Transformers - ongoing series

[Shockwave]

Which to me, just sounds like they half assed it. I mean, if you're gonna reboot something go all the way and reboot everything or don't bother at all.

I don't agree. If it aint broke, why fix it? Green Lantern, to use as an example, has been one of DC's top sellers for a couple years now. Why mess with that success? The point to the relaunch is to get publicity and boost sales.

Which would work fine if DC wasn't all one big all inclusive universe. That was kinda the point I was making about keeping things separate. That would allow DC (and other companies) the editorial freedom to reboot some titles and not others without having to retcon a ton of old stories. But, by having all of their titles take place in the same continuity, they wind up having to half ass it like this.

[Sparky Prime]

Which would work fine if DC wasn't all one big all inclusive universe. That was kinda the point I was making about keeping things separate. That would allow DC (and other companies) the editorial freedom to reboot some titles and not others without having to retcon a ton of old stories. But, by having all of their titles take place in the same continuity, they wind up having to half ass it like this.

I don't see what difference it really makes being the same continuity or not... The characters are all off doing their own things in their own titles (most of the time) anyway. If one character is rebooted, why would it necessarily have to effect another character, despite being in the same continuity? I don't see that as being half assed at all. And this relaunch was triggered by a time travel event. It makes sense some things would be impacted more than others.

[Mako Crab]

Batman: Hey, Clark, how's Lois doing?

Superman: "How'd you know my real name?! What do you know about Lois?!"

BM: "What? It's me? Don't you remember? Bruce!"

SM: "Bruce? As in Bruce Wayne!?"

BM: "We've been friends for years! What's going on with you!"

And thus we run into the problem of only some characters getting a reboot while others remain as is.

[Sparky Prime]

And thus we run into the problem of only some characters getting a reboot while others remain as is.

Except you're completely ignoring all the context. In the DCnU, the Justice League formed 5 years ago. Do you really think Superman and Batman wouldn't have come to know each other personally after working together for that long?

[Mako Crab]

Except you're completely ignoring all the context.

I am. Because it was an over-simplified example to illustrate a point. And also because I don't read any DC comics, so I wouldn't know all the little details. The point still stands though. Reset one comic, and it becomes hard to work with other comics that haven't reset.

[Shockwave]

Mako is illistrating my point. Although Sparky, I do understand what you're saying, especially since DC has been using this "one universe" business model for decades now so, like you said, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. My brain just has a weird way of organizing information and it just seems messy and disjointed to have everything so interconnected and to only change half of it. Then there's the constant retconning. DC and Marvel both continually come back and say "oh this story never happened" or "that story never happened". Then WTF was the point of someone writing it? It must be really frustrating to be a comic writer and to finish a story only to have the company you work for throw it out a few years later. Seriously, I think there should be some law somewhere against retconning. Then watch DC and Marvel have to try to reconcile like 80 some years of comic book history. I think that's where we would find out who the REALLY good writers are.

[Gomess]

I think there should be some law somewhere against retconning.

This! The comics industry would die within a year.

[Sparky Prime]

I am. Because it was an over-simplified example to illustrate a point. And also because I don't read any DC comics, so I wouldn't know all the little details. The point still stands though. Reset one comic, and it becomes hard to work with other comics that haven't reset.

But your example works against you here. Superman is a title that has been heavily retconned in the relaunch, while Batman remained mostly the same. Although some details have changed, that doesn't necessarily mean it'd be difficult for the two titles to work with each other. The two characters can easily still have the friendship they had before the relaunch.

and it just seems messy and disjointed to have everything so interconnected and to only change half of it.

Well, I would have to admit, DC's relaunch is a bit messy and disjointed in some places. Such as with some of DC's editors saying that all the important stories still count, yet Dan DiDio said none of the Crisis stories happened. Which really confuses some details that came out of those stories that apparently still count, like Batman's "death" in Final Crisis...

I think there should be some law somewhere against retconning.

Wouldn't mind seeing them give this a try. They all seem to have become a little too reliant on retcons, especially in recent years.

[Mako Crab]

But your example works against you here. Superman is a title that has been heavily retconned in the relaunch, while Batman remained mostly the same. Although some details have changed, that doesn't necessarily mean it'd be difficult for the two titles to work with each other. The two characters can easily still have the friendship they had before the relaunch.

Of course they can, so long as they never make reference to pre-retcon events. They'll just quietly ignore them and have them talk about current events and deal with current situations.

[BWprowl]

Then watch DC and Marvel have to try to reconcile like 80 some years of comic book history. I think that's where we would find out who the REALLY good writers are.

Hey, if Grant Morrison can make it work, then, uh...never mind. No other writer is insane enough to pull off such things the way Morrison did with Batman.