Comments on: Let Blackest Night Truly be the End http://www.manolith.com/2010/02/02/let-blackest-night-truly-be-the-end/ Man Guide Sat, 11 Feb 2012 10:27:16 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: random observer http://www.manolith.com/2010/02/02/let-blackest-night-truly-be-the-end/comment-page-1/#comment-15463 random observer Sun, 07 Feb 2010 01:14:20 +0000 http://www.manolith.com/?p=49779#comment-15463 Deeply flawed argument. Deeply flawed argument.

]]> By: Russ Burlingame http://www.manolith.com/2010/02/02/let-blackest-night-truly-be-the-end/comment-page-1/#comment-15431 Russ Burlingame Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:55:15 +0000 http://www.manolith.com/?p=49779#comment-15431 I like the optimism, but it's probably misplaced; Johns simply doesn't have the juice to change the entire corporate philosophy at DC, which is what you're talking about. I'd also hasten to add that linking the collapse of the comics market to DC's recognition that Superman and Batman were unlikely to remain dead is incredibly simplistic. The "Reign of the Supermen" story continued to sell (very) well above Superman's usual numbers and it took years for Superman's sales to return fully to normal after the death. There were also gimmicks, event stories and speculator books galore at Marvel, Image and Valiant at the time; if I had to boil it down to one book that was the nail in the coffin for the boom of the '90s, I'd suggest Gen 13 #1, with its 13 variant covers and no discernible entertainment value. Even that gimmick was successful; it was just too much and people started to lose interest. And by then, Superman had been back from the dead and Batman back in his costume for over a year. Hal Jordan was Parallax, and I think Guy Gardner was Warrior, so it's not as though Green Lantern itself was without shameless gimmickry to manipulate fans into buying their comics. I like the optimism, but it’s probably misplaced; Johns simply doesn’t have the juice to change the entire corporate philosophy at DC, which is what you’re talking about. I’d also hasten to add that linking the collapse of the comics market to DC’s recognition that Superman and Batman were unlikely to remain dead is incredibly simplistic. The “Reign of the Supermen” story continued to sell (very) well above Superman’s usual numbers and it took years for Superman’s sales to return fully to normal after the death. There were also gimmicks, event stories and speculator books galore at Marvel, Image and Valiant at the time; if I had to boil it down to one book that was the nail in the coffin for the boom of the ’90s, I’d suggest Gen 13 #1, with its 13 variant covers and no discernible entertainment value. Even that gimmick was successful; it was just too much and people started to lose interest. And by then, Superman had been back from the dead and Batman back in his costume for over a year. Hal Jordan was Parallax, and I think Guy Gardner was Warrior, so it’s not as though Green Lantern itself was without shameless gimmickry to manipulate fans into buying their comics.

]]> By: NYJ http://www.manolith.com/2010/02/02/let-blackest-night-truly-be-the-end/comment-page-1/#comment-15213 NYJ Tue, 02 Feb 2010 18:04:31 +0000 http://www.manolith.com/?p=49779#comment-15213 "This series of books are destined to join the ranks of “The Dark Knight Returns,” “Watchmen,” and “Crisis on Infinite Earths” as a serious contribution to adventure comic books." This is quite an overstatement; those books were masterpieces that changed the industry. "Blackest Night" is like a good popcorn flick- entertaining but low on substance. It's "ID4", while the others mentioned are "the Godfather." “This series of books are destined to join the ranks of “The Dark Knight Returns,” “Watchmen,” and “Crisis on Infinite Earths” as a serious contribution to adventure comic books.”

This is quite an overstatement; those books were masterpieces that changed the industry. “Blackest Night” is like a good popcorn flick- entertaining but low on substance. It’s “ID4″, while the others mentioned are “the Godfather.”

]]> By: tony http://www.manolith.com/2010/02/02/let-blackest-night-truly-be-the-end/comment-page-1/#comment-15211 tony Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:20:48 +0000 http://www.manolith.com/?p=49779#comment-15211 It should be pointed out that the Batman and Cap deaths were pointed out at the time to be temporary. It should be pointed out that the Batman and Cap deaths were pointed out at the time to be temporary.

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