Hitting the shelves today (or at midnight if some crazy comic stores were open for that) is DC Comics latest reboot under the false media of a label called DC Rebirth issue #1. Written by Geoff Johns (The leader of the new school, uncool Never played the fool, just made the rules) and illustrated by various comes the latest fncking DC Comics rhetoric that they want the fandom to be reciting as new geek gospel. I have this to say “Don’t believe the hype!”. Spoilers & Review/Rant here. Be warned.
It’s 2010 and I shuffled into a big convention room upstairs in San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) for the big news DC Comics panel. I managed to get good seats up front and not far from the big panel of all the big DC Comics people like Dan Didio & Geoff Johns. For months before SDCC, DC Comics was doing nothing but selling both Brightest Day & Blackest Night event which means people FOUGHT to get into a line-up to ask a zillion questions about the new upcoming event. There sat Geoff Johns in his leather jacket and wearing shades indoors and as almost rabid fans started asking questions, Johns just kept repeating the EXACT same answer “Read Brightest Day & Blackest Night”. Okay, first few times it was cute but then he NEVER stopped and didn’t answer a SINGLE question directed his way, to the point that Dan Didio would add in SOMETHING for the poor fan who fought their way to the mic. Johns just sat there like the biggest asshole not saying anything to this rabid fandom who worship him. Many people around me even said, openly & loudly, “WOW! What a jerk!”. They were right. It was there that I stopped liking ANY Geoff Johns wrote because I could FEEL this attitude in his writing.
I’ll make it very simple. DC Comics Rebirth issue 1 feel like Geoff Johns being jerk again but this time he’s being condescending to the fandom & attacking the last DC Comics reboot 52 under the banner of bringing back heroes with fun and excitement. Now add to the fact that it seems like Geoff Johns can’t be original without stepping on Alan Moore’s work. Johns has done this once already with the Lantern Corps war & Blackest Night.
Spoilers – stop reading now if you don’t want it spoiled for you!
Wally West taps into the Speed Force, returning from pre-Flashpoint DC Universe trying to get ANYONE’s attention in the new DC 52 Universe to try & fix things. No one remembers him until The Flash does and pulls him back to reality. Does this moment when The Flash remembers Wally West rebuild the DC 52 Universe to the new Rebirth to something new? Likely. The big final page has new Batman following up on his encounter with Wally West to find something buried in his Batcave, the bloodstained Watchmen pin from The Comedian leading to the assumption that the DC 52 was created by Dr. Manhattan.
Reading DC Comics Rebirth issue 1 felt like the whole Wally West story came across like desperate fan-fic written as an insult to the new DC 52. Perhaps that is the key factor in what Geoff Johns wanted to do, come across like a fan who hated DC 52 and wanted to remake the new DC Universe again but with ties to the pre-Flashpoint DC Universe. What hangs heavy in this book, for me, is that not long ago Geoff Johns was singing the praises of DC 52, all it’s event books and stable of writers. Now to get SALES and an AUDIENCE back, he has to piss on DC 52?
Just take a moment to think about that.
Imagine Apple coming out showing you the latest iPhone by taking a serious shit on the latest iPhone everyone might have. That is exactly what’s happening here and as much as I’m not a fan of DC 52, you NEVER disrespect the work done. Sure, you can ignore it & move on but to openly disrespect it AND then say that it was the fault of ANOTHER product that previously had no ties (aka Watchmen) is insane.
It’s SHOCK & AWE and it will work on the fandom. Why? Because the majority of comics fandom is fncking gullible to accept the Hype. They’ll gloss over the facts of all of what I’ve said because it’s WALLY WEST, it’s The WATCHMEN, it’s PRE-FLASHPOINT, blah blah. They’ll praise Geoff Johns for brilliant writing even though the book is an open Fnck you to the fandom. Praise the gospel of Geoff Johns, he can do no wrong.
Oh and don’t forget that DC Comics still has sexual harassement employees but hey who cares right? Wally West is back so Agro Fuck You!
Oh and know that DC Rebirth tells the read that this tale takes place after Justice League #50 & Superman #52 and you’re to have read those first. BAD DC COMICS. If this is the SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT BOOK OF YOUR NEW FUCKING UNIVERSE either give a page of explanation of what happened in Justice League & Superman or GTFO! I shouldn’t have to go read those comics before Rebirth. DC Comics does this often and it shows for poor editorial judgement on their part.
Public Enemy always had it right…
