Are you "All In" on the Future of DC?
Comic Reviews for the week ending 7/21/2024
Good morning, my friend,
This week, DC released information about the Scott Snyder-led Absolute Universe, starting with a special one-shot titled DC All In Special #1. The one-shot details a cataclysmic battle with Darkseid, which ends with creating an alternate universe populated by new versions of familiar characters.
This latest gimmick is a clear attempt by DC to capitalize on Marvel’s past and present success with the Ultimates line. There’s nothing wrong with copying the success of others, but is it really as simple as making an alternate universe?
How and why is the Ultimates line working well for Marvel?
The concept of Earth-6160 and arguably the best title of the series (Ultimate Spider-Man) are both written by Jonathan Hickman.
Ultimate Spider-Man was marketed toward giving One More Day naysayers a return to the Parker family instead of a rinse-and-repeat version of loser/loner Peter Parker.
The Ultimates titles have (so far) remained consistent with their creative teams.
In other words, it’s not enough to create an alternate universe. Ultimates is working because Marvel is leveraging high-caliber storytellers (mostly), consistently available artists, and storylines that appeal to longtime fans.
Is DC taking the same approach?
Scott Snyder is leading the charge with Absolute Batman, the wildly inconsistent Jason Aaron is on Absolute Superman (Meh!), and Kelly Thompson, writer of the frightfully awful Birds of Prey, is on Absolute Wonder Woman (Oh, No!). In short, the storytelling strength is well short of reliable.
The concepts for this new DC Trinity don’t contain enough information to suggest why their Absolute version would be appealing to longtime fans and new readers. “They’re sorta different” isn’t a hook.
There’s no information about how long those writers and their paired artists will be on their respective titles. I’m hearing whispers that some artists already have roll-off plans after the first arc.
To be clear, I want to be excited about the future of DC. It would be great if “All In” was a rallying cry everyone could get behind. But the only consistency DC is showing with this announcement is how bad the company is at marketing effectively and how inept it is at copying Marvel’s success.
What do you think? Am I being a Negative Nelly, or do you agree that this announcement smells like a cheap tactic to copy what Marvel does well (Remember when Zack Snyder tried to copy the MCU with the DCEU? Oy!)?
Leave a comment below to let me know what you think about DC’s All In.
Thanks for joining and Happy Monday!
-Gabe, Publisher & EIC
Next, our Pick of the Week for the most entertaining comic is…
Pick of the Week - Ain't No Grave #3
Good afternoon, My Friend, Our pick of the week falls in with our traditionally written reviews, and it’s a banger. Check out Ain’t No Grave #3 as the retired outlaw Ryder continues her fantastical quest to confront Death before a terminal illness takes her to the Great Beyond.
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Now, let’s get on to this week’s reviews (and a little catch-up)
KILL ALL IMMORTALS #1 – New Comic Review
GUN HONEY: COLLISION COURSE #3 – New Comic Review
[Pick of the Week] AIN’T NO GRAVE #3 – New Comic Review
THUNDERCATS #6 – New Comic Review
G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO #308 – New Comic Review
WITCHBLADE #1 – New Comic Review
ELRIC THE NECROMANCER #1 – New Comic Review
Ultimate X-Men #5 Comic Review
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Conan the Barbarian #13 (Titan Comics)
Army of Darkness Forever #10 (Dynamite Comics)
Man Goat & The Bunnyman: Beware the Pigman (Zenescope)
Dick Tracy #3 (Mad Cave Studios)
Flash Gordon #1 (Mad Cave Studios)
Vampirella #670 (Dynamite Comics)
King Spawn #36 (Image Comics)
The Sacrificers #10 (Image Comics)
Nemesis: Rogues Gallery #1 (Dark Horse Comics)
Universal Monsters: Creature Form The Black Lagoon Lives! #4 (Image Comics)
Ramgod #1 (MASSIVE Publishing)
Void Rivals #11 (Image Comics)
Rook: Exodus #4 (Image Comics)
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DC doesn't need their own version of the Ultimate universe. What they need is top tier talent on mainline flagship books.
It's the same mistake they made with the New 52 reboot.
More comics with alternate versions of the same characters is not a draw for me. I’m not a current Marvel or Ultimate reader either, so there’s that. The Big Two just seem to put everything on multiplying the same characters, making every hero into a “family” of similarly themed characters, and now, telling stories of other versions of those same characters…the wells seem very very dry.