Still Hungry for More...NOW.

I'm still scratching my head, trying to figure out what the big deal was about the Age of Ultron limited series.   I was prepared (and excited) for something colossal to happen.  What I got was a mishmash of storylines and characters.  There was no cohesion.  Every issue featured different characters.  And issue #10 was so "top secret" that it had to come in a sealed polybag?  So they saved the universe from Ultron's threat by changing the timestream.  And...the big revelation is bringing some scantily clad chick named Angela over from Image Comics' Spawn series?  Meh.  Even Flashpoint was more interesting, and I hate what that did to the DC Universe.

Figuring it was a tie-in to the conclusion, I pre-ordered what was previously listed as Age of Ultron #10UC before Marvel changed the title to Hunger.  Wow.  What an idiot I am.  As hinted at, it *does* feature Galactus (just a tiny bit), but it's mostly about teenage punk Rick Jones from Marvel's Ultimate Universe, which I don't even read.  

Because I've always been a fan of the Vision (especially when he and Scarlet Witch were a couple in the 1980s), I also picked up Avengers A.I., thinking a team full of robot-like characters sounded pretty interesting and something unique.  Sadly, the first issue was pretty disappointing because it was extremely...average.  I didn't care about any of the characters (even Vision who wasn't even in the story enough, being that he's probably the biggest draw). 

Age of Ultron (and anything related to it) has -- so far -- been pretty lame.  DC's Flashpoint at least made some sense.  I don't get the whole Marvel NOW initiative.  What exactly are they trying to do besides just restart series with #1 issues for the sake of sales?  Where are the big, life-changing events?  More importantly, where are the decent stories?



 

Be afraid...be very afraid.

Am I the only one who's very worried about DC Comics' announcement that they're revamping the ENTIRE DC Universe?  

I've always been a DC fan over Marvel.  That's not to say that I don't read Marvel Comics, but I think the quality and characters at DC have always been, overall, better.  They're like family, and I know them all so well.  That's why, reading daily DCU Source blog postings, I'm very scared for the future.  

Flashpoint?  Great idea.  I love the idea of a temporary shift in reality.  But what DC has planned for the future really frightens me.  Taking all of the comic book series, mythos, characters, and TOTALLY revamping them?  Erasing their past?  Marvel did this when they created an Ultimates universe, while still maintaining the regular, ongoing universe they've had since Day One. (Note: I do not and have not read any Ultimates titles; I think the concept is ridiculous.  How can one expect (or even want) to keep up with the goings-on of two different universes filled with the same characters?)

DC, on the other hand, is making this kind of change to their current universe that's been in effect from the first appearances of Superman and Batman.  Yes, there have been events and retcons that have altered and rebooted the DC Universe (good examples are Crisis on Infinite Earths, John Byrne's Superman, and George Perez's Wonder Woman), but basically it's stayed the same overall. 

While DC may see this is a good jumping on point for new readers, it may also seem like a good jumping OFF point for many decades-long readers.  Gaining new, non-loyal readers in exchange for old, loyal readers?  Not a good marketing idea.  Statistics show it's better to retain and manage current customers than try to recruit new ones.  Why?  It's more costly.  In more ways than one.  

I grew up reading comics.  I read them continuously from about age 10 through age 24.  Then I started picking them up again when I was 38 and got hooked again.  I'm 41 now and I've been trying not to spend as much money monthly on comics ($120?  Yikes!).  This may be the excuse and motivation I was looking for.  Sorry, DC.  But thanks for saving me money.