The current state of superhero comics *coughCivilWarIIcough*

[Bob_McMillan]

I said I would make this thread months ago, so here we are.

Let's start with Marvel.

Oh Jesus, where to start...

I haven't been reading Marvel comics weekly for very long. I am only able to do so now because I've got a friend who is even more into comics than me (and also happens to be rich). I started with the most recent Secret Wars, which I actually enjoyed. After that however, I'm starting to get tired of Marvel. All the "Hey look at us, our Hero X is now gay/straight/blasian/a transvestite alien dominatrix! PAY ATTENTION TO US!" rubs me the wrong way, but if good stories can be made out of it, then why not.

But now I feel they really are doing all these controversial things just to get attention. The Cap is Hydra thing (which I think is just stupid), the Tony's dad is Hydra thing (this whole Hydra twist thing is really getting old), the Ben Reilly is back and bringing back all the dead people and also is a zombie thing (Spider-man I think has really suffered in quality lately), etc. They seem straight out of someone's poorly written fanfiction.

And then there's the overexposure of certain characters. I still enjoy Deadpool, but he doesn't need two or three concurrent series. And all the Gwen stuff. It can be fun, but... why? I think I read somewhere that all the new issues and series that Marvel is pumping out is actually hurting comic book stores. Not sure how that works, but if its true, that's just another reason to dislike all their uninspired new series.

Lastly, Civil War II. There are tons of people here on the Escapist that can explain how utterly dull and stupid this crossover much better than I can, so I'll let them talk about it.

As for DC, well, it's actually not so bad. Rebirth brought back a lot of characters that I have been missing. Wally West being back in this universe is great, and makes the new Wally West actually tolerable. Superman is fun again, although his family being from an entirely new universe is kind of weird. I'm enjoying the new Green Lanterns as well. Flash and Wonder Woman still aren't as good as they used to be, but they are leagues above the shit show that they were before Rebirth. Batman comics have suffered in quality unfortunately, but they are still enjoyable. I'm not exactly optimistic about the Watchmen stuff, but I'm willing to wait and see.

So, what do you guys think about the comics that DC and Marvel have been putting out recently?

 

[Queen Michael]

And all the Gwen stuff. It can be fun, but... why?

There's just one Gwen Stacy title, though: Spider-Gwen. I wouldn't say that one Gwen title is too much. Sure, there's Gwenpool too, but that one's not about Gwen Stacy. It's about a completely different character who just happens to also be called Gwen. (Sure, she first appeared on comics covers as Gwen Stacy imagined as Deadpool, but in the actual comics she's a completely different character with no connection to Stacy.)
Gwenpool's a girl from the real world, who loves Marvel comics and thus is familiar with all the heroes and villains from the Marvel universe. It's a pretty cool idea, and even if you don't like the comics as much as I do it's still not a "Gwen book" as much as just a new superhero.

EDIT: Also, DC are just as good at overexposure as Marvel. Four books with Batman, four with Superman, three with Wonder Woman... And unlike the Deadpool books, these are all ongoing series.

 

[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

Oh I eagerly await to see the shitshow that the DC/Watchmen crossover will spawn.

Its gonna be juicy.

 

[Queen Michael]

Oh I eagerly await to see the shitshow that the DC/Watchmen crossover will spawn.

Its gonna be juicy.

Juicy doesn't begin to cover it. It's gonna be a gargantuan bottle of Tropicana.

 

[King Billi]

Don't read current Marvel so can't speak to that.

What I've read of DCs Rebirth has been alright though it mostly seems like business as usual. For something that was heavily pushed as "correcting" the mistakes of the New 52(which I enjoyed it the most part) I haven't seen much of a change.

Then again I find myself following particular writers or creative teams more so than specific books so I can't really comment on the fluctuating quality of a specific book or character as I'll just follow a creator I like across numerous books wherever they end up. For example I followed Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason's on to Superman Rebirth from their work on the New 52 Batman and Robin and Robin:Son of Batman.

 

[Captain Marvelous_v1legacy]

All the "Hey look at us, our Hero X is now gay/straight/blasian/a transvestite alien dominatrix! PAY ATTENTION TO US!" rubs me the wrong way, but if good stories can be made out of it, then why not.

I have no problem with previously straight characters coming out as gay. There's the whole complaint about creating new heroes instead of changing old ones, but new heroes don't sell. And a new gay male hero is a hard sell.

But now I feel they really are doing all these controversial things just to get attention. The Cap is Hydra thing (which I think is just stupid), the Tony's dad is Hydra thing (this whole Hydra twist thing is really getting old).

That it is. You know what's getting even older? Heroes fighting heroes. I'm getting sick of it and the Civil War epilogue only suggests there will be more of it after Inhumans vs X-men. I'd really like for Marvel to stop with these hero v hero events. And stop with events all together. At least for a little while.

And then there's the overexposure of certain characters. I still enjoy Deadpool, but he doesn't need two or three concurrent series. And all the Gwen stuff. It can be fun, but... why?

Spider-Gwen and Gwenpool? I'm honestly not sure whether Gwenpool is actually Gwen Stacy. All I know about her is that she's a comic book reader who was somehow brought into the comic world. As far as overexposure goes, DC's Trinity has Marvel beat.

As for DC, well, it's actually not so bad. Rebirth brought back a lot of characters that I have been missing. Wally West being back in this universe is great, and makes the new Wally West actually tolerable. Superman is fun again, although his family being from an entirely new universe is kind of weird. I'm enjoying the new Green Lanterns as well. Flash and Wonder Woman still aren't as good as they used to be, but they are leagues above the shit show that they were before Rebirth. Batman comics have suffered in quality unfortunately, but they are still enjoyable. I'm not exactly optimistic about the Watchmen stuff, but I'm willing to wait and see.

I'm actually pleasantly surprised by DC. Rebirth fixed a lot of things I hated about the reboot. I especially love the Superman titles. It's nice to see the characters I love move forward with their lives. I wish Peter Parker would do the same. Apparently I've got more problems with Marvel than I do DC, which is a shame because Marvel has my favorite characters.

 

[Elijin]

That it is. You know what's getting even older? Heroes fighting heroes. I'm getting sick of it and the Civil War epilogue only suggests there will be more of it after Inhumans vs X-men. I'd really like for Marvel to stop with these hero v hero events. And stop with events all together. At least for a little while.

Its because of the 'heroes always win clause' which makes primary stories lack much weight. Significant villain wins only tend to happen in self contained stories. Hero vs hero tales at least add some uncertainty as to who will be left standing. (See

Spoiler

Xavier, War machine, Tony Stark, Cyclops

dying in recent hero conflicts.)

 

[Bob_McMillan]

That it is. You know what's getting even older? Heroes fighting heroes. I'm getting sick of it and the Civil War epilogue only suggests there will be more of it after Inhumans vs X-men. I'd really like for Marvel to stop with these hero v hero events. And stop with events all together. At least for a little while.

Its because of the 'heroes always win clause' which makes primary stories lack much weight. Significant villain wins only tend to happen in self contained stories. Hero vs hero tales at least add some uncertainty as to who will be left standing. (See

Spoiler

Xavier, War machine, Tony Stark, Cyclops

dying in recent hero conflicts.)

God was Cyclops' death shit. I thought his fake death was actually really good. But nope, twist ending. Cyclops really died because if mutant flu

 

[Elijin]

snip

Spoiler

I actually thought it was pretty compelling. Partially because Cyclops had become such an unlikable extremist that I would have been unsatisfied with any respectable death that lent him purpose or honour. There was a certain brilliance in the worlds most hated mutant dying alone and unnoted after everything he'd done and how much he kept chasing a martyrs death. His final character was an asshole and deserved a hollow death.

And partially because straight out the gate, the cloud took down a named character, lending it a sense of threat (somewhat robbed by it...not seeming to take out any other primary characters since. At least as far as I've read, not finished the arc yet.)

 

[Fappy]

I'd argue Marvel's books have been going steadily down hill ever since Bendis destroyed the Avengers in 'Disassembled' (this pre-Iron Man movie for those who don't know). To me, this marked the beginning of Marvel's obsession with tunneling all story lines into events ripe with "shocking" moments, something DC had already been doing for awhile.

I stuck around for awhile, but over time I began to read fewer and fewer books, opting to skip the events in favor of self-contained, decent stories. Then DnA left the cosmic Marvel scene and Bendis took over in their place to shit all over it. Haven't looked back since.

The movies are still good though.

 

[Kenbo Slice]

DC has been killing it so far. There's only a few Rebirth books I don't enjoy but I love most of them and all the minis they're doing right now.

Marvel has a few good titles out but nothing as great as DC.