2007 Comics Resolutions
In the main segment of the most recent podcast, we rap about new years Comics resolutions for 2007. What do we mean by that? An example would be my Comics resolve to give away whole story arcs and other single issues to anyone interested once I’ve acquired the hardbound version of the trade. This allows people to get down with what I consider solid reading and the benefit outweighs any credit I could get by trying to turn these issues around in the shop, which is my usual hustle & flow after getting the compilation.
What would be your 2007 Comics resolution? What should the resolve be for the Comics industry as a whole? Are there some worthwhile changes the publishing houses we slide our hard earned dividends should be making? I’d love to see DC bring back Static and integrate him into mainstream DCU continuity. Forget bringing back Milestone Comics, just break me off with a solid line of Black heroes and villians that shape-shift the current DCU mainline. In the end, any resolution we get down with should facilitate diversity and flavor that elevates our readership niche beyond it’s current stigma. Bahlactus has spoken.
December 29th, 2006 at 6:06 pm
I’d love to see a reintroduction of Static into the DCU, but I’ve a fear that we won’t see Virgil in print for another year or so. If he ever does make a comeback, I doubt he’ll bring Dakota with him. Already too many cities-that-aren’t-real-cities in the established DCU these days.
But what a new Static would bring to the table is a kid-level point-of-view, something that has been missing for a while now. Sure, you’ve still got your Teen Titans, but honestly … do any of them really behave like straight-up teenagers? As much as us old folks — hell, I can run for President next year — love our comics, we’ve got to remember that the target audience is around 12 years old. And while those kids’ll keep on digging the day-to-day lives of metahuman adults, it wouldn’t hurt to give them a hero that’s dealing with being an outcast in high school as often as being called out by bad guys.
So yeah, I’d love to see a return of Virgil Hawkins that had all of the energy of the television series, mixed with the honesty of his comic run. Have McDuffie write him to start off with … or better yet, run it like Gaiman oversaw the Books Of Magic series. You get new talent to pen it and pencil it, with an old hand who knows the characters to guide it gently along. Because with a character like Static, you’ve got to be careful. Make him too awesome, too hot, too quick to solve the world’s problems and he becomes a joke at his own expense.
(Now that I think about it, DC could’ve rebooted Static in 52 as part of Luthor’s Everyman project, but given the dire fate that I’m sure awaits those kids next week … prolly for the better that they didn’t. Damn.)
What else for the new year?
Comic companies need to seize on the popularity of the ‘Net all the more. DC’s on the right track by offering the first issues of several comics as PDF downloads, and by showing Giffen’s breakdowns for each issue of 52, but what I’m waiting for is a weekly creator-driven podcast. Each week, you pick a hot issue in Wednesday’s drop and focus on the writer, the artist or both. Ten minutes would do it.
For me?
I’m going to keep spreading the comic book gospel. Too many intelligent people are missing out on the most dynamic creative medium available. I’m here to get more of them hooked on the good stuff … and maybe to steer them clear of the bad.
I didn’t see nearly enough movies this year. Will have to fix that.
And more writing. I’m an essayist with a blog and I aim to use it. There’s so much to tackle, from music to politics to more comics. Why should I have to choose? I’ll just hit ‘em all.
December 29th, 2006 at 8:33 pm
Thomas, your comments on Static are tremendous and it is funny you mentoin the Titans, because Geoff Johns has gone on record (on some website, I don’t remember which one) as saying that he would have liked to have included Static in the new line up post one year later. This past summer at the San Diego Con, there was a rumor floated that an announcement was to be made that Milestone fans were going to be happy about, but then there was no announcement. I really was hoping that it was going to be that Milestone’s characters were going to be folded into the new earth after Infinite Crisis, which would have been the perfect time to do it too! Maybe we will still see this someday, and if people still talk about Milestone books (like I do here every monday in the Triple M column!) maybe something will happen.
As for my Comics New year resolution, it is going to be two fold:
1) to properly inventory my collection (all 170 long boxes)
2) To branch out from my doing just my Milestone column and also start writing about something near and dear to me… I even have a title all picked out …. Why I Love Comics (and you should too…..) Maybe if I’m lucky Bahlactus will let me post this column here as well!
December 29th, 2006 at 9:44 pm
[...] 2007 Comics Resolutions - Bahlactus from Always Bet On Bahlactus wants DC to integrate Static (or a solid group of black heroes and villains for that matter) into their continuity and universe (from Always Bet On Bahlactus) [...]
December 30th, 2006 at 5:44 am
My comics related resolution would be to do more comics art. I have various comics ideas that I’d like to get down on paper in 2007. I’d also like to get more of my art online to get some constructive criticism.
If I ran Marvel & DC my comics resolution would be to hold off doing any big events and crossovers until after 2010. The “big events” happen too often these days. They should plan it out and hide little hints in the background of the comics over a few years before dropping the next big event. Then it would hold readers’ interest more.
December 30th, 2006 at 11:54 am
I plan on taking recommendations more seriously. It’s one thing to listen to a recommendation, it’s another to follow through and read what was told.
January 1st, 2007 at 11:10 pm
After listening to the podcast, I was inspired to also make a point to purchase a new comic every month. For myself, I plan on drawing and posting… um… weekly (fingers crossed on this one), but I am definitely going get myself into Savannah College of Art and Design for an M.F.A. in Sequential Art, starting in the fall of 2007.
January 5th, 2007 at 11:50 pm
[...] The other day, I posted a comment over at Bahlactus about how I hoped the comic book industry would use 2007 to leverage more of the Internet to share insights into the creative process. Behind-the-scenes features have always held a definite fascination to me, no matter what the genre. Specifically, I said something about how the good folks at DC Comics might ought to fire off a few creator-driven podcasts, say one a week. [...]