Should Gunn run DC?

[Tommy Tomorrow]

I’m talking the publishing and everything else. Not necessarily day to day operational control of the comics, but to have creative input. Making sure everyone is on the same page. As it stands now, Jim Lee reports to some entertainment MBA/lawyer weasel type. Trying to monetize the creative efforts of others. Dunno who it even is anymore. At least with Gunn, he’s a writer at heart.-

[AdrienVeidt]

It's a bit much to go for that based on just TSS and Peacemaker, mate. You wouldn't give him EIC of Marvel simply due to GotG 1&2, would you?

[FPJonesIII]

I wouldn't necessarily want to see him "run" the comics side of things, but I do hope he has good communication with them about what they're planning for the movies, shows, and animated projects. That way we could potentially get more comic book tie-ins for things.

[Tommy Tomorrow]

Not suggesting that. EIC, publisher,CCO, DC’s got that covered. Doubtful Gunn would have time anyway. But there are other ways to make him the shot caller, not some empty suit entertainment exec.

[Reno]

I'm likely in the minority in that I truly believe that James Gunn will do a great job with the movies and television series. I already think that the video game portion might be a stretch, although I can see him overseeing the story writing portion. To be over everything else is beyond a stretch. They've had very good people in those roles over the years and quite honestly Warner Brothers never seems to give anyone much leash. They tend to hire/fire more than our former reality show president. I do worry that Gunn won't get a full opportunity to succeed in the role that he's been given. I won't be at all surprised if they pull the rug out from under him if his first two movies don't make at least a billion dollars each... and that will be the end of the 8-10 year plan. I have absolutely no faith or confidence in Warner Brothers whatsoever to stick to a plan or give something a chance.

[Tommy Tomorrow]

Not me. I think they’re now at the point where they have to listen to others. The no plan plan isn’t isn’t a plan.

The idea to put him over comics isn’t day to day ops. It to make sure the cogs are all in sync . The week Creature Commandos debuts on HBO Max (or whatever the new name is), there should be a new #1 Creature Commandos comic on the shelves at your LCS. And on either side of that, the CC reprint editions.

I completely get that comic book continuity cannot overlay the story in media. It’s too dense and layered. But the closer these shows are to a comic book sensibility, the better off we'll all be. I believe Gunn can do that.

[Ninjak]

I guess Gunn can't do much worse than what's already been done.

The GOTG movies were some of my favorite in the MCU, and the GOTG parts of Infinity War were some of the best parts of that movie as well, IMO. That being said, I wouldn't want everything to be the GOTG. If you know what I mean?

Gunn has a very specific style and taste that he infuses into all of his projects. So if the entirety of the DC Cinematic Universe all has that same style, I worry that it could become tiresome. Especially to those people who may not particularly care for Gunn's signature take on things. Only time will tell. Fingers crossed.

[AdrienVeidt]

The week Creature Commandos debuts on HBO Max (or whatever the new name is), there should be a new #1 Creature Commandos comic on the shelves at your LCS. And on either side of that, the CC reprint editions.

Let's be honest here; with the state of weekly comics readership that's a lot of effort to make a few hundred people across the entire country happy. Syncing show and comic releases would be a *spectactularly* hard thing to do for statistically-and-financially irrelevant results.

[ditko]

Sad times that a mere announcement video on social media is enough to justify a total takeover. Let's see how these movies do. The comics are at a low point though. I enjoyed Future State well enough, but nothing since has made me feel like I should be reading.

[Shoretrooper69]

I'm totally burned out on the MCU right now. But that early run of 2008 through 2012 was exciting because it was slowly driving toward Avengers. Then it became like Space Pokemon where it was more collecting than storytelling. Thanos had a moment. Kang will have a moment. But there's no more Big Moment like when Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor all landed on the same screen. That was special. Now it's just as She-Hulk argued; overly workshopped writers rooms making consumer content, not stories. Or just the pure cognitive dissonance that Taika Waititi can vomit onto a screen.

Warner Brothers already squandered their Big Moment with Justice League. That was their time to sink or swim. Now they're tasking Gunn to create order among a massive amount of chaos. Conveniently forgetting that RDJ made a perfect comeback as Tony Stark because acting like Tony Stark was what got him into trouble. Not some sort of rule that you have kick off all cinematic universes with a problematic actor-person.

I can see Gunn introducing some people to some of the more interesting niche DC stories but it's going to be incredibly tough to make a commercially viable series where people consistently pay movie prices and subscription fees to see if it all sticks this time around. Maybe it would be cool to see Wotan or Prometheus or Doctor Polaris or Chemo in a movie. But where does any of that lead to? Why does it feel that DC events are more about reboots and rethinking things than actual story events?

[yojoebro82]

I'm totally burned out on the MCU right now. But that early run of 2008 through 2012 was exciting because it was slowly driving toward Avengers. Then it became like Space Pokemon where it was more collecting than storytelling. Thanos had a moment. Kang will have a moment. But there's no more Big Moment like when Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor all landed on the same screen. That was special.

I'll agree with that to a point. That first time the Avengers assembled on screen was iconic not only because you get to see all the heroes together for the first time, but it also changed the way franchises are handled. For better or worse, EVERY franchise wants to recapture that moment in their own way......even Marvel. Say what you will about Whedon or even the movie itself, it will always be essential comic book viewing for that reason alone.

I see what you are saying about everything post Avengers, but I do think phases 2 and 3 are worth watching if for no other reason than the ending, which they absolutely stuck. Thanos was portrayed perfectly, you understood his motivations, and Infinity War and Endgame are examples of how to end things right.

As far as DC goes.......No I don't need Gunn to run DC comics. I actually don't need my movies and tv and comics to be all one big continuity anyway. Is that's what is being asked in the OP? I don't know. My attitude towards comics has changes a lot. These days I'm just looking for one well-drawn and well-written story. I don't care what it connects to, I don't care what continuity it's in (as if continuity even exists anymore), I'm just searching, SEARCHING for a good read.

[seditionary]

I also don’t really need shit to be connected all the time. The DC books I read and really enjoy are usually not part of the ongoing continuity. If a story is good it provides context to who/what/where


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[Tommy Tomorrow]

I am absolutely not saying DC comics should tie into whatever Gunn is doing in the media. I’m not saying he should be there day to day looking at art and scripts as they come in. I am saying to make him part of the process top down. Remember, at the end of the day, Gunn isn’t a producer, director, or even CEO. He’s a writer. Maybe he has some insights on what can help sell more comics.

And ultimately, that’s the problem at DC right now. Shitty writing. People for whatever various reasons are sitting on the sidelines. People that maybe Gunn could recruit again. Names? How ‘bout Rucka, Winick, Simone, Morrison, and more. Johns and Waid coming back is a good start. Now let’s get the rest of the band back together.

Gunn is a creator. He’s a lifelong comic fan. One of us. Like Todd in many respects. He’s loves not only the characters and the stories, but the medium itself. Better than some pencil pushing bean counter with an MBA and a trust fund.

[Shoretrooper69]

The biggest friction point is how Warner Brothers is simultaneously careless and also super risk averse. Because David Zaslav is a crappy financials and marketing guy who thinks he's a genius financials and marketing guy.

Giving Gunn the complete freedom to torpedo everything Detective Comics has ever done, and help create a fresh new comic book canon with a five to ten year larger story arc prior to filming any of it, is something WB just won't do. Not worth the investment. Too much effort. DC can't exist with Batman, Joker, Wonder Woman, and Superman permanently removed from play. It's also their problem because a heavily reliance on such a small catalog of high profile characters has left them without much room to expand. I think stuff like GI Joe and Masters of the Universe are currently running into the same problem. You nuke four or five main characters and the brands get exponentially harder to support themselves in media. So you wind up seeing the same guys saving the world or whatever, over and over and over again. Forget saving the world. Save yourselves.

Zaslav is going to smile and tolerate Gunn for like three years until he has the receipts to fire him for performing below expectations. And then he'll reboot the whole damn thing again. So even if Gunn took complete and total creative reign of all projects, it would ultimately be as risky and you or I doing it. Only difference is I won't because seriously [email protected]#$ Zaslav. Want to really save DC? Buy it outright from WB before they sink that much more money into it.

[JTMarsh]

I don't care what it connects to, I don't care what continuity it's in (as if continuity even exists anymore), I'm just searching, SEARCHING for a good read.

That was more or less how I was when I came across Stormwatch: Team Achilles. I'd never read the previous Stormwatch books, because this was a reboot team, so you might check it out. I'd enjoy a SW: TA movie since Wildstorm is DC now, but I don't want Gunn anywhere near it. Leave him to mess around with Suicide Squad if he must, but absurdist humor, endless banter characterized as dialogue, and Top40 songs from the 70s for montages gets pretty formulaic after a while.

DC should look into a WildCATS film and see what they can do with that property.