Since the details of DC Future State dropped yesterday, I’ve had a little more time to absorb the possibilities of DC’s strategy. Let me be clear…
I want DC Comics to succeed.
Frankly, I don’t know anyone that wants DC to fail with any amount of satisfaction or glee. If anything, the very few statements I’ve encountered calling for DC’s demise were couched as a form of mercy killing.
Endless reboots, pointless re-numberings, nonsensical story decisions that turn established characters inside out until nothing but their capes and emblems are recognizable. It all adds up until you eventually see a beloved character mutated into a shell of their former selves. It’s almost abusive, and the calls to shut DC down reflect less malicious spite and more a desire to see your old friend put to rest so the trauma can end.
Yes, yes. It’s all very melodramatic, but that’s the point. (Melo)drama is an expression of emotion, and fans feel something for these characters. That’s what makes a fan a fan. They have a passion for what they enjoy.
No passion, no fans. No fans, no repeat customers. No merch sales. No standing in line to watch the movies. No pre-orders on anything. And definitely no word of mouth.
DC needs fans. This is non-negotiable.
What does any of this have to do with Neil Gaiman and DC Future State, you ask? Well, DC is putting an awful lot of eggs in one basket with this two-month event. I and everyone else who cares about the DC library WANTS DC to succeed. Therefore, I suggest DC not take these alternate versions of established characters in DC Future State and “tweak” them to give them some distinction.
Make them 100% different in every way, and be up front about it.
Going back to the original premise, fans are fans because they’ve developed a passion for DC’s characters. In the example of the “new” Wonder Woman, Yar FLor, that’s exactly the right move. Different name, different origin, different abilities. Build a wholly new character from the ground up. And giver her time…
Time enough to get to know her and relate to who she is as a person. If that character is terrible, vacuous, rude or just plain unlikable, at least she’ll succeed or fail on her own. If Yara succeeds on her own merits, that’s great and she becomes a worthy addition to the Wonder Woman canon. If she fails on her own merits, at least she can be cast off without affecting fans of Wonder Woman and DC presumably can learn from the failure.
Fans develop a passion for a character because there’s something about that hero or villain that resonates. Something clicks. When you take what’s working and you fix what ain’t broken, the result is almost always disastrous. Figure out what makes that ‘click’ and preserve those traits within a character at all costs. It’s the fans that pay the bills, and when you muck around with what the fans like, the bills stop getting paid.
Neil Gaiman Agrees
The inspiration for this post came from an interesting Twitter exchange involving Neil Gaiman yesterday. In it, Rihanna Pritchett was lamenting that the BBC’s The Watch bares almost no resemblance to the source material written by her father. A few followers chimed in that there’s economic benefit to creating an “inspired” work with an existing fanbase because those fans are more likely to view the inspired work.
Then, Gaiman chimes into the exchange with a fantastic point. Creating an “inspired” work that is vastly different than the source material risks alienating the fans that the new creators hope to bring along. Here’s the exchange in full up to Gaiman’s main point:
Couldn’t have said it better myself.
What Should DC Do In DC Future State?
Go big. Go all in. Go all the way. But leave the existing characters alone.
Don’t make a slightly older Superman and simply put the Bat Cowl on Luke Fox. Take a bold step, and re-build these characters from scratch. Re-imagine their lives (except for some of the basics) with new experiences and new adventures. Probably the closest example I can think of, where it was done to near perfection, is the Miles Morales version of Spider-Man. Morales isn’t the one, true Spider-Man but he works as Spider-Man because he has his own story to tell that’s human and feels real. And Morales has fans. Lots and lots of fans.
You can do it, DC. Don’t tip your toe into the idea pool. Jump in with nose pinched and eyes crammed shut. Dive in, and don’t stop until you reach the depths of what’s possible.
But don’t just take my word for it. Take it from Neil himself.
What do you think of my opinion. Am I on to something or am I just another fanboy that doesn’t want to accept new ideas. Leave a comment downstairs with your thoughts on this topic, and please share this post on social media using the links below.
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