This is Entry 206: More DC!

So....

I've been posting images of the *new* costumes of the reboot DC Characters over on my Facebook account. Most of the pictures have gotten some discussion going on but one has gotten a bit more going on there others. A friend of my mine, his name is Scott, who use to read comics but hasn't due to him not have enough discretionary funs to do so has been commenting & has been asking some questions. Answers that I think need more space then an answer in a Facebook reply thread could handle.

This all was posted under this picture of the *new* Deathstroke:


And Scott's comments start like this:

Kewl! I didn't realize it was 1994!

My reply is Everything old is new again!

His comment of it being 1994 again id one I've made & other have made. Another of the designs & characters all seem to be from an earlier time. Either the early 1990's or the late 1980's.

I still think it's all fake, and we'll find out this is one of the 52 earths. I still think they're not finished telling the story they've been leading up to for years, with the Anti-Monitor, 52 Earths, etc. I think we'll find everything back to normal after a month or so.

Now what Scott said here is a theory I've seen elsewhere around the 'Net. One theory I think is interesting is this: After Flashpoint, Barry Allen attempts to return to the main DCU but missed & ends up in this *new* DCU. It one of the better explanations I've read of how DC will explain the change over. Plus, it also gives them an "easy out" if it does work: Just have Barry return to the "Normal" DCU. :)

My reply was It is one of the 52 earths, It's the main Earth! :)

It is. The Earth where most of the comics that come out monthly which most people would consider the Main/Normal DCU is categorized as being Earth-1 (or Earth One). The First of the 52 Earths.

I continue....

As for everything going back to "normal" in a month or so: I seriously doubt that. DC this will most likely be how the comics will be for a couple of years before they make another change.

I still feel this way. I don't think DC would renumber/relaunch all their books & redesign their character for a few month stunt. Most likely over the next year they'll see what worked & what didn't: cancel a few book that didn't do well. The Big name book will return to their "legacy" numbering in 2 years & a number of the costumes will revert to a more "classic" version. And life will go on.

Me some more: Also, DC introduced the 52 earths about 5 years ago & have still yet to do much with them. I sort of wonder why they even brought back the "multiverse" if they aren't going to do anything with it?

I still wonder this & it will brought up again. Scott's rebuttal is this...

Because they are playing the long game. Whatever they are planning, they are building up to it. Come on! They bring back the alternate Earths, the GL Corps, Earth 2 Superman, The classic Legion AND the 90's Legion, The Anti Monitor? They have been planning this since before Infinite Crisis! Just wait. And how could it be the main Earth? JSA and Power girl are big sellers. They don't bring them back but they do bring back Men at War, Blackhawks and Omac? OMAC? No. It's all a plan.

Now since this was a public place we have another my friend's chime in. Here is Kirk:

Scott, You have more faith in the management of modern comics than I do. When the guy who wrote an incredibly awesome Justice League cartoon can't manage to recreate that same magic in the comic book because editorial is so incompetent, it really says something about the industry.

I think he referencing Dwayne McDuffie's work on the Justice League Unlimited cartoon & the Justice League comic book.

I do agree with Kirk that Scott might have too much faith in the management & I do think DC is "playing the long game" they have to but I doubt anyone at the company has been "planning this since Infinite Crisis". If they have, they haven't been doing a good job at it. It's all over the place.

To answer his question: How could this be the "main Earth"? It could be. They are the ones stirring the ship, we are only passengers.

Scott says that JSA & Power Girl are big sellers but I don't think that are as big a seller as he thinks. Comics are as big sellers as they once were. Even the top sellers aren't as big as they once were. They are no one where near 90's levels but they aren't even where they were 10 years ago.

Scott goes on...

And what about the fact that Power girl found Earth 2, and they already had a Power girl and they claimed their Superman was missing? Never followed up on.

Scott references the Justice Society Annual from 2008 where Power Girl makes it back to her "home dimension" of Earth-2. They did have a Power Girl there. As for Scott's comment they "never followed up on" Earth-2's Superman being missing, they did in the book.

Before Earth-2 was whipped out as part of Crisis on Infinite Earth, their Superman went out to fight. That was the last they ever saw him. Now when Earth-2 was recreated as part of the 52 Earth at the end of Infinite Crisis they still assumed him missing not knowing that he had died during the events of IC.

Now beyond this Annual they have yet to return this Earth since they have not had a reason too. (Power Girl knew it wasn't her Earth-2 anymore, has returned to Earth-1 & has made that her home). As with many of the other Earths. A number where visited in Countdown but many other haven't been. This to me, at this moment, seem like a missed opportunity.

Scott has another CoIE related question...

And why bring back the Anti Monitor just to have him hang around the anti matter universe?

I wasn't sure why he had returned but in what I found online: He returned because the Multiverse & the Monitors had returned. Now that to me seems kind of stupid.

Scott then asks about something that is just in the begin stages of what DC is doing..

And why did Constantine and Swamp Thing come back only to be rebooted? They didn't need to return for that.

Since they haven't done anything yet They'll carry over into the rebooted DCU. Why? I don't know. I don't work at the company & it's the best answer I have.

Then Scott starts to ask a whole Bunch of questions.

And some of the stuff on Rip Hunters chalkboard hasn't come true.

Not yet anyways. :) Rip's chalkboard might also reference things from alternate timelines.

And Hawkgirl wasn't resurrected for some reason.

It makes a better for a better story: this is the only reason I can think that she wasn't.

And has Starboy fulfilled his whole mission?

Yes. If your talking about the Starman who was a member of the JSA recently. He finished his missions (He had more then one) & had returned to his own time a few years ago. If not then I'm not sure who he's talking about.

Scott:

And what about Multiversity?

I'm guessing your talking about the 8 issue mini-series by Grant Morrison that is set with in the 52 earth Multiverse. As I've read the 1st 6 issues would all focus on 6 different earths where the last 2 issues would be about the the Multiverse as a whole. This series was expected some time last year. I can't find out much about other this when it was announced a few years. It is also something I've thought about. It seems like Morrison has gotten involved in Bat stuff lately. I'm not sure if he'll get around to it or not.

Scott:

And why wasn't Ralph resurrected?

At the end of 52, Ralph & Sue were seen as "Ghost Detectives". Actual Ghosts who are detectives & there is 1 other mention of them doing that I found. Then they disappeared into a light. So, they might of gone to heaven? I don't know. I'm just realting what I've read online. I do think a Ghost detective book with Ralph & Sue would be kind of cool.

Why was it so important that Prof Zoom brought back Barry?

So that we can have Flashpoint! :) This will maybe said at the end of that series.

And why make Earth 1 such a special jump on Earth if they were going to do the same thing on the main Earth (Earth 0)? It just doesn't add up.

I'm not sure what he's asking here. He might be referencing the Earth 1 line of books (so far only Earth 1: Superman has been released with an Earth 1: Batman in the works). I'm not sure if that line of book are even mention to tie into the main DCU.

As for things not adding up: they don't always in comics since we don't know everything that is going on or will go on. We will just have to wait & see.

Until I have more from Scott or other I bid thy a Stay Jazzy!

- Brian