DC Comics started rebooting all of their comics this week, a bold move to say the least.
And while this renumbering is meant to offer fans a point at which to jump on the ride, for some it may be a place to jump off. “A certain part of the readership is put off by the nonpermanence of their comics. They know that a dramatic change — the hero getting married or killed, say — will be undone before long,” Mr. Evanier wrote.
This has always been a challenge for new readers: where do you start? Which Superman do you start with if you want the best picture of the Superman universe? Or which Batman? Is there even a canon anymore? DC is trying to answer that question for you now.
Starting this month you can start completely over, which is a bad thing according to Ned Reskinoff:
The worst part, though, is that none of it means anything. If you live forever and nothing fundamental in your circumstances can ever permanently change, how can anything mean anything? And if there’s no room for meaning, then why is your story worth telling?”
But this is the plight of the superhero. There is no end to evil, there is no end to the villians, and there is no end to the need for superheros.
