The DC Universe is dead. Long live the DC Universe!
The last of DC Comics' titles before the big reboot/relaunch/reset/whatever next week in Flashpoint #5 arrived today, effectively ending the post-Crisis On Infinite Earths version of the DC Universe's status quo that begin in 1986. Some characters were killed off in titles such as Justice Society of America (vol.3) #54 and Flashpoint: Kid Flash Lost #3, while others will simply fade away into comic book limbo, as they and their fans wait and wait in the hopes of seeing them in new adventures once again somewhere down the line.
It seems like just yesterday that John Byrne's The Man of Steel and Legends mini-series arrived to usher in the new DC Universe, followed by the issue #1 relaunches of Superman, Wonder Woman, Justice League and The Flash. Other memorable titles such as Suicide Squad, Captain Atom, The Question and Young All-Stars were added, while regular titles such as Batman, The Adventures of Superman and Action Comics received a desperately-needed fresh coat of paint.
We got to see Wally West, Dick Grayson, Donna Troy, Roy Harper and Garth mature beyond their original sidekick roles and become the adult heroes we always wanted to see. We witnessed Clark Kent finally date and eventually marry the love of his life, Lois Lane. We saw Bruce Wayne take on not one, not two, but five Robins along with a few Batgirls as well. We watched as Kyle Rayner and Connor Hawke became Green Lantern and Green Arrow for a new generation of fans. We read on every month as the Birds of Prey made superheroines just as entertaining and interesting as superheroes. And we got to see Conner Kent, Bart Allen, Tim Drake, Cassie Sandsmark, Mia Dearden and Jackson Hyde step into an important legacy and become the shape of things to come.
Worlds lived. Worlds died. And nothing was ever the same, just as the Psycho-Pirate told us would happen on the very last page of Crisis on Infinite Earths #12.
But now, it's time to turn off the lights and move on. As much as it kill us to do so, we say goodbye to titles such as Secret Six, Batman Incorporated, Justice Society of America, Power Girl, Booster Gold, Adventure Comics and Zatanna. We say goodbye to Lois and Clark's defining superhero marriage, Superman's red trunks, Oracle's wheelchair, Stephanie Brown, the remnants of the Golden Age, uninterrupted runs for Action Comics and Batman, Zatanna's top hat and fishnet stockings, a costume for Harley Quinn that isn't horrific, and so much more. We say goodbye to the DC Universe as we know it.
And now, we say hello to a new DC Universe. Some things remain, others change, and all with the potential to become something new and exciting given enough creative effort and support from readers. No, you probably won't like everything you see, but hopefully you'll like enough of it to keep reading month after month. Remember, the 52 books that DC's launching the post-Flashpoint DC Universe with are just the beginning. Other titles will be coming, so if you don't see anything in 52 titles that looks remotely interesting, you can always check back in a few months or so. Just don't be afraid of change and don't be afraid to try something new. What you think you're dreading now may end up surprising you down the road. If nothing else, at least it's not the same old, same old, right?
So here we go again. Worlds will live. Worlds will die. And nothing will ever be the same.
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