10 Reasons Why The New 52 Was Doomed To Fail

2. So. Much. Batman.

Batman The Dark Knight New 52
DC Comics

Look, we get it, Batman rocks. He's Batman. But surely there's a point where, you know, enough is enough?

When it debuted in September 2011, the New 52 shipped over eight Bat-related books. Eight, with three of those all focusing on the Dark Knight himself, and a further two featuring the character with an ensemble cast. Then there was Batgirl, Nightwing, and the aforementioned perennially terrible Red Hood book to note. And, while they all varied in quality, it was all a little much; Batman doesn't need to be in three separate solo series, no matter how you spin it.

Certainly, a book like Detective Comics - while originally Batman's own - can survive without the character. Literal years have passed where the book has been led by other heroes, like the Question, Zatanna and others, and they all did a fine job of representing the book's mystery elements. Said characters were nowhere to be seen in the reboot however, with Bat-law very much being the rule of the day.

We all love a bit of Bat-themed action (especially if it's in the Scott Snyder mould), but come on, give us a break DC. No character needs this many books.

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Content Producer/Presenter

WhatCulture's very own resident movie guy, Ewan has been working in the content creation biz for over 10 years now, having started as a freelance contributor to WhatCulture Gaming all the way back in 2015. After graduating with a First-Class Honours in History from Northumbria University in 2017 (where he won a prize for a totally killer dissertation on the Watergate years), Ewan took on the role of Comics Editor at WhatCulture and quickly developed WhatCulture Comics into one of the biggest superhero-focused channels on YouTube. He followed this with a brief hiatus at Screen Rant in 2021, where he worked across the Gaming and Film sections as a writer and editor, before returning to WhatCulture as a Senior Content Producer / Presenter in 2023. He started his own podcast, We Love Dad Movies, in 2022, and has contributed several written pieces to the Eisner-nominated comics website Shelfdust as well. In his current role, Ewan incorporates his love of cinema, comic books, and history into written pieces and video essays for WhatCulture's Film & TV channel, as well as WhatCulture Gaming and WhatCulture Horror, with a particular focus on nineties-era Dad Movies, old school Westerns, and Golden Age Hollywood Noir. John Carpenter is his fave, and he thinks Batman Beyond should never have been cancelled. If that's your vibe, you'll probably like his stuff.