Will DC's New 52 Revive its Legacy?

Superhero comics were a thing of the past. With declining readership, DC Comics decided to relaunch their universe as the "New 52." What that means for their superfluity of iconic characters remains unclear. Recent changes in both entertainment culture, not to mention a flagging economy, have given the public cause to suggest DC's recent decision to reinvent its entire comic book universe and bring all titles back to issue one is no genuine attempt to improve on time tested characters but instead a stunt to boost their sales.

There is no lack of evidence to back up these claims either. DC co-publisher Dan DiDio has been quite upfront on the matter and, in an interview building up to the launch of the "New 52" reboot, said of readers "...people are leaving anyway, they’re just doing it quietly."

In the DC universe of infinite universes it's easy to think that everything that can be done, has been done. Every adventure seems to have been had and most everyone has died at least once. Those that aren't eventually resurrected are generally replaced by another who takes on their name and costume so that their legacy, and series, might survive. This willingness to do anything and everything with characters is likely at the root of reader apathy and critical cynicism. If characters can survive even death, then no amount of plot gimmickry, no matter how clever, can distract from the fact that none of these characters will ever change or grow.

A bright spot in the New 52 comes from an entire overhaul of the Superman storyline. For starters, he can't fly and he can bleed. Suddenly Superman almost seems relatable. This could have been just what the character needed to reestablish DC as a major force in the world of publishing but, despite a promising +364.7% increase in sales when the new Action Comics hit the stores, critics have been using words like "underwhelmed" and "inconsistent" and sales have slowed a steady average of -14.8% through December.

Unfortunately, the changes to the DC Universe don't seem to affect every title. Other characters, some well known and others less so, have seen little change. Batman, Animal Man, and Swamp Thing are, aside from some costume changes, indistinguishable from their pre-52 incarnations. Batman is just as he's always been, but at least he is getting a fresh, mysterious, story arc. The first issues of Animal Man and Swamp Thing have merely picked up where they left off before the reboot. Sales for these titles has declined less than Action Comics with Animal Man seeing 16% growth in its second issue. It seems the reboot is more successful with the established fan base, who desire little change, than with the new audience DC desires.

This overall decline in sales and lack of a clear statement as to what the "New 52" really is, along with six other titles having already been canceled, leaves it difficult to see this reboot as anything other than half-hearted. Unless there is a real commitment to the emotionally gripping stories and consistent artistic quality that today's readers have come to expect, there can be but little hope for even the most revered of titles.

And if there's no hope for Superman, how can there be any hope for DC?

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About The Author: Elaine Hirsch is kind of a jack-of-all-interests, from education to technology to public policy, so she is currently working as a writer for various education-related sites and writing about all these things instead.