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Diversity, With Exceptions

By  Glenn Walker

Justice League #1 to be released this September. Cover by Jim Lee.

Probably the big news this year, or biggest news period in quite some time in the comics industry, is the big relaunch of DC Comics this September. DC will be putting 52 first issues of 52 new and old series, and it's being called a number of things; however, “reboot” is the one word that is being debated.

The core concept is to make DC Comics and its characters more accessible to new readers, and the powers that be believe that a new start is the best way to do this. Reboot is the term bandied about for this, and not just in the comics field – it's been done for decades in pop culture including film, television, and books. In comics, however, is where the word reboot gets a bad name. Comic books are serial fantasy dramas, where status quo and continuity are very important. In other words, the characters and their storylines must both stay the same and yet grow at the same time. It's a slippery slope, and in the right creative hands, it can work; but, as with all things, sometimes the right hands are not available.

The fact is that DC Comics has been around for nearly 80 years, and that means 80 years of stories, 80 years of history, and 80 years of continuity – there's that dirty word again. Imagine dating someone who has 80 years of emotional baggage – yeah, that's how some people view DC Comics' venerable history. So some folks feel it might be better to just start from scratch and avoid all that formidable history. Putting out number one issues of all the comics is a way to do this. It feels new, it feels like a reader is coming in on the ground floor, a fresh start.

Mr. Terrific #1, coming in September. Cover by J.G. Jones

At first, despite the cries of anguish from longtime fans who didn't want to see the characters and stories they loved washed away into oblivion, it seemed that this was what DC was doing. We will see a new, younger Superman, along with a new, younger Justice League. Barbara Gordon will be Batgirl again. It appears we have a new version of Mister Terrific, as well as Hawkman, Firestorm, Green Arrow, and Black Canary. We even have a Teen Titans team who has never met before. And in many of the promotions there is a focus on a more diverse DC Universe – with minority characters like Cyborg, Batwoman, Blue Beetle, new African hero Batwing, the aforementioned Mister Terrific, Static, Apollo and Midnighter, and a diverse new Blackhawks team, to just name a few.

Now let's be fair. There are a handful of titles here that I am genuinely excited about. But all is not as it seems. It turns out that some of the new titles will be telling stories of the past. And then DC revealed that certain titles would retain some of their continuity, specifically the Batman, Green Lantern, and Legion families of books. Certain major comic book events of recent times will still occur in continuity. So it isn't a reboot of any kind, or even a fresh start; worse than that, it is beginning to look like it is business as usual. But wait – it gets worse.

There are glaring omissions in the 52 titles. Popular characters and concepts have been left out. First, let’s consider that the Justice Society of America, except for the ominously different Hawkman and Mister Terrific, are nowhere to be found. The JSA are the first superhero team, dating back to 1940. Despite only dealing with the Second World War a few times in their original run, later retcons (the act of retroactively changing continuity) like the All-Star Squadron have deeply rooted the JSA in that war, and with fixed ages.

The Justice Society, as envisioned by artist Alex Ross.

Technically due to this, the Justice Society members should all be in their nineties at least. Various in-story reasons account for their long life spans. Several members were exposed to the magic of villain Ian Karkull, while others had their own reasons. For the Flash, it was the speed force; Green Lantern, his Power Ring; Wildcat has multiple lives like a cat; Hawkman keeps getting reincarnated; and folks like Doctor Fate and the Spectre are just flat out immortal and take new human hosts as needed. But even after all this time, these things wear thin, and even though the JSA has a loving fanbase, some of the powers that be at DC don't agree.

It's a fact that a fan favorite ongoing series starring the heroes was canceled during the 1990s because editors felt that readers did not want to read about 'old people.' Geoff Johns, DC's current resident wonder boy, and one of the masterminds behind this don't-call-it-a-reboot, brought back the JSA a few years back with great success, introducing a new generation of heroes – legacies of the older heroes – for the original members to train. Ironically, this new JSA featured a cast of characters much more racially and ethnically diverse than anything DC's current line-up of titles promises.

These characters have been given a rest, according to DC Comics co-publisher Dan DiDio. All of them have vanished from the relaunch save Hawkman and Mister Terrific who both seem to currently have no connection to any team. There's been much talk about letting Superman be the first superhero again with this relaunch, and that says one thing to me, folks – there's no Justice Society.

Superman #47 (1996) is titled "The Wedding Album." This wedding is rumored to be undone for Superman #1, arriving this September. Cover by John Byrne.

Speaking of Superman, this brings me to the second exception to diversity in the new DC Universe. Not only can't a character be old, they can't be married. Dan DiDio in these post-relaunch weeks has also said that the Lois Lane/Superman marriage is being 're-examined.' What does that mean? Well, it means a lot, whether we're talking about DC's increasing legal troubles with the Siegel and Shuster heirs that indicate several elements of the character may no longer belong to them, including Lois Lane, remains to be seen.

There was much contention a few years ago with the storyline "One More Day" over at Marvel Comics, in which Spider-Man and Mary Jane Watson's marriage was dissolved (along with quite a bit of continuity) by the devil Mephisto. Years later the furor still continues, and even though writer Dan Slott is doing a fantastic job with Amazing Spider-Man, this reader has vowed not to buy that comic until the continuity error is fixed, and still hasn't to this day. And I know I'm not alone.

Sometimes retcons work, and sometimes they are just bizarre and done for all the wrong reasons. For me, Spider-Man's marriage was one such error, as it was a natural progression for the character and it made sense. We have all been in long-time relationships, and let's be real here – there is a crap-or-get-off-the-pot equation that occurs, and most people will not wait forever. Sometimes you get married, sometimes you split up.

With Lois Lane, the marriage defines her character. Now before I start getting hate mail, I'm not being sexist and saying she's defined by being his wife. What I am saying is that for the past 20 years, Lois has been not just Superman's wife, but his partner and his equal. As far as I'm concerned, that is 360 degrees from the vindictive, jealous, snoopy, and yes, let's say it, dumb and blind woman of the 1950s and 1960s. And as the Man of Steel's equal she offers insight, a sounding board, and depth to a formerly flat cardboard Superman character.

However, it seems that the powers that be at DC, in their 're-examining' of the relationship, might just decide that the childish, degrading love triangle and secret identity hiding of decades ago is right for this modern couple. This makes me fear equally for the marriages of the Flash and Aquaman. We already know that Hawkman is Hawkgirl-less in the new DC Universe.

Batgirl #1, due in September, has Barbara Gordon back in the cowl. Cover by Patrick Gleason.

So, don't be old, don't be married, and the final minority to take a hit in this don't-call-it-a-reboot seems to be: don't be handicapped. The Batgirl title, written by fan favorite Gail Simone, seems to be telling stories of the past, a past where Barbara Gordon has the full use of her legs, and is not in a wheelchair fighting crime as Oracle. One could also assume the unlikely possibility that these are current-day tales where she's been cured of her paralysis. Either way, DC's number one handicapped hero is no more, and worse yet, if the former option is true, we're going to see her shot again.

Now as much as I love Batgirl, and I love me some Barbara Gordon Batgirl – one of my first crushes was on Yvonne Craig in that tight purple jumpsuit – Oracle was a much better, more defined and in-depth character. I'll take Oracle over Batgirl any day. Barbara never got a JLA membership in the cape, but she got one in the chair, ya know? I want my Oracle back, and not by reliving the horrible, pun unintended, Killing Joke.

So, in closing, DC could stand for Diversity Comics, as long as you're not old, married, or handicapped. Please don't make this so, DC.