Sunday, February 24, 2013

Vibe? Really? What's Next?

One comic that came out last week that I didn't buy, nor have any intention of buying or reading, is Justice League of America's Vibe, the JLA prefix having been added, or so I've read, to forestall action legal action from Vibe magazine.  I have, to my surprise, read several positive, if not exactly glowing, reviews of the debut issue.  However, what really puzzles me is why DC would want to revive one of the least loved characters it has ever published.  
My theory is that it all began with a drunken bet between Dan DiDio and Geoff Johns.  After downing a few too many, Johns began boasting: "Look what I did with Green Lantern.  And Aquaman.  Aqua-freakin'-Man, f'Chrissakes.  I'm a freakin' comics god.  I can take any lame character and make it a freakin' bestseller.  G'wan! Gimme a character."
DiDio thinks for a few seconds, then says, "OK.  How about Vibe?"
"Who?"
"You know.  Vibe.  From back when Conway f***ed up the JLA." 
"Oh. Right. Vibe.  Are you freakin' serious?"
"Hey, man, you said any character."
"OK, then.  Vibe. Look out, 'cause I'm gonna make him a freakin' star."  At which point, Johns falls off his barstool and passes out.
Now that's all speculation, of course.  What is true is that with the revamping of Vibe and the resurrection a few years ago of Jason Todd, DC has brought back two of the most reviled characters of the 1980's.  This leads me to wonder who could be next--Danny Chase, perhaps?
Yes, I said Danny Chase.
I was recently reading through the letters columns of some old issues of The New Titans (I read the stories as well, of course, and may be writing about them later), and it seems that absolutely no one liked the little brat.  The only half-hearted defense of the character that I read expressed no great love for him, but simply excused his obnoxiousness as a realistic portrayal of the behavior of thirteen year old boys.   Having been a thirteen year old boy, I can vouch for that.  Oh, I, of course, was a perfect angel, but all my peers were jerks.
Anyway, given DC's the lack of new ideas in most of DC's comics these days, it probably is only a matter of time 'til we see old Danny again.

1 comment:

  1. Danny Chase is your prediction, and a dark horse possibility. I'm thinking this "Guess who DC brings out of the moth-balls next month" game could be fun. I want to speculate too. Here are some of my predictions as to whom Johns may next direct his attention:

    Waverider (Johns has had success with both time-traveling through DC's history with Booster Gold and with mega-event stories, why not wrap the two up together in this character?)

    Halo (If Vibe gets mixed up with another magazine title, wait 'till the gaming crowd sees this one on the shelves!)

    Nightshade (who will be written as a permanently half-dressed semi-slut, because that's how DC writes most of it's women these days...)

    Eagle Free (the most obscure character I could think of while writing this.)

    Hey, this is fun! I encourage the other readers of Gutter Talk to do this!

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