Early this week, DC released online what it's Motion Comic-esque Television commercial for the New 52 will be. You can see it here. I'd show it here but I can't. I linked the video over on my Facebook page & got some 2 different reactions. Both from fans of Comics, one bigger then the other:
The bigger of the 2 fans', Kirk's comment:
There is absolutely nothing about this ad that makes these comics at all interesting to people who aren't already fans.
And I agree with him. I'd also add that there is very little there to get people who are actually fans of comic to get excited about the books. It's almost a none ad: It tells you very little & if you didn't already know about the change up you could be very confused. You could also be a put off by the ad & decide just from that to not read any of those books.
The other comment by Abraham:
i liked it.. but, i'm not a huge fan of those comics. should I care about all these #1s? are any of these comics ones that I already like? are these #1s going to be worth anything; is that any reason to get them?
These are things that I'd like to talk about since I feel that this is emblematic of what I've either been feeling or heard regarding the change DC will be going through in a few weeks time.
Part of the reason DC is changing is to bring in new readers which Abraham could/would be one of them. In his comment he said that he wasn't a "huge fan of those comics". I'd say a good chunk of the New 52 titles were featured in that ad. If they can't bring in a guy who already reads comics, how are they going to bring in someone who does read comics?
He also has a few questions that have been asked & are floating around the internet regarding the New 52 & basically boil down to one main question: Why?
And I don't have a clear answer for him. Many people are giving up on DC & say they won't be reading any of the new 52 books. I think that's a bit drastic. I for one will be checking out a few of the books (not all of them). The ones that interest me someway. I'll also continue to read about what is said of the books on online as I have been. I may might pick up a book or two from doing that or a might not.
I will say this DC has done one thing: It has gotten people talking about them. Yes, in a mostly negative fashion but they are talking. So, I think they'd rather have people talking about them then not having people talking at all.
Going back to one of Abraham's questions: are any of these comics ones that I already like?
Maybe. "Like" is highly subjective but DC is not really premiering anything new. Any reader of DC Comics will recognize most every books as something that had been done before. Most of the titles have been used at least once or feature character who has been around awhile (the only possible except to this is maybe Batwing, a character who was created with in the last year)
So, it's not that DC has thrown out everything to start new again from scratch. It's just another reboot. Something that DC has done every couple of years since the 1950's. If we look at how those played out: Things changes on a massive scale: histories are altered, costumes are changed, characters die, dead characters come back to life, new characters are created, etc. Then tweaks & alterations are made as the months go along. Some stuff works, some stuff doesn't. After about a year or two things even out & we have to the new Status Quo. Sure, some people want to go back to the old way & they will always be around.
Another question from Abraham is this: are these #1s going to be worth anything; is that any reason to get them?
Much like with "Like", Worth is also subjective & Reasons can be subjective to. But my reasons for checking out the New 52 is to see where they are going with this. I haven't gotten to participate in a massive universe changing event like this before. I was too young to participate in Crisis in Infinite Earths, I was old enough to for Zero Hour but didn't participate in it (my readership of comics at the time was very spotty, getting comics where ever I might get them).
I'm excited to see where DC's crazy bus takes me. It's coming soon fast. The big change over happens on August 31st.
EDIT: In related news, over at Comic Vine, they have an article on choosing which of DC's new offerings to read. You can read the article here.
Until next time: Stay Jazzy everybody!
- Brian
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