The new DC 52: giving the comics industry more spark!
I own a copy of Action Comics #1 in pristine condition.
Surprised? Well you shouldn't be. After all, it came out just last September. Yes, I am talking about the 2011 DC new 52 re-launch; not the 1938 gem [a high grade copy of which was sold for 2.16 million by actor Nicolas Cage].
DC has re-launched its 52 flagship titles with #1's in September 2011, including Action, Detective, Batman, Superman and JLA. This massively popular event has helped propel DC to the No 1 spot as publisher, overtaking Marvel.
DC is the father of the superhero comics. Superman, the first superhero, was published by DC in 1938. The popularity of Superman led to the creation of Batman, in the same year, appearing in the, now classic, Detective Comics #27.
Superman and Batman have been in print for more than 74 years. And yet, they remain very much relevant to the times and thrive on the social issues and the fantasies of the new world. One of the ways they and many other superheroes have remained relevant is by adapting and re-inventing themselves.
There were some protests that years of continuity would be lost and many classic stories would become redundant when the event was announced. But so far, it appears that the reboot is making more people happy. Sales are up for the publishers, and fans seem very excited. Justice League of America (JLA) 1, which led the reboot, was sold out within 24 hours of print. DC immediately made a reprint, which again, was sold out within 3 days. JLA 1 has gone into its 5th printing so far and JLA has been the top selling comics for the last four months straight.
According to Diamond Distributors 9 out of the top 10 comics of 2011 were of the DC new 52, the only other comics being Ultimate Spiderman #160 from Marvel (sitting at #6 of the list), where Peter Parker dies in the Ultimate Universe. [Source: https://www.facebook. com/previewsworld]
The new DC 52 has given a lot of surprises to the readers. Powerful creative teams like Geoff Johns & Jim Lee (JLA), Grant Morrison & Rags Morales (Action) and Scott Snyder & Greg Capullo (Batman) have proven that quality matters. Other strong titles like Detective, Green Lantern, Flash, Batman, Aquaman and Swamp Thing have ensured that the reboot continues with strong momentum.
I have been impressed with many of those titles. Grant Morrison's Superman wears jeans and T-shirt and is trying to find his place in a society he does not understand. Batman is a vigilante sought by police in JLA. Sinestro is the star of Green Lantern, and is on the verge of an epic battle with the yellow lanterns. The enigmatic Scott Snyder is winning new fans over with not only his Batman title but also with the new Swamp Thing. I love the father-son tension of Bruce and Damien Wayne in Batman and Robin. Animal Man, Batgirl, I Vampire, Green Arrow all provide you with tales of wonder and fun (I wish they brought back Bat-mite and Ambush bug though). All in all, these are exciting times for comics. Hope you are enjoying the ride.
By Jamil of Jamil's Comics
Our previous topic for BetaWriters was Siren. Most of the entries focused on the noise, but few considered the background of the word. The power of the siren call. However, the entry below, despite being short, was pretty good. And we like Pandas, despite what people say about them. For next week, our topic will be: Clockwork. As with most topics, this too can be interpreted in a variety of ways. Come on, guys, make us stand up and take notice. Submissions need to be sent in to [email protected] before Sunday noon. Word limit: 500 words.
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Siren
By Nabeel Iqbal
The engine hums incessantly. If you listen to it for too long, it has the power to free your mind of all clutter. And as your mind clears, your eyes automatically drift towards the glorious evening sky. You stare at it with wonder and for a moment it becomes your canvas. You can make out all kinds of stuff with the evening clouds. Poodles, pandas and UFOs. And once you have bored yourself with the shapes of fantasies, you slowly begin to comprehend the vastness of the sea. And then the boat, the engine and your soul seem insignificant in proportion. You are just another one of the billion organisms at its mercy. You are just another soul. You are not special, not chosen, the sea does not owe you anything and you owe nothing to it. You are as good as the guy who drives the boat and you are both as good as the tiniest fish in the sea. And it goes on and on. Hence you feel that somehow you belong in this strange setting - in the middle of the ocean, on a small boat. And as you are feeling all of this, the siren from a distant ship suddenly brings you back to reality…
