So, in the summer of 2011, DC Comics launched their newest crossover event titled Flashpoint (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flashpoint_(comics) ) unlike most of DC's inter title crossovers, Crisis on Infinite Earths, Infinite Crisis and Final Crisis this event was more prominent in the pages of the Flash (being the protagonist of the crisis) and Booster Gold, aside from this, the events of the comics were contained in their own event specific titles.
So basically, Flashpoint was quite a small event.
One says this after DC Comics launched one of the most amazing crossover events since Marvel's Civil War, The Blackest Night. And it was amazing because no one was spared. You had Superman becoming a thrall of Nekron along with smaller characters like the downplayed JLA also having a moment in the event.
Again, DC's decision for a reboot, not so bad.
But what a messy reboot it was.
Let's set the stage.
In this new universe, there are superheroes, but like in the pages of Marvel's Ultimate Comics, these heroes are feared and the law doesn't like them. Until they all unite to fight a common foe, in this case, Darksied. This happens and a grateful nation thanks them and theSuper Seven the Justice League is formed!
That would have been a great reboot. Except DC had to tell back stories and that's where it all goes to hell.
So the origin of the Justice League happens 5 years before.
So in the DCnU if the year was say 2012.
In 2007:
Superman was an urban legend, Batman was a myth, Green Lantern was unheard of, Wonder Woman was in isolation, Flash was a Police officer trying to catch himself, and Cyborg was a football player!
In the pages of Detective Comics, Batman is still a complete Dark Knight, his motives are questioned by the police and the Mayor wants him dead. Completely plausible given that he's a vigilante. But then all of a sudden we lose the timeline of the comics, because it integrates itself into the Night of the Owls a Batman crossover event.
So finally you are sort of up to speed on the DC universe.
So let's begin!
Batman
So the blaring questions from this list
How the hell does he have so many damn Robins? and since he adopted one of them and became wards of the other two all in a span of 5 years. I'm not really surprised that people speculated that he was going to be revealed as a gay although I would have expected something a little bit like pedophile.
Really! I mean all of the elder Robins are adults in 5 years. I mean really. How is that even possible?
Then there is Damian Wayne, the Grandson of Ra's Al Ghul, the Lovechild of Bruce Wayne and Talia Al Ghul. Who is TEN! Batman has only been around for 5 years but he has a ten year old son who was born after he became Batman. Makes perfect sense!
Also, remember the Joker? The villain who everybody knows? well I guess DC comics didn't like all that attention, cause they took their coolest villain someone who could really mess with the Bat and cut off his face. But not before reducing him to a common Serial Killer!
Maybe I'm a little bit off my rocker, but really. To have set the dial back to Issue #1 you have to look at everything that's happened in the last50 years okay fine 20 years of comics! DC did that for Superman, Superboy and Supergirl. But why were they too lazy to fix something that clearly needed desperate fixing?
Aside from all of this, the number of comics don't make sense. Batman has 4 titles dedicated to him
what makes it confusing is that while Batman is facing the Court of Owls, he's also posing for a painting with the Robins, beating up supervillains on steriods (scarecrow toxin) and Coordinating the Justice League. It's confusing beyond belief!
I could go on and on, but if you're a comic book reader you'll know what I'm talking about. We all love a good comic, but don't just throw in new elements if it doesn't fit the trend. Money can be tempting, but good comics will always be remembered because of how well it was done not because of the profits the comic earned!
I'm done now.
Oh wait, Superman has gone from being a subtle douche to being a complete douche! Really DC, why didn't you just paint a J Jonah Jameson mustache on him and call him Hitler?
So basically, Flashpoint was quite a small event.
One says this after DC Comics launched one of the most amazing crossover events since Marvel's Civil War, The Blackest Night. And it was amazing because no one was spared. You had Superman becoming a thrall of Nekron along with smaller characters like the downplayed JLA also having a moment in the event.
Yet, DC comics saw it fitting to use Flashpoint to kickstart a new Universe for DC Comics, the aptly titled, DC New 52 Universe or in short DCnU. While I don't criticise their decision for a sort of retcon, cause some things in the DCU were getting a bit shaky. To quickly list them out from titles:
- Superman Comics - New Krypton happened, suddenly there are dozens of Supermen flying around. that's a bit hard to deal with in a normal comic series
- Batman Comics - Bruce was apparently 'dead' and so Dick Grayson (Nightwing) took up the mantle and became Batman, but then Bruce came back (he was actually sent back in time) and he also became Batman. Suddenly DC had two characters running around with the same name. Not very effective in a combat to shout "WATCHOUT BATMAN! no wait, not you, the other Batman!"
- Flash Comics - This was by far the one comic that really seemed to be lacking in direction. Cause there was Barry Allen (The Flash), Wally West (The Flash), and Bart Allen (Kid Flash) oh and Jay Garrick (The Flash) so that's 3 Flashes and one teenager who soon can't really be called 'Kid Flash'
Again, DC's decision for a reboot, not so bad.
But what a messy reboot it was.
Let's set the stage.
In this new universe, there are superheroes, but like in the pages of Marvel's Ultimate Comics, these heroes are feared and the law doesn't like them. Until they all unite to fight a common foe, in this case, Darksied. This happens and a grateful nation thanks them and the
That would have been a great reboot. Except DC had to tell back stories and that's where it all goes to hell.
So the origin of the Justice League happens 5 years before.
So in the DCnU if the year was say 2012.
In 2007:
Superman was an urban legend, Batman was a myth, Green Lantern was unheard of, Wonder Woman was in isolation, Flash was a Police officer trying to catch himself, and Cyborg was a football player!
In the pages of Detective Comics, Batman is still a complete Dark Knight, his motives are questioned by the police and the Mayor wants him dead. Completely plausible given that he's a vigilante. But then all of a sudden we lose the timeline of the comics, because it integrates itself into the Night of the Owls a Batman crossover event.
So finally you are sort of up to speed on the DC universe.
So let's begin!
Batman
Okay so as we've established, Batman has been around for 5 years. Not 15 years, not 50 years. but 5 years. And in those years this is what has happened:
- Founded the Justice League (Oh not to mention revealed his identity to Green Lantern, Superman and probably every other JLA member)
- Realised he needed a partner and got Dick Grayson (who was around 10 years old)
- Accepted Batgirl into his team
- Batgirl gets shot
- Dick Grayson gets bored of being Robin and becomes Nightwing
- Jason Todd gets the Robin Mantle (around the same age as Grayson)
- Jason Todd dies and comes back to life
- Tim Drake becomes Robin (around 10 years old, maybe 12)
- Bruce gets his back broken
- Bruce gets his back fixed
- Bruce retrains himself and kicks the crazy Batman to the curb
- Bruce is introduced to his 10 year old son Damian Wayne (Raised by his arch-enemies daughter who Batman had a one night stand with *who said superheroes can't have one night stands and disown their children?*)
- Bruce Wayne 'Dies'
- Dick Grayson becomes Batman
- Bruce Wayne comes back
- Batman Incorporated starts where Bruce Wayne publically says that it's okay to have a Private Army of Batmen at ones disposal
- On and somewhere in there there was No Man's Land, and the GCPD starts liking Batman.
So the blaring questions from this list
How the hell does he have so many damn Robins? and since he adopted one of them and became wards of the other two all in a span of 5 years. I'm not really surprised that people speculated that he was going to be revealed as a gay although I would have expected something a little bit like pedophile.
Really! I mean all of the elder Robins are adults in 5 years. I mean really. How is that even possible?
Then there is Damian Wayne, the Grandson of Ra's Al Ghul, the Lovechild of Bruce Wayne and Talia Al Ghul. Who is TEN! Batman has only been around for 5 years but he has a ten year old son who was born after he became Batman. Makes perfect sense!
Also, remember the Joker? The villain who everybody knows? well I guess DC comics didn't like all that attention, cause they took their coolest villain someone who could really mess with the Bat and cut off his face. But not before reducing him to a common Serial Killer!
Maybe I'm a little bit off my rocker, but really. To have set the dial back to Issue #1 you have to look at everything that's happened in the last
Aside from all of this, the number of comics don't make sense. Batman has 4 titles dedicated to him
- Batman
- Batman and Robin
- Batman: The Dark Knight
- Detective Comics
what makes it confusing is that while Batman is facing the Court of Owls, he's also posing for a painting with the Robins, beating up supervillains on steriods (scarecrow toxin) and Coordinating the Justice League. It's confusing beyond belief!
I could go on and on, but if you're a comic book reader you'll know what I'm talking about. We all love a good comic, but don't just throw in new elements if it doesn't fit the trend. Money can be tempting, but good comics will always be remembered because of how well it was done not because of the profits the comic earned!
I'm done now.
Oh wait, Superman has gone from being a subtle douche to being a complete douche! Really DC, why didn't you just paint a J Jonah Jameson mustache on him and call him Hitler?
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