DCU Reboot

The comics blogosphere has been buzzing about this news from DC that it's rebooting, sorta, its comics, with 52 number ones coming out in September. I really don't know what I think about it.

On one hand, it conveys some of the excitement that One Year Later had, with the suspense of not knowing what will be changed and what won't. On the other hand, I read comics about characters I enjoy. If those characters are no longer the same, will they still interest me?

And that second question has a variety of possible answers. If they reboot the characters from scratch, it's truly starting over and I can choose what to read similar to how I started reading comics in the first place back when I was a kid. I'll top off my shortboxes and whatever I like and keep reading of the new, I'll consider all new comics.

But if they simply roll back the clock a year or two, or even a bit more than that, it could be good, if it removes the nasty crap done to characters like Roy Harper and restore what was good, or it could be bad if it removes all the good things that happened to them and helped them develop as characters, such as Dick Grayson becoming Batman. What if they go back so far that Dick and Roy are teens again? I don't want to read that. I've already grown up with these characters and think of them as adults. I don't think I can accept them as teens again, still finding their way in the world. Been there, read that. Ditto most of the characters. After all Bruce Wayne has been through, growing in complexity and interest level, to go back to a younger Bruce won't feel right.

I can't begin to guess what DC has in mind, though there's a lot of speculation out there, including my concerns outlined above. I'm going to have to wait and see and then decide what to read, but I suspect my wallet will be much happier come September. I might find fewer comics to read, saving me time and money. Or it might make me unhappy for the same reason because I'll lose so many of my favorite comics to read. The other option, that there will be 52 books I'll want to keep reading is almost too much to hope for.

This paragraph is typical of what I find so confusing about this:

"In addition, the new #1s will introduce readers to a more modern, diverse DC Universe, with some character variations in appearance, origin and age. All stories will be grounded in each character’s legend – but will relate to real world situations, interactions, tragedy and triumph."

A more modern, diverse DCU, if it is, indeed, more diverse, is a good thing. But what does "relating to the real world" really mean. That the tragedies won't come because of super villains destroying cities, but because terrorists destroy those cities? Because it's not as if the DC characters haven't suffered and lost loved ones in recent years. It's not as if they haven't triumphed over diversity, either. And where does a book like Batwoman fit given it was started what seems like ages ago and keeps getting pushed back. Is it still coming out? Is it going to fit the new DCU?

I think I just gave myself a headache thinking about this. It's going to be a long wait til September.