Thursday, July 8, 2010

Hey, Wait A Minute!!

Well, as you've no doubt heard, the big news this week is that Neil Gaiman's Death of the Endless will be bouncing back into the DC Universe proper, in Action Comics of all places:

So, I guess that makes double official the lifting of the unofficially official "No Vertigo characters in the DC Universe" rule. So...

Hey, wait a minute!!

Didn't we just have an 8-issue mini-series, with 195 side series, and spin-off series, and tie-in series**?? Didn't we see that the force behind death in the DC Universe was:

I mean, if Death is death, and she's in the DC Universe, then where the hell was she during Blackest Night?? Don't you think she have had something to say about that??

Oh, I know, it's an easy enough fix--you just say Nekron had her imprisoned, or she was off in another dimension or such. And since Luthor's storyline in Action spins off of the events in Blackest Night, well, Paul Cornell had better be darned sure he gives us that explanation.

Still, this rush-to-throw-in-a-Vertigo-character-anywhere-we-can-for-maximum-publicity-whether-or-not-it-makes-sense-now-that-DiDio-can-overrule-Berger move sure smells like it's going to be a "You know how we said Blackest Night would explain everything about death in the DC Universe? Well, we lied" cop-out.

I'm just sayin'.

**You think I'm kidding?!? DC has 7--SEVEN--Blackest Night hardcovers coming out in the next 3 weeks. Hope you saved your shekels, Green Lantern fans!!

5 comments:

Mark Engblom said...

Hah! Great points as always, Snell! I'm sure Miss Death will reference Blackest Night....and here's hoping Cornell has some fun with it. I'm hoping for some casually existential comment from her belittling Nekron and others who think they embody death. I see the Sandman version of Death as outside the usual multi-dimensional rodeo other characters are subject to (hence her laid back reintroduction to the DCU), so....like I said...maybe a writers of Cornell's talent can have some fun with it.

Brigadier Ketchup said...

Wait wait wait. Doesn't DC have a deal with Gaiman that they can only use the characters he created in his Sandman series (and The Endless in particular) with his consent?

Also (via wikipedia): "Cornell confirmed that Neil Gaiman has given his approval for the use of Death in the storyline."

Mark Engblom said...

Technically, I don't think DC needs to notify him...but it seems Cornell is doing the stand-up thing and getting his blessing. Plus, if DC ever wants to work with Gaiman again, I would think getting his approval (even though its technically not required), is the prudent, professional, and responsible thing to do.

Sea-of-Green said...

I'm gonna be so broke at the end of this month. SO BROKE ...

Gary said...

Damned if I can remember where I read it, but I'm pretty sure it was established (either in a comic or an interview with Gaiman - the latter sounds more likely) that Death of the Endless is the end of everything.

So Nekron may have spouted on about being Death incarnate but when he (and the Black Racer come to think of it) finally kick the bucket then Death of the Endless will be there for them.

As such, there's no problem with Nekron wandering around claiming to be death because we all know what cute little Goth will be waiting for him.