The Victories and Blunders of the New 52

[Ray G.]

The biggest blunder, for me, is seeing so many promising creators like Sterling Gates leaving after one arc. I loved his Hawk and Dove.

[Slewo.O]

The biggest blunder, for me, is seeing so many promising creators like Sterling Gates leaving after one arc. I loved his Hawk and Dove.

Yeah, that definitely hurt it for me. Sterling Gates especially. Would have also loved to see Brian Wood on a book.

[Ray G.]

Yeah, that definitely hurt it for me. Sterling Gates especially. Would have also loved to see Brian Wood on a book.

Yep.

Other than that, my biggest blunder is the treatment of Green Arrow and Hawkman, and the way the bones were basically picked clean on their histories. They're pretty much blank slates now, and that's why they're the two titles I have the hardest time getting into.

Blue Beetle's grim-and-gritty revamp is also a huge headscratcher for me.

Other than that, I am digging something like 40 of the new 52.

[Slewo.O]

Yep.

Other than that, my biggest blunder is the treatment of Green Arrow and Hawkman, and the way the bones were basically picked clean on their histories. They're pretty much blank slates now, and that's why they're the two titles I have the hardest time getting into.

Blue Beetle's grim-and-gritty revamp is also a huge headscratcher for me.

Other than that, I am digging something like 40 of the new 52.

Legion isn't doing it for me either. I mean their histories are mostly intact, but it's just not doing it for me. I mean between the death of Earth-Man and the scrapping of a bunch of plot lines (Garth's children, the Legion of Super-Villains Espionage Squad and Mekt's twin) I'm not too excited. And don't even get me started on Legion Lost.

[Ray G.]

Legion isn't doing it for me either. I mean their histories are mostly intact, but it's just not doing it for me. I mean between the death of Earth-Man and the scrapping of a bunch of plot lines (Garth's children, the Legion of Super-Villains Espionage Squad and Mekt's twin) I'm not too excited. And don't even get me started on Legion Lost.

I don't even count LoSH as a new 52 book, really. Nothing's changed from the old version, even slightly.

Liking Legion Lost a lot more now, though.

[Lester C.]

I think it showed that DC should never listen to the internet as there was a sustained outrage at the time, and that it's much better going after lapsed 90 readers and Marvel fans than it is trying to expand comics to new people who have never picked up a comic before even if they love everything else Batman.

[Lunar Archivist]

I think it showed that DC should never listen to the internet as there was a sustained outrage at the time, and that it's much better going after lapsed 90 readers and Marvel fans than it is trying to expand comics to new people who have never picked up a comic before even if they love everything else Batman.

The New 52 essentially severed my emotional connection to the DC Universe. No matter how many reboots, retcons, and whatnot there were previously, at least there were some old scraps of previous universe that carried over that I could use to gain a foothold. The degree of change has become too much for me to stomach, and most of the characters now share only their names with their pre-relaunch incarnations. This is the first time I haven't been regularly reading a "Flash" book since 1994, and titles are dropping off my pull list like flies.

We'll see how long this new crowd sticks around. I'd be surprised if even a significant fraction of them stayed the 27 years I've stuck with DC.

Well, stuck with until now anyway. I'm quickly headed on my way out. The only reason my pull list isn't zero is because I love Gail Simone and have developed great admiration for Paul Levitz. I made a one-time-only exception from my James Robinson embargo because I love Nicola Scott and her artwork and bought the first issue of Earth-2 because of her.

[Tobias M]

The New 52 has been a polarizing event to say the least. For me its a mixed bag. There have been spectacular things happening with this experiment, and some massive blunders. This is my personal list of victory and blunders of the New 52


Static Shock's series, though that's due to the combo of both a bad writer and a bad artist.

Sorry there is no way Rozum can be described as a 'bad writer'. It was a clash of personalities and a mismanaged collaboration - yes. But Rozum has more than proved his ability as a writer in the past for him to have to take the fall for this book.

The Starfire situation was stupid, as was Catwoman. People should have known better, end of. The emphasis on 'dark and gritty' across the line makes the reboot in many instances seem unnecessary. There was an opportunity here to challenge the prevailing tone of mainstream American comics and offer something different, which has been very much missed.

However - Animal Man/Frankenstein great, dark fantasies from Jeff Lemire, who really has proved himself a true innovator. Palmiotti and Gray knocked it out of the park with All-Star Western. Their book The Ray was also a lot of fun, I really want to see them return with a Freedom Fighters book. Wonder Woman started off very good, but I honestly got tired with it long before the 'Amazons are rapists and murderers controversy'. Chiang's art is incredible though. And Cornell's Demon Knights - one of my picks of the bunch - just a great read, smart, funny and thrilling. The whole package.

[Tobias M]

Eh, there were good books before the relaunch and there are good books now. Bad books as well. The only difference is that I'm less invested in this new universe. It isn't as rich or interesting a place yet.

Actually this response sums it up best.

[a. non]

Victory: getting an influx of new readers. It's great that DC's getting more readers with renewed interest.

Failure:

Eh, there were good books before the relaunch and there are good books now. Bad books as well. The only difference is that I'm less invested in this new universe. It isn't as rich or interesting a place yet.

Pretty much this. It doesn't engage me like it used to.