Reboots - with Man of Steel Part 1

Good day, today begins the story I have to tell about the differences and similarities of the two Man of Steel series, the famous one from 1986 (right after Crisis on Infinite Earths) by John Byrne and 2018's version written by Brian Michael Bendis. Both represent new starts for the character in new eras. They contrast in that the original one was a hard reboot, and the newest one a soft one.

Before we get too far into it today, the first thing we need to discuss is: why reboot? Usually, the reboot of a character is tied to the possible financial gains of a character. A new story (like movie reboots and resets), means you basically get to start over a character, and, at least at first, you don't even to try that hard as you are basically retelling the origin of the character (see Batman reboots and Spider-Man reboots; all have them have cleared insane amounts of dough at the box office, and I am guilty of falling for it myself. A reboot is usually done with a character that already has a built in fan base to exploit (Yeah, I said it, just wait for it.) Comic book reboots are a little harder to do. Generally, the characters keep some of the same back history, but there are enough changes to it to make a more distinct version of the character (See Post-Crisis Batman vs Bronze Age Batman). There are times also when the comic book companies choose to reboot the entirety of their comic line, as both Marvel (on what appears to be an annual basis) and DC (every 5-15 years) have done. Comic book reboots, however have a tendency to let pieces of old continuity reenter the new universe, and then you get soft reboots as new (old? recycled?) adventures and information of the characters continuously enter though different creative teams. But what happens to the information no longer used?

This brings me to my reaction to the news announced at San Diego Comiccon this past weekend (2018). It was announced that Buffy the Vampire Slayer is going to be rebooted. I do not like this idea. We had seven seasons of Buffy and five season of Angel. We have had numerous comic books since that are official canon to the Buffyverse. Does this mean it is going to go out the door like the pre-2014 Star Wars Expanded Universe? The stories from Star Wars created by Marvel in the 1970s and 1980s and the stories from Dark Horse from the 1990s on were great additions to that fandom, and poof, with a wave of a hand, Disney said they were no longer canon (although parts of the EU have made their way into Disney's new canon.)

The Buffy one hits me hardest because I am a very huge fan of the Buffyverse. If the announcement had said that we are introducing a new character that lives in this world, dealing with her stories of fighting vamps, etc., I would think, wow that's cool, let's give it a whirl. But they want to replace Buffy herself. Unh Unh. That would mean everything has to go. Willow, replaced. Xander replaced. Giles replaced. Everything that made the show unique. The bad cheesy costumes and effects would be gone as we have CGI now that would put all of that to shame, but it wouldn't be Buffy. But, Disney has it now and needs to make even more money. And Joss agreed to it! Well, I for on will not watch it and I hope it ends up not being made or changed into what I (and apparently most of the Internets) want: stories of a new unique individual and her life as a Slayer, like Principal Robin's mom. She was African-American and kick ass. Watching her fight in Season 7 was great. Ultimately, sure she was killed by Spike, but then you would have an excuse to bring James Marsters back too, and everybody wins. Also, by exploring her background you have a chance to tell stories that have never been told from that cultural point of view. Anyway, if it is Buffy, it will be a no go for me. And that also becomes the danger of a reboot. You may end up losing the fans.

(See Joss is still involved in the comics. How can we lose this?) Anyway, the backgrounds and comparisons of the "Men of Steel" will begin next time. 

Ottawa News and Notes - So, The Ottawa Geek Garage Sale was a huge success from all accounts I have read. The biggest complaint I have seen is that people had a hard time finding it. Keep up the good work guys and hopefully I will be able to make it out there next year.

There will a comiccon in Massena, New York called the Upstate Comiccon on Saturday, September 22, 2018. It's only a little over an hour away, but you will need passports and to declare your purchases on the way back (Justin needs his cut).

Ottawa Geek Market is returning to the Nepean Sportsplex from September 28 to 30, 2018. I hope to make it again on the Sunday, as I will probably be going back to the next Brockville Comiccon on September 29, 2018.

And of course, Fan Expo Toronto is in a month. (August 30 -September 2, 2018) I know a lot of you like to go down so some of the guests this year are Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Jason Momoa, Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, Jeff Goldblum, Evangeline Lilly, Paul Reubens, and Mark Sheppard. The full list is here: https://www.fanexpocanada.com/en/guests/celebrities.html#anchor2_anchorlinks

I am very interested in your comments on reboots in general, and of your specific fandom. Feel free to drop a line in the comments section. Until next time, enjoy.