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May. 3rd, 2009 12:00 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
stinglikeabeeStill struggling to catch up! There's Free Comic Book Day stuff to scan, recent fic posts to read, radio to listen to, and shortbread in the oven baking for tomorrow's Pride and Prejudice marathon. Phew.
KON IS BACK
(Why yes, I am fond of sparkly text. Why do you ask?)
And yet I find it's strangely anti-climatic. When we learned Bart was returning in the pages of Legion of 3 Worlds, I was thrilled. Even if it was adult!Bart, or Kid Flash!Bart, it did not matter so long as we had him back. In theory.
This week's Legion of 3 Worlds has another surprise for us. Being too busy with work turned out to be a boon in regards to avoiding spoilers, so I can't point a finger in that direction. Here's the weird thing: I went to the LCS on Wednesday and bought the issue, but only read it 10 minutes ago. Being busy is one thing, but perhaps I'm just no longer as emotionally invested in these characters as I thought? It might explain me reacting to Kon's rebirth with no change in pulse and expression whatsoever. No smile. No... crazy-fangirl-jumping-up-and-booty-shaking squee.
I don't think I even want to own up to this because then I'd feel ungrateful but... these aren't my boys. Which is silly. Of course they're not; I stopped reading DC Comics in 2001 and only started up again in 2007. During that time I've been away Young Justice disbanded. Bart and Kon grew to be conflicted teenagers dealing with complex problems in a much different way than in YJ. By the time I finally caved and entered the LCS, it had been a year since Kon died and Bart had become the Flash. I had no clue who these two were anymore.
Reading the Teen Titans trades weren't much help. I get that the somber mood of the series was set in the Titans/YJ crossover 'Graduation Day', but I was sincerely at a loss in trying relate to reconcile what I remember and know and loved about the characters with how they were written as in TT. To my mind there existed a large gap between the two teams to the point where it was if rather than being the evolution of the characters, the Teen Titans were displaced alternate versions.
Feel free to snigger and say, cry moar - you got what you wanted this week, and duh, characters change and evolve. As they should. I'm also aware that for some readers the Kon and Bart in Teen Titans *is* theirs, and that's how they should be portrayed. But this old fogey can't helped feeling let down, despite the return of Kid Flash and Superboy. Whereas in an ideal world this would be cause for excitement, a second chance to learn about the Bart and Kon I missed out on, I only feel disinterest at best and anxiety at worse. After all this is a DC that brought us Spoiler from the dead, only to have: a) a storyline involving a character dressed in her costume teleporting going nowhere, b) be badly treated by Robin, her ex, c) disappear from the main Bat books while some inane major event plays out with another badly-managed character who returned from the dead. And we've already seen a bitter, almost brattish Kid Flash in The Flash: Rebirth. Not exactly something that inspires confidence.
Before I get too involved in this incredibly long and whiny post, here's TL;DR version: I wish the transition between YJ and Teen Titans were done much better so we could see the progression of the characterisation between the two books. I wish I wasn't worried about what DC is going to do to Bart and Kon.
*sigh* I want to be counted among those who read the issue and was happy to see them back. Y'know, instead of feeling as if it was extremely calculating and heading towards some sort of disaster when Blackest Night rolls around. Hah, it would require a lot of Xanax for me to even contemplate happy reunions.
In related news, Blog@Newsarama sheds some light into the Superboy lawsuit. It's all Greek to me, but if their legal team thinks it's okay, hopefully it works out.
(Why yes, I am fond of sparkly text. Why do you ask?)
And yet I find it's strangely anti-climatic. When we learned Bart was returning in the pages of Legion of 3 Worlds, I was thrilled. Even if it was adult!Bart, or Kid Flash!Bart, it did not matter so long as we had him back. In theory.
This week's Legion of 3 Worlds has another surprise for us. Being too busy with work turned out to be a boon in regards to avoiding spoilers, so I can't point a finger in that direction. Here's the weird thing: I went to the LCS on Wednesday and bought the issue, but only read it 10 minutes ago. Being busy is one thing, but perhaps I'm just no longer as emotionally invested in these characters as I thought? It might explain me reacting to Kon's rebirth with no change in pulse and expression whatsoever. No smile. No... crazy-fangirl-jumping-up-and-booty-shaking squee.
I don't think I even want to own up to this because then I'd feel ungrateful but... these aren't my boys. Which is silly. Of course they're not; I stopped reading DC Comics in 2001 and only started up again in 2007. During that time I've been away Young Justice disbanded. Bart and Kon grew to be conflicted teenagers dealing with complex problems in a much different way than in YJ. By the time I finally caved and entered the LCS, it had been a year since Kon died and Bart had become the Flash. I had no clue who these two were anymore.
Reading the Teen Titans trades weren't much help. I get that the somber mood of the series was set in the Titans/YJ crossover 'Graduation Day', but I was sincerely at a loss in trying relate to reconcile what I remember and know and loved about the characters with how they were written as in TT. To my mind there existed a large gap between the two teams to the point where it was if rather than being the evolution of the characters, the Teen Titans were displaced alternate versions.
Feel free to snigger and say, cry moar - you got what you wanted this week, and duh, characters change and evolve. As they should. I'm also aware that for some readers the Kon and Bart in Teen Titans *is* theirs, and that's how they should be portrayed. But this old fogey can't helped feeling let down, despite the return of Kid Flash and Superboy. Whereas in an ideal world this would be cause for excitement, a second chance to learn about the Bart and Kon I missed out on, I only feel disinterest at best and anxiety at worse. After all this is a DC that brought us Spoiler from the dead, only to have: a) a storyline involving a character dressed in her costume teleporting going nowhere, b) be badly treated by Robin, her ex, c) disappear from the main Bat books while some inane major event plays out with another badly-managed character who returned from the dead. And we've already seen a bitter, almost brattish Kid Flash in The Flash: Rebirth. Not exactly something that inspires confidence.
Before I get too involved in this incredibly long and whiny post, here's TL;DR version: I wish the transition between YJ and Teen Titans were done much better so we could see the progression of the characterisation between the two books. I wish I wasn't worried about what DC is going to do to Bart and Kon.
*sigh* I want to be counted among those who read the issue and was happy to see them back. Y'know, instead of feeling as if it was extremely calculating and heading towards some sort of disaster when Blackest Night rolls around. Hah, it would require a lot of Xanax for me to even contemplate happy reunions.
In related news, Blog@Newsarama sheds some light into the Superboy lawsuit. It's all Greek to me, but if their legal team thinks it's okay, hopefully it works out.
no subject
Date: 2009-05-03 07:19 am (UTC)Dammit. I managed to avoid all discussions/spoilers till this. I mean I knew it was coming but ... dammit.
;-;
I dun blame you.. but.. *sob* dammit.
Oh oh .. and Johns has almost confirmed that Kon will likely be in Adventure Comics. :D :D :D
.. Bart might not be so lucky. Not sure. D:
no subject
Date: 2009-05-03 07:25 am (UTC)On the one hand, it was already mentioned in a Blackest Night preview that Kon would come back. We just didn't know it would be in Legion of 3 Worlds and so soon. And I'm glad that finally, we'll see Kon back in the Superman books. Chris Kent who?
Ah, so even though Bart is in the cover for the Titans event there's no guarantees. *sigh* Please don't screw this up DC.
no subject
Date: 2009-05-03 02:42 pm (UTC)Also. *squee*
no subject
Date: 2009-05-03 09:20 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-04 06:59 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-03 11:28 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-04 07:12 am (UTC)You've hit the nail on the head. Even Barry says death isn't the end-all of those in their line of work, and I can understand Kid Flash's bratty reaction to his grandfather's resurrection in that context.
DC editorial kills off beloved characters for short-term gain but the record of handling back-from-the-dead characters is so awful, we almost don't want to see them return. And while the 'shock' may up sales for a few issues, it further frustrates longtime readers who may simply walk away from the company. For instance, Ted Kord's appearance in Booster Gold was great but a part of me was relieved at the ending, having worried about how editorial might treat him :/
no subject
Date: 2009-05-04 10:18 pm (UTC)Yeah, I think that is the major reason I can't even get pumped about the resurrections.
DC, you jerk!
Date: 2009-05-06 02:57 am (UTC)Re: DC, you jerk!
Date: 2009-05-06 09:24 am (UTC)True facts: Every time they start with a rumor that Steve is coming back, I get all excited because I have faith that Brubaker will have it be 100% awesome, especially where Steve's core group (Sam, Sharon, Bucky) are concerned. It is 100% opposite of my DC apathy.