Does the New 52 start a dangerous precedent?

#1 Posted by Dreamcast89 (81 posts) - 8 months, 30 days ago - Show Bio

Does the New 52 start a dangerous precedent with the tossing of past stories into the garbage? It seems like a lack of respect for the fans as well as a lack of respect for the characters. Take the new Batgirl #0 for example. It completely erases the entire history of the oracle. What kind of message does this send fans? How is this supposed to inspire confidence in the product? Who's to say if New 52 experiences poor sales down the line they won't just erase them from history to.

#2 Posted by greenteaforme (1745 posts) - 8 months, 30 days ago - Show Bio

@Dreamcast89 said:

Does the New 52 start a dangerous precedent with the tossing of past stories into the garbage? It seems like a lack of respect for the fans as well as a lack of respect for the characters. Take the new Batgirl #0 for example. It completely erases the entire history of the oracle. What kind of message does this send fans? How is this supposed to inspire confidence in the product? Who's to say if New 52 experiences poor sales down the line they won't just erase them from history to.

New 52 has a five year timeline, after which it will most likely be reverted back.

It's a reboot.

If the character histories were the same, we'd be reading rehashed storlines with the same characters. It wouldn't be worth out money.

So, no.

#3 Posted by Dreamcast89 (81 posts) - 8 months, 30 days ago - Show Bio

@greenteaforme said:

@Dreamcast89 said:

Does the New 52 start a dangerous precedent with the tossing of past stories into the garbage? It seems like a lack of respect for the fans as well as a lack of respect for the characters. Take the new Batgirl #0 for example. It completely erases the entire history of the oracle. What kind of message does this send fans? How is this supposed to inspire confidence in the product? Who's to say if New 52 experiences poor sales down the line they won't just erase them from history to.

New 52 has a five year timeline, after which it will most likely be reverted back.

It's a reboot.

If the character histories were the same, we'd be reading rehashed storlines with the same characters. It wouldn't be worth out money.

So, no.

This is the kind of mentality that works against the integrity of comics as a form of storytelling. Don't complain when comics become a joke and Batgirl gets 12 new origins in the next 20 years.

#4 Posted by Twentyfive (2161 posts) - 8 months, 30 days ago - Show Bio

@Dreamcast89 said:

@greenteaforme said:

@Dreamcast89 said:

Does the New 52 start a dangerous precedent with the tossing of past stories into the garbage? It seems like a lack of respect for the fans as well as a lack of respect for the characters. Take the new Batgirl #0 for example. It completely erases the entire history of the oracle. What kind of message does this send fans? How is this supposed to inspire confidence in the product? Who's to say if New 52 experiences poor sales down the line they won't just erase them from history to.

New 52 has a five year timeline, after which it will most likely be reverted back.

It's a reboot.

If the character histories were the same, we'd be reading rehashed storlines with the same characters. It wouldn't be worth out money.

So, no.

This is the kind of mentality that works against the integrity of comics as a form of storytelling. Don't complain when comics become a joke and Batgirl gets 12 new origins in the next 20 years.

For real.

#5 Posted by greenteaforme (1745 posts) - 8 months, 30 days ago - Show Bio

@Dreamcast89 said:

@greenteaforme said:

@Dreamcast89 said:

Does the New 52 start a dangerous precedent with the tossing of past stories into the garbage? It seems like a lack of respect for the fans as well as a lack of respect for the characters. Take the new Batgirl #0 for example. It completely erases the entire history of the oracle. What kind of message does this send fans? How is this supposed to inspire confidence in the product? Who's to say if New 52 experiences poor sales down the line they won't just erase them from history to.

New 52 has a five year timeline, after which it will most likely be reverted back.

It's a reboot.

If the character histories were the same, we'd be reading rehashed storlines with the same characters. It wouldn't be worth out money.

So, no.

This is the kind of mentality that works against the integrity of comics as a form of storytelling. Don't complain when comics become a joke and Batgirl gets 12 new origins in the next 20 years.

Why would that bother me?

I'd get to see so many different versions of her, and many author's takes on her.

It's a positive thing.

You're just a poop.

#6 Posted by Dreamcast89 (81 posts) - 8 months, 30 days ago - Show Bio

@greenteaforme said:

@Dreamcast89 said:

@greenteaforme said:

@Dreamcast89 said:

Does the New 52 start a dangerous precedent with the tossing of past stories into the garbage? It seems like a lack of respect for the fans as well as a lack of respect for the characters. Take the new Batgirl #0 for example. It completely erases the entire history of the oracle. What kind of message does this send fans? How is this supposed to inspire confidence in the product? Who's to say if New 52 experiences poor sales down the line they won't just erase them from history to.

New 52 has a five year timeline, after which it will most likely be reverted back.

It's a reboot.

If the character histories were the same, we'd be reading rehashed storlines with the same characters. It wouldn't be worth out money.

So, no.

This is the kind of mentality that works against the integrity of comics as a form of storytelling. Don't complain when comics become a joke and Batgirl gets 12 new origins in the next 20 years.

Why would that bother me?

I'd get to see so many different versions of her, and many author's takes on her.

It's a positive thing.

You're just a poop

So If the Harry Potter novels got a reboot and Harry was turned into a gay African-American with 20/20 vision that would be a positive thing to you? Are you beginning to see the danger in your line of thought?

#7 Posted by LeonardDreiberg (41 posts) - 8 months, 30 days ago - Show Bio

your argument is a bit slippery slope but I hear you. just because every time a new creative team takes on a book it changes doesn't mean it should be changed wholesale for no purpose other than profits. Comic story-lines HAVE to be played with a bit fast and loose, the original creators can't stay on forever. (J.K. Rowling isn't going to have to turn the reins of Harry Potter over.) But then again sometimes new ideas are a good thing. If William Marsden was still writing Wonder Woman she'd be tied up in every issue because "woman enjoy bondage". (And hey, a gay African-American Harry Potter WOULD be kinda cool.)

#8 Posted by greenteaforme (1745 posts) - 8 months, 30 days ago - Show Bio

@Dreamcast89 said:

@greenteaforme said:

@Dreamcast89 said:

@greenteaforme said:

@Dreamcast89 said:

Does the New 52 start a dangerous precedent with the tossing of past stories into the garbage? It seems like a lack of respect for the fans as well as a lack of respect for the characters. Take the new Batgirl #0 for example. It completely erases the entire history of the oracle. What kind of message does this send fans? How is this supposed to inspire confidence in the product? Who's to say if New 52 experiences poor sales down the line they won't just erase them from history to.

New 52 has a five year timeline, after which it will most likely be reverted back.

It's a reboot.

If the character histories were the same, we'd be reading rehashed storlines with the same characters. It wouldn't be worth out money.

So, no.

This is the kind of mentality that works against the integrity of comics as a form of storytelling. Don't complain when comics become a joke and Batgirl gets 12 new origins in the next 20 years.

Why would that bother me?

I'd get to see so many different versions of her, and many author's takes on her.

It's a positive thing.

You're just a poop

So If the Harry Potter novels got a reboot and Harry was turned into a gay African-American with 20/20 vision that would be a positive thing to you? Are you beginning to see the danger in your line of thought?

I think that would be unbelievably interesting, actually.

I'm not getting your whole...deal.

Also, I don't think your example is in-line with the "changes" made in the New 52.

#9 Edited by Gambler (80698 posts) - 8 months, 30 days ago - Show Bio

Its nothing new to be honest. Silver age powers and stories were tossed/erased. Golden Age stories were tossed and erased. Its something that needs to be done from time to time. Characters evolve and can no longer be contained in the endless web of canon continuity and need fresh starts and perspectives. The history we as fans love today is nothing like the history that was originally started so imagine how those fans felt. They probably hate(d) what happened to those stories and history, and yet we love what it eventually became. As such there are current fans who hate the new history and direction but there will be new fans for whom its all they know and it wont bother them a bit.

Moderator
#10 Posted by GundamHeavyarms (697 posts) - 8 months, 30 days ago - Show Bio

No, it doesnt start a precedent, DC rebooted before the new 52, and they'll reboot afterward, somethings you can roll with, and somethings you can't.Its not that big a deal.

Id read about a black gay harry potter, it would only be a different interpretation, everything can be interpreted in a different way.

#11 Posted by quirky_anecdotes (344 posts) - 8 months, 30 days ago - Show Bio

@Dreamcast89 said:

@greenteaforme said:

@Dreamcast89 said:

@greenteaforme said:

@Dreamcast89 said:

Does the New 52 start a dangerous precedent with the tossing of past stories into the garbage? It seems like a lack of respect for the fans as well as a lack of respect for the characters. Take the new Batgirl #0 for example. It completely erases the entire history of the oracle. What kind of message does this send fans? How is this supposed to inspire confidence in the product? Who's to say if New 52 experiences poor sales down the line they won't just erase them from history to.

New 52 has a five year timeline, after which it will most likely be reverted back.

It's a reboot.

If the character histories were the same, we'd be reading rehashed storlines with the same characters. It wouldn't be worth out money.

So, no.

This is the kind of mentality that works against the integrity of comics as a form of storytelling. Don't complain when comics become a joke and Batgirl gets 12 new origins in the next 20 years.

Why would that bother me?

I'd get to see so many different versions of her, and many author's takes on her.

It's a positive thing.

You're just a poop

So If the Harry Potter novels got a reboot and Harry was turned into a gay African-American with 20/20 vision that would be a positive thing to you? Are you beginning to see the danger in your line of thought?

wow. You really are a poop. Maybe you should stop trying to live in the nineteen forties.

#12 Posted by Crash_Recovery (792 posts) - 8 months, 30 days ago - Show Bio

@Dreamcast89 said:

Does the New 52 start a dangerous precedent with the tossing of past stories into the garbage? It seems like a lack of respect for the fans as well as a lack of respect for the characters. Take the new Batgirl #0 for example. It completely erases the entire history of the oracle. What kind of message does this send fans? How is this supposed to inspire confidence in the product? Who's to say if New 52 experiences poor sales down the line they won't just erase them from history to.

This isn't a new idea at all.

DC has done this multiple times in the past (Crisis on Infinite Earths, Zero Hour, etc) and Marvel, while not typically incorporating worldbuilding changes into major storylines does the same, with an 11 year sliding timeline of character histories.

When I started reading comics, I had no idea of the previous changes. I thought what I was reading was the way things had always been. But stuff changes regularly, and it's just something that readers of the Big 2 grow accustomed to. If consistency is very important to you, I suggest checking out many of the "indie" books with long publication histories. Hellboy, Savage Dragon, Invincible, Walking Dead, Bone, etc. Without having to force their characters and stories (as much) to fit in with other books, these books (and many many others) avoid the changes that you seem worried about.

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