Milestone Is Dead

Michael Davis, one of the founders of Milestone, just put up a piece explaining why he believes that the Milestone imprint is now dead. I'm going to skip the first part, which is basically him venting about old DC, as well as parts of the second part, which is largely conspiracy theories on how DC doesn't need Milestone for it's diversity push these days, to quote more factual material. The full article is here if you care to read it:

comicmix.com/2017/05/21/michael-davis-milestone-is-dead/

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youtube.com/watch?v=2KWeKZyxEZA
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>2015

>Milestone 2.1 announced to the world. Milestone is back! One of if not the biggest comic book stories of 2015.

>I find out on that day I was no longer a part of it.

>Since then, little has been heard. No press, interviews and no books.

>I have no knowledge of the inner workings at DC or Milestone, nor has anyone at DC or Milestone ever told me ‘why’ I was excluded.

>That said, here’s my two-cent conclusion.

>Milestone 2.0, in my opinion, is dead for four reasons.

>Except for Denys Cowan, comics are not a priority for the partners.One partner runs a filmed entertainment empire, the other oversees a mainstream financial news publishing juggernaut. You think making comics is more important than interviewing the head of the Federal Reserve or producing the most famous award show in the world? Of the four of us, only Denys and I would answer yes.Comics is where we live and dream and have all our lives. Denys and I were more than just fans of comics we chose that as our life’s work and pursued it. There’s a massive difference between the other M2.0 founders and us.That’s not a dig, that’s a fact.

>The second reason Milestone is dead and why I wrote the events of 20 plus years ago is corporate bullshit like what happened to me. Someone at DC or Milestone is holding fast to a way of doing things and because of such everything stops until the problem is resolved or made to go away.Who do I think is holding up the deal by insisting things get done a specific way? Looking at the playing field, it’s obvious DC does not need Milestone that’s a fact. So much of the fact that DC just announced another push into diversity with Dark Matter.And the way they are doing it is gangsta.I may be wrong, but DC seems to be going after that diversity dollar with a wee bit of help from those who have come before and know how to do it.

>Milestone has no infrastructure. There’s no central hub no office no staff. Two of the partners have nice big spaces they work from, with employees but the work done there isn’t Milestone unless something has changed since I was involved.Also, one guy is doing movies; another guy is running a magazine, and he’s doing that from New York. DC is in Los Angeles, so any face to face must wait until they are all available.Denys Cowan’s is the only person whose business is creating comics, but with no central Milestone infrastructure behind him and his partner’s crazy schedules, there is no way in Hell he can do all that needs to get the deal done by himself.

>January 2018 will mark three years since DC and Milestone made that historic announcement. That’s a long time, right? No. Not really. Not if you’re making movies and putting out magazines. But to the fans?

>It’s a fucking eternity.

>It’s also not correct. Milestone 2.0 formed in Feb 2011. The first meeting with DC was a few weeks after that.

>January 2018 will mark SEVEN years since DC and Milestone had their first meeting. My thoughts on why Milestone is dead is conjecture. Those dates are real, and yes that’s a long time.

>But to the fans?

>It’s a fuck you.

>I don’t think any Milestone partners feel like that. But with silence from Milestone, it may seem so. I haven’t talked to Denys, but I know this is killing him.

>Hell, it’s killing me.

>The fourth reason I think Milestone is dead can also be the reason they don’t have to be.But that will have to wait until next time.

I guess that explains the lack of digital reprints of Milestone books.

This guy is crazy:
>Lion’s Forge Comics has been vocal about their diversity for years. When Joe Illidge came on that kicked it up another level. Those in the know call Lion’s Forge ‘the Forge.’

>In June 2017 DC releases, Dark Days: The Forge.

>Most likely a coincidence as in the Dark Matter tagline: “Forged From Metal, the New Age of Heroes.”

>The Black Age of Comics is the tagline for the East Coast Black Age of Comics and has been for almost two decades. It’s also the unofficial name for the movement within the Black comic space.

>“Dark Matters” has a strikingly close ring to ‘Black Lives Matter. Now all of this is most likely coincidence.

>You must admit it’s a little freaky.

Oh shit, based Ostrander writes for that website. Bookmarked.

The fuck is a Milestone and why should I care?

>another guy is running a magazine, and he’s doing that from New York. DC is in Los Angeles, so any face to face must wait until they are all available
What is the Internet, faggot?

OP here. I liked Milestone, but at this stage I can understand why DC hasn't really gone ahead with the imprint.

If DC doesn't completely own the imprint, then there's no real reason for them to push it forward heavily. Additionally, things are much more different today than what they were when Milestone came on the scene. There's so many comics these days with a black lead with a black point of view that having an imprint dedicated to it is pointless. Davis is right in that DC doesn't really need Milestone for any diversity push.

Additionally, what would Milestone even be about these days? So many of the things Milestone covered back then are present in various comics today. Most of the original creators have moved on from comics and those that remain are likely far out of touch with the current social environment of comics that anything they put out would probably be feel like the standard HOW DO YOU DO FELLOW KIDS?

If Milestone were to ever come back, they'd need completely new blood, completely new ideas, a completely new publishing and storytelling strategy and basically need to be rebuilt from the ground up.

Can they please just fold the memorable characters back into DC?

Milestone is a one man show everyone knows it, and that guy is dead

no one gives a shit about Icon or Rocket or Xambi, people like Static that's it.

>DC seems to be going after that diversity dollar with a wee bit of help from those who have come before and know how to do it.
Nice to know.

> my subreddit didn't mention this, spoonfeed me
fuck you

Yeah, that's why I skipped quoting that part and the venting part in the first half.

People like Icon and Rocket. Thanks to them being in Young Justice people like them.

Hi, Sup Forums!

As a big Static fan this makes me sad. I wish they would just let the Milestone characters be in the DC universe.

Good. Too many starts and stops. No direction. Don't have to keep paying fees.

They did that and it was terrible and uneventful

They used to be in pre-flashpoint

I thought they've been dead since the 90s. All that their is now is Icon, and Static cameos.

Static was apart of the new 52

Dc had other characters before nu52..archie ones I think. They also had several lasped characters like the shadow.

They let them laspe. They also seem to be moving away from public domain characters. You rarely see the original quality or non marvel family comic characters in new works except the blackhawks or marvel family.

Wild storm seems to be its own thing again.

lions forge the imprint that is like three years old? the imrpint that basically publishes only comic tie in's to 80's tv shows?

It was good until the new 52.

They are in the process of launching a new superhero universe. There was a Free Comic Book Day special, but I don't think anyone here storytimed it. I think they have Christopher Priest writing something.
The Initiative is called Lion Forge Catalyst Prime

Looks like I was wrong about Priest (at least in this image).
Three Joe Casey books if that is your thing

Being a Milestone fan is suffering.

>Milestone is dead
>This is supposed to be shocking/news
I thought it was pretty clear that once McDuffie died that the company died as well.

>we'll never get Hudlin's Milestone
Oh darn it

Priest wrote the FCBD issue. I think he’s overseeing Catalyst Prime, but I don’t know if he’ll write comics.

>Kino out in November, the month of JL and Doomsday Clock
What did they mean by this?

>a Casey-verse

>I have no knowledge of the inner workings at DC or Milestone

so this is all just bullshit speculation?

...

Should we still demand DC to bring back Milestone ?

Yes. We can't let Milestone die .

I'll miss Icon.

Can't they go solo? I mean, if they are independent they can resurrect on their own, can't they?

>No New Static ever

FeelsBadMan. Is there anyway Static can just be part of DC Rebirth, instead of having to revive Milestone?
youtube.com/watch?v=2KWeKZyxEZA

Being a Static fan is suffering.

I'm kinda down, I miss the old days of alt cape universes, I have no idea if Lion Forge is any good though.

After Dynamite's Chaos revival flopped and now that Top Cow only does Matt Hawkins' creator owned shit Valiant is the only alt universe left

you know nothing about suffering!

>Todd Klein
>Jan Duursema
You have my attention.

>“Dark Matters” has a strikingly close ring to ‘Black Lives Matter.
Is he Sup Forums shitposting in real life?

I think DC needs Static cause he's popular but they don't need Milestone.

Unless the Black Lightning TV series is a success and they no longer need SS.

Even if Black Lightning show does good Static will still be more loved. He'll still be more popular.

How popular is Static? I grew up with BL more.

Static had an animated series in the mid 00's, so he at least has a generation that grew up with him

What you love was crafted by a hypocrite and an edge lord who never outgrew being a chuuni dick.

Like a complete dick. I cite his suits over likeness names and against creators for the same reasons he started Image in the first place.

Also the Billy Kincaid murderous ice cream man story was just...just fucking excessive.

There, I said it. Todd McFarlane is just completely overrated

then why did a japanese animator take everything about Spawn's premise (right down to the not-daughter) and make this anime kino?

Maybe Marvel can pick up Milestone. Static as a Champion, when?

Gungrave was a game first though.

Hardware was my fave...and I'm a white guy!!

your trips speak truth, but both were designed by Yasuhiro Nightow

I see more people wanting a Static TV show/movie/new comic series/new cartoon than people wanting a Black Lightning TV show/movie/new comic.

Fair enough. I would still take Gungrave over Spawn

Here's why we got Black Lightning the show.

"So, Jesse L Martin's character on Flash tests really well. Can we do a super hero show about a respectable single black dad? He doesn't need to be a cop, but somehow an authority figure...like a mayor or community organizer or something,"
And low, did Berlanti look down through what DC had and said...
"I got this,"

I'm always seeing post on Facebook and Tumblr about Static getting a live action show or movie .

This picture is almost 2 years old.

I know this is hard for NEETs to understand but in the real working world having your workers scattered and communicating entirely through the internet is very unproductive as opposed to them physically being in the same space.

I-is that Snoop Dogg on the right?

Motherfucker are you serious?
That's Denys Cowan. Comic artist known for being one of the founding members of Milestone and the artist for The Question, Hardware, Deathlok and Steel.

this superhero line couldn't have been in the works for years... so he outright lied when he said they had been working on diversity for years.

Icon didn't do shit in YJ so people still don't give a shit about him.

lolwut

I think they can but I doubt they have much money.

One of the primary architects is dead, the iron is no longer hot from Static's popularity which has been in freefall, and like everyone is saying there's not really a market for a black focused imprint anymore.

I doubt it'll happen but I'd hope the Black Lightning show incorporates some Milestone characters, it could do a lot towards getting Milestone back off the ground.

go read comics faggot.

I don't think anyone who's ever seen McFarlane speak can disagree with that.

The guy is the biggest sellout you could possibly be. At least Liefeld has this childlike enthusiasm that makes him likable, and he's pretty ballsy and honest with people. McFarlane just sounds like a dumbass who only cares about milking his brands and his fame.

I will say out of Liefeld, Silvestri, and Larsen he's the best actual artist, but honestly that's not saying a whole lot and in terms of creativity they're all leaps and Bounds ahead of him.

Now that I think about it I think the release of Static's new action figure was apart of Milestone returning. Did anyone buy it ? Buying it might show DC that people want Milestone back.

I pre-ordered it. They said it would be out last year in the summertime but it didn't. Then my comic book store called and said that the figure had been canceled.

I looked on Amazon a few weeks ago and if the reviews are legit then it was released under the radar sometime this year. But according to the reviews it doesn't come with all the parts it was advertized to have.

It was released in April. They kept delaying. It was really annoying.

Milestone has a lot of good characters. Milestone being dead is a waste of good characters.

How do we save Milestone ?

We need a Blood Syndicate live action TV show. Rated TV-MA. Put it on Netflix or HBO.

The problem has a name. And it's name is Hudlin.

...

How is he the problem ?

Buying the new DVDs and buying the action figure for Static might help when it comes to helping Static.