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The Incomparable

44: Emperor Aquaman

 

00:00:00   the incomparable pod test number 44 jun [TS]

00:00:12   2011 we're back on the incomparable [TS]

00:00:16   podcast I'm your host Jason smell even [TS]

00:00:19   if you're not a regular visitor to your [TS]

00:00:21   local comic book store you may find this [TS]

00:00:23   episode of the uncomfortable interesting [TS]

00:00:25   don't turn away please don't wait stop [TS]

00:00:28   joining me today are Lisa Schmeisser hi [TS]

00:00:30   Lisa [TS]

00:00:31   I there and jason reitman hey everyone [TS]

00:00:34   and a very special guest joining the [TS]

00:00:36   comic book club today from the from the [TS]

00:00:39   greater new england area my good friend [TS]

00:00:41   and even akele hi Andy [TS]

00:00:43   hello Jason hello Lisa hello Jason again [TS]

00:00:46   yes but which which one was first in [TS]

00:00:49   your heart and which while you cut in [TS]

00:00:51   your day little game of cat-and-mouse [TS]

00:00:52   already i'm regretting this but I've [TS]

00:00:54   already made a commitment [TS]

00:00:55   yeah IRA I was once in a meeting with [TS]

00:00:57   jason reitman was referred to as the [TS]

00:00:58   good jason and i was standing there [TS]

00:01:00   going it's true though [TS]

00:01:02   ok although I it is yeah I need to grow [TS]

00:01:04   a little goatee and then I can be the [TS]

00:01:06   people chase or i can just be that now [TS]

00:01:09   so so our topic today is based on [TS]

00:01:11   something that happened a couple weeks [TS]

00:01:13   ago I was actually on a business trip [TS]

00:01:15   when I saw in on the front of USA Today [TS]

00:01:18   and the hotel room as I was as i was [TS]

00:01:20   preparing to go out to 22 my business [TS]

00:01:23   engagement that apparently the the good [TS]

00:01:27   people the new creative team at DC [TS]

00:01:29   Comics has decided to take this [TS]

00:01:31   incredibly bold interesting step and I'm [TS]

00:01:35   not referring to remembering all their [TS]

00:01:37   comics this number one because boy that [TS]

00:01:38   happens all the time but essentially [TS]

00:01:41   rebooting the DC Universe and saying [TS]

00:01:43   we're going to get rid of all this old [TS]

00:01:44   continuity we're going to rethink our [TS]

00:01:46   characters we're going to do sort of [TS]

00:01:47   what Marvel did for the Ultimate [TS]

00:01:49   Universe but rather than hedging and [TS]

00:01:52   take but we'll do both will do coke and [TS]

00:01:54   old coke [TS]

00:01:55   they just said we're rebooting we're [TS]

00:01:57   doing it all- and I think you guys all [TS]

00:02:00   have a good experience i I've never been [TS]

00:02:02   I've always been on the margins as a [TS]

00:02:04   reader of DC comics I've read some stuff [TS]

00:02:06   but I'm actually intrigued by because i [TS]

00:02:08   don't have a lot invested in it and I [TS]

00:02:10   think that maybe reimagining it would [TS]

00:02:12   get more [TS]

00:02:13   trusted but i'm really interested in [TS]

00:02:14   what you guys think about this move and [TS]

00:02:17   whether you think it's a good idea or [TS]

00:02:19   not you know or or is it just a [TS]

00:02:21   ridiculous publicity stunt like changing [TS]

00:02:24   you know it's now number one again which [TS]

00:02:26   they do every year or two and then they [TS]

00:02:28   just change it back when it's an [TS]

00:02:29   anniversary right well it could be a [TS]

00:02:32   good idea and they bizarre publicity [TS]

00:02:34   stunt [TS]

00:02:34   yes I think we relate severely a [TS]

00:02:37   publicity you can't be both right yeah [TS]

00:02:38   okay every time the marbles had like [TS]

00:02:41   those these successes it's always been [TS]

00:02:43   you know this it's never been about [TS]

00:02:45   let's get people to buy this issue [TS]

00:02:47   captain america it's let's see if we can [TS]

00:02:49   get the new york times to report on how [TS]

00:02:51   like how we're doing this poll thing [TS]

00:02:52   about killing captain america and how [TS]

00:02:54   we're doing this bolt think about [TS]

00:02:55   killing off when the members of the [TS]

00:02:56   Fantastic Four and holy cats were [TS]

00:02:58   actually having having spider-man [TS]

00:03:00   unmasked it's there they they score the [TS]

00:03:02   win by how much mainstream publicity [TS]

00:03:05   they get and it almost doesn't it's the [TS]

00:03:07   their cynical enough that it doesn't [TS]

00:03:09   even matter to them that you know what [TS]

00:03:10   when they tried to get that information [TS]

00:03:12   about spider-man's unmasking they [TS]

00:03:14   already had the plan in place for and [TS]

00:03:17   the the issue in mind in which they [TS]

00:03:18   would undo all of that so that's that's [TS]

00:03:21   very this part of the hype machine is [TS]

00:03:22   just part of the grand tradition of [TS]

00:03:24   comics we'd almost be disappointed to [TS]

00:03:25   write ups in USA Today really drive [TS]

00:03:29   comic book sales though was that if [TS]

00:03:31   you're trying if you're trying to revive [TS]

00:03:33   one dying print medium what better tool [TS]

00:03:36   that we use another dying from media [TS]

00:03:37   it's like rubbing two sticks together [TS]

00:03:39   and start a fire it's also no I don't [TS]

00:03:41   think it an article in anywhere affect [TS]

00:03:45   sales for something that's not coming [TS]

00:03:46   out for three months right [TS]

00:03:48   that's a long time it's a real long time [TS]

00:03:50   in our 24-hour media cycle the it is a [TS]

00:03:55   publicity stunt but there's there's some [TS]

00:03:58   historical precedent particularly DC [TS]

00:03:59   with this kind of thing there you know [TS]

00:04:02   most farmers for taking their gold key [TS]

00:04:04   characters or critical key gold Golden [TS]

00:04:06   Age characters of flash and Green [TS]

00:04:09   Lantern and then one day coming out with [TS]

00:04:11   a new flash Green Lantern that had [TS]

00:04:12   nothing to do with the old ones and [TS]

00:04:14   that's then the silver that beginning of [TS]

00:04:16   the silvery which was what the sixties [TS]

00:04:18   the Silver Age [TS]

00:04:20   but the 60 minutes yes and that's when [TS]

00:04:22   Hal Jordan came out as a Green Lantern [TS]

00:04:23   and the flash within reason to w/e be in [TS]

00:04:28   the closet in the closet for long [TS]

00:04:29   because his parents I have a ring but [TS]

00:04:32   just recently though I like a year ago [TS]

00:04:35   they came out with the earth one series [TS]

00:04:38   of graphic novels with no that's the [TS]

00:04:41   just rozinsky Superman exactly novel [TS]

00:04:44   right which was on the new york times [TS]

00:04:45   bestselling list for a long time for the [TS]

00:04:47   new york times best graphic best-selling [TS]

00:04:49   graphic novels still in list yeah and i [TS]

00:04:52   happen to read that last week it it [TS]

00:04:53   wasn't bad and I was just like okay [TS]

00:04:55   forget everything now Superman is this [TS]

00:04:57   younger kid coming out now as Superman [TS]

00:05:01   right all the same with mom and dad [TS]

00:05:03   right now all the same but slightly [TS]

00:05:04   different and that's sold so well that [TS]

00:05:07   they're like oh let's just do it for [TS]

00:05:09   everything and when your new creative [TS]

00:05:11   team coming in at the executive level [TS]

00:05:13   why not just reinvented universe that's [TS]

00:05:16   like a hundred years old I do wonder if [TS]

00:05:18   DC and Marvel both have problems with [TS]

00:05:20   being crippled by literally decades upon [TS]

00:05:23   decades of continuity and cotton in and [TS]

00:05:25   and red car and retconning and and these [TS]

00:05:29   convoluted story lines where if someone [TS]

00:05:31   were to sit down with you and say oh you [TS]

00:05:33   really like comics who's your favorite [TS]

00:05:34   character like well I really like Black [TS]

00:05:35   Canary what she's about and then you [TS]

00:05:37   have to explain all right huh [TS]

00:05:39   here's the deal her mom was Black Canary [TS]

00:05:42   and she grew up around the Justice [TS]

00:05:44   Society and then there was some weird [TS]

00:05:46   interplanetary thing where she was from [TS]

00:05:49   another dimension for a while and then [TS]

00:05:51   she lost her voice but you got to pin [TS]

00:05:52   the resurrection pits and she's been on [TS]

00:05:54   and off with the green arrow for [TS]

00:05:55   forty-odd years and they got married [TS]

00:05:57   except that he was a clone and and hear [TS]

00:06:00   what happened and you know that my point [TS]

00:06:03   is is if you're trying to explain these [TS]

00:06:04   characters to somebody and they're just [TS]

00:06:08   gonna look at you like okay so there's [TS]

00:06:10   no there's no accessible entry point and [TS]

00:06:13   I think sometimes continuity what [TS]

00:06:15   rewards long time [TS]

00:06:16   long time readers or obsessive readers [TS]

00:06:19   who have no problem going back to find [TS]

00:06:21   all the back issues so that they can get [TS]

00:06:23   all the little in jokes are all the [TS]

00:06:24   little plot developments it makes it [TS]

00:06:26   tremendously inaccessible to younger [TS]

00:06:29   readers to younger readers or new [TS]

00:06:30   readers and so by hitting the reset [TS]

00:06:32   button [TS]

00:06:33   it is a great opportunity for them to [TS]

00:06:35   try to broaden their audience the [TS]

00:06:38   question is whether or not they're going [TS]

00:06:39   to be able to do that whether they've [TS]

00:06:42   been whether they're gonna be able to [TS]

00:06:43   tap into the psyches of moviegoers we're [TS]

00:06:45   going to watch ryan reynolds run around [TS]

00:06:47   shirtless the summer or or anything like [TS]

00:06:49   that and say oh this you know I i really [TS]

00:06:51   enjoyed this to our movie maybe i could [TS]

00:06:53   maybe also enjoy downloading these green [TS]

00:06:56   lantern comics onto my ipad I i think i [TS]

00:06:59   think this is a move is it it's like DC [TS]

00:07:01   scoring a Tetris where they make one [TS]

00:07:02   move that clears away at least four or [TS]

00:07:04   five levels it's no it's no coincidence [TS]

00:07:07   that they're choosing this time to do [TS]

00:07:09   day-and-date releases are digitally with [TS]

00:07:11   their entire DC bullet line and they [TS]

00:07:15   rely think they realized that the [TS]

00:07:16   audience of people who have not been [TS]

00:07:18   buying comics and they're young enough [TS]

00:07:20   that there aren't really trained to go [TS]

00:07:22   to a new standard buy something on paper [TS]

00:07:23   they're gonna be a whole bunch of new [TS]

00:07:25   readers are coming in for other they're [TS]

00:07:27   gonna be buying digitally so why not [TS]

00:07:29   simply say oh and by the way you're not [TS]

00:07:31   gonna have to deal with well almost all [TS]

00:07:34   met your match your Black Canary with my [TS]

00:07:36   power girl where well she has free put a [TS]

00:07:39   couple years ago she was first supergirl [TS]

00:07:41   Superman's cousin who also escaped but [TS]

00:07:45   then actually turned out that she was [TS]

00:07:46   restaurants here whatever and they did [TS]

00:07:48   she was with the earth to choose the [TS]

00:07:49   daughter of Superman that then they do [TS]

00:07:52   try to do a reboot like a five-issue [TS]

00:07:54   miniseries I think about six or seven [TS]

00:07:56   years ago and by the end of that I was [TS]

00:08:00   even more confused about where she was [TS]

00:08:01   from [TS]

00:08:02   then you started and I thought well I've [TS]

00:08:04   just been punished for trying to pay [TS]

00:08:05   attention to this character you don't do [TS]

00:08:06   it [TS]

00:08:07   this is just meanwhile her cleavage gets [TS]

00:08:08   bigger and bigger biggest the joke is in [TS]

00:08:11   the reboot she's going to flat chested [TS]

00:08:12   that's how you know how different this [TS]

00:08:16   is yes i think the close of the whole [TS]

00:08:18   zone so there's this whole story about [TS]

00:08:19   how this is a gamble by DC and and my [TS]

00:08:23   question is is it a gamble because [TS]

00:08:25   because the argument is they're doing [TS]

00:08:28   this for new readers and they're going [TS]

00:08:30   day and date with digital for new [TS]

00:08:31   readers and they're risking the wrath of [TS]

00:08:33   the old readers in order to reach new [TS]

00:08:34   readers to which I say first [TS]

00:08:37   are there really risking the wrath of [TS]

00:08:38   the old readers and second are they [TS]

00:08:40   really going to find new readers are [TS]

00:08:42   there new comic book readers who will be [TS]

00:08:43   found by this approach i think the price [TS]

00:08:45   is a barrier to [TS]

00:08:46   did to the digital day-and-date like [TS]

00:08:48   three 395 out there and 95 and 299 the [TS]

00:08:51   same as cover present on the on the [TS]

00:08:54   physical issues that's my objection is [TS]

00:08:55   it's the same things cover price for the [TS]

00:08:57   physical issues right now if I wanted to [TS]

00:08:58   I could take all of my physical issues [TS]

00:09:00   and go to my next comic book store and [TS]

00:09:02   trade them in for store credit [TS]

00:09:04   you know it's a physical good i can i [TS]

00:09:06   can pass on to people and more [TS]

00:09:07   importantly i can get back a fraction of [TS]

00:09:09   the value and use it to feed my habit [TS]

00:09:11   and you can't really do that with [TS]

00:09:13   digital assets so from the perspective [TS]

00:09:17   of me as a cranky consumer while I think [TS]

00:09:20   that digital issues are more convenient [TS]

00:09:22   and they're actually really good for [TS]

00:09:23   archiving library purposes if I decide [TS]

00:09:26   okay you know what i'm really bored with [TS]

00:09:27   this series I'm done with it there's no [TS]

00:09:29   way for me to recruit a fraction of my [TS]

00:09:30   investment in it and so I'm a little [TS]

00:09:32   hesitant about the trigger and I think [TS]

00:09:34   that digital issues have to be cheaper [TS]

00:09:35   simply because you can't ever get back [TS]

00:09:37   resale value [TS]

00:09:38   I think I thought I think they have to [TS]

00:09:40   modify the the retailer's though they [TS]

00:09:41   have to make sure they're not saying [TS]

00:09:42   that where our goal here is not [TS]

00:09:43   specifically to torpedo your sales [TS]

00:09:45   our goal is to make sure that we're [TS]

00:09:47   expanding the market and making sure [TS]

00:09:48   that we're bringing more people under [TS]

00:09:49   the tent on a rolling basis right got to [TS]

00:09:52   keep those buggy makers happy [TS]

00:09:54   yeah you know that they're better but [TS]

00:09:56   they're also realized realize they're [TS]

00:09:57   not just like regular retailers really [TS]

00:09:59   all successful comic book shops are the [TS]

00:10:02   kind of like Apple stores and that they [TS]

00:10:04   don't just sell the product also a [TS]

00:10:05   meeting place or player like all the [TS]

00:10:07   sort of a a drawing spot for people who [TS]

00:10:09   are sort of inside this hobby that's the [TS]

00:10:11   reason why you know when i moved to [TS]

00:10:13   another 40 miles away from my usual [TS]

00:10:15   comic shop a few years ago I do have a [TS]

00:10:18   local shop in my new place that I [TS]

00:10:20   sometimes go to but I'd much rather just [TS]

00:10:21   simply drive 40 month 40 miles a couple [TS]

00:10:24   times a month to go back to the original [TS]

00:10:26   one because i like this shop not [TS]

00:10:27   everyone has that into your qualifier [TS]

00:10:29   was good comic shop because i was i was [TS]

00:10:31   thinking about in in my small island [TS]

00:10:34   town as it were we do have a local comic [TS]

00:10:36   shop and we have a local game shop and [TS]

00:10:38   the thing I've noticed about the gaming [TS]

00:10:39   store is they host in the host in-store [TS]

00:10:42   tournaments and they they host to both [TS]

00:10:46   board games and video games and they [TS]

00:10:49   have events that are around product [TS]

00:10:50   releases and they've really made an [TS]

00:10:52   effort to turn themselves into a [TS]

00:10:53   community hub where people think of it [TS]

00:10:55   as a defective socializing spot as well [TS]

00:10:57   are [TS]

00:10:58   comic book store has been considerably [TS]

00:10:59   less aggressive about doing that I think [TS]

00:11:02   maybe twice in the past five or six [TS]

00:11:04   years she's trying to organize the movie [TS]

00:11:05   night for the premiere of a comic based [TS]

00:11:07   the movie but it hasn't made the same [TS]

00:11:11   effort to try to tie people's avid [TS]

00:11:14   interest in the product to a social [TS]

00:11:16   aspect or to a wider entertainment [TS]

00:11:19   lifestyle whereas good story can and [TS]

00:11:22   should do that and my take is let the [TS]

00:11:25   stores rise and fall based on what they [TS]

00:11:27   can provide people above and beyond [TS]

00:11:28   comic books [TS]

00:11:30   yeah if it's shop is just selling comics [TS]

00:11:32   and if they're gonna be affected by the [TS]

00:11:33   digital changeover that dramatically [TS]

00:11:35   than they really were going to be going [TS]

00:11:37   out of business soon anyway right I'm [TS]

00:11:38   not sure any measure good comic store is [TS]

00:11:41   going to be is going to go out of [TS]

00:11:43   business because you can get it online [TS]

00:11:45   for 199 but you can get physically for [TS]

00:11:47   299 either though so the the other [TS]

00:11:50   factor is that DC unlike Marvel actually [TS]

00:11:54   gives real royalties to their creators [TS]

00:11:56   Marvel simply says that will give you [TS]

00:11:58   will will give you incentives but [TS]

00:11:59   remember that we have no legal with our [TS]

00:12:01   contract says we don't have to do that [TS]

00:12:02   we're just being great people by giving [TS]

00:12:04   you what every other in publisher ever [TS]

00:12:06   does DC actually does give real [TS]

00:12:08   royalties and so one thing I would like [TS]

00:12:10   to know is that how much are those toy [TS]

00:12:12   there are those royalties tied to [TS]

00:12:13   specific cover prices so it's pot it's [TS]

00:12:16   possible that to keep all of these [TS]

00:12:17   top-tier riders and remember they're [TS]

00:12:19   carrying over all of their best riders [TS]

00:12:21   from the old DC Universe the new ones [TS]

00:12:23   yeah how happy they would be by saying [TS]

00:12:25   oh and by the way we're also going to be [TS]

00:12:27   giving people the option of buying the [TS]

00:12:29   same comics that you're trying to get a [TS]

00:12:30   399 royalty off of 4th 99 cents [TS]

00:12:34   it'sit's kind of cut it's kind of a [TS]

00:12:35   complicated issue i do wish that I do [TS]

00:12:37   think that it's logical that the digital [TS]

00:12:38   should copy should be less expensive i [TS]

00:12:40   think that's going to be where it winds [TS]

00:12:42   up but I'm happy that we just have this [TS]

00:12:45   first step of being able to know that if [TS]

00:12:48   there's a new copy of Justice League [TS]

00:12:50   that's coming out on wednesday i can go [TS]

00:12:52   to comiXology on Wednesday and by that [TS]

00:12:54   comment have to wonder if this is one of [TS]

00:12:55   the magical issues they decided to [TS]

00:12:58   actually release [TS]

00:12:58   ok so going back to Jason earlier [TS]

00:13:01   question about is gonna piss off the [TS]

00:13:03   current fans and will it get new fans in [TS]

00:13:06   the digital gambit the yes and yes I [TS]

00:13:10   don't actually say no and no [TS]

00:13:11   haha he and waited but we will look at [TS]

00:13:14   that I don't derail you're just saying [TS]

00:13:16   that [TS]

00:13:16   did you actually say that there's [TS]

00:13:18   something that will not piss off in [TS]

00:13:20   trench complications because that's that [TS]

00:13:22   means that there's a nuclear also [TS]

00:13:23   rebooting all the comic fans we are we [TS]

00:13:25   are a legion of people genetically [TS]

00:13:27   programmed to be pissed off about it [TS]

00:13:28   like that's what actually that's my [TS]

00:13:29   point about the no is yet everybody's [TS]

00:13:32   gonna be all internet and mad about it [TS]

00:13:34   and I'm gonna lay dying and they're just [TS]

00:13:35   going to go by him and then by him again [TS]

00:13:37   and then by him again and I hate this is [TS]

00:13:39   my money is comic book fans are like [TS]

00:13:41   Apple fans where they may complain about [TS]

00:13:43   some specific facet but they're never [TS]

00:13:44   gonna walk away from the product right [TS]

00:13:46   or at least it's going to takes a lot [TS]

00:13:48   more than that something i walked in and [TS]

00:13:50   the digital market is too immature i [TS]

00:13:54   think really catch on with new fans it's [TS]

00:13:56   too expensive and it's too [TS]

00:13:58   it's like we're the music industry was [TS]

00:14:00   early on it's all proprietary formats [TS]

00:14:03   it's more renting comics than buying [TS]

00:14:05   them because you can't switch them from [TS]

00:14:06   one app to another app there's confusion [TS]

00:14:08   in the marketplace about apps and [TS]

00:14:10   formats and it's kind of ridiculous and [TS]

00:14:13   until that's cleared up where you can [TS]

00:14:15   actually buy you know mp3 of a comic and [TS]

00:14:18   you can take it and put into your itunes [TS]

00:14:20   or take it and put it into another music [TS]

00:14:22   collection and move it around and back [TS]

00:14:24   it up and store it it i don't think it's [TS]

00:14:26   going to take off because anybody who [TS]

00:14:27   knows anything about digital isn't gonna [TS]

00:14:29   buy into that so no ebooks are have done [TS]

00:14:31   pretty well [TS]

00:14:32   amazon kindle books can't go anywhere [TS]

00:14:33   but on on kindle app for kindle its [TS]

00:14:36   multiple devices but it's not an mp3 [TS]

00:14:38   remember the itunes store didn't exist [TS]

00:14:40   before you had have an itunes store and [TS]

00:14:41   that all those problems where you had [TS]

00:14:43   nothing but the RM content you can only [TS]

00:14:45   play it in itunes or on Apple devices [TS]

00:14:47   you have the first success before [TS]

00:14:50   everybody else is gonna start jumping in [TS]

00:14:51   the pool but but in itunes you could [TS]

00:14:53   take your cds and rip them into itunes [TS]

00:14:55   you can't take comments you may already [TS]

00:14:57   have because say you bought that Marvel [TS]

00:14:59   DVD way back when that was just full of [TS]

00:15:02   pdfs of all of their comics you can't [TS]

00:15:04   take that and put it in any of these [TS]

00:15:05   comic readers right right so let's take [TS]

00:15:07   a step back from from a comic industry [TS]

00:15:09   because that it is interesting that this [TS]

00:15:12   is a creative gambit that is of course [TS]

00:15:14   tied to a very specific kind of economic [TS]

00:15:17   gambit and it's it and the marketing is [TS]

00:15:19   a part of it and the digital thing being [TS]

00:15:22   announced simultaneously is apart [TS]

00:15:24   bit they're telling a story here but [TS]

00:15:26   they're also telling stories here so I'm [TS]

00:15:29   curious from you guys who have spent far [TS]

00:15:31   more in this world than I have um you [TS]

00:15:34   know what do you know about about what [TS]

00:15:36   they're planning i do we know creatively [TS]

00:15:38   what they're doing it to these [TS]

00:15:40   characters I know they've been rolling [TS]

00:15:41   out new titles and I saw that like Paul [TS]

00:15:43   Cornell has got a medieval superhero [TS]

00:15:45   title coming out jack kirby's the demon [TS]

00:15:47   you gotta bring in which is which is [TS]

00:15:49   which is fun that's why I know they're [TS]

00:15:51   mixing up the the the creative teams on [TS]

00:15:53   these on these books by just curious [TS]

00:15:55   about what struck you creatively about [TS]

00:15:58   what they're doing economics aside and [TS]

00:16:00   marketing aside and and just you know [TS]

00:16:02   hype aside you know are they doing [TS]

00:16:05   interesting things that didn't that are [TS]

00:16:07   encouraging and I loved ultimate [TS]

00:16:08   spider-man when it came out because I [TS]

00:16:09   thought it was a great thing to revisit [TS]

00:16:11   that character from square one Saudi [TS]

00:16:14   saying we're doing that with our whole [TS]

00:16:16   universe right [TS]

00:16:17   the younger prettier more high school [TS]

00:16:19   early universe is essentially because [TS]

00:16:21   everybody's going to be younger versions [TS]

00:16:23   of the characters and instead of that [TS]

00:16:25   says I'll be interested to see how they [TS]

00:16:26   write them because the average age [TS]

00:16:27   another blogger went through and take a [TS]

00:16:30   look at the writers and the average age [TS]

00:16:31   of the the writers on the new DC titles [TS]

00:16:33   is somewhere between 47 and 51 one of [TS]

00:16:36   those writers ever grew up come on [TS]

00:16:38   yeah and and to be to be fair if you're [TS]

00:16:40   that age you may well have teenagers in [TS]

00:16:42   the house so you're pretty tapped into [TS]

00:16:43   both the emotional state and how they're [TS]

00:16:45   talking much more than somebody who [TS]

00:16:48   doesn't have have kids and go ahead i [TS]

00:16:51   was just gonna say gail simone did a [TS]

00:16:53   nice interview Newsarama recently that [TS]

00:16:55   that there's there's still so much about [TS]

00:16:57   this this restart that's a they can't [TS]

00:16:59   talk about yeah but she the point that [TS]

00:17:01   she was making this not so much making [TS]

00:17:03   the characters younger so much as [TS]

00:17:05   visiting them at a point where they were [TS]

00:17:08   quite so experience she was talking [TS]

00:17:10   about Barbara Gordon for instance in the [TS]

00:17:12   problem we're now there's the this that [TS]

00:17:15   there's enough infrastructure in the [TS]

00:17:17   existing DC Universe that if Batman [TS]

00:17:19   wants to know as it has there ever been [TS]

00:17:22   a tree with more than three leaves on a [TS]

00:17:24   ship from the port of Gotham to any [TS]

00:17:27   destination that has more than four [TS]

00:17:28   buildings that have more than 31 stories [TS]

00:17:30   and an ice cream parlor and he simply [TS]

00:17:32   contact oracle and articles only one and [TS]

00:17:35   here's the address and then he's getting [TS]

00:17:36   tops that [TS]

00:17:37   rest now he's there that part of the [TS]

00:17:39   problem at least the way that scale [TS]

00:17:40   smalls explaining is that that it's part [TS]

00:17:43   of a move to do a story where now Batman [TS]

00:17:45   really has to work to figure out these [TS]

00:17:46   things where it's it's no longer the [TS]

00:17:48   he's no longer doing a castle [TS]

00:17:50   walkthrough like a look at a video game [TS]

00:17:52   he's simply having to figure things out [TS]

00:17:53   he doesn't have all those resources and [TS]

00:17:55   all that experience it's not just a a [TS]

00:17:57   we're gonna make everybody young and [TS]

00:17:59   pretty necessarily although that may [TS]

00:18:01   also do that but to some of the [TS]

00:18:03   characters but I do see the point that [TS]

00:18:05   it's also the encumbrance of the [TS]

00:18:07   continuity of saying not only do they [TS]

00:18:09   not have the complex backstories but we [TS]

00:18:12   we don't have to say well we establish [TS]

00:18:14   recently that this person had this [TS]

00:18:16   capabilities you can sort of deep our [TS]

00:18:18   people a little bit put more things in [TS]

00:18:20   their way [TS]

00:18:21   you know I tell tell some stories I I [TS]

00:18:22   they paint themselves in a corner in [TS]

00:18:24   many ways just by telling all those [TS]

00:18:25   stories over all those years jump to [TS]

00:18:27   andy's point there is a really [TS]

00:18:29   sophisticated infrastructure in place in [TS]

00:18:30   this universe right now and Gail [TS]

00:18:34   Simone's actually played with it in [TS]

00:18:37   birds of prey before the most recent [TS]

00:18:39   reboot before she left that title to go [TS]

00:18:41   right Wonder Woman and see what i mean [TS]

00:18:43   about the continuity in the way but [TS]

00:18:45   birds of prey i want to say probably [TS]

00:18:47   back in 2007-2008 there was a plot line [TS]

00:18:51   where somebody tries to take down oracle [TS]

00:18:53   and at the end of it all oracle has to [TS]

00:18:56   do is pick up the phone and something [TS]

00:18:57   like 13 former operatives come rushing [TS]

00:18:59   to her rescue and although part of the [TS]

00:19:03   point to that story was Oracle's got [TS]

00:19:05   this network of people who like hurrah [TS]

00:19:07   but it also points that is there was [TS]

00:19:10   almost nothing you could do to that [TS]

00:19:11   character at that point anymore because [TS]

00:19:13   she had she had a computer system place [TS]

00:19:16   she had social networking and social [TS]

00:19:17   networks in place she had experience in [TS]

00:19:19   place and all of these senior senior [TS]

00:19:22   quote level superheroes have that where [TS]

00:19:25   you know I have an undersea Kingdom that [TS]

00:19:26   i have in the palm of my hook [TS]

00:19:28   oh I have oracle who can some [TS]

00:19:31   information when I need it [TS]

00:19:32   oh I have this this this raft of friends [TS]

00:19:34   who will run to the rescue when I need [TS]

00:19:36   it it's there there was no space for [TS]

00:19:39   people who are starting out everybody's [TS]

00:19:40   got too much history with each other too [TS]

00:19:42   much personal history you can't say even [TS]

00:19:45   if you took somebody who was you know 30 [TS]

00:19:47   in the comics you you could have them [TS]

00:19:49   still be 30 but haven't [TS]

00:19:51   30 and not have experienced anything and [TS]

00:19:53   only now becoming who you know who [TS]

00:19:55   they're they're going to be sounds [TS]

00:19:57   sounds good again i'm just wondering [TS]

00:19:58   what are there are they doing some [TS]

00:20:00   specific things here or is it all just [TS]

00:20:02   kind of hazy you know trust us it'll be [TS]

00:20:04   like different but the same but I think [TS]

00:20:07   they're going to move it you know what [TS]

00:20:08   do you think you're going [TS]

00:20:09   I i do think that this is this is [TS]

00:20:11   actually coming i keep thinking about [TS]

00:20:13   that line from The Godfather Clemenza [TS]

00:20:15   he's talking about the upcoming five [TS]

00:20:16   family sports as this is good this is [TS]

00:20:18   these things these kind of things that [TS]

00:20:20   happen every 10 years get rid of all the [TS]

00:20:21   bad blood and actually much rather it it [TS]

00:20:25   really is a good case up let's have a [TS]

00:20:26   streamline continuity we know after we [TS]

00:20:29   no longer have to worry that oh well [TS]

00:20:30   didn't it doesn't Catwoman have a secret [TS]

00:20:32   child from four years ago or do does it [TS]

00:20:36   why doesn't anybody talked about the [TS]

00:20:37   fact that the Peter Parker we now know [TS]

00:20:39   actually crawled out of the desiccated [TS]

00:20:41   husk of the body of Peter Parker as a [TS]

00:20:43   half-formed spider thing welcome nobody [TS]

00:20:45   talks about that anymore and I i do [TS]

00:20:48   think that every 10 years almost there [TS]

00:20:49   needs to be a moment with were saying [TS]

00:20:51   well it's just a comic book everybody we [TS]

00:20:53   can just simply say we're going to start [TS]

00:20:55   all over again we're doing a very tiny [TS]

00:20:56   way but we're gonna say that but they [TS]

00:20:58   the alternative is to do things like [TS]

00:21:00   what Marvel did with one more day to get [TS]

00:21:02   rid of the spider-man marriage where [TS]

00:21:04   you're really going to do a four-issue [TS]

00:21:06   limited series when you can just simply [TS]

00:21:08   have page 1 of the next issue spider and [TS]

00:21:10   being hi Tom Brevoort here the creative [TS]

00:21:13   director Marvel we just decided that we [TS]

00:21:14   don't want them to be married anymore [TS]

00:21:15   just keep that in mind and go I'm glad [TS]

00:21:18   you brought that up because one of the [TS]

00:21:20   complaints that one more day is why [TS]

00:21:21   would you ask for it may be brought back [TS]

00:21:23   from the dead when the input there's [TS]

00:21:25   Wednesday see there's Uncle Ben these [TS]

00:21:26   things never change and one of the [TS]

00:21:28   things that DC is very old and she's [TS]

00:21:29   almost died or died many times before [TS]

00:21:32   but one of the things that DC is [TS]

00:21:34   actually doing that I find interesting [TS]

00:21:35   even those little controversial is [TS]

00:21:37   they're giving proper Gordon back the [TS]

00:21:38   ability to walk you know she's gonna be [TS]

00:21:40   running around his back girl now because [TS]

00:21:42   as they said it did it doesn't make [TS]

00:21:44   sense the DC Universe to have a to have [TS]

00:21:46   a paraplegic when you've got all sorts [TS]

00:21:48   of crazy you know alien technologies and [TS]

00:21:51   supernatural stuff going on mr. Lazarus [TS]

00:21:54   Pit you got it yeah like what why stick [TS]

00:21:56   in a wheelchair when you know your [TS]

00:21:58   towels Batman and you have the world at [TS]

00:21:59   your disposal and so I do like that [TS]

00:22:01   they're just saying all right you know [TS]

00:22:02   what Oracle had a good run though [TS]

00:22:05   going back to classic Batgirl yeah [TS]

00:22:07   exactly and message you know I kind of [TS]

00:22:09   applied the gutsiness that decision [TS]

00:22:10   I mean I i I'll grieve for the for the [TS]

00:22:12   dissolving of the the birds of prey team [TS]

00:22:14   because i really loved the Oracle back [TS]

00:22:16   at Oracle Black Canary Huntress trilogy [TS]

00:22:19   but i think it's great that they're [TS]

00:22:21   doing if they do it like Ultimate Marvel [TS]

00:22:23   one of the options that they have is to [TS]

00:22:26   remix things and do things like create [TS]

00:22:29   an Oracle who isn't the Oracle you know [TS]

00:22:32   i just well actually I what's the point [TS]

00:22:35   i hope they go that up that route [TS]

00:22:36   because one of the interesting things [TS]

00:22:38   when they went from the Golden Age the [TS]

00:22:39   Silver Age was they just took the names [TS]

00:22:41   and created new carry lantern sure [TS]

00:22:44   around those names and i think there's [TS]

00:22:46   some interesting which is why you've got [TS]

00:22:48   if they're good reason stories [TS]

00:22:49   yeah well including the whole sorry the [TS]

00:22:52   dollars i'm sorry completely pointless [TS]

00:22:54   but it broke i say i think that that [TS]

00:22:56   could be really interesting and the [TS]

00:22:58   Ultimate Universe one of the things and [TS]

00:23:01   Marvel Ultimate Universe that was so [TS]

00:23:03   brilliant about that is Jameis Bill [TS]

00:23:07   James who is in charge of marvel at the [TS]

00:23:08   time and really architected that or [TS]

00:23:11   pushed it his whole point was there [TS]

00:23:15   should be no continuity even in the [TS]

00:23:17   Ultimate Universe right you should just [TS]

00:23:19   be free from it free from it completely [TS]

00:23:20   and he strived at first to keep writers [TS]

00:23:23   from putting in any continuity into it [TS]

00:23:25   when he returns are archetypes and then [TS]

00:23:27   they have adventures and that's it right [TS]

00:23:28   and put that's that could be possible [TS]

00:23:30   you really can't that you i think with [TS]

00:23:32   the great things about comics is that [TS]

00:23:34   you see this overlaying overlaying [TS]

00:23:37   overlaying tax-free of these histories [TS]

00:23:39   characters and time moving forward tends [TS]

00:23:42   to inform both the editors the writers [TS]

00:23:44   in the readers what parts of this [TS]

00:23:46   history are important enough that we're [TS]

00:23:47   going to consider that important and [TS]

00:23:49   what parts like you know Peter Parker [TS]

00:23:51   climbing out of the desiccated husk of [TS]

00:23:53   his former corpse arenas simply pretend [TS]

00:23:55   not happen so this there's definitely [TS]

00:23:57   happy medium to be done and but that [TS]

00:23:59   means you need a brush fire every 10 [TS]

00:24:00   years to clear away the continuity [TS]

00:24:02   rightly but getting back to back early [TS]

00:24:04   though the the thing that really puts [TS]

00:24:06   puts it all into perspective is that I i [TS]

00:24:09   love oracle and i love the birds birds [TS]

00:24:12   of prey book i love the I love that [TS]

00:24:14   version of Barbara Gordon where [TS]

00:24:15   Batgirl never interested me at all [TS]

00:24:19   the idea of okay hey look it's lady [TS]

00:24:21   battle but she's in heels and she has an [TS]

00:24:23   action person yes she's an ass kicker [TS]

00:24:25   but looking at look at that flowing red [TS]

00:24:26   hair huh guys and it just it just never [TS]

00:24:28   really clicked with me and so I didn't [TS]

00:24:30   that was a time and so when I started [TS]

00:24:32   getting back into DC and I found this [TS]

00:24:34   character oracle thatthat's thatthat's [TS]

00:24:35   the version of Barbara Gordon that I [TS]

00:24:37   really really liked and really click [TS]

00:24:39   with andrea and although I'm [TS]

00:24:41   disappointed that version is going away [TS]

00:24:43   have to remember that there was a time [TS]

00:24:45   when someone said we're going to [TS]

00:24:46   essentially in a non dramatic way we're [TS]

00:24:49   going to reboot back girl she's no [TS]

00:24:51   longer action girl in a cape and ecology [TS]

00:24:54   is now confined to a wheelchair and has [TS]

00:24:56   to use her in from there's a dick memory [TS]

00:24:58   and her information skills to do stuff [TS]

00:25:00   so if it wasn't for the fact that [TS]

00:25:02   someone decided to simply do a complete [TS]

00:25:03   180 on this character I would never have [TS]

00:25:05   found this version that I really really [TS]

00:25:07   liked so I have to think that there's [TS]

00:25:08   gonna be a whole bunch of characters in [TS]

00:25:10   the DC Universe that I'm no longer going [TS]

00:25:11   to be terribly interested in but maybe [TS]

00:25:13   they're going to they're going to have a [TS]

00:25:15   new version of Green Lantern's that I [TS]

00:25:16   actually do get and maybe a new version [TS]

00:25:19   of all these other characters the [TS]

00:25:20   Justice League which never really [TS]

00:25:21   clicked with me as a book maybe now i'll [TS]

00:25:23   actually liked it so you gotta be gotta [TS]

00:25:25   take the good with the bad now and it [TS]

00:25:26   remains to be seen whether they've got a [TS]

00:25:27   plan to do [TS]

00:25:29   presumably they've got some ground rules [TS]

00:25:30   right are they going to do what Marvel [TS]

00:25:32   did which is say we're going to rethink [TS]

00:25:33   some characters and but we're also going [TS]

00:25:35   to retell stories we already told right [TS]

00:25:37   i mean the ultimate spider-man retails [TS]

00:25:39   basically a lot of the classic story [TS]

00:25:40   points of of amazing spider-man [TS]

00:25:43   so you know on one level that's fun but [TS]

00:25:46   on another level it's rehashing the past [TS]

00:25:48   so they could choose to say well you [TS]

00:25:51   know after a few years were going to do [TS]

00:25:52   something to her and she's going to be [TS]

00:25:54   oracle or they could say forget it no do [TS]

00:25:57   tell your own stories go in a new [TS]

00:25:58   direction so it in a lot of ways it's [TS]

00:26:00   just like a remake of a good movie [TS]

00:26:02   well one of the problems ultimate social [TS]

00:26:04   that's ultimately spider-man 2 25 30 [TS]

00:26:07   years of amazing spider-man and [TS]

00:26:08   spectacular spiderman the whole [TS]

00:26:10   spider-man mythos and said okay out of [TS]

00:26:11   that what are what could we build you [TS]

00:26:15   know 74 issue story arcs out of and and [TS]

00:26:20   you've got 30 years to put to play with [TS]

00:26:22   and as a result that's a you know and [TS]

00:26:24   the good writing but it's a it's a good [TS]

00:26:25   book because of that you know but at the [TS]

00:26:28   same time there [TS]

00:26:29   for about the first 60 issues there was [TS]

00:26:31   really nothing original other than the [TS]

00:26:33   rethinking of and i love it i love that [TS]

00:26:35   book dearly and I love that it's modern [TS]

00:26:36   and it's expanded out in its place like [TS]

00:26:38   buffy the vampire slayer with spider-man [TS]

00:26:40   but it's not going over any new ground [TS]

00:26:43   it's all the classic ground it's more of [TS]

00:26:46   a nostalgia trip rough like like a movie [TS]

00:26:48   remake it is a really well written story [TS]

00:26:51   which i think is yeah he's always story [TS]

00:26:54   written interview just mentally I mean [TS]

00:26:56   as much as i enjoy some characters i'll [TS]

00:26:59   be honest i enjoy right i enjoy the [TS]

00:27:00   writers more when Gail Simone left birds [TS]

00:27:03   of prey so did I because i read one or [TS]

00:27:05   two of the new issues and i didn't like [TS]

00:27:07   where the characters were going I didn't [TS]

00:27:09   think the writing was the same so I left [TS]

00:27:11   because of the story not because you [TS]

00:27:13   think of the opportunity of saying you [TS]

00:27:15   know we we can explore the [TS]

00:27:17   batman/superman relationship fresh [TS]

00:27:20   without any of that we could talk about [TS]

00:27:22   Batman getting a young Ward and having [TS]

00:27:25   them become Robin you know at and [TS]

00:27:27   Generals the size of that yeah maybe but [TS]

00:27:29   you could you could choose to do it and [TS]

00:27:30   if you had a good writer who had a good [TS]

00:27:32   take on that that could be really [TS]

00:27:33   interesting and it does i would like to [TS]

00:27:35   see him introduce new characters because [TS]

00:27:37   I think that's actually been problematic [TS]

00:27:38   in both Marvel and DC there have been so [TS]

00:27:41   few characters introduced in the last I [TS]

00:27:44   would say what 15 20 years who have [TS]

00:27:46   stuck on is not mostly because of the [TS]

00:27:48   rise of indie comics and that creators [TS]

00:27:50   don't want to create new intellectual [TS]

00:27:51   property for their studios and healthy [TS]

00:27:53   disincentive but i'm thinking for [TS]

00:27:55   example there's been a real push behind [TS]

00:27:57   Renee Montoya especially as the question [TS]

00:28:00   the question and she's just and she's [TS]

00:28:03   never gained attraction and I think part [TS]

00:28:07   of this may be because it's it might be [TS]

00:28:09   cousin Oliver thing um but but part of [TS]

00:28:12   it is also when you've got all of these [TS]

00:28:14   characters that you've had for years and [TS]

00:28:15   years and years you're like oh great [TS]

00:28:17   here's another one who may stick or may [TS]

00:28:18   not stick so you can reboot characters [TS]

00:28:21   without rebooting the archetypes right i [TS]

00:28:24   mean i like the Blue Beetle comic i [TS]

00:28:25   thought that was really good Jason [TS]

00:28:27   recommended that to me and I'll Jaime [TS]

00:28:28   Reyes thing where it's like we're going [TS]

00:28:30   to set in in Texas and he's gonna be [TS]

00:28:32   Hispanic and he's gonna you know he's [TS]

00:28:34   not gonna be he's gonna be like on the [TS]

00:28:35   outside and totally shocked when he's [TS]

00:28:38   interacting with other superheroes [TS]

00:28:39   because he's just created [TS]

00:28:40   and and so it's still very literally not [TS]

00:28:43   yeah it's really the DC version of [TS]

00:28:45   spider-man I really think the blue the [TS]

00:28:47   blue beetle is everything about [TS]

00:28:48   spider-man that i missed with mom yeah [TS]

00:28:50   i'm reading a blue beetle ultimate [TS]

00:28:52   spider-man and invincible right i'm [TS]

00:28:54   reading the same comic three times but [TS]

00:28:56   they're all good yeah although I'm and [TS]

00:28:58   here you are actually tightly [TS]

00:28:59   undercutting my point one of my favorite [TS]

00:29:01   book one of my favorite books is getting [TS]

00:29:02   canceled by DC is secret six which is [TS]

00:29:06   another Gail Simone property of smoke [TS]

00:29:07   and isn't now the secret seven is that [TS]

00:29:10   the name of the new sorry it's something [TS]

00:29:11   else series it's a completely different [TS]

00:29:13   composition around but basically they're [TS]

00:29:15   wrapping up secret six with issue 36 and [TS]

00:29:18   that was a tremendously successful [TS]

00:29:19   series and i had a number of original [TS]

00:29:21   characters that Gail Simone created it [TS]

00:29:23   wasn't just I've dug these people out of [TS]

00:29:24   the archives from the Silver Age she [TS]

00:29:26   came up with scandal savage daughter of [TS]

00:29:28   Vandal Savage [TS]

00:29:29   I narrow and and Jeanette the band she [TS]

00:29:33   was a genuinely cool and disturbing [TS]

00:29:35   figure and Peter miracle who's the rag [TS]

00:29:37   doll and they're there they're very [TS]

00:29:40   vivid characters so as they're gonna be [TS]

00:29:41   a bloodbath at the end of the DC [TS]

00:29:43   Universe here before they reboot are [TS]

00:29:45   they are they are they like tactically [TS]

00:29:46   just gonna murder people horribly [TS]

00:29:48   Ultimate Universe with a ground people [TS]

00:29:50   had them eating and no I'm just thinking [TS]

00:29:52   of the continuity ends until the next [TS]

00:29:54   infinite super infinite crisis where [TS]

00:29:56   they bring it back again sorry i had to [TS]

00:30:00   say it that you know they could do like [TS]

00:30:01   dramatic Superman dies for real was [TS]

00:30:03   there doing a series now called flash [TS]

00:30:05   point which is supposed to be what's [TS]

00:30:07   leading into this reboot in the fall [TS]

00:30:10   [Music] [TS]

00:30:14   and I read the first two issues of it [TS]

00:30:16   successfully explain this to me you said [TS]

00:30:19   leading into the reboot is that mean [TS]

00:30:20   they're closing the door on the old [TS]

00:30:22   thing or are they doing some sort of [TS]

00:30:23   like in-universe explanation for why [TS]

00:30:25   this is happening because that would be [TS]

00:30:27   bad essentially flash has has woken up [TS]

00:30:29   in this alternate universe where Bruce [TS]

00:30:34   Wayne's parents didn't get killed Bruce [TS]

00:30:37   Wayne and his mom got killed so now [TS]

00:30:38   Batman is Thomas weight and so they're [TS]

00:30:40   setting up some of these new universe [TS]

00:30:42   titles now in it because shade the [TS]

00:30:45   changing man is there in leading the [TS]

00:30:46   secret seven kind of thing in this [TS]

00:30:48   universe where Wonder Woman and Aquaman [TS]

00:30:50   or the Amazons in the Atlanteans are [TS]

00:30:54   fighting over Europe and it's like a big [TS]

00:30:56   war [TS]

00:30:56   this is supposed to be where they're [TS]

00:30:58   going to set the rest of this stuff and [TS]

00:30:59   I think there's this crazy pocket thing [TS]

00:31:02   they've set here and my guess is at the [TS]

00:31:04   end of it that goes away but the [TS]

00:31:05   original thing doesn't come back its now [TS]

00:31:07   this new version of the original thing [TS]

00:31:08   so it's in that a farscape that really [TS]

00:31:12   interesting sci-fi TV show a while back [TS]

00:31:15   with money that's right with puppets [TS]

00:31:16   they had that thing where they went back [TS]

00:31:18   in time and actually change these events [TS]

00:31:20   by accident they went back to try and [TS]

00:31:21   fix them and they just made them worse [TS]

00:31:22   talked about that episode on a previous [TS]

00:31:24   so yeah odd cast yeah i think they may [TS]

00:31:26   try to do that where things are [TS]

00:31:27   different and the characters are going [TS]

00:31:29   to try to make them back to the same and [TS]

00:31:31   what they end up doing is making this [TS]

00:31:32   new universe which is kind of the same [TS]

00:31:33   but I really so I really hope Thomas [TS]

00:31:35   windows into a noble self-sacrifice that [TS]

00:31:37   separated so basically the flashes like [TS]

00:31:39   mr. Spock in the Star Trek reboot [TS]

00:31:41   yeah but he's not so he's in this place [TS]

00:31:43   he's got no powers and he just tried to [TS]

00:31:45   recreate the experiment and dosed [TS]

00:31:46   himself and chemicals and electrocute [TS]

00:31:48   himself to get a speed power back and [TS]

00:31:51   the last panel on issue 2 again spoiler [TS]

00:31:54   alert [TS]

00:31:54   [Music] [TS]

00:31:58   leaves him as this chart burnt mess [TS]

00:32:02   because it just cast himself had a [TS]

00:32:06   lightning bolt it is gonna catch it [TS]

00:32:09   right so that was kind of fun not mad [TS]

00:32:12   but that's like everybody in this next [TS]

00:32:14   week whenever for a ride Green Lantern [TS]

00:32:16   point right [TS]

00:32:17   o dot the way blend next we've got four [TS]

00:32:23   astronauts instead to get a spaceship [TS]

00:32:25   with insufficient shielding let's see [TS]

00:32:27   what happens great we've got a flight [TS]

00:32:28   but so superhero sleepers and even as a [TS]

00:32:31   little bit more amusing than probably [TS]

00:32:34   what they were going for and which makes [TS]

00:32:36   me nervous about the entire reboot I [TS]

00:32:38   don't think this series flashpoints been [TS]

00:32:40   written very well so far at least it [TS]

00:32:42   hasn't resonated with me so it sounds [TS]

00:32:44   like what they're trying to do is create [TS]

00:32:45   sort of an in-universe explanation for [TS]

00:32:47   why you won't see it anymore right [TS]

00:32:50   but you know the idea what makes me wary [TS]

00:32:52   is that by not having if you if you have [TS]

00:32:54   the new universe be created in in the [TS]

00:32:56   roots of story from the previous [TS]

00:32:58   universe it's like you know you're just [TS]

00:33:00   you're just asking for it actually has [TS]

00:33:02   maybe they're going for again this is my [TS]

00:33:04   opinion said it didn't resonate with me [TS]

00:33:06   is this little thing that create with [TS]

00:33:08   flash point is so terrible that anything [TS]

00:33:11   that replace it with his gonna be better [TS]

00:33:12   like oh my god I love this so much more [TS]

00:33:14   than a piece of crap flashpoint so out [TS]

00:33:16   of curiosity with the Atlanteans [TS]

00:33:17   fighting the Amazonians it is Aquaman [TS]

00:33:21   any cooler or patent or I mean I've only [TS]

00:33:25   seen him in a couple of panels Emperor [TS]

00:33:27   Aquaman I believe he was and he had [TS]

00:33:30   orange pants as well as a reddish orange [TS]

00:33:32   top and he was mean Emperor seen again [TS]

00:33:35   Emperor occupation but that's like [TS]

00:33:37   saying the president leader guy I know [TS]

00:33:40   if it if that name is on the top of the [TS]

00:33:42   top of the resume he's not getting an [TS]

00:33:44   interview let me know your name is on [TS]

00:33:47   you and hey online pseudonym is Emperor [TS]

00:33:49   are right and so he's flooded most of [TS]

00:33:52   your Emperor lit under water and water [TS]

00:33:54   guy and I don't know I mean out remember [TS]

00:33:56   the name of the science fiction fantasy [TS]

00:33:59   book i read where the leaders of Europe [TS]

00:34:01   did actually have to negotiate with [TS]

00:34:03   mermaids for rights to water passages [TS]

00:34:05   during the Elizabethan times and [TS]

00:34:06   two-thirds of the earth's surface is [TS]

00:34:08   covered with water why would he need to [TS]

00:34:09   flood Europe because he wants the [TS]

00:34:11   cathedral because he it [TS]

00:34:12   not the considered he was looking for [TS]

00:34:13   the good three wants to make the [TS]

00:34:15   land-dwellers nervous and remind them [TS]

00:34:16   who's in charge i mean it wants to live [TS]

00:34:18   on a mountain top and you just can't do [TS]

00:34:20   that in the ocean [TS]

00:34:21   valentina and it's gonna drive me crazy [TS]

00:34:24   until I remember the name of the author [TS]

00:34:25   of the book but basically in this in the [TS]

00:34:26   science-fiction book i read the mermaids [TS]

00:34:28   quickly realized that they basically [TS]

00:34:29   controlled all of the waterways in the [TS]

00:34:31   world if the landowners want to get [TS]

00:34:32   anything done [TS]

00:34:33   they're going to have to go through the [TS]

00:34:34   mermaids and so the mermaids based [TS]

00:34:36   mermaids [TS]

00:34:37   yeah they started in Venice and then [TS]

00:34:40   moved out and were like alright if you [TS]

00:34:41   people want to ever leave your country's [TS]

00:34:43   again you're gonna have to guess what we [TS]

00:34:45   want whenever we want it a lot of the [TS]

00:34:46   Fighting's over Great Britain which is [TS]

00:34:48   you know it's an island so so let me ask [TS]

00:34:50   you [TS]

00:34:51   mermaids aside as did these work to [TS]

00:34:54   these reboots work is this is this a is [TS]

00:34:57   this a if the story idea is it okay if [TS]

00:34:59   we view it as a temporary fix and accept [TS]

00:35:02   that it's not a comfortable and if the [TS]

00:35:03   stories are good it's days if the [TS]

00:35:05   stories are good they'll pretty quickly [TS]

00:35:07   fade back like the one year later they [TS]

00:35:09   did a couple years ago now where the [TS]

00:35:12   entire universe jumped forward one year [TS]

00:35:13   and it was like starting over kind of [TS]

00:35:15   gas because i had been buying a whole [TS]

00:35:17   lot of times before that and then they [TS]

00:35:19   started in with oh and now we're going [TS]

00:35:20   to fix everything and I thought I'm [TS]

00:35:22   gonna fix myself but it's marble that [TS]

00:35:24   that's why i've been following [TS]

00:35:26   flashpoint either a both of these big [TS]

00:35:28   companies as soon as I see some sort of [TS]

00:35:30   custom logo on the top of more than [TS]

00:35:32   three comics at a time [TS]

00:35:34   I'm not judging I'm just simply saying [TS]

00:35:36   that as a consumer making the decision [TS]

00:35:38   that I'm probably not going to enjoy [TS]

00:35:39   reading this yeah i've been reading the [TS]

00:35:40   ultimate spider-man arc that's the death [TS]

00:35:42   of Spiderman which has gotta love those [TS]

00:35:43   attached to it everywhere and first off [TS]

00:35:45   it's either a cheat or you have [TS]

00:35:47   telegraphed whole story so you failed [TS]

00:35:49   either way with it [TS]

00:35:50   well done face but and of course yes [TS]

00:35:52   that that they already killed him once [TS]

00:35:54   and he didn't die and now they're going [TS]

00:35:56   to kill himself him again and I assume [TS]

00:35:58   again he won't actually die they'll just [TS]

00:35:59   have a different spider-man and then [TS]

00:36:01   we'll come back later and I think that's [TS]

00:36:03   what that's what it looks like so funny [TS]

00:36:04   that people making such a big deal out [TS]

00:36:05   of it because you can either do the the [TS]

00:36:08   actual number one remember everything [TS]

00:36:10   reboot or you can do the status quo [TS]

00:36:12   which is the non stop rolling reboots [TS]

00:36:15   where there's cotton there things that [TS]

00:36:17   happen but two years later either it has [TS]

00:36:19   been explicitly undone where you know [TS]

00:36:22   but I think with them [TS]

00:36:24   little boy did they have guts and my [TS]

00:36:26   guts I'm used i'm replacing that for the [TS]

00:36:28   word that they should actually really is [TS]

00:36:30   yeah where they said no captain [TS]

00:36:32   america's real dead really dead you see [TS]

00:36:34   is the body he's an old man that's all [TS]

00:36:37   desiccated and look we're burying the [TS]

00:36:39   book and other stuff was showing you how [TS]

00:36:41   can we be showing you the stuff we was [TS]

00:36:43   really dead and of course [TS]

00:36:44   meanwhile there's a whiteboard somewhere [TS]

00:36:46   in marble saying okay here's why he [TS]

00:36:47   wasn't really yeah it's like eight years [TS]

00:36:50   that here's the date in the issue which [TS]

00:36:51   were bringing him back or or once again [TS]

00:36:53   you do the selective let's just forget [TS]

00:36:55   the j martins reasons he's running [TS]

00:36:57   spider-man everything I really hate [TS]

00:36:58   about the rolling reboots is they always [TS]

00:37:01   give you an opportunity later when they [TS]

00:37:02   decided some character needs to be [TS]

00:37:04   broken are promoted then they get their [TS]

00:37:05   little five-issue miniseries where they [TS]

00:37:07   like spend six or seven panels just be [TS]

00:37:09   moaning all of the different continuity [TS]

00:37:11   glitches they've had to experience the [TS]

00:37:13   last 20 years [TS]

00:37:14   yeah i would prefer like a series of [TS]

00:37:17   like miniseries and another series that [TS]

00:37:19   are our exist all on their own and their [TS]

00:37:22   own continuity and have a throw the [TS]

00:37:23   other characters in but they're not [TS]

00:37:25   actually tied like it used to be back in [TS]

00:37:27   the in the old days that's that's one of [TS]

00:37:29   things i always loved about DC they [TS]

00:37:30   weren't afraid to say if they have an [TS]

00:37:32   opportunity to have met Wagner do a [TS]

00:37:34   Batman Grendel crossover they didn't [TS]

00:37:36   spend a lot of time worrying about well [TS]

00:37:38   but where does this appear in continuity [TS]

00:37:40   does this happen every killing joke or [TS]

00:37:42   after killing joke they said no we'll [TS]

00:37:44   just doing looking for stories [TS]

00:37:45   oh wait matt says he really wants to [TS]

00:37:47   have it happen and then y Mar Germany ok [TS]

00:37:50   will slap in all sports logo on if we [TS]

00:37:51   can have it happen by Margaret who cares [TS]

00:37:53   it's a good story just great just what I [TS]

00:37:55   read ya in like that captain america [TS]

00:37:57   story brought up which I remember [TS]

00:37:59   ridiculing when they first announced it [TS]

00:38:01   and ended up being actually specifically [TS]

00:38:04   a good story that lasted for like two [TS]

00:38:06   and a half years and Brubaker's a good [TS]

00:38:08   writer and and the Bucky the Bucky [TS]

00:38:10   Winter Soldier stuff well i thought was [TS]

00:38:12   an interesting kind of almost a [TS]

00:38:13   Redemption kind of Arc it was it was a [TS]

00:38:15   good story it wasn't just a publicity [TS]

00:38:16   stunt right which is great when we add [TS]

00:38:18   to the beginning is it can be both they [TS]

00:38:20   can be before it can be one man I i [TS]

00:38:22   think it will go down as I i I've been [TS]

00:38:25   reading comics for a long time now but [TS]

00:38:28   my habits have changed over the years [TS]

00:38:30   from like buying every issue of my [TS]

00:38:32   favorite titles and being a fan of X [TS]

00:38:34   some kind of hand of the medium [TS]

00:38:36   now and i will read the good story arc [TS]

00:38:39   here and then not read that title again [TS]

00:38:42   because you know they go from good story [TS]

00:38:44   arcs to crap and I'll get the hard [TS]

00:38:47   covers or trade paperbacks of those good [TS]

00:38:49   story arcs into me that's now the [TS]

00:38:51   character not all that stuff that [TS]

00:38:53   happens in between good story arcs that [TS]

00:38:55   could put in those trade paperbacks that [TS]

00:38:57   are there year after year after year [TS]

00:38:59   after year right with with the added [TS]

00:39:01   continuity housecleaning that has to [TS]

00:39:03   happen in order to extend to explain [TS]

00:39:05   things instead of just telling story in [TS]

00:39:06   a lot of ways i'm not even aware of that [TS]

00:39:07   anyone would we be better off would end [TS]

00:39:10   with the comics industry be better off [TS]

00:39:11   if Marvel or DC said here's what we're [TS]

00:39:14   going to do every four years [TS]

00:39:17   we're gonna we're gonna reboot right [TS]

00:39:21   just say it just say we're gonna do like [TS]

00:39:22   TV seasons we're going to do for years [TS]

00:39:24   and they're going to be natural [TS]

00:39:26   endpoints and then we're going to tell [TS]

00:39:28   more stories or would they be better off [TS]

00:39:30   doing what their because I'd is the [TS]

00:39:32   reception to the rolling reboot know [TS]

00:39:34   I've always I've always thought that the [TS]

00:39:36   the whole idea of having 600 issues of a [TS]

00:39:39   series is just so 19 what's a soap opera [TS]

00:39:42   rice that is just don't need I think [TS]

00:39:44   they should simply saying we all know [TS]

00:39:45   who the Fantastic Four are we know who [TS]

00:39:47   Superman is you don't have to start a [TS]

00:39:49   new series with a one-page recap of the [TS]

00:39:51   origin just simply say we've got a story [TS]

00:39:54   about the Fantastic Four that will take [TS]

00:39:55   up 12 issues and so we're just going to [TS]

00:39:58   have this story that text artificial [TS]

00:40:00   number one ends with this number 12 and [TS]

00:40:02   we can know what we can have four [TS]

00:40:03   different fantastic four stories going [TS]

00:40:05   at the same time it seems like we're [TS]

00:40:06   treating continuity like a liability [TS]

00:40:07   here though but it it in some ways [TS]

00:40:10   continuity for the buying habits of the [TS]

00:40:12   the world today is a liability [TS]

00:40:15   it's also what's kept fans coming back [TS]

00:40:17   for so long because there's that soap [TS]

00:40:18   opera quality and you get invested in [TS]

00:40:20   the lives but the idea of a good story [TS]

00:40:23   is a good story like Batman by gag but [TS]

00:40:25   was a Gotham by Gaslight which was later [TS]

00:40:28   it was in elseworld before they came up [TS]

00:40:30   with the term elseworlds it was just a [TS]

00:40:32   good story of a batman vs jack the [TS]

00:40:35   ripper story and we want to read that [TS]

00:40:38   drawn by mike mignola it was beautiful [TS]

00:40:41   and amazing and you know who carried it [TS]

00:40:43   who cares where ties in anything it just [TS]

00:40:45   standalone story really good little game [TS]

00:40:48   into that I'm [TS]

00:40:49   whatever happened to the Caped Crusader [TS]

00:40:50   that was the following that sort of [TS]

00:40:52   whatever and emmanuel wright and it was [TS]

00:40:55   it was literally outside of all [TS]

00:40:57   continuity because it was sort of [TS]

00:40:58   various Batman throughout time who had [TS]

00:41:00   died in different continuities and they [TS]

00:41:02   had all come together and it was yes it [TS]

00:41:04   was met I was a story about the stories [TS]

00:41:06   but it was a great story just like neil [TS]

00:41:09   gaiman Zhan 1602 was a great story and [TS]

00:41:14   it was it was aggressively not set in [TS]

00:41:16   continuity but it didn't matter and I [TS]

00:41:18   wasn't even not to comment at the end [TS]

00:41:20   because they're like oh it's in a bottle [TS]

00:41:21   you know yeah he's right this bottle so [TS]

00:41:23   it doesn't screw thread right right but [TS]

00:41:24   it was but as a story was just you know [TS]

00:41:26   who cares why it is the way it is and [TS]

00:41:29   you know I think maybe that's what DC [TS]

00:41:30   was trying with those with the [TS]

00:41:32   Straczynski Superman book was just sort [TS]

00:41:35   of say can we just tell stories and not [TS]

00:41:37   worry about universe building i think [TS]

00:41:39   those so much of their business is based [TS]

00:41:41   on having this either woven series of [TS]

00:41:44   titles that they can interrelate and [TS]

00:41:46   create events on that in a minute but [TS]

00:41:48   maybe this is the progression of the [TS]

00:41:49   comic industry that at some point we're [TS]

00:41:51   going to come out of this with a very [TS]

00:41:53   different mechanism for publishing [TS]

00:41:55   stories that doesn't involve this kind [TS]

00:41:57   of level of red web of continuity as it [TS]

00:41:59   does it go from that see realized [TS]

00:42:01   monthly pamphlet to every couple of [TS]

00:42:03   months you get a much bigger sort of [TS]

00:42:05   novel that has a beginning middle and [TS]

00:42:06   end of some comic story and it's all by [TS]

00:42:09   itself like a movie so Andy what it is [TS]

00:42:12   they're still on appeal to the kind of [TS]

00:42:14   interrelated web of a comic book [TS]

00:42:16   universe with characters crossing over [TS]

00:42:18   and things like that or is it something [TS]

00:42:20   that is kind of past it's past its prime [TS]

00:42:24   I think that ye there's nothing [TS]

00:42:27   inherently wrong with it it just has to [TS]

00:42:29   be done very very well it's it's superb [TS]

00:42:31   when you're doing this if you're if [TS]

00:42:32   you're writing a story and just for the [TS]

00:42:35   writers point of view and you just need [TS]

00:42:36   something to happen and it's not really [TS]

00:42:38   important that this character the [TS]

00:42:40   difficulties that you're not telling the [TS]

00:42:42   story of how did this character happened [TS]

00:42:44   to get passage between planet earth and [TS]

00:42:46   this other planet that he's just [TS]

00:42:47   hypothesized exist you really just want [TS]

00:42:50   to get to this other planets you move [TS]

00:42:51   the story forward the same reason why [TS]

00:42:53   Gene Roddenberry did invented the [TS]

00:42:54   transport because he doesn't want to [TS]

00:42:56   simply say and now they jumped the [TS]

00:42:57   transporter and boom there the planet's [TS]

00:42:59   surface and we continue the story [TS]

00:43:01   when you have a shared universe you can [TS]

00:43:02   simply say let me call Reed Richards let [TS]

00:43:04   me see if he'll let me shuttlecraft so i [TS]

00:43:05   can actually try to look at this and [TS]

00:43:07   then panel number two you're into the [TS]

00:43:08   story so that's the sort of place where [TS]

00:43:10   the sort of shared universes can be done [TS]

00:43:13   really well [TS]

00:43:13   also we've all we've all been in [TS]

00:43:15   situations where we thought well gee how [TS]

00:43:16   come what kind of story would you have [TS]

00:43:18   if Jesus the the valid from PG Wodehouse [TS]

00:43:22   stories teamed up with Batman he that [TS]

00:43:25   it's not a set of being instead of being [TS]

00:43:26   Alfred it's actually jeans or jeans and [TS]

00:43:29   thora Batman has to stop Batman has to [TS]

00:43:32   solve a mystery of a murder that happens [TS]

00:43:34   at Blandings castle all these characters [TS]

00:43:36   that you it'sit's not that you want to [TS]

00:43:38   do the stupid phantom mashup ok so if [TS]

00:43:40   Superman fuck captain america now let's [TS]

00:43:43   say that Wonder Woman communities last [TS]

00:43:44   so but if if you actually start thinking [TS]

00:43:46   of these are two interesting characters [TS]

00:43:48   that who that really play off each other [TS]

00:43:51   I thought that well when you leverage [TS]

00:43:53   that really really effectively you can [TS]

00:43:55   wind up with something like the Trinity [TS]

00:43:57   that DC wound up with when they when [TS]

00:44:00   they decided to simply treat Wonder [TS]

00:44:02   Woman Batman and Superman as the hub of [TS]

00:44:04   their entire universe where these are [TS]

00:44:06   the guys these are the Mount Rushmore of [TS]

00:44:08   their universe where when wonder woman [TS]

00:44:10   gets involved things get real and when [TS]

00:44:13   you have Batman and Superman yeah [TS]

00:44:16   seriously with it when you get because [TS]

00:44:18   one room that one woman is the Wonder [TS]

00:44:20   Woman is the person who's not talking [TS]

00:44:21   about of it she might even she might [TS]

00:44:22   even say I'm giving you an opportunity [TS]

00:44:24   to I forgive you for all the sins you [TS]

00:44:27   feel that you've transformed as grass in [TS]

00:44:28   the past two years [TS]

00:44:30   come let us sit together let's break [TS]

00:44:31   bread and then you don't do that okay [TS]

00:44:33   well i guess i'm just going to twist [TS]

00:44:34   your head [TS]

00:44:35   well 270 degrees from the front of your [TS]

00:44:37   body and you'll simply be dead because [TS]

00:44:38   unfortunately that's the only solution [TS]

00:44:40   to the problem goodnight [TS]

00:44:42   it is fun to play and and have good [TS]

00:44:44   writers plan those kind of universes [TS]

00:44:45   it's just got this huge downside which [TS]

00:44:47   is over time you accumulate continuity [TS]

00:44:49   and you gotta blow it out any clutter [TS]

00:44:51   and and you need to do with DC has done [TS]

00:44:53   in the past which I really am an [TS]

00:44:55   opponent of which is the we're going to [TS]

00:44:56   create a multiverse crisis where we're [TS]

00:45:00   going to whole stories that are about [TS]

00:45:01   continuity or yeah full credit to them [TS]

00:45:05   you can just say you know what we're [TS]

00:45:07   going to just reboot now and and we're [TS]

00:45:08   just not work that's it we're not going [TS]

00:45:10   to explain [TS]

00:45:11   well except there's flashpoint [TS]

00:45:12   apparently we're just going to do it and [TS]

00:45:14   what [TS]

00:45:14   draw a line will do that for a while [TS]

00:45:16   until it clutters up again and we'll [TS]

00:45:17   figure out what to do then you know [TS]

00:45:20   maybe everybody should do that maybe [TS]

00:45:21   Marvel should should do that too [TS]

00:45:23   although I guess Marvel did and it just [TS]

00:45:25   did they just couldn't get rid of the [TS]

00:45:27   old thing [TS]

00:45:28   part of the problem the opening hours a [TS]

00:45:29   lot of ways is the only thing is a lot [TS]

00:45:31   at what they did they gradually kind of [TS]

00:45:33   pushed the the current marvel to be so [TS]

00:45:35   much like ultimate that it doesn't [TS]

00:45:36   really matter didn't we talk about how [TS]

00:45:37   one of the problems in the Ultimate [TS]

00:45:39   Universe was after a while it protects [TS]

00:45:40   my head writers that were really big on [TS]

00:45:42   introducing stuff from continuity that's [TS]

00:45:44   always been the problem and I think the [TS]

00:45:46   DC is going to face that 10-20 reggie [TS]

00:45:48   old stories are not as much as like [TS]

00:45:50   Robert Kirkman I really didn't like his [TS]

00:45:52   run on ultimate x-men because he was [TS]

00:45:54   responsible for bringing back in some of [TS]

00:45:56   the some of the the continuity elements [TS]

00:45:58   especially from these are the days of [TS]

00:45:59   future past remake yeah and yeah and it [TS]

00:46:02   was a disaster eight stories [TS]

00:46:04   yeah the original anyway yes yeah but I [TS]

00:46:07   i think part of the problem is you do [TS]

00:46:08   have writers who cherish continuity [TS]

00:46:11   because they do admire the clever [TS]

00:46:12   storytelling twister the way people [TS]

00:46:14   write themselves running out of corners [TS]

00:46:16   this is actually my problems with the [TS]

00:46:18   kingdom come [TS]

00:46:20   is I think it kind i think it's kind of [TS]

00:46:21   a gateway drug to continuity overdose [TS]

00:46:23   continuity poor yeah exactly right get [TS]

00:46:26   your very end as a writer I'm sure this [TS]

00:46:29   person is very very proud but I have to [TS]

00:46:30   find an elevator with the meta comic-con [TS]

00:46:32   and I've got two minutes to say [TS]

00:46:33   something to them i have to say you know [TS]

00:46:35   what [TS]

00:46:35   actually I've never wondered about what [TS]

00:46:38   was going through the mind of that guy [TS]

00:46:39   in the cover of action comics when he [TS]

00:46:40   was pointing at Superman lifting up a [TS]

00:46:42   car that's really never occurred to me [TS]

00:46:44   i'm actually marched in the guy the Cape [TS]

00:46:46   whose lifting up the car [TS]

00:46:47   although again ten bucks to you for for [TS]

00:46:50   creative thinking I'm just not [TS]

00:46:51   interested in that I think you've just [TS]

00:46:53   been to play marbles with that because [TS]

00:46:56   that was the whole point tomorrow yeah [TS]

00:46:57   wow look at that whereas the whole point [TS]

00:46:59   to kingdom come was hey you know the [TS]

00:47:01   approximately 1 million DC characters we [TS]

00:47:03   have what if they'll fight each other to [TS]

00:47:04   take Superman waiting to tell them the [TS]

00:47:06   Rockets people i don't understand any of [TS]

00:47:08   your DC continuity it it scares me and [TS]

00:47:10   frightens me and I run away and I like [TS]

00:47:12   kingdom come [TS]

00:47:13   so i guess i was looking at the top [TS]

00:47:14   level what was it limits to what if we [TS]

00:47:16   just missed Allah gize at all and make [TS]

00:47:18   it about the Trinity basically and we [TS]

00:47:20   and and it's got an ending look [TS]

00:47:21   Kingdom Come Dine story but at the same [TS]

00:47:23   time kingdom come also has you can print [TS]

00:47:25   out like somewhere close to 40 pages of [TS]

00:47:27   annotations I've seen that it's but i [TS]

00:47:29   think i had them in a binder at one [TS]

00:47:30   point and the locket and and my thing is [TS]

00:47:33   a lot of people took away from Kingdom [TS]

00:47:34   Come was not hey this is a great start [TS]

00:47:36   but rather people only love it when they [TS]

00:47:38   know the in Jets that's what happened to [TS]

00:47:40   the newsboy Legion look in the back of [TS]

00:47:41   the bar you see they see that guy with [TS]

00:47:43   the weird bowtie that's actually when [TS]

00:47:45   they had salmon with the heads and Jana [TS]

00:47:48   as the waiters in the scene in the dive [TS]

00:47:50   bar for superheroes are supposed to be [TS]

00:47:51   alright if the Wonder Twins it's I like [TS]

00:47:54   it when stories can work on several [TS]

00:47:55   levels like if you had no idea who any [TS]

00:47:57   of those characters are you can still [TS]

00:47:58   read it and there's a great story i did [TS]

00:47:59   and if you do know then there's all [TS]

00:48:01   these in jokes and you any problem is [TS]

00:48:02   when it becomes about the conduit had [TS]

00:48:04   not already tells is when you're good at [TS]

00:48:07   the storytelling you can do anything [TS]

00:48:08   when you're not very good at the [TS]

00:48:09   storytelling your life but look at me i [TS]

00:48:10   have a grasp of continuity cough which [TS]

00:48:12   brings us back around to one of the [TS]

00:48:15   original questions which is is this a [TS]

00:48:17   stunt is it you know is it a good idea [TS]

00:48:19   is gonna work and I sounds like what [TS]

00:48:23   we're saying is look it's gonna stand or [TS]

00:48:25   fall based on the stories they tell ya [TS]

00:48:27   but I keep coming back to the idea that [TS]

00:48:29   it is really a Tetris it is if you [TS]

00:48:30   dropped they dropped this one block this [TS]

00:48:32   awful lot of problems one problem 11 [TS]

00:48:34   problem being is that they're facing a [TS]

00:48:36   lot of problems with intellectual [TS]

00:48:37   property remember that they lost the [TS]

00:48:39   million ways to appeal to retain all the [TS]

00:48:41   right Superman in which essentially the [TS]

00:48:44   right Superman are now split everything [TS]

00:48:46   that siegel and shuster brought to DC [TS]

00:48:48   that they had already created belongs to [TS]

00:48:51   the estate everything that that DC [TS]

00:48:54   Comics added later on which is ninety [TS]

00:48:56   percent of the of the game belongs to [TS]

00:48:58   them realize that this is an opportunity [TS]

00:49:00   for them to go through every every [TS]

00:49:02   character they have that's more than 40 [TS]

00:49:04   50 years old and say let's make sure [TS]

00:49:05   that in this universe new universe our [TS]

00:49:07   ownership of these characters is [TS]

00:49:09   airtight and so that you can better [TS]

00:49:10   believe that that the that anything that [TS]

00:49:13   is that's in the new Superman is not [TS]

00:49:15   going to have any relationship to the [TS]

00:49:17   proposal that was brought to them all [TS]

00:49:19   those years well understanding is an [TS]

00:49:21   additive that they own the rights to [TS]

00:49:23   this simplistic that the siegel and [TS]

00:49:24   shuster states over on the rights to [TS]

00:49:26   some sort of simplistic Superman that [TS]

00:49:28   was in the first issue of Superman who [TS]

00:49:30   couldn't fly and so they could to did do [TS]

00:49:32   a Superman but it would be that costume [TS]

00:49:34   and that [TS]

00:49:35   committed set because then DC owns the [TS]

00:49:37   guy who can fly and the different [TS]

00:49:39   k designs of the different suits and all [TS]

00:49:41   that but it is an interesting point i [TS]

00:49:43   would not I would not put it past them [TS]

00:49:45   that they've got you know a team of [TS]

00:49:47   lawyers said here's what we're gonna do [TS]

00:49:49   with this reboot but I was talking about [TS]

00:49:51   talk to someone last yesterday at my [TS]

00:49:53   local comic shop around is it looking in [TS]

00:49:55   there wasn't anyone around you but my [TS]

00:49:58   far one is still my local 121 this [TS]

00:50:01   nearby that geographically nearby it is [TS]

00:50:04   dead to me it isn't it is an arson fire [TS]

00:50:06   no serious i do i do still drive like [TS]

00:50:09   all the way to that store twice a month [TS]

00:50:11   because that's the place at restaurant [TS]

00:50:13   by and what that person say well they [TS]

00:50:15   they actually had some the details of [TS]

00:50:17   the case where they're saying that [TS]

00:50:18   whatever DC has to do to make sure that [TS]

00:50:21   they're not infringing on on the [TS]

00:50:23   seagulls of the the state's copyrights [TS]

00:50:25   they have to do it sometime in the next [TS]

00:50:26   year so his idea was that this gave them [TS]

00:50:29   and I this will give DC and I an [TS]

00:50:32   opportunity to have to put new coke on [TS]

00:50:35   the market for six or seven or eight [TS]

00:50:36   months see if that takes off and if that [TS]

00:50:39   and if they when they look at where they [TS]

00:50:42   are in six months they decide that you [TS]

00:50:44   know what everybody has accepted this [TS]

00:50:45   new version of superman we don't have to [TS]

00:50:47   strike any sort of new agreement with [TS]

00:50:49   with the estate we can simply say take [TS]

00:50:52   your take the five words that that that [TS]

00:50:55   you're showing us over and keep them [TS]

00:50:57   because we built a brand new Superman [TS]

00:50:59   that doesn't get we're not gonna pay you [TS]

00:51:00   a dollar for anything except that [TS]

00:51:02   argument breaks down when you look at [TS]

00:51:03   the entire backlog which is still on [TS]

00:51:05   sale like the all of the Superman trade [TS]

00:51:08   paperbacks and all of the program change [TS]

00:51:10   thing so i don't really buy it's [TS]

00:51:12   motivating factor of the University care [TS]

00:51:14   that it's I don't think they're suing [TS]

00:51:17   for percentage of a percentage of the [TS]

00:51:20   other the trade paperback publishing [TS]

00:51:22   remember that most of the stuff that's [TS]

00:51:24   already in print is now pulp there's [TS]

00:51:26   very little that's still in print [TS]

00:51:27   they mostly care about what happens when [TS]

00:51:29   someone when someone wants to give a [TS]

00:51:30   million dollars for Superman Slurpee [TS]

00:51:32   machine do they have to now give a [TS]

00:51:34   cutback as you have to give a half a [TS]

00:51:37   point or two points or whatever money [TS]

00:51:38   money to make on it to the state [TS]

00:51:40   well how about a Superman movie that [TS]

00:51:41   hopefully will make two three four five [TS]

00:51:43   thousand dollars do they have to give a [TS]

00:51:45   couple points of these facts have the [TS]

00:51:46   lex luthor lemon [TS]

00:51:48   slurping will be tasty so last thing [TS]

00:51:52   before we go is to gauge I'm just gonna [TS]

00:51:55   go around the room here and gauge your [TS]

00:51:57   level of optimism or pessimism about how [TS]

00:52:02   this will come off [TS]

00:52:03   Lisa I'm utterly neutral utterly neutral [TS]

00:52:07   that's a Dungeons and Dragons alignment [TS]

00:52:08   I hadn't heard before [TS]

00:52:09   no it's in the middle but it's neither [TS]

00:52:12   it's night neither good nor evil it is [TS]

00:52:14   utterly neutral [TS]

00:52:15   yeah so are you gonna are you gonna buy [TS]

00:52:17   stuff are you going to try it out or you [TS]

00:52:19   just got talent i'm a wander into the [TS]

00:52:22   store and see what a couple issues [TS]

00:52:25   issues one look like but at this point I [TS]

00:52:28   don't buy single issue so I'm gonna wait [TS]

00:52:30   and see [TS]

00:52:31   I'm gonna wait and see wait for the buzz [TS]

00:52:33   about one of the good ones that you [TS]

00:52:34   should pick up in a trade [TS]

00:52:35   yeah i'm gonna i'm curious if you have [TS]

00:52:37   this background thing shakes out just [TS]

00:52:38   because I was very fond of the Oracle [TS]

00:52:40   character and Barbara Gordon and I want [TS]

00:52:42   to see how Gail Simone what she keeps [TS]

00:52:44   from from that character and and what [TS]

00:52:47   she does to change it and i also want to [TS]

00:52:49   see how this whole expanded that family [TS]

00:52:51   thing works out because my understanding [TS]

00:52:52   from the titles have come out so far is [TS]

00:52:54   we're going to have both of Batgirl and [TS]

00:52:56   that woman and a black batman really [TS]

00:52:59   that's good you know that's my dream [TS]

00:53:01   moving right i mean it's it's his name [TS]

00:53:03   is batwing [TS]

00:53:04   oh and he's black maybe the black batman [TS]

00:53:07   movie will finally come to pass [TS]

00:53:09   Don she was not too little Don Cheadle [TS]

00:53:12   still available yes that's a big black [TS]

00:53:14   batman or batwing IC was mocking all the [TS]

00:53:16   interns only owns a strong consistent [TS]

00:53:18   content there is no game that is better [TS]

00:53:20   than casting imaginary cat comic book [TS]

00:53:22   movies based on existing actors Jason [TS]

00:53:24   what do you think optimistic pessimistic [TS]

00:53:27   going to try it out i'm optimistic I you [TS]

00:53:29   know there's enough there that's got my [TS]

00:53:30   interest which is the whole what they're [TS]

00:53:32   going for the the fact they're bringing [TS]

00:53:34   in the wild storm characters into the DC [TS]

00:53:37   and there's like a new storm watch title [TS]

00:53:39   but Martian Manhunter is a character on [TS]

00:53:41   storm watch see i really look forward to [TS]

00:53:43   seeing how he's going to work with that [TS]

00:53:44   crew because they know it's just [TS]

00:53:46   and.and for me and they're bringing all [TS]

00:53:48   the vertical characters into the DC [TS]

00:53:50   universe which no John Constantine shade [TS]

00:53:54   the changing man or doing like a dark [TS]

00:53:55   justice league right there in the dark [TS]

00:53:57   Justice League and for since vertigo had [TS]

00:53:59   been outside the DC Universe for so long [TS]

00:54:01   and they told all those kind of stories [TS]

00:54:02   it's time to tell the stories now John [TS]

00:54:05   Constantine facing off with Superman you [TS]

00:54:07   know why not we haven't had those [TS]

00:54:09   stories in a couple of decades [TS]

00:54:10   let's tell them to give it a go yeah [TS]

00:54:12   Andy what do you think [TS]

00:54:15   oddly enough I don't think that might [TS]

00:54:16   have but you can be changed at all [TS]

00:54:17   because i find that often i I'm rarely [TS]

00:54:22   following specific characters i'm [TS]

00:54:24   usually following specific creators Gail [TS]

00:54:26   Simone whose name isn't popping up the [TS]

00:54:28   tenth time during this conversation is [TS]

00:54:30   on that list of her name is on it i'm [TS]

00:54:31   buying it so I so I'm definitely buying [TS]

00:54:34   the new bad girl [TS]

00:54:35   maybe I like it maybe I won't it's a [TS]

00:54:37   little bit off-putting only because if i [TS]

00:54:40   were to make a list of all the comics [TS]

00:54:42   that I by month and month out there [TS]

00:54:44   certainly maybe 45 DC comics on that [TS]

00:54:46   list and I just know that when they do [TS]

00:54:48   this reboot it moves off of the [TS]

00:54:50   automatic by list and now moves into the [TS]

00:54:53   well let's pick up and let's pick up an [TS]

00:54:55   issue off the stand and leave through it [TS]

00:54:56   if I like it as usual what's going to [TS]

00:54:58   drive me to a specific book isn't going [TS]

00:55:02   to be allegiance to a character or even [TS]

00:55:04   allegiance to a publisher is going to be [TS]

00:55:05   that I was online and so and enough [TS]

00:55:07   people have talked up this storyline [TS]

00:55:09   that I want to check it out man willing [TS]

00:55:10   to gamble 299 were enough people whose [TS]

00:55:12   tastes and opinions you trust because [TS]

00:55:15   they haven't steered you wrong [TS]

00:55:17   yup pretty much so what I'll say is that [TS]

00:55:20   as somebody who has bought a very few DC [TS]

00:55:23   Comics over the years i'm intrigued by [TS]

00:55:25   it i like some of the DC characters I've [TS]

00:55:28   always felt totally crushed by the [TS]

00:55:29   continuity because I don't know it and I [TS]

00:55:31   don't really want to invest the time to [TS]

00:55:33   do it but I'm buying a lot of stuff [TS]

00:55:35   digitally so for me the digital day and [TS]

00:55:37   a thing and the fact that they're [TS]

00:55:39   rebooting with that continuity will [TS]

00:55:41   probably get me to try some stuff and [TS]

00:55:43   especially about characters that you [TS]

00:55:45   intrigue me or who have always [TS]

00:55:46   interested me but I didn't want to get [TS]

00:55:48   into the crushing backstory so you know [TS]

00:55:50   maybe for somebody like me [TS]

00:55:52   it'll be a good thing for them I'm i [TS]

00:55:54   don't know how many people there are [TS]

00:55:56   like me but yeah I think it's worth a [TS]

00:55:58   shot [TS]

00:55:59   so for me I'm kind of interested in it [TS]

00:56:01   so anyway I guess we'll have to [TS]

00:56:05   reconvene at some point and see how it [TS]

00:56:06   all [TS]

00:56:07   check out and we'll do one of those out [TS]

00:56:09   what went wrong blood is after after we [TS]

00:56:12   see exactly what went wrong but until [TS]

00:56:15   then [TS]

00:56:15   I want to thank this this particular [TS]

00:56:17   edition and formation of the comic book [TS]

00:56:19   club [TS]

00:56:20   jason reitman thank you for being here [TS]

00:56:21   thanks for having me Lisa Schmeisser [TS]

00:56:23   lovely as always thank you always apply [TS]

00:56:25   there and annika thank you so much for [TS]

00:56:27   joining us I hope we can have you back [TS]

00:56:29   on this podcast at another day to talk [TS]

00:56:31   about other stuff too [TS]

00:56:32   I knew that by not dropping the f-bomb [TS]

00:56:34   even once there's a chance you invited [TS]

00:56:36   back glad that period so until next time [TS]

00:56:39   on the incomparable podcast I'm Jason [TS]

00:56:41   smell that signing off thanks for [TS]

00:56:43   listening [TS]

00:56:44   [Music] [TS]

00:56:48   when you drop the f-bomb we just fire [TS]

00:56:55   off the spoiler horn to cover it up and [TS]

00:56:57   nobody knows the difference today we [TS]

00:56:59   should tell me before him [TS]

00:57:00   well this is easier for me to edit [TS]

00:57:01   because when i talk about what they did [TS]

00:57:04   a spider-man and one more day I gotta [TS]

00:57:06   tell you I can finally keep control of [TS]

00:57:09   my language [TS]

00:57:10   yeah meet party couple everybody until [TS]

00:57:14   I'm not drunk is later on the East Coast [TS]

00:57:19   nice way to treat a guest Jason he's not [TS]

00:57:22   every time the other jason that the [TS]

00:57:24   other thank you [TS]

00:57:25   we gotta keep it straight I like the [TS]

00:57:26   other jason the other chase was 99 oh [TS]

00:57:28   right the good it was good Jason haha [TS]