Freytaw posted on May. 2, 2014 at 11:46 AM
Grim 'n' Gritty, it's not the majority of the New 52. Not at all. But thanks to Batman, everyone thinks it is ^^
But Yes, Booster and Futures End is for me anyway !

 Boosterrific [Official Comment] posted on May. 2, 2014 at 11:34 PM
I suppose that's fair. I read a bunch of the New 52 first issues at relaunch, and 90% of them would have qualified. The overwhelmingly negative tone made me stop reading DC's Comics that don't include Booster Gold, so I really wouldn't know if DC's New 52 output had become much more light-hearted now. I'm sure that major, year-long crossovers called FOREVER EVIL and FUTURES END indicate that the DCnU is full of sunshine and lollipops these days.

But seriously, I'm sure that there must be New 52 books that are lighthearted. I hear that about HARLEY QUINN, a book devoted to the playful antics of a deranged serial killer.

No, but really, truly seriously, I agree there must be some New 52 book where the hero is an upstanding moral leader and not just an angsty, navel-gazing anti-hero. Hopefully BOOSTER GOLD: FUTURES END will fit that bill.

Eyz posted on May. 4, 2014 at 6:21 PM
I'd say the majority of the New 52 IS dark and gritty. Where are the comedy books? Adventure titles? everything is thriller/drama with angst...
(and by comedy I mean true comedy books like Ambush Bug or Angel and Ape were way back when, not action titles with some touches of humor)

The New 52 is solely responsible for me reading now mostly IDW titles (compared to my mostly DC picks back a few years back)

So.. yay thanks DC? Now I'm following TMNT, Rocketeer, Ghostbusters, Godzilla, etc. (compared to before the Doom Patrol, Batgirl, BOOSTER GOLD and co)

Freytaw posted on May. 5, 2014 at 11:51 AM
*sigh*
Harley Quinn is not grim & gritty at all, this is totally fun et pleasant to read. And, there are Larfleeze, Justice League 3000, All-Star Western (most of the time), Batman Inc (stopped), Threshold (cancelled), Firestorm (by Dan Jurgens, cancelled), Justice League United (not start like a grim & gritty book and it smells a little like the JLI, for now...), Wonder Woman, The Green Team (cancelled), G.I. Combat (cancelled), O.M.A.C. (canceled...), Demon Knights (cancelled too), Dial H (cancelled), Frankenstein Agent of S.H.A.D.E (cancelled), Sword of Sorcery (cancelled), Legion of the Super-Héroes (cancelled), Legion Lost (cancelled)... Action Comics (when it's not Scott Lobdell...), etc etc etc...

Don't you see the problem ? Everybody claims they want original story, but nobody try to see the others stuffs that DC put for us... and of course, no buyers means cancellation, and cancellations means sometimes, a new grim & gritty book for replacement... If we still just complain and let the others books died, this is entirely our fault.

And sincerely, I am a bit tired to hear that.

 Boosterrific [Official Comment] posted on May. 5, 2014 at 1:44 PM
First of all, it is obvious that we have a different definition of what constitutes "Grim 'n' Gritty." I sampled many of the books you mention, and I would call most of them grim 'n' gritty. Our definitions clearly aren't compatable. For example, ALL-STAR WESTERN is a fine example of the cynical "realism" with all morality portrayed in shades of gray that I think defines the 'Grim 'n' Gritty' category. If a western starring a scarred anti-hero who murders people isn't grim 'n' gritty, nothing is. You might enjoy reading it -- it's a well-made book -- but that doesn't mean it isn't grim or gritty. (Point of fact, I'd be disappointed to read a Jonah Hex story that wasn't grim 'n' gritty, but that doesn't mean every western tale n a book titled ALL STAR WESTERN needs to be.)

Secondly, I am willing to concede that maybe DC is publishing a lot of books that aren't grim 'n' gritty, even if I'm not seeing them. However, almost everything in the New 52 line is more grim 'n' gritty than they were before FLASHPOINT, even if only because those old titles had 20 years of continuity to fall back on. (I've said it before, and I repeat it here; IDENTITY CRISIS was the worst thing to happen to DC continuity since Frederick Wertham.) Comparatively, I find this new tone to be unenjoyable, and I thinlk that DC is doing a disservice to the very thing that has made their characters into household names for the past 75 years. Certainly, this is a side efect of my having read DC comics for nearly 40 years. Your experience may differ.

On your final point, I agree with you one hundred percent: DC's publications are market driven. DC's tone is a response to the market's preference for Marvel Comics. (Marvel has beaten DC in sales for decades). The X-Men move more units, so DC's characters have become more angsty. Loudmouths on the internet like me may complain and refrain from buying any more $4 comics from DC, but it doesn't matter when the silent majority of buyers are purchasing the 900 or so BATMAN comics DC publishes each month.

We vote with our dollars, and I know that I am being out-voted: Grim 'n' gritty is what sells the most comic books, whether you or I like it or not.

Freytaw posted on May. 6, 2014 at 12:13 PM
All-Star Western change his tone recently, when Jonah was in the future (or present time if you prefer), that's why I quote it (even if since number #30, we are back to the Grim 'n gritty western figure, and that's very good too), I know that wasn't the best exemple of all. But still... maybe it is not your case, I never want to blame you precisely, but a lot of people complain about the unoriginality of DC Comics books without trying something else than Batman and Forever Evil. And that's why I am a little bit tired of it. We just "assume" than the other book are bad and just don't go after them. Grim & Gritty is not all... but we act like it. I understand the overdose, really, but when I see books like Larfleeze (the best exemple of all... with Giffen & DeMatteis in great form), I dont know why people who wants fun books just don't mention it. Maybe he is an anti-hero something, but we are very far away from the grim & gritty Nolan's Batman shit (was the worst thing to happen to DC continuity since Indentity Crisis ^^, and it is not even a comic book !)

 Boosterrific [Official Comment] posted on May. 6, 2014 at 1:56 PM
Ha! I could not agree more! I hate those dull, humorless Nolan films where more often than not it looks like the cameraman is part of the fight as opposed to filming it. Blech!

Xylob posted on May. 1, 2014 at 10:17 AM
First super hero comic I read: Justice League of America #196.
It was strictly Disney, Richie Rich, Dot, Little Lulu, Hot Stuff, etc before that.
First super hero comic I bought: Green Lantern: Emerald Dawn #1

gio3432 posted on May. 1, 2014 at 12:13 PM
Road to Booster:
Heard Bendis on the radio 2011, Killing Spider-Man and starting a TV show based on his book Powers.
Picked up Powers and fell in love with the medium.
Started to read other Bendis and Decided to check out DC on Comixology.
Read Countdown to Infinite Crisis and have not stopped loving Booster Gold.
I only care about 2 characters, Booster Gold and Miles Morales Ultimate Spider-Man. I own every appearance of Miles Morales and I'm working my way through Booster, but That is a lot more difficult.

Morgenstern posted on May. 1, 2014 at 5:23 PM
Does the first Volume of 52 count as a Booster Gold Comic?

 Boosterrific [Official Comment] posted on May. 2, 2014 at 12:07 AM
@gio3432: you're the first person I've ever met that said they liked Miles Morales. That's not a knock, its just a reminder to me that everybody likes something different.

@Morgenstern: I would count it as such, yes. He's on the cover!

Osyrus68 posted on May. 2, 2014 at 12:10 AM
1st Comic: a marvel Hulk/spider man team up in the Columbus Ohio Dispatch
2nd comic: Spider man/Mr. Fantastic team up
3rd Comic: G.I. Joe number 1
many G.I. joe comic books later...
I'm in Minneapolis/St. Paul on vacation with my parents (Hey! I lived in Ames, Iowa. Minneapolis was a vacation spot comparatively) We were out driving around late and my dad stopped into an all night bookstore (yeah not THAT kind!! he had a wife and child in tow!) I saw Booster gold number 3,4. I got them. The day I got home I looked up comic book stores in Ames IA. I was in luck there was one right across the street from my piano lessons. I've never looked back since.
skip ahead a bit....I'm in reading class. Another guy in class knew I liked Booster Gold, his favorite was Blue Beetle, he had just picked up issue 3 of Justice League with a Booster cameo.We read it in the back of the classroom. We've been best friends ever since.

 Boosterrific [Official Comment] posted on Apr. 28, 2014 at 11:15 PM
For the record, the first I bought myself with my own money was Brave and the Bold #182 (1982).

gio3432 posted on Apr. 29, 2014 at 1:54 PM
My 1st was Countdown to infinite Crisis. I was hooked.

Brad posted on Apr. 29, 2014 at 6:24 PM
I feel like I've arrived. Bloody thrilled, I read this website a lot. I do apologise for any innacuracies.

 Boosterrific [Official Comment] posted on Apr. 29, 2014 at 8:06 PM
Welcome, Brad. You don't have anything to apologize for. No doubt, this site must be full of errors, too.