues these days, they're so much fun on TV.

Also, a fan came up with a wonderful female Avengers team, with a token male, basically a gender reversal for the actual Avengers of the first movie.

And finally, after 33 minutes in NYCC's queue from hell, and another 70 minutes trying to actually buy tickets, I managed to get a 4-day pass. Which was a better outcome than last year when I missed out on the 4-day pass and had to buy dailies in order to get Thursday.

Sadness

I just deleted a whole lot of comic blogs from Feedly, the place I read blogs. They hadn't been updated in at least a year. For some, they hadn't been updated in years. Yikes! I really should check my blogroll annually. But it was sad, to formally say goodbye to blogs I'd loved, from their comics-y titles to the insightful, funny, thought-provoking posts. I miss them.

As for reading, the only thing I've read was Red Hood and the Outlaws 40 -- yeah, yeah, I bought more this week, but I got new action figures to play with: Hot Toys 12-inch-ish Star-Lord and Tony Stark, so well, I've been busy playing.

As for RHATO 40, it was okay, clearly a setup for the post-Convergence Red Hood and Arsenal title, maybe even the Starfire title. But I'll miss Kori and Roy as a couple. They really were cute together. I am glad Jason and Roy will stay friends, though, and share a book. Roy and Dick were always friends who were close as brothers, and yet, Roy and Jason are a better fit as friends. Both are pretty screwed up but rise above it, especially when they support and are supported by each other. So, I'm looking forward, not backward. This far removed from the end of the old DC and the start of the New 52, I can leave my obsession with the past, and continuity, behind. Reading a wider variety of comics can do that for a person. Every title in Image books is its own universe, after all, and I'm okay with that. I can be okay reading a few DC titles and a few Marvel titles, and the Image titles I love and some Dynamite and.... well, you get the idea. Variety is good. Good comics is better.

Here are the new toys, Star-Lord and Tony Stark, both from Hot Toys.

Peter Quill, Star-Lord

Tony Stark, ARC Reactor Creation Figure

Big News from DC

So, after Convergence, which I won't be reading, DC will be redoing their entire line again, continuing some comics and starting a bunch of new ones. No longer to be called the New 52, though continuing with that reality, while diversifying and expanding their approach to characters and storytelling. And that sounds great. I just don't know what to make of it, or what I'll want to read.

I'll continue with Harley Quinn, and read Palmiotti and Conner's Harley/Power Girl mini series. And I'll stick with the fun Gotham Academy. But I'm not sure what else I'll try. The new Black Canary might be worth looking at; ditto Starfire. But Red Hood/Arsenal? I was enjoying seeing Roy with Kori, but she, apparently, will no longer be in the book with him, so does that mean they break up? Or are these completely different versions of these characters? I might try the first issue, but really, I'm getting tired of revamps. I can put up with that in the Marvel 'verse because I haven't been reading about those characters for 50 plus years. With DC, I have.

But I do applaud DC for changing their approach. I think at this point, a comic book publisher needs to be looser and more flexible, able to mix things up as readership and society changes, keeping current. This approach is designed to appeal to more women and to younger readers as well as we older folks. So, we'll see how it works out for them. But for me, Image has become my favorite comics publisher and that isn't likely to change any time soon.

There Are No Words

So DC doesn't want humor in its movies, according to this report. Granted, not every Marvel is the laugh riot Guardians of the Galaxy is, along with its very serious parts, but humor is part of life. Laughing is a very human reaction to things funny or even sad. It's a sign of having fun and it's a way to relieve stress. Batman isn't a funny guy, so Dick Grayson as Robin brought the comic relief. The Batman movies don't have Robin, so yeah, the recent trilogy was pretty dour and that's fine. But Superman? Sheesh. Just because you haven't done a good job with adding in humor doesn't mean you give up. You get better scripts, better directing, and you'll likely end up with better movies.

I guess I found some words for this, after all. ;)

On the Question of Diversity in Comics

Here's one reason why DC might be losing the public relations war to Marvel. The way DC handles these questions at cons -- and by now, they should be expecting this questions and be better prepared -- shows a company on the defensive and not liking it. They might be selling comics with their big event story arcs and controversial reboots and big name character deaths and similar moves that seemed designed to gain attention rather than fit some actual character and story development, but they're alienating a lot of readers, myself included. Why can't the PTB at DC just get it and start respecting all readers and potential readers? You'd think it would be an easy thing.

Still More on Batwoman

So, Marc Andreyko is not only taking over writing chores on Batwoman, he's doing so earlier than expected. The last two issues of Williams and Blackman's Batwoman, due to end with issue 26, which would've mostly wrapped up the current storyline, are being scrapped, so we've got just issue left and I'm sure we'll be left hanging. Or rather, those of us like me who will stop buying the comic will be left hanging. Perhaps Andreyko, a writer I admire for his strong female characters, will wrap up the current storyline while propelling the book into Year Zero, something I care nothing about, but I wanted to read what Williams and Blackman had planned. So, I'm pissed.

This leaves Red Hood and the Outlaws and Nightwing as the mainstream DC books I'm reading, plus Fairest and the delightfully odd Ame-Comi Girls. I once read as many as 30 DC comics a month. DC was pretty much all I read. Thankfully, these days, I've found a lot of really good comics to fill my pull list. And I'm wondering how long I'll be able to keep reading RHATO and NW, given the current editorial climate at DC.

More on the Batwoman Kerfluffle

I am very pleased to have used "kerfluffle" in the title of this post.

Here's what Dan DiDio had to say on Twitter about the nixing of Kate and Maggie's marriage in Batwoman.

I really am without words to respond to this, so I'll let you read it in all it's non-glory.

Trouble with Batwoman

Well, it looks like I might be dropping Batwoman in the near future. This news that J.H. Williams III and W. Haden Blackman are quitting the title over editorial interference is most distressing. After the change in writer after Rucka left, I was hesitant to keep reading, but the quality was maintained, so I was happy. I was a bit unhappy with the changes dictated by the New 52, but they were tolerable, so I've kept reading. But I think this will be it for me. Damn.

Didn't get my comics today. Comic shop was just getting to filling the subs when I got there late in the afternoon and they didn't know when they'd get them done, so I'll have to get them another time. :(

Best of All Universes

I was reading about Dynamite's upcoming Shadow Now series, written by David Liss and illustrated by Colton Worley, and it occurred to me that DC missed a great opportunity with its New 52 reboot. Shadow Now is set in the present, updating the Shadow for modern times. It's also a standalone storyline, separate from Dynamite's other Shadow series. They've done similar things with The Lone Ranger, with a new writing team bringing a new approach and restarting the numbering, which actually, drives me crazy as I try to keep things in order, but a minor quibble, that.

So why couldn't DC do something like this? Why couldn't they continue the old DCU and also start a New 52 universe for those main characters they wanted to explore in a new venue. They could even have reassigned some titles, ie Action for the old DCU Superman and Superman for the new one, or Detective for the old DCU Batman and Batman for, well, the New 52 Batman.

They could've had cool logos and maybe a different type of cover design to set the DCnU books apart from the old DCU books. The old DCU could be called DC Classic. Characters like Animal Man who got new books could've been given the New 52 treatment. Characters like Jason Todd could have his team book, Red Hood and the Outlaws, in the New 52, yet have his own DCU title, while in the old DCU, Roy Harper could've been a supporting character in Green Arrow.

Perhaps, DC could've visited other universes, ones where the Dibneys and Ted Kord still lived, for a few titles, almost like Elseworlds. There is absolutely no good reason I can think of for all the stories to be set in the same universe. Even with Earth-2, DC is still using one universe as Earth 1 and Earth 2 exist in the New 52 'verse.

With all the experimentation DC has done, with event storylines for instance, and that done by Marvel, why not really play around with the form? Why not just write good stories and assign them to the appropriate "reality"? There could even be a kids' version of the main characters, in their own universe. They already do this with their female-centric version for kids: Ame Comi Girls.

Would it be confusing to have so many versions co-existing? Maybe, but I'll bet most readers would either adapt, or just settle on the universe they prefer. Would it increase overall comics sales and bring in new readers? I don't know, but marketing would definitely be a factor. And I know a lot of readers get tired of all the event stories and needing to get issues of comics they don't normally read because of the crossovers. Maybe instead of going bigger, the thing to do is to go smaller, into niches.

US TV is starting to get the idea that business as usual is no longer working. Seasons are being split on cable networks. Seasons for many shows are becoming what once would've been called maxi-series, with half the episode totals of the major network shows. With so many cable networks doing original programming and now online services getting into the act, with Netflix leading the charge, TV viewers have more options than ever.

Comics readers have choices with a number of smaller companies producing excellent comics to compete with DC and Marvel, but how much better it would be for the big companies to give us choices, too, not just a variety of characters, but a variety of approaches for those characters. Then maybe they'd concentrate on making each book the best it could be rather than trying to make them all fit together, cookie-cutter style.

Further Proof that DC Just Doesn't Get It

The Twitterverse was, uh, aTwitter with news about a Superman/Wonder Woman book. Really, DC? This is the best you can do? Sure, the promo art is pretty, but, really? Wonder Woman? With Superman? And relegated to second billing, at that?

Supes belongs with Lois. Period.

To DC Comics, I say:

You want to give Diana a second book, great! Good for you! About time! More than about time! But this is not how to do it. It's so not how to do it. It's.... well, it's everything that's wrong with females in comics, especially DC comics these days. Wonder Woman has been around for decades. She was born out of mythology that dates back centuries, millennia, even. She's part of your trilogy of Superman/Batman/Wonder Woman. She's iconic. And you're reducing her to playing second fiddle to her boyfriend (something I find ridiculous, that she's second fiddle to anyone, and that she's his girlfriend)? No. Just. No. I don't have enough words for how wrong this is. 

See, I get that you want to appeal more to female readers, but this is so not how to do it. You do it by creating more female characters who headline their own books and are so interesting, males as well as females want to read about them. You do it by respecting and showing that respect for your female characters on the level that you respect your male characters (though with how you've treated a lot of male characters in recent years, perhaps you are treating the females equally, now, or at least, treating the males the way you have the females for far too long). You do it by respecting female readers the same way you respect male readers (well, at least the fanboys who are your target demographic, because I fully understand that, along with being a female comics reader decades before that was fashionable, I aged out of the target age demographic a lot of years ago).

This is why I'm glad I haven't been reading either the Superman books or Wonder Woman in the New 52. I want Wonder Woman to be a big success. I want her to finally get a movie -- a great one! -- and/or a TV show (one along the lines of the amazing Arrow). I just don't think this is the right path to achieve that. It's wrongheaded and backward thinking, and not what Diana and her fans deserve. This book sounds like the sort of thing a well-meaning but clueless man would come up with.

DC Death Spoiler

Seriously, don't read unless you want to be spoiled for a book coming out this week. Namely, Batman Inc, which I don't read.


(Spoiler Space)


Okay? Still with me?

Apparently, DC revealed to the NY Post that Damian's buying the farm. Hardly the newspaper I'd choose, but whatever. While I had no problems with killing off Jason "Robin" Todd way back when, he was a teen and one of the most annoying characters in DC history. This Robin is a child. And while annoying, he's also fun to read about in all sorts of ways Jason never was.

I get that they want to get back to basics, perhaps, and Damian is not part of the original Batman and Robin concept because he's Bruce's flesh and blood. They shouldn't have kept him in the New 52 in the first place. The way the de-aged characters and collapsed time, Bats having so many Robins in so few years made no sense, let alone Bruce having a son as old as Damian. All this is is more child killing. First was Lian Harper, and now Damian Wayne. And I, for one, will not be reading it.

Since I consider the New 52 an alternate reality, I know Damian will still be alive in the old DCU, but as I was enjoying him with Huntress (and Power Girl) in World's Finest, I'll miss the kid. Jason was brought back to life. So were a lot of characters, so perhaps Damian will be revived someday, too. Probably in the next reboot, which should be in another 2-5 years.

Gail's Back and Batgirl's Got Her

Apparently, DC caved and put Gail Simone back on Batgirl. The power of the internet and fandom is awesome, indeed. I'm still not going to read the book -- Babs is Oracle to me and much as I'm enjoying some of the New 52, that's just too much -- but I applaud the decision, or rather, the reversal of the ill-advised original decision to drop her from the book. And here's Gail's quick reaction on Tumblr.

What the Hell is Going on at DC?

Seriously. Gail Simone tweeted that she was informed in an email that she's no longer the writer of Batgirl. Disclaimer: I don't read that book. That's one bit of retconning I still can't wrap my brain around. I just miss Babs as Oracle too much and still think of Steph as Batgirl, but as I've come around and tried, and love, Red Hood and the Outlaws, I might one day have gotten curious enough to give the DCnU BG a try. But now? Nope, not gonna happen. The only reason for me to even think about reading it is because Gail Simone is such a good writer, especially of characters. Her plots are solid, but it's her characterization that truly kicks butt, and her dialogue bears that out.

So, why take her off the book? It can't be because she's not good enough. Barely a year and change after the reboot, DC wants to change direction for the character? They want to give someone else a chance? They could have discussed this with Gail. The book is supposedly a top seller. Why tamper with success? I just don't get it. I wonder if we'll see someone from DC attempt to explain their rationale here.

Every time DC starts to reel me back in with good books, it does something unfathomable, like this. In big events, they alienated me for a decade with Crisis on Infinite Earths and the original Supergirl's death, and then, with Flashpoint and the reboot. In smaller ways, they did it with the destruction of Roy Harper as a likeable character, by ripping off his arm, killing his daughter, fighting with Ollie, and descending back into drug abuse. Now they're treating their talent, it seems, the way they treat too many of their characters: without respect. Gail deserved a phone call, a discussion, the personal touch. But that's what the world has become, right? In today's world of Tweets and checkins and status updates, an email is as personal as it gets. Much as I enjoy social media, this is not a positive trend if it means losing the ability to communicate on a personal level.

I'm sure there's more to the story, and I hope Gail elaborates in a statement longer than a Tweet. She's a classy person, though, so we won't get anything juicy. Damn.

Edited to add: Here's a post from Gail Simone on her Tumblr.

Multi Multiverses

I'm still a bit stunned that the book I didn't want to even look at a year ago is the one DC book I can't wait to read. Yup. Red Hood and the Outlaws. And in trying to wrap my brain around that bizarre concept, I've been doing a lot of thinking about the DCU and the DCnU and that led me to thinking about the multiverse and its place at the center of all things DC.

One idea jumped out at me: Just because you don't know about it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Which led to the idea that there are multiple multiverses. When the multiverse collapsed after the first Crisis, that meant a new universe was created that was what a collapsed multiverse would look like, characters from Earths 1 and 2 mixed together, giving us an older Dinah Drake Lance who was Dinah Laurel Lance's mother, and so on. When the multiverse was reborn, the reality shifted for those characters in that relatively new universe. But the original, the one where Kara Jor-El and Barry Allen didn't die in a Crisis still existed.

Using that concept, we can assume any universe we like is still out there. For me, that means a universe continuing on from Flashpoint, where Flashpoint righted some wrongs. In that universe, Ralph and Sue are enjoying life and never died. Ted Kord is alive and happy letting Jaime Reyes be Blue Beetle while he concentrates on his company. Booster and Rip are still fixing attempts to screw up time, while Roy Harper has given up on being Red Arrow, preferring to be Arsenal so he can be his own man. He's operating solo now, having quit the JLA, and is raising Lian, working odd jobs, and fighting crime. Steph is Batgirl, Dick Grayson and Bruce Wayne are both donning the Batman cape and cowl, and Babs is Oracle.

And the new 52? That's the multiverse that came into existence as a byproduct of Flashpoint, with a new Earth 1 and a new Earth 2.

Now we all can imagine our perfect universe is out there. What does your favorite universe look like?

Another Reason I'm Not Happy with DC

Superman and Wonder Woman. Together. As in an affair. With sex. That might or might not be seen.

Seriously? This is gonna be the big storyline next up for the new 52? Or as I prefer, the DCnU.  This might excite some people, but for this middle-aged chick who grew up with Superman and Lois Lane and loved the idea that he could and did love a mere mortal woman who none the less proved herself over the decades to be a worthy role model, the marriage of Clark and Lois was the culmination of the great comics romance and when the DCnU broke up that marriage, it was the first sign I was not going to like much in DC Comics, anymore.

I could understand if this is a fling, and after, Supes realizes it'll never work and he goes back to trying to win over Lois and Diana realizes it'll never work because she doesn't need a man permanently in her life. Or something like that. But the love match had been teased even when I was a kid, so I guess it was inevitable that they do it for real.

This disturbed me, though:

"The creative team believes the heroes are right for each other. She’s a mythic Amazonian warrior; he’s a veritable demigod. Both have huge hearts for mankind, yet also feel estranged from humanity. Relationships with civilians are tricky for caped crusaders, even liabilities."

Right, sure. Never mind that Kal/Clark came to Earth as a baby and was raised by Earth humans. (That is still canon, right?) Not to mention that that's all it takes to be perfect for each other. Apparently, something horrible is going to happen in the DCnU next week that will drive them to "seek solace" with each other, because, yeah, that's how the best, strongest relationships develop. When did the DCnU become a soap opera?

And this:

"This isn’t to say that fans will understand or support the hook-up. In fact, Johns and Lee expect some outcry and certainly some debate. Actually, they’re counting on it.  'Hopefully this will raise a lot of eyebrows,' Lee says. “We welcome the watercooler chatter."

Really? That's what's driving DC now? Being controversial, getting people to talk about their comics as if they were TV shows like Dallas or Mad Men? Ok-kay. Well, I never worked with anyone who was a comics reader so water cooler talk was never an option, and I would rather have talked about how good the stories were and the art and not about how bold DC was or how much they were pissing me off. Just sayin'.

I hope this romance doesn't impact Batwoman and Nightwing and World's Finest, the main DCnU books I'm reading.

I am so not the demographic they're looking for or care about. I haven't felt this depressed about DC since they offed Lian Harper.

Y'know, I hope this works for DC. I hope this leads to lots more attention and sales and helps make them a healthy, viable component of the mothership, Warners. I'm just one reader in a decided minority, I guess, and they sure don't need me to be buying 35 or so comics a month, anymore. The 5 or 6 DCs I do buy makes me even less noticeable by them. So be it. I'm not important to them. I got that message years ago.