Well, it's official: according to our Crossover Poll, 1997's Genesis is the worst DC crossover in society's living memory (special thanks to author John Byrne). For those whose therapists and psychopharmacologists have successfully erased the memory of the event, it was when the Godwave interfered with the Source, causing the powers of all the super-types to sputter. The the New Gods did stuff.
It would be easy to blame Byrne for the problems with Genesis, but in fact, the problem is with the New Gods, the crazy aunts in DC's attic. Kirby's goofball attempt to re-apply the shallow, one-note character treatment he used on the Newsboy Legion to an entirely new mythology is like watching the Little Rascals perform Wagnerian opera. Well, the Little Rascals all died horrible deaths as if pursued by Freddy Kreuger and no one sane listens to Wagner anymore, but Kirby's Fourth World still stumbles around in the closed circle of its interdimensional cul-de-sac, only to be sobered up and trotted out at Christmas and crossovers by the sentimental elders of DC who read Kirby's creations as ten-year-olds, and so retain an embarrassing fondness for them.
Can't we just sell them to Marvel? They'd fit in so much better there...
Not liking the Fourth World?
ReplyDeleteTut Tut.
To me the fact that every character was one note just proved they were Gods. Desad was a snivelling coward and sadist, like I expect a God of Torture to be. They lacked depth because they were pure.
ReplyDeleteGranny Goodness is the ultimate evil step mom. If you ever had an evil step parent, watching Granny get twarted was therapeutic. Go Scot Free!
Besides, think of all the wonderful fetish fodder that is the Female Furies. For Lashina alone I can forgive other characters like the Black Racer.
Rock of Ages is all I'll say.
ReplyDeleteGenesis beat Bloodlines for last place? Genesis was bad, but people seem to actively hate Bloodlines. Maybe since the poll was an approval vote for crossovers you liked, a different poll, one where people voted on crossovers they hated would change the results.
ReplyDeleteI thought a couple of the Bloodlines annuals were interesting (Mike Parobeck's JLI Annual was at least a visual treat), and some of the "New Blood" heroes had something going for them. Nightblade could regenerate, and at one point he had to regenerate an entire limb or two, rather grotesquely. That was kind of cool. And Joe Public siphoned strength off of bystanders and victims in order to defeat the bad guys. That was neat.
I know, Dave; nothing has ever been worse than Bloodlines, but it got two votes and Genesis got none. I suspect that no one actually REMEMBERED what Genesis was, hence the absence of votes.
ReplyDeleteI didn't vote for Genesis mainly because reading John Byrne attempting to channel Jack Kirby is one of the most painful things in comics.
ReplyDeleteExcept for whatever it was that George Perez was trying to do in War of the Gods. I'm still not sure that I know what THAT was about.
(But I do love the New Gods, as campy and ridiculous as they can be. They're part of the reason I voted for Legends as one of my favorite crossovers.)
Well, I love New Gods! They're grovvy, head-trippin' fun, with some of Kirby's best art. "The Pact?" One of my favorites. Mr. Miracle? Classic! 4th World does feel more like Marvel, and some of us think that's a good thing.
ReplyDeleteBloodlines at least had some decent spin-offs, like Gunfire, Loose Cannon, and the Blood Pack...
ReplyDeleteSeriously, though, I'm sure a lot of people forgive Bloodlines all of its awfulness because of Hitman. Whereas nothing spun out of Genesis at all.
On the other hand, Genesis managed to get its chapters out mostly in the proper order. I'm surprised there isn't much ore hate out there for War of the Gods...