First Impressions on DC's Soft Reboot

First of all, "soft reboot" sounds like a carnal act involving a computer. Second, you remember a little while back my message to DC was sometimes you can have your cake and eat it too? Well, I wasn't talking about this.

So, all 52 new rebooted re-imagined reanimated whatever issues have been published by DC Comics. It was pretty uninspired. The fact is, they've already made things more confusing, as some comics in the same family take place five years in the past while some titles have characters who are now younger, but their recent story continuities are totally intact. Jim Gordon isn't gray-haired yet in any of the Batman comics, but Detective Comics now takes place in the past while Batman, Batman Incorporated, Batman & Robin take place in the present.

Superman has two different costumes for two different eras, one of which has been inspired by Bruce Springsteen. For my opinion of Bruce Springsteen, please refer to this.

In the end, it seems that DC Comics, in their hopes of not damaging the ongoing stories of Geoff Johns' Green Lantern and Grant Morrison's Batman sagas, have managed to only confuse their readers and continuity more than ever. My opinion on break-ups is also my opinion on reboots: it has to be clean; stop all contact, get rid of all the prior continuity, and start fresh from Day One. If you do anything else—“Hey, we can be friends,” or “We can keep these stories in continuity” you end up just confusing the point and it keeps you from really starting fresh. A lot of it is the gutlessness of DC Comics. They have copped out on many, many things and over the last few years they’ve made many, many mistakes. The Multiverse has 52 earths—utilize them; some could be part of a rebooted earth, some will be used for continuing stories. Or better yet, wipe it clean and start with something simpler. 


To be fair, Superboy, Wonder Woman, and Captain Atom have really come out ahead here, so good on them. Green Arrow still sucks.

Judd Winick and Dan Didio still have jobs—evidence against the existence of a loving God.


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