Fanwank!

So there’s been a lot of talk and cross talk about the new DC Universe (I join others in the belief that the term “DCnu” is appalling) that debuts next month, or rather technically at the end of this one, with Justice League #1 on August 31st. Longtime followers of DC should be well used to this sort of thing; from Crisis on Infinite Earths to Zero Hour to Infinite Crisis to 52; if there’s one thing that’s clear, it’s that DC has a bit of mad love for that reset button.

I’m late to the game in offering opinions, but for me, the issue seems to distill into a few key points. The first; renumbering is a gimmick. For DC’s creative team, it might be symbolic of their commitment or whatever, but the fact is, that’s not the same creative team that’s going to be there in five or ten years’ time, most likely (I look forward to eating crow if I am wrong in this assessment). The team that replaces them is not going to have that same commitment to this story line, and so what we’ll see is, likely, what we’ve always seen; when the luster of this particular reset wears off, we’ll see stories awkwardly written to fold this new universe back into the old one, with patches here and there where new elements were successful and retained. This is reinforced by the idea that despite the renumbering, the stories as told in Batman and Green Lantern titles remains unaffected–numbering aside, those two titles and their continued ongoing narrative is DC’s real backdoor; it’s their chance to say, “whoops, we flubbed!” and use a story element to make a return to the status quo.

And you know what? That’s okay. Reboots are controversial because people hate and fear change, but the fact is, for better or worse, they inject new blood into old stories. They’re not ever100% successful, but they’re almost always interesting, and there are always elements of each one which make for lasting, memorable stories. CoIE gave us the death of Barry Allen and the multiverse, and while for some characters the nightmare was only beginning (Poor Hawkman and Donna Troy), it gave others the chance to absolutely shine (Wally West and Dick Grayson). Zero Hour caused its problems as well, but introduced the concept of Hypertime, arguably one of the best ideas DC has ever had.

This current reboot certainly has its controversial points. Barbara Gordon stepping out of the wheelchair, Superboy returning to the tank; these are the moves that are designed to make people notice. It’s a massive undertaking; along with those highlights, we’re seeing the folding of Wildstorm (and several Vertigo characters) into the mainstream DCU, the return of books like JLI, and a new chance for second stringers to have a shot at the A-list with solo titles (Captain Atom and Firestorm). Of course, I’d be lying if I were a fan of all  of these choices; I knew that Barbara would wear the cowl again eventually, but I have to admit I’d hoped for more build-up rather than simply a press of the button. Additionally, while I am happy to see Dick Grayson in a solo title again, I’m not pleased by his regression back to Nightwing. He’d finally grown into the legacy he’d spent years preparing for, and now it’s being taken away. All of that compares to the problem I have with Superboy, however.

Kon-El, or Conner, has had quite the growth arc in the decade-and-a-half since his inception. He was well on his way into learning what it means to be “Super”, to wear the S-shield and to live up to what it represents. In his relatively short lifespan as a character he’s overcome the impetuousness of his youth, the machinations of his pseudo-father, Lex Luthor, he’s even re-enacted Superman’s Christ-allegorical death and rebirth cycle against a dark mirror; Superman’s sacrifice was against Doomsday, a Kryptonian war machine and a counter to Krypton’s gift to Earth in Superman. Superboy’s dark reflection, though, was even more literal; his death was at the hands of another Superboy, one who had become twisted and broken by the tragedies he’d endured. Other reasons behind Conner’s death aside, the story had a strong emotional resonance; here was this kid, this impetuous, previously completely unlikeable kid who had come so far, had learned so much about himself and his place in the world, who had become a hero in the very literal sense of the word, and he unflinchingly gave his life in the very image of his namesake.

It angered many fans, as any such event will do, but truthfully it’s an event that DC handled very well; it was a noble death for a character, and unlike Superman’s death, there was no real guarantee that Conner would return. When he did, it only furthered his arc; he returned, recovered, from the same chamber that brought Superman himself back to us. The cycle there was complete and it cemented this boy, this clone, as one worthy to wear the emblem on his chest.

Now? I feel as though returning Superboy to the tank, to that origin, to tell new stories, cheapens the growth of a character who had progressed in a natural and memorable way; the way Wally West and Dick Grayson had. It’s a way that only legacy characters can, because they’re not Clark Kent or Bruce Wayne, they’re not the originating archetype, and so possess a mutability that isn’t present in their forebears. That mutability is a blessing, and a curse; because it allows the character to grow and change, but also allows for things like this reset to happen. It isn’t the powers that make Superman, though, nor his progeny; it’s the quality of character. Taking that away reduces Conner, it diminishes the “Super” in him.

That all said? I”m still interested. It may not pan out, it may lead to great stories in new, unexpected ways. Making comics is not, has never been, and never will be a perfect science; telling a story and telling it well is a difficult thing to do; all the more so when a legion of rabid fans is waiting to naysay every choice made. So, I’m giving the reboot a chance, and I’m voting with my money. I’m buying Batgirl and Nightwing; while I’m not happy with the regressions present there, I’m interested enough in the characters to give them a shot. I’m not buying Superboy; for the reasons above, I’m not a huge fan of the new direction. I will follow it, however, and in the event I’m proven wrong, I’ll absolutely eat my words and start following that as well.

Stop worrying. Love the reboot.