Batwoman is a lesbian. Batgirl (not the same person) is no longer crippled. Superman is single, an orphan, and, apparently, going commando. These are the new faces of DC Comics (founded in 1934), the publisher of Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and many other iconic heroes. Since their beginning they have built a massive tower of stories with these characters, but the tower could only go so high and as of Wednesday, August 31, DC is starting over. Fifty-two of their biggest titles are being re-launched with new first issues. This, the biggest reboot in comic history, is being called The New 52.
The characters, who were created decades ago, in perhaps, a less open-minded society, are being modernized with polished details such as back-stories, costumes, and even alternative sexual lifestyles. For example, Superman’s earth parents are dead, he is not married to Lois Lane, and, most shocking, he no longer sports his iconic red trunks. Changes such as these will cause a whole new array of stories that were not possible before. Look out ladies, Superman is very available! However, he may not be as desirable without those connections to humanity, those moral cornerstones. The characters are new and so are the dangers. Batman has no longer defeated the Joker hundreds of times. Batgirl is no longer confined to a wheelchair. Their struggles are fresh. The characters are now back to the youthful, inexperienced heroes they originated as, instead of the retirement aged super-powered beings, ready to cash in on their social security savings.
Starting fresh will take the pressure off writers to come up with material that does not clash with almost 80 years of history. Perhaps more importantly, it will open up the medium of comics to a whole new generation of readers who may have been too intimidated by the impossibility of catching up. A whole new world has been opened, full of less stale versions of the characters everyone already loves. Of course there are fans who are cynical of the change, but the general census seems to be positive. No one is going to forget the rich history of storytelling that has come from DC Comics, but no one is being asked to forget. They are simply being asked to take a look from a different angle at the world where everyone has pictured himself, at one time or another, ages “action figure” to “collector’s item.”