Tag: batwoman

DC Comics Stance on Marriage: Archaic or Rushed?

Sep. 09 Comics, News no comments

The current stance of DC Comics is that superheroes should not be married “as they have to sacrifice their personal lives and personal happiness.” Dan DiDio made the point of the stance clear this weekend when discussing the reasons why the creators behind Batwoman are leaving the company and why Batwoman is not marrying her love. I never knew DC Comics was so archaic.

batwoman pubCatholicism and Marriage

As someone who was raised in the Catholic Church, I have to think that this marriage stance by DC Comics is something which has caused for countless hours of debate in the Catholic Church. Priests and nuns are not allowed to marry because the Church believes they would not be able to balance a successful marriage with the responsibilities of the cloth. The Church has turned a blind eye to the fact that other religions around the world have clergy which are able to marry.

My Personal Calling?

In my personal life, I spent many years believing I would grow up to be a Catholic priest. It was the draw to have a family which finally caused me to leave my aspirations of a life of the cloth. I know of many other Catholics which turned down a potential “calling” in order to start a family and I know a handful of priest which left their callings to learn the love of a family. This point was not meant to spread any religious turn, but to point out how the Catholic Church has been called “archaic” for the same type of stance that DC Comics and Dan DiDio are currently showing towards marriage.

The Marriage Stance

If Dan DiDio truly gave the DC Comics marriage stance, why is the company sitting in the Middle Ages? Maybe they should read some titles by Marvel Comics where characters (such as the Reeds) have been able to have successful marriages and still be able to save the world, universe, or dimension for decades.

A Rushed Decision?

The DC Comics stance on marriage appears rushed to me. I have to wonder if this stance was created as a way to battle the outcry over the Batwoman marriage. If it were true that the company did not think superheroes should be married, why was Batwoman allowed to discuss marriage previously? I think this stance was rushed to deal with a backlash DC Comics didn’t expect due to tunnel vision. It appears DC Comics is trying to defeat itself in the September War.

Personal Happiness

One last point, anyone who is married will tell you that marriage is a sacrifice of personal happiness.

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More Talent Leaving: DC Comics Falling Apart?

Sep. 05 Comics, News no comments

 

The exodus from DC Comics continues. Both W. Haden Blackman and J.H. Williams III are walking away from Batwoman as of issue #26. They say it is due to last minute changes which come down the pipes which have caused them to alter stories at the last minute. These changes, according to their posting today (see it here), cause them to not be able to tell the best story they possibly can within the pages of Batwoman.

 

Ibatwoman pubn their post, Blackman and Williams stated that they had plans to tell the origin of Killer Croc – but this was scrapped. Also, the changes would cause for the marriage between Kate and Maggie to not be seen within the pages of the comic. All of these changes apparently happened at the last possible moment and have caused for a negation of their ability to deliver the best story to fans.

 

This is not the first time we have heard about issues between the brass, editorial staff, and creators at DC Comics. We have seen an exodus from DC Comic this year for irreconcilable differences between creators, editors, and brass. How many problems do we have to go over right now (Villain Month allocation anyone)) to prove that DC Comics is falling apart from the inside.

 

Yes, DC Comics has been making major strides in market share. Taking over market share for a month is a short-term goal. Why isn’t the company dealing with long-term goals? Keeping staff, and keeping staff happy is an important aspect if you want to achieve long-term success. Granted, they have had long-term success (the company did not just show up on the scene), but they need to worry about long-term success from here on out.

 

Comic book readers, collectors, and comic book store owners are mad at DC Comics right now because of all of the problems. Obviously, many of the creators who have worked with the company recently have been angry as well. All of this anger and madness points to a larger issue at DC Comics –  control.

 

It appears that the root problem at DC Comics right now is control. They fight their own creators for control of the characters while not being able to control the launch of their biggest event of the year. Mind the fact that the company can’t even control the media leaks which happen. Every few days, something new appears to leak out of the DC Comics offices and into the press.

 

Someone needs to take control of the company before it completely falls apart. Maybe that person is someone on the staff. Maybe someone from outside the company should be brought in to reevlauate all of the processes and those who make the processes. They need to learn when control should be taken, and when it should be delegated. These are not mistakes a seasoned company like DC Comics should be making, but it is something that needs to end.

 

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