The mass media is picking up on DC’s announcement of a new pairing of Superman and Batman. The new series will focus on how the two iconic characters met in the New 52. I am sorry, but I cannot get excited about Batman/Superman.
Superman and Batman
Exclude This Reason
Some people who know me might automatically exclude my ideas about a Superman and Batman pairing in Batman/Superman because of the fact that I just don’t like Superman. Exclude this reasoning now because there are other reasons why I will not be reading.
Been There Done That
Granted, this will be the first title for Superman and Batman in the New 52, but so what? In the three decades I have been reading comics, I have lost track of the number of times the two characters have teamed up. I have lost track of the number of issues I have read in which the two disagree on the way to handle criminals. Even though some of the variables have changed in the New 52, the basis of how the two characters differ remains the same and will be nothing more than a regurgitation of the arguments we have read in the past.
WTF?
We are a matter of weeks away from DC’s WTF?. The goal of this new marker in the DC Universe is to shakeup the market in the hopes of bringing more of a market share to the publishing company which slipped into second place behind Marvel. DC will do anything to regain the lead and the plotlines in WTF should prove the point. This is change for the sake of change and it is not what the fans want. Fans want strong storylines and characters they can relate to and give a damn about. I see Batman/Superman as a twist on WTF?, and another attempt to snatch a little market share instead of giving the fans what they want.
How Many Titles Do Superman and Batman Need?
A large portion of my monthly pull list revolves around Batman and the Family but I do not see myself wanting to add another Bat-title to the list. DC needs to take a step back and look at the titles in the New 52 and how they are dominated by Batman, Superman, and the Green Lantern. Adding another title to any of these lines, especially to Superman and Batman, could easily cause a character’s bubble to pop. Now I am not saying that fans will give up on Superman or Batman when Batman/Superman comes out – but there will be ones that find they have to take a step back from some of the titles because of character inundation.
Why Now?
Oddly, this is the week in which Batwoman proposed to her girlfriend but few major media outlets picked up the story. DC was figuring on a media push so there is good reason to believe this announcement was pushed up to keep investors and the big wheels happy. Too bad I can’t get the Barenaked Ladies line out of my head, “It’s all been done before.” I guess it is time to dust off that CD.
Special Note:
Just because I will not be reading the new Superman and Batman title should not lead anyone to believe we will not carry Batman/Superman in the store. I don’t do the ordering – I just spread the word.
