One of my greatest concerns regarding the DC Relaunch went well beyond the renumbering of the comics, and the redesigns of any number of these classics characters. These in and of themselves showed a horrific disrespect for the history of the DC Universe. But of equal if not greater concern to me was, in light of certain comments made by the powers that be that DC wanted to tell more "diverse" and "real-world" types of stories was -- whether someone's costume was changed or not, what sort of stories were going to be told with these characters?

After reading the story summaries accompanying the initial solicitations for the Relaunch, as reported in an article on Comic Book Resources, I have to sadly say that my worst fears have proven to be terribly accurate. Calling the new DC Universe a steaming pile of politically-correct fertilizer barely scratches the surface -- so I'm going to scratch some more than that.

About the only thing done right in this entire fiasco is the restoration of Dick Grayson as Nightwing. Grayson as Batman never really felt right. Now, if they'd just get Tim Drake back as Robin -- not Red Robin -- and dispatch that little brat Damian, they'd do some further good.

I wish I could say the same about the Superman side of things. Apart from the horrible and ridiculous new costume Superman has been given coupled with the dissolution of his relationship with Lois Lane, we have this description of Supergirl, from her renumbered title: "Meet Supergirl. She's got the unpredictable behavior of a teenager, the same powers as Superman - and none of his affection for the people of Earth. So don't pleeple her off!"

And isn't that just the hallmark of a hero. Consider in the same breath, essentially, the text for Green Arrow: "Driven by inner demons, Ollie Queen travels the world and brings outlaws to justice... by breaking every law. Now, armed with cutting-edge weaponry and illegally gained intel, Green Arrow is shooting first and asking questions later."

This seems to me to be the deliberate driving down of two relatively iconic characters, all in the name of a politically-correct philosophy of moral ambiguity which refuses to believe in the philosophy of a true hero. And I find it sickening.

If that isn't enough, consider in much the same sense Teen Titans, in which Wonder Girl is described as a "belligerent powerhouse thief."

How about melodrama? There's The Flash, who finds himself up against an all-new villain -- who also happens to be a close friend. Oh, start the violins, everybody.

Then there's the nature of the characters gaining new titles of their own, some of which have had them before. Batwoman. Blue Beetle. Static Shock. Mister Terrific. And especially Batwing, an African Batman from "Batman Incorporated". What do they have in common? Every one represents some sort of racial minority except Batwoman, who's a lesbian. Can't get much more PC than that, can we? Never mind the fact that both Blue Beetle and Static Shock both had titles of their own -- that FAILED! And not for any racial reasons, but simply because they didn't sell well enough. But I guess DC isn't going to let that stop them from pushing them down our throats. I have nothing against racial diversity in the DC Universe or anywhere else -- except when it's being pushed SPECIFICALLY for that purpose, as I believe it is here. That's being just as racist as anything else that you might call racist.

Don't even get me started on the truly disturbing number of horror titles being brought forth. This is something I have absolutely no interest in whatsoever, and the fact that this genre is so popular that DC thinks they can step into it to the degree that they are is something I find sincerely troubling.

Two titles conspicuous by their absence -- Booster Gold, which was finally getting back on track with Dan Jurgens again, and Secret Six. I guess there's no room in the new PC DC for their sort of offbeat humor. But then most people of the politically-correct persuasion don't find much of anything to be terribly funny in this world. They believe that everything must be taken seriously.

Then there's Justice League -- no America. Consider the first line -- "In a universe where super-heroes are strange and new..." Wait -- WHAT!? Okay, seriously? Welcome to continuity hell, people. It's clear from the way some of the other title descriptions read that any number of heroes and scenarios are pretty well established, unless they're going to screw things up worse than I can imagine, so this presents a serious dichotomy that is just going to make a bigger mess out of things than it already is going to me.

Then take titles such as Justice League International, where any number of international heroes are brought together "charged with promoting unity and trust" -- gag me, please -- but end up with more than enough trust issues among each other. Sounds like the days of Keith Giffen's Justice League, but without even the humor he brought to it. And I would've expected better from Dan Jurgens, who's writing it.

And we have titles such as Captain Atom, Mister Terrific and The Fury of Firestorm, which seem to take potshots at the horrible world of science! Phrases such as "science gone mad" and "nuclear terror" are casually thrown around. Oh my goodness, how science and progress have just ruined our lives and made things so much more dangerous! Time to preach about that while we gather everyone on Earth together for one big planet hug!

The only titles that do not seem to be affected to the point of complete worthlessness -- for now, anyway -- are the Green Lantern and Legion titles. These I am prepared to give a chance to, for the moment. But I shall be watching them closely.

So this is DC's new vision. And it's a pretty ugly one. Diverse, politically-correct, and preachy. And about as far from entertaining as it's possible to get. DC believes this is what will bring in newer, younger readers, since they believe this is the type of stories they want to read. I counter that two ways. If "younger readers" are not currently interested in Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, et al, this mess certainly isn't likely to change their minds. They don't give a damn now, and they're not going to give a damn about the relaunch. All this is going to accomplish is to alienate the current reader and fan base, which based on the very decidedly negative reactions I have encountered to this mess, is something that has certainly been achieved.

But are these really the sorts of stories that "newer, younger readers" would want to encounter? Or -- and here is my second point -- are they the stories that Dan Didio and company WANT TO IMPRESS UPON THEM in order to also IMPRESS THEIR BELIEFS ON THEM? This essentially turns the characters of the DC Universe into little more than tools of socio-political propaganda. I find that notion to be abhorrent and sickening.

Whatever happened to just being entertaining? Unfortunately, there are people in this world that don't think anything should be entertaining. That everything must contain some sort of "message". Moreover, they would look at the established DC Universe, and not only think that it's not entertaining, but -- and here's where it gets really ugly -- actually believe that NO ONE should think that it is entertaining, and they are more than prepared to tell the world at large that we CAN'T think that it's entertaining, because it is not sufficiently in line with their socio-political beliefs. These are the ones who say that you CAN'T say this and you CAN'T think that, which is pure horseshit. I can think whatever I please. But they don't see it that way. They actually believe that they can, and should, deprive people who disagree with them of the right to not only express themselves freely, something guaranteed by our Constitution, but if they could, they would deny us the right to even think differently than they do.

So much for diversity and tolerance. I'm not saying that this is the modus operandi behind the DC relaunch. I'm not saying it isn't either. I'm saying it's a mindset I've encountered far too many times, and I've had enough of it.

The scary thing is, I do see this as the direction that I see the DC Universe taking. That it MUST be diverse, and tolerant, and globally-oriented, and politically correct, and what the hell ever else, and that we MUST accept it as such. And if they can rope in some "newer, younger readers" and push the same sort of mindset on them through these revised characters, well, so much the better.

I call that propaganda. I might even call it brainwashing. I certainly call it abuse of a whole universe full of iconic characters that I grew up with, and which I must now bid farewell to.

Let me address the "same-day digital" matter for a moment. I can understand why retailers are upset over this. In an already sluggish economy, they don't need to see their business curtailed anymore than it already is. I actually sent a note of apology to Westfield Comics that I won't be ordering nearly as much from them in the months ahead. However, I was careful to mention that it was NOT because of the digital offerings. I don't own a cell phone, and you couldn't pay me to take up an eReader device. When I read, I want pages in my hands, not pixels on the screen. DC and anybody else who published digitally can keep it. For me, personally, it's the only non-issue in this mess.

On a side note, it is my sincere hope that Mattel has planned the DC Universe Classics line out far enough in advance so that it will not be affected by this fiasco for some time, and that God willing, by the time it might be, this "New Coke" edition of the DC Universe will have quickly run its course and be deservedly dead and buried. Mattel? It's time to really emphasize the "Classics" part of "DC Universe Classics" -- please.

As for the comic books? Looks like I'll have to find something else to read. Years ago, I abandoned Marvel when they increasingly started throwing politics into their comics. I would've expected better from DC. This isn't why I read comics, it's not why I think most people read comics, and I want no part of it.

I think you're taking some of this WAY too seriously.

I, too, am very disappointed that Secret Six got the ax, and I agree that diversity just for the sake of diversity is BS.

However, I am looking forward to some things quite a bit. The new Aquaman comic and most of the A-listers in Justice League again (J'onn wherefore art thou?). Dick as Nightwing. Superman and Wonder Woman dating (always thought she was a better fit than Lois). And, probably most exciting for me, Barbara Gordon back as Batgirl. Something I've been waiting over 20 years for.

On the down side, I'm not sure what to make of the new Teen Titans team. That'll probably be a drop.

I lived through Heroes Reborn, though, so I'll live though this.

Anyway, they pretty much did this after Crisis 25 years ago and that turned out pretty good.

Just in case you haven't heard...

Justice League and Action occur in the "past".

Green Arrow, Hawkman, Aquaman, and DCU Presents are continuing the arcs that started as a result of Brightest Day.

Batman, Green Lantern, and LSH will feature the Least amount of changes (but I am sad to see Dick and Damian are no longer the Batman & Robin duo, that was one of the best things to happen in a Batman book in recent memory in my opinion).

and STORMWATCH is going to be the "central" title that has the most apparent connection to the DCnU as a whole.

Everything else is a "fresh start" and departure from the norm.

oy.

I see a lot of what you are saying. Unfortunately, I feel that DC jumped the shark a few years ago. I have to wonder of part of the strategy of this relaunch is to finally get rid of the long time readers who have been complaining about the change in direction for years.

DC leadership currently thinks of these as some of their crown jewels. I'd rather they had never been written.

Titans/ Young Justice: Graduation Day - Murder of Donna Troy and Omen.
Countdown - Murder of Blue Beetle.
JLA:Identity Crisis - Murder of Sue Dibny, vilifying Zatanna, splitting the classic JLA.
Inifinite Crisis - Killing off or Murdering the left overs from Earth 2. Telling us how much Nightwing deserved to die as part of the story.
Countdown - Turning Captain Atom into Monarch and a mass murderer.
52 - Vic Sage, Elongated Man. Telling us how they changed their mind about the Question and wanted to save him, but had to let him die "to serve the story". And this was when his popularity had never been higher due to his role in the JLU TV show.
JSA - Restarted with a story that the artist reported was 'almost too painful to draw'.
JLA:Cry For Justice - Horrible. Full of pointless murder of heroes.
Blackest Night was good, but did we need to lose Tempest?
JL:Generation Lost - Murder of Magog.

The DCU has not been a fun place for a long time.

See, I loved some of those stories quite a bit, especially



Graduation Day was excellent. I just wish Donna had stayed dead.
Crisis was a great read. When Deathstroke took on the entire League, that was awesome.
I really liked what 52 did (save death of Aquaman). Never saw the use/purpose of Ralph once you had Plastic Man.
BN: Miss Tempest, but great story.

Stories like those got me more into the DCU. I got sucked in pretty deep because of many of the stories/plots you don't appear to like. So their strategy worked in so far as getting some new readers. Universes can't stay static. Things have to change or everything stagnants.

However, this massive relaunch is a bit too far IMO.

Dan Didio has long said that "comic readers want to keep reading the same stories over and over again" when asked about making changes to continuity or in defense of a major character revision or event.

That's not true. At least not for me. But when change occurs, I want it to "make sense" within the context of the universe it is occurring in.

I once had a professor that used to tell us that we were too quick to make too many changes. He said, "when I tell you to revise something, I want you to go from 1 to 2, or maybe 3. Instead, you look at 1, understand the need for change and go straight to 10."

That is how I feel about the way that Didio has run things at DC. I don't mind changes, even the major ones that seem so "out of character" in the beginning. I, too, enjoyed many of the storylines that you have issue with 'Friend, but I also agree that Didio runs through the universe like a he's weilding a machete instead of the careful use of a scalpel (which is truly an often used and wholly appropriate cliche).

And here we are going to have to agree to disagree.

Graduation Day.
1. Donna should never have died.
2. Impulse was never intended to be a serious character.

Identity Crisis.
1. Killing Sue Dibny was just plain mean to long time fans.
2. As for Deathstroke, as a fan of the League, and knowing the level of threats they have taken on, I saw the whole Deathstroke thing as a cheap shot at my favorite team to elevate some 3rd rate villain.
3. They made Zatanna out to be weak willed.
4. The writer divided the greatest team the DCU has ever known.
5. The plot was full of holes. The biggest was this. Jean divorced Ray. She was the one who called it quits on their relationship. If she wanted him back, all she had to do was ask.

You see, I would like to just read monthly comics where nothing ever really changes. I want the good guys to win. I want them to save the world. And I'd like no one to die in the process. Is it really a "win" if not everyone comes home?

Deathstroke is by no means a 3rd rate villain. He's at least a B-lister and had his own series for quite a number of years, not to mention that he's the protagonist in the Titans title. IMO he's DC's best villain after Joker and Lex.

And I like my comics realistic. If the good guys never die or fall in battle, there's no level of danger to me. The grittier and bloodier, the better. Heck, I wish DC had MAX titles like Marvel does.

Of course, my entry point to the DCU was the Death of Superman. Before that, I was a strict Marvel zombie, so we have very different views on DC, I'm sure.

most of my comic background is from dc, i only started reading marvel titles around the beginning of the current run of iron man. however, i could not agree more that the marvel max titles are awesome and dc needs it's own line of "max" titles. in fact, now that it seems like dc is absorbing a couple key vertigo characters, maybe it'd be time to do batmanvertigo or supermanvertigo and get a little edgier and farther out there with those characters in kind of a fringe-y elseworlds out-of-canon kinda thing.