Leaving Comics Behind

Written by Paeter Frandsen

I've always been a fan of the characters of the DC Universe. They can't be matched for iconic status or monumental power. While other comic book companies are often grounding their characters, in part by limiting their capabilities, DC characters are known for constantly exploring and pushing the limits of their powers. And though Marvel comics pioneered emotional and psychological realism beginning in the 60’s, DC comics took everything a step further beginning in the mid-80's. And in the late 90's and early 2000's, DC comics seemingly entered a golden age of storytelling, with the return of "The Big Seven" to the Justice League. Soon after, writers like Geoff Johns and Gail Simone gave new life to old properties by refreshing the motivations of the characters they touched and reminding us what makes these characters so interesting to begin with.

After graduating from high school and getting my first job, I finally had some money to dedicate to my hobbies, and for years most of it has gone toward comic books. I began by purchasing around 5 comics a month, but that number steadily grew until I reached an average of about 15 comics a month, not including the odd Marvel or miscellaneous comics I would try out from time to time, or the crossover event stories DC comics featured once or twice a year.

DC Comics seemed to hit its peak for my tastes right around the crossover event called "Infinite Crisis," or possibly just after in the year-long weekly crossover title, "52." But after this time I began to sense decisions being guided by something other than good storytelling. The smell of money and politics seemed to be creeping into the DC brand. First with “Countdown,” the weekly follow up to "52," which lacked the skilled writing of its predecessor and felt a lot like an attempt to recapture the lightning of "52" in a bottle. Following "Countdown" was another weekly book featuring Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman entitled "Trinity", which I didn't read for more than two issues. Meanwhile, the rest of the books in the DC Universe seemed to be losing their magic. And at the same time I began noticing the beginning of a "diversity agenda" in the DC Universe.

Now before I go any further, I should say that I don't mind mixing up and broadening representation of ethnicity and demographics in comics at all. I've read and enjoyed all kinds of books with ethnic minorities and homosexual characters. But these demographics began to be introduced without subtlety, almost as if to say, "Hey, I'm a minority!" I think a better approach would have been to simply tell good stories with diverse demographics represented, rather than have the Latino characters speaking in Spanglish to the point of caricature and almost every lesbian or gay character getting a "coming out of the closet" subplot.

For two San Diego Comic-Cons in a row I heard readers complain at Q&A panels that there wasn't enough diversity in DC comics, and then heard publishers and creators vow to change that. And they did. But two things went wrong. They did too much for too few, and they did it seemingly in favor of compelling storytelling.

I mean, if we're going to be all about diversity, where is MY demographic? I'm a non-denominational Christian who believes every word of the Bible is true in its literal context. I'm not into politics or picket signs. I love homosexuals and have had a number of homosexual friends over the years, all of whom I am still on good terms with. So I'm far from homophobic. However I don't believe the homosexual lifestyle is God's intended design for anyone. I'm not shocked by the behavior of those who don't observe the same moral values that I do. I don't expect non-Christians to adhere to biblical moral values, nor do I look down on them for choosing not to believe in the Bible. Yet my hope is that everyone would turn to Jesus for rescue from their self-destructive natures.

I am not unique. There are millions in America alone who would describe themselves the same way. So where is THAT demographic being represented in DC comics? Nearly the only representations of Christianity we get in comics are stereotypes of Catholics, extreme or watered-down nominal Christians, or legalistic Protestants of some kind.

To clarify, I don't blame DC for not prioritizing representation of my demographic. My real point here is that they CAN'T represent every demographic the way they have been attempting to with a favored handful. And they shouldn't try. That's not playing to the strengths of superhero comic books. It's a distraction from what superhero books have always been about when they are at their best: the conflict between absolute good and terrible evil on a fantastical scale.

There seems to be a relationship between the diversifying of the DC Universe and the decline in good storytelling. I'm not saying diversity and narrative quality are incompatible. But I wonder if creative energy that should have been channeled into just "telling the best story possible" was spread out to help figure out how to better diversify the DCU. Pure speculation, but the timing of the two trends makes me wonder.

With the birth of the New 52, DC Comics' re-creation of its entire continuity, these trends leaped forward. Classic characters were reinvented to fit into minority demographics, and new minority characters were introduced while established ones vanished altogether. And in what seems to be another indication of DC’s desire to be "young and relevant", everyone over the age of 40 died.

Okay, that last statement is obviously exaggeration. But consider that Ma and Pa Kent are both dead from day one in the New 52. The entire roster of the Justice Society of America has been replaced by entirely new characters. All are in their 20's or 30's, and share little more than the same name and powers with their veteran predecessors. The original Justice Society, who represented the long history of the DCU and provided wisdom and perspective to the younger generation of heroes, are all gone. This certainly feeds the already natural attitude of younger readers, who no doubt think that they know more than older people do. Unfortunately this attitude is not healthy and only leads to younger generations repeating the mistakes of the older ones, rather than benefiting from their experience. We also lose any potential models of good relationships between adult children and their parents.

Resetting the DC universe also removed the married status of nearly every superhero. So we can say goodbye to any healthy example of marriage and family and say hello to a new age of heroes bouncing from one romance to the next, each time thinking "she's the one," and soon after realizing she's not. Why not let the playboys continue to be playboys and sleep around, but chart a more interesting course for the rest? One in which we can see a relationship truly evolve and grow as time passes?

I don't know. Maybe far too many families are damaged today and the current crop of writers at DC doesn't contain anyone who knows how to write compelling stories with functional families. (Let me tell you, loving, functional families still have enough conflict to keep things interesting. But how they resolve that conflict can make for wonderful, inspiring storytelling.)

Finally, I can't tell you how many times I've read a different book in the New 52 and felt like I'd read it before. Since all the heroes are relatively new at what they're doing, they are all going through the same "insecure hero finding his place in the world" routine. As a result, all of their personalities feel very much the same.

The DC Universe has lost its history, its legacy, its maturity, its perspective, and its heart. But who am I to tell them how to sell comics? I'm a terrible businessman myself. Although from what I've been reading, the New 52 has not resulted in long-lasting sales stability or significant improvement of sales compared to the years leading up to the relaunch. They got a boost for about a year that was significant, but now they are reportedly doing only moderately better than they were before the launch of the New 52.

However, in the interest of full disclosure, my fading love of DC Comics may not be only because of changes they have made. My wife and I are the parents of young boys who demand time and energy, meaning that when I find some time for entertainment, I'm much pickier now than I was before. Add to this that my interest in other entertainment forms has been increasing. Board games and video games are growing passions of mine.

To fit all the kinds of entertainment I enjoy into my limited schedule, I've decided to only make time for the things that wow me. I don't even have time anymore for something I think is "good" or "really great". It's gotta be "holy crap, everyone with a pulse should envy the experience I'm having now," or I'm moving on to something else. Not because I'm a geek snob; I just don't have the time.

When the New 52 launched, I tried out a lot of titles. I think I tried 26 new books the first month, but this quickly dropped down to about 15 books again. Over the last two years, the number has slowly dropped more and more as stories and characters interested me less and less. I shocked myself a few months ago when I dropped Aquaman. I never imagined I would drop a book written by Geoff Johns, but even he seems to have passed his peak lately. Then, both Justice League books (which I've been finding forgettable) launched a crossover event that would require me to buy two more books for two or three months, followed by another crossover event requiring me to buy multiple Justice League titles each week for a month.  That was not something I was willing to do.

Sorry, DC. I'm just seeing way too much business controlling your creative decisions. The only book that seems to continually float above it is, of all things, Batgirl. This was a book I had initially passed on because I couldn't imagine even remotely enjoying it. (I hate the entire concept of the character.) But Gail Simone can apparently write the phone book and make it riveting. Even so, I'd much rather appreciate her wonderful story arcs for the first time in a single sitting, which means that yes, I am dropping even Batgirl, planning to eventually follow it again in trade paperback format.

I haven't given up on comics completely, but I'm taking a break from DC for a while to catch up on some Ultimate Marvel trade paperbacks and maybe an old Vertigo series in back issues (Sandman Mystery Theatre). Meanwhile, I've got a subscription to Previews to help me keep a finger on the pulse of the DCU (assuming it doesn't flatline). Then, in 6-12 months I'll see which DC stories are being made into trades, see what the reviews are looking like, and go back to buying them on a case-by-case basis in that format. Oddly enough, this is a decision that brings me full circle, since my comic book hobby began in junior high with trade paperback purchases exclusively.

Part of this is because of a change in my stage of life, but a good chunk of it is because of choices you've made, DC. You helped make me into a cautious comic book customer. I would love to someday be coaxed back into regular monthly purchases. (I know the guy running my comic store would sure like that, too!) But until then, thanks for the great memories.

Speaking of which, come back soon to get my list of the top 20 "Pre-52" stories from the DC Universe!