In a lot of ways, the holidays are about tradition. Everyone’s got ’em. It might be a family latke recipe, or getting together to watch Die Hard, or arranging the Christmas tree ornaments so the cats don’t knock them off the lowest branches. Here at Multiversity, we have an annual tradition of looking at shared comic book universes and politely ask them to do something differently. It’s one part new years resolution, one part gift giving- to us, every one!
Today we are looking at the most venerable of publishers, Detective Comics Comics, or DC Comics if you’re a normal person. Our staff loves DC characters, and we love DC stories, but there was a certain intangible feeling we were looking for, a special something that was missing. Through our suggestions, we try to get to the bottom of it, and we figure out what we’d love to see from DC in the new year.
Keep the Line Paired Down
This is specifically in reference to the core, main-line titles. I’ve been loving how focused the DC line has felt this year. It’s easy to keep track of and things that happen in one book actually feel like they have effects on others without overloading them. It’s what I want from a shared universe and by having the more experimental, or spin-off-y books like “The Swamp Thing” or “Shazam” as minis, only publishing a small number of them at a time AND keeping them related to one book or another, they can have their cake and eat it too.
The manageability of the line makes it not feel overwhelming for newcomers, gives old fans the ability to keep up, and there are enough avenues to other titles such that a fan can stick to two or three books a month and not feel like they’re missing out on too much. If 90s comics publishing taught us anything, it’s better to be focused than to be overly bloated. – Elias Rosner
If the line will stay small, let the casts continue to grow
Elias brings up a good point about the DC line feeling manageable right now. It does, and it’s a nice change to how DC has sometimes operated. And yet, we are seeing more and more titles that either contain multiple stories or have larger casts than we’re accustomed to seeing. And so, if the pared down line is here to stay, let the more expansive books stay, too.
Whether it is “Wonder Girl” incorporating Amazonians from all over the world or the upcoming “Aquamen” series being an Atlantean spotlight for a whole host of characters, or “Batman: Urban Legends” being the first bonafide DC anthology in a dog’s age, the line may feel smaller, but the universe feels larger. Don’t stop this. – Brian Salvatore
Highlight a Wider Range of Characters
Now, to DC’s credit, we have gotten a few more comics focusing on characters other than their biggest names. I’m thrilled that Booster Gold and Blue Beetle have a mini-series right now, and “Teen Titans Academy” is bringing in a variety of titans for at least a cameo while adding new characters to the cast. But they have so many more characters to utilize.
As I write this, I’m thinking primarily of the Justice League Unlimited cartoon, and how it would frequently have episodes focusing on select heroes and teams. We got episodes highlighting characters like Huntress, The Question, Wildcat, Mister Miracle – heck, that show was what introduced me to Booster Gold in the first place. And the episodes focusing on lesser-known heroes were some of the best.
So I’d like to see more of that from DC. Don’t get me wrong, Batman is great and all, but how many Batman or Batman-adjacent comics are we getting each week as it is? If you’re a fan of a character without the same level of name recognition, you’re lucky if they get a backup story in another character’s comic. DC has such an amazing range of characters they can pull from, so I’d really like to see more comics highlighting them, even if it’s just spotlight issues. – Robbie Pleasant
Don’t Forget Your International Fans
Continued belowI’m pretty behind on DC these days (to wit, I only read the fantastic “Far Sector” when it released in trade a few weeks ago), and a big reason for that is that the promised international launch of DC Universe Infinite this year just… didn’t happen. As a result, unless it’s an especially distinct series like “Son of Kal-El” (which isn’t coming out in trade until late May), I often wind up forgetting about books I may’ve been interested in checking out closer to when they launched. DC talks a big game about how large their international fanbase is, especially during FanDome, so I hope this apparent delay is just because of COVID and not apathy — either that or make your single market exclusivity window more reasonable. – Christopher Chiu-Tabet
Keep the Anthologies and Backups
I think most of my DC list is going to be stuff I want them to continue to do because DC had a banner year in my eyes. I may not have loved every book – looking at you “Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow” and “Future State: Green Lantern” – but they did a lot of things I really, really enjoyed. Case in point: backups. The backup has always felt like a very DC thing but since the New 52, they only really appeared in a few books here and there. With “Future State,” that changed.
Nearly every title had at least two stories in them, be it multiple full-length features or a main story and a short backup, and I felt the DC universe explode out. This continued, albeit to a lesser extent, once the main universe took back over in March. Minor characters got a chance to shine, storylines and other books got to be teased and set-up, and series like Justice League Dark got to keep going despite no longer having their own title. It also revitalized the Annual in a really interesting way, making them feel meaningful and momentous, rather than just as an extra long regular issue.
Would I have ever cared about Deb Donnovan or Bibbo without them? Probably not but now I want a noir series featuring Deb or a wacky comedy with Jimmy and Bibbo. I likely would have continued to love Ghost Maker but I would not have known how awesome Ricardo López Ortis was. That’s the power of the backup for you. – Elias Rosner
Don’t Let the Youth and Diversity Movement Fade Out
All across the DC line, we are seeing younger, more diverse characters take up the mantles of their more established counterparts: Jonathan Kent as Superman, Jackson Hyde as Aquaman, Jace Fox as Batman, etc. And while the Gabe Eltaebs of the world bitch and moan about it, some damn interesting books are coming out of it. The DC line hasn’t felt this vibrant in quite some time, and even books that haven’t expressly gotten younger feel reinvigorated.
But comics are cyclical things, and regressing to the mean isn’t just possible, it is expected. And so, hear me out, DC: let the youth movement continue. No one is saying that you need to keep Kal-El on Warworld forever, but when he’s back, there’s no reason that Jon can’t continue as Superman, alongside his pop. Batman Incorporated has been a concept for over a decade, but why hasn’t DC ever had an extended period of time with more than one person under the cowl?
Let this continue. Please. – Brian Salvatore
Don’t Forget Kong Kenan
Speaking of under-utilized characters: Kong Kenan, the New Super-Man, has been rarely seen ever since his (frankly amazing) series ended. He’s still around, as seen in the “DC Festival of Heroes,” but he’s not only part of the DC universe, he’s at least Superman-adjacent. There was still so much more that could be done with him and the rest of the Justice League of China from where his series left off, let’s see how they’re all fitting in the current state of DC comics.
With all the ways Superman’s comics are being shaken up, I’d hate for him to be forgotten.
I know, this is pretty similar to my first wish. But that was a general idea, this one is more specific. So I’m counting it as another one. – Robbie Pleasant
Continued belowDon’t Be Afraid to Get Weird and Dark AND Goofy and Fun
Some of my favorite DC books are their weird and/or dark books. “Animal Man,” “Gotham Central,” “Gotham by Midnight,” “Batwoman,” “Cave Carson Has a Cybernetic Eye,” “Dial H” (New 52) and “Dial H for Hero” (Wonder Comics,) anything drawn by Kelley Jones. I want to see more of these because this is my selfish list and also because I think it captures a market Marvel just doesn’t grab. It’s harder to compete with indies like Image but DC weird and dark is it’s own special brand that I think really could use a comeback.
But that doesn’t mean I want it all to be spooky and strange! Some of the best books of the Rebirth era were fun and bright and sometimes bonkers. Anything by Gene Luen Yang, but particularly “New Super-Man,” was lively and wonderful. “Wonder Twins” brought a smile to my face each month. “Johnny Constantine and the Mystery of the Meanest Teacher” is hilarious and brilliant and you all need to read it. Go. Go now.
Where was I? Oh, right. Fun comics.
Comics in general, but DC specifically, have always had a bit of a chip on their shoulder thanks to the comics code. They’re afraid to be unabashedly goofy and silly nowadays without a layer of irony, perhaps reflective of changing ideas of humor, but I think it’s more a reflexive cringe at the Silver age. This manifested in a wholehearted embrace of the grim and gritty and we really haven’t shaken that off too much. I say it’s time to shake it off for some titles across the board and just let your goofballs be goofballs. We’re starting to get it but I hope 2022 sees a much more meaningful embrace. – Elias Rosner
Do a MonsterVerse Crossover
DC owner Warner Bros. distributes Legendary’s Godzilla/Kong movies, and DC have been known to collaborate with old school Gojira license holder IDW on a few Star Trek crossovers, so why the hell not? Have you never imagined Aquaman coming face-to-face with the King of the Monsters underwater? Or how Lex Luthor might exploit a kaiju? Sort out whatever legal red tape there might be, because it could be a perennial bestseller. (Certainly don’t let the Teen Titans Go! creative team beat you to the punch!) – Christopher Chiu-Tabet
Give Tim Sheridan More to Do
The “Teen Titans Academy” and “Shazam” scribe has been nothing short of impressive in his brief time writing comics. And while I want him to keep exploring the teenage part of the DC Universe, I’d also love to see what he does elsewhere. Why not a Lantern title? Justice League? Something in Gotham?
You don’t waste a fresh voice like this and not live to regret it. Let Sheridan shine. – Brian Salvatore
Big Space Stories
I miss the days when DC’s Universe wasn’t so Earth-centric. Geoffrey Thorne and Phillip Kennedy Johnson are doing interesting things in “Green Lantern” and “Action Comics,” respectively, both building off the galactic groundwork laid by Bendis in his Superman run. Let’s get more of that. Let’s do the full United Planets with Green Lantern, Hawkman, Kryptonians, etcs. Let’s bring in the Legion and the L.E.G.I.O.N, let’s get more Lobo, let’s do stuff with the Dominators baybeeeeeee. Let’s get Jonathan HIckman to come do a new “Invasion” series after Bendis and Williamson have finished mining “The Great Darkness Saga.” This is all that I want. – Zachary Wilkerson
Ok, Maybe I Want One More Thing
Bring back Wildstorm, either as its own line or integrate it into the DCU in a lasting meaningful way, and please let it stick this time. We currently have had Grifter, Zealot, Henry Bendix, mention of HALO, and a version of the Authority running around the DCU for a year now. LFG.
And for the sake of cosmic justice, get Ramon Villalobos to work on it in some capacity. – Zachary Wilkerson
Maybe Give Us a Good Future For Once?
When DC announced “Future State,” I was optimistic. It promised legacy heroes stepping up to the plate, and new characters rising to heroism on their own rights. Surely it was going to signal a bright new future for the DC universe, right?
Continued belowAnyways, “Future State” came around and told us that Jon Kent’s Superman screwed up so bad he trapped Metropolis in a jar, the Green Lanterns are depowered, Gotham is basically a police state where the Bat-family is hunted down, and the Justice League can’t even trust each other with their actual names. And don’t even get me started on the Teen Titans and Shazam. Even “Legion of Super-Heroes” got a “Future State” tie-in, even though they’re from the future to begin with, so I guess it was… a future of the future? But their future was awful for everyone as well.
How many bad futures where everything goes wrong are we going to get? For once, can’t we get a look into the future where things are actually improving thanks to the efforts of the characters and the legacies they leave behind? Something to show us that all their work pays off in some way, and while there are still new problems they need to face, it all served a purpose? Or is the future doomed to suck no matter what anyone does, because those are the only stories you can write about?
Just once, show us a future worth fighting for, please? – Robbie Pleasant
Give Jeremy Adams More to Do
Everything I said for Tim Sheridan can also be said for Jeremy Adams who has made his Wally West-focused “The Flash” one of the most fun and vibrant books of the ‘Infinite Frontier’ era. Give this man another title, stat!
(Also, and I hate to be negative, but get his books some better art, too) – Brian Salvatore
Let Tom King Rest
I have yet to read “The Human Target,” which by all accounts is very good and, even if it was trash, it has Greg Smallwood art so that’s to be celebrated. However, the other four, FOUR King books out this year maddened me and it only reinforced this thought: In 2022, let Tom King have a respite.
I, and many here, have a complicated relationship with Tom King’s work and I won’t rehash it. Suffice it to say, I think double-shipping “Batman” while also putting out maxis like “Heroes in Crisis” and “Mister Miracle” did a number on him creatively and he has yet to recover. It really shows in the 2021 books he put out, which varied in quality, though they all LOOK gorgeous. (Again, FOUR monthly books – “Rorschach,” “Strange Adventures” “Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow” and “Batman/Catwoman” – none of which have the consistency of another writer with at least four books a month: Jeff Lemire.)
Please. DC editorial. I’m begging you. Tell Tom to take some time off. Rest up. Recharge. Then he can come back and work on obscure, D-list characters and do the kind of work he’s best at. – Elias Rosner
Continue the Justice League Backups, but Vary the Team
I’ve brought this up on the DC3cast before, but now that Ram V’s “Justice League Dark” story is wrapping up, DC should continue to highlight a secondary JL team in its backups. The obvious next team is the JLQ, Justice League Queer, introduced in a few DC anthologies over the past year. But maybe a revamped Justice League International, or return to the forgotten Justice League Task Force concept. Bring back Dark eventually, but give some of the other Leagues a chance to get the spotlight.
With the line remaining small, it seems unlikely that too many of them will get their own ongoings, so this is one of the only ways to let different teams shine. – Brian Salvatore
Give N. K. Jemisin Carte Blanche on One Series
Jemisin proved she could write smart, action-packed, and fresh comics so it’s time to let her do more. I know she was attached through Gerard Way’s Young Animal but PLEASE give Jemesin another series. I don’t care what. It could be an Ambush Bug series for all I care. Just give her a title and let her run wild. – Elias Rosner
Honestly? Just Keep It Up
The DC line isn’t perfect, and there are a lot of things I would change if I were given Jim Lee’s role. But the last year has seen the overall line’s tone and vision move in really satisfying directions. Even though Warner Bros seems to be focused on these characters as IPs, DC is showing that, at least internally, the comics are what matter. If the focus can stay on the comics, and the influx of new talent continues, I may not have as much to wish for in 2022.
Except for “Shazam” and “Justice Society of America” ongoings. I seemingly will always have to wish for those. – Brian Salvatore
