Last week, I talked about change in the comics industry, how the repeated rebooting of franchises has finally started to wear me down.
Well, there are other changes that happen because, truly, nothing lasts forever, even in comics.
RECENT MOVES
What attracted my attention first was Steven Moffat leaving Doctor Who. In my opinion, I’m glad he’s exiting now. The last two seasons (or series, as they say in the UK) haven’t been all that good. I mean, the moon being an egg? The Doctor dying and being reborn over and over and over again? Sometimes I’ve found it hard to believe that this was the same guy who developed the Weeping Angels, one of the very best villains I’ve ever seen.
As noted in this story here at MajorSpoilers.com, his replacement will be Chris Chibnall from the Broadchurch crime drama series. At first, it seemed that Peter Capaldi would stay on as The Doctor, but now it looks like Chibnall will pick his own lead character. It’ll be fascinating how that will all be explained on the show.
Of course, this will impact the Who comics from Titan Publishing. They’ll be slow to catch up, as they always are, but now we’ll have even more Doctors in ongoing comics or miniseries’.
As popular as this franchise is, I have to wonder if repeatedly making major changes in the show will cause some fans to wear out and move on. Matt Smith was my favorite Doctor, but I’m now back to watching it because it’s sci-fi/fantasy, which always deserves to be supported. It’s just not as appealing to me as it was when Mr. Smith was there, sadly.
Then news came out that Cartoon Network is going to debut Justice League Action, bringing back Kevin Conroy to voice Batman and Mark Hamill as the Joker. Like Teen Titans Go, the segments will be 15 minutes long, but supposedly the focus will not be so much on comedy as adventure.
Quick aside – Whenever Batman speaks, be it in comics or in TV or films, my mind hears Mr. Conroy speaking. He’ll always be the voice of Batman to me!
Just as The Adventures of Supergirl debuted based on the CBS show, expect a comic based on Justice League Action to come along pretty quickly. The Teen Titans Go comic didn’t take long to hit the stands, after all!
I’ll be watching this new show, enjoying it as much as I can while it’s on. But it won’t be on the network more than a few years, if previous DC-related animated shows are any examples. Anyone else remember Green Lantern: The Animated Series?
CHERISH QUALITY WHILE YOU CAN
Last week, I mentioned that Scott Snyder is reportedly moving from Batman to Detective Comics. I’ve read comics long enough to cherish the best storytelling when it’s happening. His run with Greg Capullo will always be remembered as one of the high points in the Dark Knight’s existence.
I like to say that everything’s a fad, and that’s because creators want to move on after they’ve told the stories they want to tell. Hey, even CSi finally ended on TV!
Maintaining quality can be a tough thing because of deadlines and the lure of other franchises. You want it when? is always a joke among creators when deadlines loom.
I’m on a relentless pursuit of quality storytelling, and that means cherishing the good stuff I know about while searching for other engaging stories.
HOW I LOOK AT IT ALL
I remember when Elvis died. My sister was depressed for a week afterwards. I laughed, which she did NOT care for!
But that was a learning experience for me. I follow the great comics as well as the TV shows and movies. But now I don’t expect them to go on endlessly.
Currently I’m big on AfterShock Comics, which is producing excellent product. I hope they keep that up for a long, long time! But I’m also a DC Comics fan, so I’m used to change (and not always good change) as a result. I’m going to buy every comic Mr. Marts and company create because they’re so worth the money to buy and read!
I mean, I grieved when Justice League Unlimited ended on Cartoon Network, although I loved that final sequence of the group’s various incarnations running down the stairs. I hope this new series will be enjoyable, too! I’ll also be sad when Mr. Snyder moves on from Batman.
My advice is to enjoy the quality material you love as long as it continues to come out. But don’t be too surprised when that period of excellence comes to an end. Also, keep looking for good product, be it on TV or in the comics. Be sure to make contact with people who may be exploring comics or shows you haven’t been enjoying, and see what they recommend. They may help you discover great stuff! That has worked for me very well and is something I’ll continue to make happen.
What would you recommend to your friends that you’re reading or watching now? Be sure to share that in the space below!
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