Tuesday, February 7, 2012

DC Super Pets... ?

I wish this was April. Then perhaps DC would be joking about their upcoming DC Super Pets trade paperbacks. I'm really glad I'm not a completionist for any DC heroes because this stuff would absolutely drive me bonkers. First, the sheet volume of the project. Not two or three trade paperbacks - TWELVE of them. While they're all egregious violations of the base properties, I think the worst has to be Superpower Pony and Barnyard Brainwash. Check out the covers and make your decision.

I'll never be able to look the DC heroes in the eye ever again.

5 comments:

  1. Are you kidding?! These are frickin AWESOME! Art Baltazar ROCKS! Also, these have been out for quite a while and getting killer reviews. Where've you been?

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    1. Yeah, and why are these "violations of the base properties"? The Super Pets have been around since the 1960s. Do your homework.

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    2. Whoa whoa whoa... "Anonymous" - did I say they were NEW? You can disagree, but I was expressing my opinion - as an adult collector the "kiddie" versions drive me kinda crazy, especially since I have to have every appearance of a character. Secondly, I have a lot of firsthand experience with kids and, let me tell you, kids don't want these books either. If I put Barnyard Brainwash next to a real Batman comic, the kid is going to take the real Batman comic every day of the week. Properties like Spider-Ham are, inherently, derivative. You first have to have an appreciate for the property they are based on.

      I'll admit I haven't read these books (why would I?) but I've read similar products... my reacts were to the presentation and the overall volume of the release. One a month? Fine. 12? Overkill.

      Just because they've been around since the 60's doesn't mean it's a good idea. And let's be real - the Super Pets from the 60's are nothing like these Ren and Stimpy rejects.

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  2. Yep, you said "upcoming," which indicates NEW. Also, they're not comics, they're early chapter books for kids — not for you. Kid's go gaga for Art Baltazar's Tiny Titans! And yes, they'd ABSOLUTELY choose Tiny Titans over an "adult" comic. This is exactly what comics need, and here's why...
    http://westfieldcomics.com/blog/interviews-and-columns/1-thing-i-like-about-dc-comics-tiny-titans/

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    1. Let me pull back the curtain a little bit... I write the vast majority of these posts MONTHS ahead of time. Seriously. I already have posts written for the next few months. So don't get caught up on "upcoming" - I wrote this when they were solicited in Previews.

      I checked out the link you recommended and I've got to say... not convinced. An adult says they're great... but my experiences say kids think differently. While I agree that comics should reach out to the younger generation, kids don't want to be sold a watered down version of the real thing. I asked my 4 year old boy which one he wanted - the Barnyard Brainwash book I pictured above or a "real" Batman comic and he chose the real Batman comic. Every FCBD I but hundreds of comics (yes, buy - they're really not free for comic store owners!) and watch as kids pass by the Johnny DC titles for more interesting fare.

      Anyway, my main post wasn't talking about the kids interest in these books - it was my reaction as an adult collector to things like this. It irks me that if you want to, say, collect every appearance of Spider-Man, you've got to not only buy a dozen appearances in the 616 reality but you've also got to buy several monthly Marvel-Kiddie Universe books as well.

      If comic book heroes have any dignity at all, these books trample all over it. Hmmm... maybe I should pitch DC on a new concept - What if Aquaman was a monkey? He'd be called Sea Monkey! Yeah - what kid wouldn't want to read about that!

      Thanks for checking out the blog and bothering to comment, but on this we're going to have to agree to disagree.

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