Second Chances

Whew. Where to start with this one...

Lets start with the uninitiated. Yes, this is what Superman (Clark Kent) and Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) currently look like in the DC comic book universe. I'm pretty sure Bruce Wayne is still dead, but the line of Bat-books got so whackadoo-crazy who knows what's going on over there.

Above is a decent approximation of what Hal Jordan's current costume looks like. I say "approximation" because I stopped getting the Green Lantern books way before this affront to all things Lantern started and had to Google Image it. Let's take a guy who's known for getting his power from a ring... and take out the ring. If the goal was complete failure, then A+'s all around.

Superman's no better. Since the launch of the New 52, DC has been throwing things at the wall to see what would stick with Supes. The answer is nothing. Every Superman book has been pretty bad since the launch. Now he has a crewcut and has been depowered... cause that's what everyone wants: a Less-super-Man.

Which brings us to DC Rebirth which kicks off at the end of May. The title Rebirth is taken from the ultra successful (critically and commercially) Green Lantern: Rebirth, where DC brought Hal Jordan back from the dead and focused on the core of the character while keeping all of his previous stories since his creation in the 1960s intact. They tried a similar trick with Barry Allen (The Flash) with less successful results (that shit was confusing).

DC has gotten so far away from the cores of their characters in this current iteration of books that it needs to re-center the whole universe. I think its a great idea. These books have been so off-mark for so long, I'm surprised its taken this long for DC to admit it needs a big change. I appreciate all the ingenuity of the writers and artists involved trying new things the last few years, but its not working. There's a reason the Pre-New 52 versions of these characters are the most enduring. Its time to hit the reset button.

Its a huge task, and one that will have its fair share of bumps along the way. But if everyone really pulls in the right direction, and really stays focused on what's important about these characters (not Jim Gordon in a Bat-robot suit), they should have more wins than losses.

I miss getting comics of my favorite heroes each week. I am DC's biggest cheerleader and really hope this time they get it right.

-Gint

Ps At least get Green Lantern right. That shit is FUCKED UP.