27 Jul, 2008
The fanboy in me is naturally thrilled at the thought of the Milestone characters returning in all-new adventures. I remember well when the multicultural imprint launched in 1993 through DC Comics, and I enjoyed buying comics like Icon, Static, and Shadow Cabinet, among others. I was pleased to see Static become a breakout hit, one that crossed over into a critically-acclaimed animated series. And I’ve tried to support co-founder Dwayne McDuffie in this blog whenever possible. But I find I cannot support him in this decision to integrate the Milestone characters into the greater DC Universe. In fact, I believe it is a terrible mistake, and to understand why, one need only look at history.
In 1972, DC bought the Fawcett characters Captain Marvel and the Marvel family. During its heyday, Fawcett’s Captain Marvel outsold Superman. It was immensely popular – until DC took Fawcett to court for copyright infringement, claiming CM was too much like Superman. Fawcett settled out of court, which led to them shutting down altogether. DC’s Shazam comic had mediocre sales, and in 1985’s Crisis on Infinite Earths, CM and the family were integrated into the DCU proper, and never again reached the same level of popularity. Currently the characters have changed to the point of near unrecognizability: the wizard Shazam is dead, a white-haired CM has taken over for him, and Mary Marvel has been corrupted by archenemy Black Adam. Recent Shazam revivals by Jeff Smith and Mike Kunkel that have brought the character back to its roots have not sold as well as during the character’s heyday.
In 1983, DC acquired a number of superhero characters from Charlton Comics. At one point Charlton was home to legendary creators like Steve Ditko, Dick Giordano, Roger Stern, Bob Layton, John Byrne, Dennis O’Neil, and more, but the company hit hard times in the early 80s and would go out of business by the 90s. While some Charlton characters thrived for awhile, like Blue Beetle and the Question, today new characters inhabit these identities, and the rest have fallen into obscurity despite occasional revivals. And of course, the Charlton characters were originally going to be used in Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ Watchmen until DC changed their minds and the creators ended up using new characters inspired by the Charlton heroes.
In 1994 Marvel purchased Malibu Comics after that company suffered financial decline. Malibu hit its stride in the 90s with its Ultraverse line of superheroes. Marvel did a brief relaunch with them, which included a bunch of crossover specials, but they too, never reached the same level of popularity.
In 2004, Disney acquired the assets to CrossGen after that publisher also had money problems. For a brief time, CrossGen came close to revolutionizing the entire industry, attracting A-list creators like Mark Waid and George Perez, developing a production system that emphasized eye-popping artwork, utilizing multiple distribution systems and reprint formats, and launching initiatives designed to attract a wider reading audience. But Disney’s plans to further develop breakout hits Meridian and Ruse have yet to see the light of day, and though certain CG titles have been reprinted by Checker Books, no new material has been forthcoming.
It’s a pattern that has repeated itself throughout comics history: whenever the bigger company acquires the smaller company, the latter’s properties eventually become either irrelevant or altered, if not in the short term then over the long term. If they get absorbed into a pre-established continuity, they lose their uniqueness, that certain something that made them special to begin with. Yes, McDuffie is at DC now and will likely be consulted whenever someone wants to use the Milestone characters, but what happens when he’s gone? Can future creators be trusted to care about them as much as McDuffie, who was an integral part of their creation?
Something else about this deal bothers me. DC executive vice-president Dan DiDio insists that it’s not about wanting to diversify the DCU, but it’s about “bringing great material into the DC universe, and being able to add value to everything we do.” Well, that sounds all nice and noble, but riddle me this: why is it that whenever DC decides to throw a bone to readers of color, they put their best efforts into making “legacy” characters connected to pre-established ones? Green Lantern II (John Stewart). Mr. Miracle II. Steel (originally one of the “replacement” Supermen and who is still considered part of the Superman family). Mr. Terrific II. Jakeem Thunder (successor to Johnny Thunder). Firestorm II. And to go beyond black characters, there’s Atom III (an Asian-American), Question II (a Latina), and Batwoman II (a lesbian).
Remember Muhamamad X? Skyrocket? Orpheus? Chances are you don’t. These were original heroes of color created within the DCU but were given little chance to shine for very long and now linger in superhero limbo. Sure, someone could use them again, but it’s so much easier to buy someone else’s characters, especially when they come with their own built-in fanbases. Typical corporate mentality.
I wonder if reviving Milestone at Image was ever considered? Whether as a single book or a series of books, I could’ve easily envisioned seeing Milestone finding a home there, where the characters would’ve remained as they were without any corporate intervention. And certainly the fanbase would’ve followed, just as the fans of Bone and Strangers in Paradise did when those books found a temporary home at Image – and Milestone would’ve probably been an easier fit, given Image’s superhero roots.
Like I said, the fanboy in me can’t help but think it’s cool to see Static join the Teen Titans and Icon to join the Justice League, or whatever plans they may have for the Milestone heroes. And as for continuity issues, well, there’s always some BS way to shoehorn them into continuity, although the impression I get is that Final Crisis will have nothing to do with it and the “Worlds Collide” crossover will be conveniently forgotten. Regardless, I believe this is a huge mistake that will, over time, work to the detriment of these characters instead of their benefit. By losing the uniqueness that made them stand apart from the crowd, the Milestone heroes will, sooner or later, become as far removed from their roots as the Marvel family is now.
I hope I’m wrong. I hope to be proved wrong.
But I don’t think I will be.
- Rich Watson
42 Responses to "Milestone does not belong within the DCU"
1 | David Brothers
I remember Orpheus. He got his face pulled off so someone could wear it as a disguise.
I think you and I see eye-to-eye on this. I love that they’re going to be reprinting the trades, and allowing McDuffie to write the finale to the franchise (please put John Paul Leon or Cowan on art!), but I’m a little skeptical. DC has been a little too hit or miss for me lately.
2 | Poet
Comics aren’t bringing in new readers. It’s harder now to grab the attention of readers with new characters and titles. Forget about pulling in new readers who are too absorbed into video games.
The Milestone characters, unlike those in the universes you previously mentioned have a loyal fanbase. A small fanbase, but loyal one no doubt, who will not allow these characters to be blown by the wayside. If you can build the popularity of the Milestone characters by having them intergrate seriously into the DC universe, I say why not? It is not only smart, but it’s good business, if handled right.
3 | Sean May
The examples you provided for what happened to characters after they were bought out are more than a little flawed
First off, with Fawcett and Captain Marvel…do you honestly expect that Captain Marvel was going to sell as much as it did in the late 80s as it did in the 40s and 50s? That’s not a matter of DC mishandling CM, it’s a matter of the entire industry being much smaller than what it was during CM’s biggest popularity.
4 | Jon Haehnle
While I don’t know how much faith I have in DC, I have faith in McDuffie in choosing what was best for Milestone. (Although I kind of think that Milestone couldn’t return due to legal entanglements unless it was with DC?) Now if Milestone was at Wildstorm, THEN we should really be worried!
Also, while I generally think Poet’s comment about new readers, or lack thereof, is true — I really do believe that a professionally done line of minority-based comics would be the kind of thing that could find new readers.
5 | Loren
“Remember Muhamamad X? Skyrocket? Orpheus? Chances are you don’t. These were original heroes of color created within the DCU but were given little chance to shine for very long and now linger in superhero limbo.”
But that’s generally true of most original characters, regardless of color. Remember Agent Liberty? Witchfire? Argus?
How many NON-legacy characters of any race have really captured fans’ attention and interest in recent years?
6 | Rich Watson
I thought my comment went through this morning? Guess it didn’t…
Sean, I’m willing to concede that sea changes in the industry at large were a major factor in CM’s decline. However, my point still stands: the Marvel family as they are now have gotten too far removed from the version that made them not only popular, but special. compare THE TRIALS OF SHAZAM or the Mary Marvel/Black Adam issues of COUNTDOWN to Jeff Smith’s MONSTER SOCIETY OF EVIL and tell me which one looks more like the “real “Marvel family.
Loren, if independent characters like Hellboy and Invincible can become successful and penetrate other media, how is it that DC, with all of their marketing might and connections to other media through AOL/TW, can’t do the same?
7 | Chris Eckert
I think the biggest problem with bringing the Milestone characters into DCU is really similar to the Captain Marvel issue: the Fawcett Captain Marvel stuff was uncluttered and fun and Captain Marvel was “The World’s Mightiest Mortal!” He was a big deal.
Move him into the integrated DCU, and he’s a guy kind of like Superman. And maybe a little less powerful than Captain Atom, and not as good with magical threats as Dr. Fate, and etc. etc. etc. He’s just another strong guy.
Basically this is going to happen to more or less everyone from Milestone. Virgil being a fanboy who hangs out at a comic shop and who then gets powers is kind of weird and less effective on a planet full of super powered beings. The Blood Syndicate aren’t half as destabilizing on a planet with hundreds of other super powered groups. Icon and Hardware are just going to get treated like the poor man’s Icon and Steel.
Why did DC spend so much time reintroducing the Multiverse if they’re not going to use it?
8 | Kevin Huxford
Yeah, I get a lot of the stuff about universes that get folded into a company’s existing product. But the whole “why does DC make all of their minority characters legacy characters” is a non-starter.
Like Loren says, too many original characters (of any color) fail. Legacies are used to help sell a character. Kind of like any of the many movies you’ve see where you’ve probably said, “you know, Better Actor A would have been much better than Box Office Draw B was in that role”. ;)
9 | Rich Watson
I don’t buy it. Look at RUNAWAYS at Marvel. Not every new character can achieve the same level of success as that book, true, but if that attitude had been applied to RUNAWAYS, we would’ve lost out on a great book.
10 | BFB
I have to agree Rich. Im excited to see the Milestone characters again, but Im scared they will get lost in the shuffle.
DC reminds me of Major league Baseball, which tends to focus on its history instead of it future. History is great if your part of it, the Milestone characters and minority characters in general arent part of DC’s history. Which is why minority legacy characters will always get brushed aside to make way for originals.
12 | Howard Brown
From what little I’ve learned of the Milestone/DC deal from Michael Davis, editorial control of Milestone still resides with Milestone, not DC. DC is publishing and the characters will be in the DCU, but everything will have to go through Milestone, who maintains complete creative and editorial control.
***Plug Alert*** Stay tuned for more info from our upcoming interviews with Denys Cowan, Michael Davis, Reginald Hudlin and more. ***/end Plug Alert***
13 | Rich Watson
Is that what they told Tony Isabella about Black Lightning?
I’m sorry, but I remain skeptical.
14 | wallruss
I don’t want DC to get a hold of Milestone. It would never be what it once was and it would most likely go somewhere it doesn’t need to go. I would definitely like to see those characters again. I showed my comics to my 14 year old nephew and he loved the milestone stuff. Like someone else commented, I trust McDuffie to do what’s best. I just hope that doesn’t mean laying Milestone to rest.
15 | Howard Brown
What someone is told and what is in the contracts are two completely different things. I have no knowledge of how or what was apart of the Isabella deal, so I can’t comment on that.
16 | Jon Haehnle
Regardless of contracts, I remain skeptical too. I mean, when Joe D came to visit recently we had dinner with his friend Brent (Rollins) from egotrip and he was telling us all these nightmare stories about working on Miss Rap Supreme that were akin to editorial interference. Sure they had all kinds of agreements in place, especially in light of how the first season went, but that didn’t mean that the studio didn’t try the same bullcrap. Well anyway, like I said earlier and others have said, let’s have some faith in McDuffie; he knows what he’s getting into and I’m sure he’ll do as much a man can do.
What troubles me more is DB used the word “finale”. Maybe I just don’t know what this whole deal is about. Are they reintroducing all these characters just to put them to bed? Or are they going to stay? Honestly I think the latter is where more problems come up, because at some point Dwayne won’t be around to protect the characters. If it’s just him writing the beginning middle and end of all this, then he should have it all under control. So I dunno, I want them to stay around, but then that’s when I worry about them.
Guess we’ll just have to wait and see :)
17 | urbanhorror
I think its a good idea do I believe that DCU will swallow up the whole franchise? no, Most? yes
But the good out weighs the bad
Things to consider
1. Milestone has been out of site and mind for over 10 years, if they are reprinted, then a new generation will have access to line
New access could result in spin offs or movie deals
I don’t believe that Dwayne McDuffie would hold out as long as he has if he didn’t have demands that had to be met
Finally there are 3 African American characters in JLA, DC’s flagship book, this is unheard of in comics despite whose writing or drawing it. Over the past years there has been changes in Mister Miracle, the Guardian and Firestorm. So I believe there is some good faith on DC’s part
My hope is that a few character s from Milestone will shine and receive the treatment they richly deserve
as I suspect will happen with Static
18 | Rich Watson
Howard, I wouldn’t expect you to know details of contracts; I brought up Tony as a reminder that DC has made promises to creators in the past and not lived up to them.
Again, let me emphasize that I hope I’m wrong and that the deal Dwayne made was a good one. But as Jon said, Dwayne won’t be around at DC forever, and there’s far, far too much bad history of corporate publishers screwing over creators for me to fully believe this was the best deal for Milestone.
It’s not as if there were no other options: Dwayne could’ve gone to Image, he could’ve gone to a prose book publisher, he could’ve self-published, but he chose this route. If he thought this was the best choice, that’s fine, but history clearly shows that deals like this almost never work out well, for either the creators, the characters, or both.
19 | Poet
“This is the moment, now is the time.” Sounds familiar? Look, in case anyone hasn’t heard, magazines, comics, and newspapers are a dying breed, because the 20 and under crowd aren’t coming in to replace readers. The novelty of having black superheroes is slowly fading because to be frank, the MTV crowd doesn’t care. They’re too busy creeping around their folks to play Grand Theft Auto or jump on the Internet. The only crowd who will fawn and romanticize over Milestone is the mid 40 crowd who is still waiting to see a black Superman hit the big screen.
Now, reality people. How do you capitalize on this now? Cowan is doing well. McDuffie has been doing right in DCland so far, so why not reintroduce some of the Milestone characters? The timing could not be better. I think it makes good business sense. If the characters are handled right, it can prove to be rewarding. In the long run, it’s about Business.
20 | Rich Watson
I agree completely. But is this the best business for them to be in?
21 | Poet
Why not? We can’t sit and hold our breath thinking that the Milestone crew will get some sweetheart deal with another publisher. It’s about timing. They have a relationship with one of the most powerful comic book entertainment companies on the planet.
I am not saying the relationship has been always fair, but this time around, I think it’s an excellent time to reintroduce Milestone characters through DC. McDuffie is there. The audience is there.
We will see what happens when they are reintroduced. We all know DC will be watching. If there is a buzz and the numbers look good, wonderful. If not, consider this Milestone love affair just a play on your emotions for now.
One thing is for certain, while McDuffie is there, he will do right.
22 | Rich Watson
Why DC though? It’s not like the old days, where you had to make your mark at one of the Big Two or else you’re nothing. There are more options than ever before these days. That’s what I want to know – why does Dwayne believe THIS is the best deal for the characters? While HE’S there, you said. What happens when he’s gone?
I believe these are very legitimate questions.
23 | Poet
Sure there are other publishers out there, but without question the Big two hold a lot of weight in the industry. With other publishers (including Marvel and DC) tightening their belts these days, DC is less of a risk reintroducing Milestone characters rather than going totally new at another company.
Also, you have to factor in a few things: Is McDuffie under an exclusive contract with DC? Will pitching a proposal to another publisher break that agreement? What was pitched to McDuffie regarding utilizing Milestone characters? Or what did McDuffie pitch to DC? And what are the short-long term goals regarding the Milestone Universe?
I don’t think there is an attraction like the early-mid 90s to reach a multicultural market anymore. Multicultural characters ARE playing more of major roles in comics. You have tons of indies putting out better work and quality characters, that this whole black/multicultural comics movement is dead in the wind. I know…..I attended the funeral.
If McDuffie can make a buck reintroducing the characters and rekindled the romance with the old fanbase, then fine. If there is a positive buzz and he can get a milestone miniseries or ongoing, then fine. It’s a safer bet with DC. Also, self publishing is a nightmare. Does McDuffie and co. want that headache again?
I think the whole thing was strictly a business decision that has been on the table for a while until the right opportunity opened up. One thing is for certain, the timing couldn’t be better.
24 | Rich Watson
We don’t know the specifics of his deal, this is true, and I don’t want to speculate too closely about it. But I believe you’re underestimating the other possibilities open to him now, possibilities that were not as viable back in 1993 as they are now. And frankly, if I didn’t believe multicultural comics were still alive, I wouldn’t have this blog.
I think we’re gonna have to agree to disagree.
25 | mathan
From what I understood of the original Milestone deal was that one company had the trademark and the other had the copyright, I forget which had which. But if that was the case it might go a ways to explaining why Milestone went with DC again, because they didn’t really have a choice in the matter.
And from what I’ve read about the deal, I understood it to be a temporary thing, more akin to DC leasing the characters than owning them outright. That doesn’t mean that the characters are going to be handled properly, but it might mean that it’s a temporary situation.
And in regards to the “finale”, isn’t it just a concluding chapter to the original saga? Sort of like a “what if.”
The only thing that I really find troubling about the Milestone news is that it’s probably going to have an effect on back issues, and I was really hoping to get a complete Milestone collection at somepoint, without having to spend a ton of cash.
26 | Jon Haehnle
mathan: Thanks for that bit — like I said in my original comment, I figured there were some legal entanglements at play that tied Milestone to DC. If not, I’m pretty sure Dwayne would’ve made some moves sooner.
Anyway, lots of questions. Looking forward to an interview!
27 | Cornelius Harris
The concern on my part is the DC “Big Three”. There’s an unwritten rule that no character can be more…whatever…than them. Which means that everyone falls second. In the Milestone world, there was room for Icon to have a certain amount of authority, for those characters to be…icons. But yes, it’s very easy to get lost in the DC shuffle and eventually get killed off. I think there’s a fan fear of that happening and if we could get some kind of insight into the deal to know if we don’t have to worry about this extending to all the Milestone characters, then maybe some of us fearful optimists could be a bit more…optimistic…
28 | Poet
You misunderstood my point, Rich. There is a difference between multicultural representation in comics and a multicultural “movement” to have that representation. Multicultural representation in comics is very much alive, that is why you have the blog. Not to fight to have it, but to promote and honor its existence, and in some ways critique how it’s handled. I am sure the intentions of reintroducing the Milestone characters now are very different than the intention to launch Milestone Media in the 90s….no?
As far as the Milestone deal, everyone brought up some great points. Overall, it has a lot to do with the deal, so we will see. I agree with Mathan. Milestone and DC are probably in bed together.
29 | Rich Watson
Mathan, if that’s true, then that would indeed explain a lot, but why would it necessitate being integrated into the DCU? When Jim Lee and Wildstorm came to DC, the Wildstorm Universe was kept separate – and even though we’re seeing crossovers, it has still maintained its status as a separate universe. I wish Milestone could’ve done the same.
30 | mathan
Rich, I’m guessing that the reason why Milestone wasn’t brought in as a seperate universe is about the state of the industry.
I think that everyone involved agrees that the characters are viable, but I don’t think that anyone (most importantly DC) thinks that they could sustain their own line.
Wildstorm wasn’t brought in to the DCU proper because of several reasons. The tone of that universe is different, most importantly. And Jim Lee probably has more pull than Dwayne.
But Wildstorm, as a universe, is floundering. And given all of the fuss about DC’s market share recently, it really doesn’t make any sense to (re)launch an entirely new universe at the moment.
Again, the Milestorm characters, for the most part, will fit better in the DCU than Wildstorm would have. And there’s a really chance that the characters will catch on and maybe Dakota will become a setting for a book in the DCU in the near future.
I don’t remember reading anything about Milestone getting their own book. They’re going to be showing up in other titles.
It’s the esssence of a compromise; fans get Milestone characters again, but we see them in “guest-star” roles. Which begs the question; would you rather take what you can get or live with the characters as just a memory?
31 | Rich Watson
I’d search for a third option.
Maybe the Milestone heroes will catch on. I certainly hope so. But again, what happens when Dwayne eventually leaves DC?
32 | Fred
Rich,
Thank you for putting into words that nagging feeling I’ve had since this new DCU/Milestone deal was announced.
Yes, it’s cool that some of my favorite heroes like Icon, Rocket and Static are back on the printed page. However, this deal surprised me because on his forum McDuffie seemed a bit wary of letting Milestone characters appear in the DCU because of ownership issues.
So, I don’t think you’re alarmist for asking if this new deal could lead to Milestone characters being marginalized or creatively distorted in the long-term. Your concern is even more understandable when you considered how Garth Ennis and Peter David took their creations (The Boys and Fallen Angels, respectively) to rival publishers because of serious issues they had with DC’s practices.
The bottom line is that more and more comic creators are looking at venues besides Marvel and DC to publish their creations. Such creators are encouraged by the success of books like Robert Kirkman’s Invincible, whose longevity in a tough market has inspired Image to support new, cutting edge superhero fare (e.g., Dynamo 5) and revive older ones (e.g., Firebreather).
33 | Fred
Rich,
Thank you for putting into words that nagging feeling I’ve had since this new DCU/Milestone deal was announced.
Yes, it’s cool that some of my favorite heroes like Icon, Rocket and Static are back on the printed page. However, this deal surprised me because on his forum McDuffie seemed a bit wary of letting Milestone characters appear in the DCU because of ownership issues.
So, I don’t think you’re alarmist for asking if this new deal could lead to Milestone characters being marginalized or creatively distorted in the long-term. Your concern is even more understandable when you considered how Garth Ennis and Peter David took their creations (The Boys and Fallen Angels, respectively) to rival publishers because of serious issues they had with DC’s practices.
The bottom line is that more and more comic creators are looking at venues besides Marvel and DC to publish their creations. Such creators are encouraged by the success of books like Robert Kirkman’s Invincible, whose longevity in a tough market has inspired Image to support new, cutting edge superhero fare (e.g., Dynamo 5) and revive older ones (e.g., Firebreather).
34 | urbanhorror
With much respect, what happens when Dwayne leaves DC is the same thing that would happen if he left any company where his property lies, Milestone has been dormant for over 10 years, If Image was an option, wouldn’t they have published with them years ago. (BTW, do you remember Tribe and the other black titles produced by Image most recently Ant) Its true, many Milestone characters will disappear for a host of reasons, but I am still convinced that having the characters in print is still better than having them in limbo I’m lost here
35 | Rich Watson
But if they disappear, then they would be in limbo. There would be no new stories with them. Look at it this way: Blue Beetle and the Question (and to a lesser extent, Captain Atom) are popular (although the first two have gone through significant changes), but how many Judomaster stories have there been lately? Sure, some characters get second chances at life, but many more don’t, and no one’s gonna care more about a given character than the person who created it.
36 | Kevin Huxford
I don’t think you’re having this discussion with an open mind, though.
Poet said: “Why not? We can’t sit and hold our breath thinking that the Milestone crew will get some sweetheart deal with another publisher.”
And you said: “Why DC though? It’s not like the old days, where you had to make your mark at one of the Big Two or else you’re nothing.”
If DC is offering the best deal, why should they go elsewhere? Just because some people prefer they did?
DC and Marvel have a much larger bookstore presence and can more easily commit to putting out all of the trade paperbacks. DC and Marvel have the highest Previews visibility. DC and Marvel have likely the best discount rates offered to retailers.
I’m guessing there’s some way out of the deal at some point if either party is ticked off. DC Comics is going to be including these characters in some of their biggest titles. That’s, essentially, free advertising for the trades. And there’s nothing to say that they can’t spin them back out into the Milestone Universe after establishing a greater fanbase for them.
37 | Rich Watson
Alright, at this point all I’m going to be doing is to repeat the same arguments I’ve been making, so I’m bowing out of this conversation, at least for now.
38 | Fred
@ Kevin Huxford
Rich clearly has no problem with DC publishing comics starring Milestone’s characters. His issue is whether or not McDuffie will retain ownership of the characters so he has final say in how they’re depicted.
The good news is that McDuffie declared that Milestone founders (himself and Derek Dingle) still owns the rights to characters like Static and Icon:
http://www.thevhive.com/forum/dwayne-mcduffie/threads/milestone-characters-to-return/17
The next step is McDuffie and Dingle being vigilant so that DC remembers that they own Milestone’s characters and thus control their direction. This may sound cynical until you recall ho Christopher Priest’s creator-owned series Xero was mishandled by the previous DC regime. Read more at Priest’s blog by clicking on “Comics” and then the commentary “Citizen Trane”:
http://www.digital-priest.com/home-dpdc.htm
So, some caution is warranted about this new DCU/Milestone deal in light of the history of DC snubbing Black characters and creators.
39 | BlackLION
DC should leave Milestone characters alone. Part of the reason Milestone didn’t last was was because they didn’t follow the trends other comics did. If their merged into the DC universe it would just turn classic heroes into watered down versions of what they should be.
40 | Onlinedrama
I think we all need to understand that DC is very loyal to there money makers … Superman, Batman mainly. CM has failed due to a number of reasons such as editors, writers, & artists being more fans of Supes over CM, also you have to keep in mind that CM doesn’t have a great rogue villain gallery & the success of any character is based on having believable villains that can match or out match the hero.
Now Milestone merging with DC, first off this is business & with every movie studio out there looking for the next best untapped comic to turn into a movie is one motive. Due to McDuffies excellent work with the Milestone characters – ICON, Static, Hardware etc… plus his work on the animations Static Shock, JL, & JL Unlimited are reasons why DC wants to merge these characters into there fold.
You have to ask yourself why now after about 10-11 years since the last Miletsone original series run? Well with the box office success of Hancock, & Marvel working on turning Luke Cage into a movie, & Black Panther will appear in animation form on BET sometime next year you have to see the strategy behind DC motives. Sure they is a possibility that after the dust is settle some off these characters will be cast into the archives like so many other characters but isn’t that what has been the case for the past few years now. With McDuffie onboard to work the transition of his characters in the DCU, I have no doubt its going to work… the main thing is that he doesn’t have to sell these characters to us Milestone fans becasue we loved them since there first print, but this is his chance to capture the minds of the white comic book fans who didn’t even knew Milestone existed until recent times. I don’t know whatelse to say on the subject, but i’m glad McDuffie has the opportunity to bring the Milestone characters into the DCU spotlight. I just pray it works in the long run.
41 | draco
My opinion is that I am glad that they finally brought back the Milestone characters but I am against the idea of them being merged within the DC Universe. I would have prefered they stay a separate universe like how they once were. This will be like the Ultraverse fiasco that Marvel caused when they brought the characters.
Just look at the success of Wildstorm under DC. One of the reason why it’s still around is because they kept both universes separate. Also, given the fact that DC also brought the rights to Impact Comics again, does the main DC Universe need so many characters? Like I said, I have no problem with Milestone realigning itself with DC but I would prefer that they keep the two universes separate
42 | Kaorazen
November 21st, 2008 at 12:23 am
Until I read some of these comments I had not had any truly negative thoughts about the Milestone characters being brought back and made a true part of the DC universe. I was excited when I heard the news and as a lifelong comic book fan this news stirred more interest in me than most of the things that have going on in comic book storylines in the last few years. I don’t think I am too concerned about DC fuckin’ up the characters since this is kind of a high profile re-introduction. I heard years ago that Static was going to be a part of the Teen Titans and after the success of the cartoon I did not comrehend why he and the other Milestone characters could not be brought back into popular culture. Seeing the image of Icon going up against Superman and knowing this relaunch was going to happen in the pages of JLA made me anticipate the visit to the comic book store when I would be able to pick up that issue. I do agree that the Milestone characters not existing within their own self contained universe might take away from what made those characters special in the first place, but that was then and this is now. This might be the best thing for Icon, Static, Holocaust, etc. I shall just wait and read and reserve judgement until I see how this all plays out. DC has been impressing me lately.