So if you don't already know, DC's kinda relaunched their line of comics, bringing the "New 52/ DCYou" stable to an end. Sort of. Continuity-wise all of those stories still exist, and one of the purposes of Rebirth is to make it so all of the stories wiped from the New 52 also exist. But that's another ordeal. "Rebirth" was a big initiative to bring the focus of DC's creative interest back to the heart and legacy of things, instead of showing characters in dark and gritty states all the time. As such, most of these early issues have either featured prominent returns of characters not around all that much in the last five years, or featured elements that show these characters returning to their more matured state that they were in prior to the New 52. But, has it worked at all so far?
I think everyone can agree that the answer to that is a resounding YES. There hasn't really been a "bad" issue out of Rebirth yet, although we've only had so few thus far. Some of the books people were most worried about headed into all of this have also risen as people's favorites, and many of the most-hyped books have managed to meet the set expectations. It's tough to say where the books will go from here, but if the creative teams can keep up this quality of work I think we're in for a treat for the next few years.
In many ways, this does feel like a "rebirth" of sorts. It's all evident in DC Universe: Rebirth #1. The most talked about aspects of it are the ending and return of some major characters, but I think a lot of people down the line will look back on that book as the major turning point for the DCU. Everything that's been working in Rebirth started there, and there were signs then that this is serious. Characters do feel reborn back into who they once were, or at least have a better focus for their goals.
Some of the best stories from the New 52 are the ones that felt personal to the characters, and these are the types of stories we're seeing now. Relationships and friendships are restored, but naturally one has to ask the question of why this is all happening now. One of the stranger parts of Justice League: Rebirth #1, and yet also one of the parts that makes sense, is how the League isn't very trusting of the new Superman, Clark Kent from pre-Flashpoint. Naturally, with Batman on the prowl for who caused such a shift in the timeline and with the rest of the League mourning the loss of their friend, they'll be cautious about this guy. However, where I think the big difference lies is how they settle the conflict. Part of me wonders if in the New 52 this confrontation would have led to a fight, but in that issue, it was just a matter of the two sides acknowledging each other.
I don't think it would be right to say that everything is brighter in tone. Considering that the first arc of Green Arrow is titled "The Death and Life of Oliver Queen" I don't think that's shouting rainbows and happiness at anyone. But, there is a renewed focus on the title. Instead of it being about Oliver struggling with being a werewolf (it was stupid), now it's focused on how the heck he's supposed to balance being one of the richest men in the world while saying that most rich men are tycoons. It's an identity crisis, but with characters like Black Canary and Emiko around it feels like a natural story for him to go through, and they both add elements of intrigue. Not to mention that Doomsday is back in the pages of Action Comics, that's never a good thing.
Legacy seems to be where the focus of this entire initiative is and it's been working out very beautifully as an overall theme. Each book I've read, or at least heard about, has elements of "legacy" to it. Wonder Woman is lost in her own thousands of backstories and origins and needs to find the truth. Superman is struggling to become the new Superman and replace a dead man. New Superman shows a young man in China becoming a Superman. Detective Comics is about Batman and Batwoman raising a team of young heroes to prepare them, probably, for their own destinies. And, the most obvious of all, in Green Lanterns there are two barely-seasoned Green Lanterns having to take up the mantle that Hal Jordan and the other Space Sector 2814 Lanterns left behind.
And it works. Legacy plays a major part in all of these books and has returned the focus to our characters and their relationship to one another as well as the world around them. Themes like this were evident toward the end of the DCYou era with titles like Batman and Robin: Eternal, featuring Dick Grayson leading all past and present Robins, but it didn't have this company-wide feel to it.
Financially (since we always have to touch on that) the "Rebirth" initiative has worked wonders for the company. According to Diamond, DC had seven titles in the June 2016 sales, compared to a measly three in May (though there they owned the top book, being DC Universe: Rebirth #1). Green Arrow, Superman, and Wonder Woman are probably the most critically acclaimed titles so far, with surprises like Green Lanterns and Detective Comics also getting great reviews on a consistent basis. The Flash, though I disliked the first issue, had an excellent second issue and is a title that should be on everyone's radar once again.
Rebirth has done wonders for DC in all ways, though this time it doesn't feel like a cash-grab to revamp their sales. They still had tons of story potential in the DCYou, but it was time for change. People grew weary of seeing the same thing from the company on all ends, be it in comic form or on the big screen. This new approach has restored almost everyone's faith back in DC to put out quality product on a monthly/ twice-monthly basis. If you haven't checked out any Rebirth titles yet, pretty much all of them are great and are worth grabbing. It finally feels like DC is back and is on their way, possibly, to being in control.
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