More Thoughts On DC

Whatever your opinion of the whole DC re-launch/digital news is, you have to admit, they're making sure people are taking note. Whether or not the new readers are already lining up, I'm not sure. That's one thing I'm interested in knowing that I probably won't: what new advertising methods/venues are DC utilizing to hook these new readers? Publishing books with updated or redesigned characters only goes so far; the readers have to know what/where/who, and all those other Ws the journalism teachers make you chant at them like Druids. Without the details, this would remain a mystery. Already DC has taken care of a small portion of the mystery, releasing the creative teams behind ten of the 52 books that will see relaunch in September. They're not all noteworthy, but some of them did catch my eye.

 

The new Wonder Woman title will feature writing by Brian Azzarello, and art by Cliff Chiang. The art would be enough to hook me alone (and David), but adding Azzarello into the mix is just enough of a sweetener to make me more curious about the character than I have been in a long time. I've read some fantastic work by Azzarello - and some I've not cared for - and I've pretty much always loved what Chiang has drawn, so right away, DC is making a good choice with this one.

The book I'm most interested in is The Fury of Firestorm. The description on the DC blog reads as follows, "Welcome to a major new vision of the Nuclear Man as writers Ethan Van Sciver and Gail Simone team up with artist Yildiray Cinar to deliver THE FURY OF FIRESTORM #1. Jason Rusch and Ronnie Raymond are two high school students, worlds apart – and now they’re drawn into a conspiracy of super science that bonds them forever in a way they can’t explain or control. The cover to issue #1 is by Ethan Van Sciver." I'm interested because so far this is one of the descriptions released that shows how much re-imagining they could possibly be doing with these characters. As of now the rest of the titles seem to be basically along the lines of what readers and fans already know, although to be fair, not a lot of information has been released, so really who the hell knows?

One thing David and I could've discussed further - maybe - on episode #036 is the anger that fans could possess at their characters being changed (or destroyed, depending on how angry they already are). It's a very valid point, and one I'm somewhat surprised isn't more alive in myself. The possibility that the stories I've read about these characters could be classified as void or irrelevant puts the New Vs. Old Readers situation into a whole new perspective. What isn't happening inside my head, though, is the debate about whether I will be reading DC still or not. As more information comes forth, and I start to see a clearer picture of what these books will entail and contain, I'll start making decisions about whether I need to bother with them. Maybe I've changed. I'm not AS worried that they'll be taking away years and years of history and continuity; I'm worried that I won't be entertained. That's my biggest concern.

•Austin