What Will the Future Hold for DC and Warner Bros?

Rebirth

With DC’s New New 52, Rebirth, launching into our local and online shops, I’m overcome with a wee feeling of déjà vu, akin to those rare instances when you can’t help but feel like you’ve been here before; because indeed we have; as I am sure we will be again. Despite the pomp and circumstance surrounding their first “reboot,” DC Comics feels the need to once again “restart” all of their titles. At this point, I’ve lost track of their universe’s timeline. The only title I was consistently reading was Batman. Now that Snyder and Capullo are exiting, I may be taking my leave as well. It’s like DC keeps thinking up ways to push me away: both from their comics, as well as their films.

By now I’m sure we’ve all seen Batman v Superman. I’m also confident we’ve all found time to sneak in a screening or two (or four) of Captain America: Civil War. So, what’d you think? If you were like I, you probably experienced two extremely diametrically opposed emotional reactions. I think this may have been the first time that I considered taking a quick snooze during a film, let alone one as big as BvS. By the end of the film, I was crossing my fingers for another super-powered neck-snap, because Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex was like nails on a chalkboard for my geeky sensibilities. DC/WB is like a one-trick pony at this juncture. Everything coming out of their corner of Burbank is cut from the same cloth: dark, brooding, devoid of humor – serious. Because, you know, having fun in a comic book movie just never works, right Marvel? And since Heath Ledger gave us one of the best performances to ever grace the celluloid of a comic book film, surely his interpretation would undoubtedly work for every villain, including Lex Luthor, right? *shakes head while concurrently doing an eye-roll* Compare this with Civil War: fun, brilliantly fleshed-out, believable, with an effective use of multiple characters, and with the perfect debut of their newest web-slinger. It gave us everything BvS failed to provide. Now, why is that? I’ll tell you. Five words: respect for the source material. It’s not rocket science. If you have love for what came before, it’ll shine through in what comes next. The best reaction to Civil War that I was privy to, as I exited the Dome in Hollywood, was one gal saying to her compatriot, with exhilaration in her tone and a glow in her skin, “I feel like I just wanna punch something right now.” Yes, ma’am, so did I….so did I. Don’t get me wrong, I wanna reach deep down, into the pits of my dark, eternally pessimistic soul and find some shred of hope that DC/WB will get their act together. Justin Bieber’s calling, and he’s telling me to believe. I’m trying, I really am.

Now that Geoff Johns will co-run the newly created DC films, a division which will apparently be dedicated to giving us some Marvel-like DC features once and for all, I may have found my hope. For those of you who are unfamiliar with DC’s Chief Content Officer, Geoff Johns has first and foremost been a leading writer/creator over at the publisher for as long as I can remember. He’s been instrumental in giving us readers some really great storytelling, not least of which was a revitalized Flash; a run that redefined the character, and has been used as a basis for the CW’s live-action show. Is this a brilliantly executed, surgical move for the studio and publisher? Or is it merely a bandage on a mortally-fatal gunshot wound? Only time will tell. The reason Marvel has been so successful in their endeavors is because they have Kevin Feige who knows the universe, as well as an intuitive mother knows her bratty child. I for one am rooting for Mr. Johns. His success is our gain. After all, who really wants to see these literary icons horribly represented up on the big screen? Well, aside from David Goyer and Zack Snyder, that is….

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