So, what exactly was Zero Hour

[Sharcque]

I read COIE when it came out, but I wasn't reading comics when Zero Hour happened. I thought that Zero Hour "re-did" some of what COIE did? Or an I totally off base there? What was the end result of Zero Hour, and why isn't the big DC event this year revolving around that instead, since it's the las big event they had?

[dancj]

Zero was another excercise in continuity fixing to help clear up some of the mess that was left in the wake of COIE. The end result was a slightly/not at all tightenned continuity, a dead JSA and a lot of bored readers.

I can see any reason why they'd want to base the new big event around that.

[thehod]

So, what exactly was Zero Hour?

You mean apart from a big old sack of cack?

[tilleycs]

So, what exactly was Zero Hour?

Funny you should ask - I reread it last week, and am wondering the same thing. You really didn't miss anything, and can probably pick it up cheap on ebay. I'll probably put my set on ebay so I can get it out of the way.

[Paul Newell]

Zero Hour was an attempt to fix some problems to characters, like Hawkman and the Legion of Super-Heroes. But didn't accomplish much else.

And the reason that this new Crisis revolves around the old is because this year is the 20th anniversary of Crisis on Infinite Earths. :)

[sikkbones]

anyone think this is going to become the crisis of infinite timelines?
i.e. COIE+ zero hour= infinite crisis.

[amphetamine]

anyone think this is going to become the crisis of infinite timelines?
i.e. COIE+ zero hour= infinite crisis.

I wouldn't be surprised. Deep down in my fangirl heart of hearts, I'm still nurturing a tiny flame of hope that they'll resurrect the Multiverse. It won't happen in all likelyhood (if there's any continuity fiddling going down, it's probably more akin to what you're talking about), but that won't stop me from hoping.

On topic, Zero Hour was a feeble attempt to get a set timeline down for the DCU. They even published vague dates of events happening "ten years ago" or so. Of course, that compressed timeline forced events into weird relations (if you went by the ZH timeline, for example, the creation of the
Soviet Rocket Reds happened years after the real-life collapse of the USSR...), and it never really stuck.

[thehod]

They even published vague dates of events happening "ten years ago" or so. Of course, that compressed timeline forced events into weird relations... and it never really stuck.

I dunno about that. It's now at 12 years ago that Superman made his debut, but I think they're still using the "XX years ago" system.

[sikkbones]

I wouldn't be surprised. Deep down in my fangirl heart of hearts, I'm still nurturing a tiny flame of hope that they'll resurrect the Multiverse. It won't happen in all likelyhood (if there's any continuity fiddling going down, it's probably more akin to what you're talking about), but that won't stop me from hoping.

On topic, Zero Hour was a feeble attempt to get a set timeline down for the DCU. They even published vague dates of events happening "ten years ago" or so. Of course, that compressed timeline forced events into weird relations (if you went by the ZH timeline, for example, the creation of the
Soviet Rocket Reds happened years after the real-life collapse of the USSR...), and it never really stuck.
i'm hoping for the return of the multiverse too.. and the death of supergirl...

[marshal99]

The mini series was pretty average , zero hour was just notably for killing off the JSA. (Thankfully , the team got rebuilt and reborn thanks to Goyer/Johns)

However , i would recommend u get some of those zero hour crossover in the individual DC books if u can as some of them were very entertaining.

One of my favorite has to be the one where Superman meets all the different batman incarnation over the years all coming to him for help - bob kane batman ,dick sprang batman, frank miller batman , neal adams batman etc. It's a hoot !
There's also the one where Tim Drake Robin meets with Dick Grayson Robin and they solve a crime together , Superboy meets the pre-crisis superboy and there are many more wacky one-shot stories that are pretty fun to read.


http://image.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/large/84293574062.37.gif,http://image.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/large/69352000638.10.gif,http://image.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/large/83650406540.8.gif

[LukeRed5]

I remember reading and liking Zero Hour. I liked that it was revealed that Hal was trying to remake the universe. If anything, Zero Hero gave birth to Jack Knight Starman.

[sikkbones]

that robin cover totally looks like jason todd...

[Buried Alien]

that robin cover totally looks like jason todd...

That's probably because they were depicting a young Dick Grayson close to the start of his Robin career (as opposed to the older Dick Grayson Robin who was the leader of the New Teen Titans). Young Dick and Jason were virtually indistinguishable from each other in their Robin outfits.

Buried Alien (The Most Evil Post Alive!)

[amphetamine]

i would recommend u get some of those zero hour crossover in the individual DC books if u can as some of them were very entertaining.
...there are many more wacky one-shot stories that are pretty fun to read.


Admittedly, some of these are really good. The individual titles' crossovers with the Zero Hour Hypertime/timeline wackiness are probably the only things involved in the storyline worth re-reading. The "Issue #0" issues that came out after the crossover are a bit less so, though.

[Pookienick]

One of the other things Zero Hour did was to try a relaunch the 'mystical' side of the DCU - being the starting point for Primal Force, Fate and Manhunter series.

Primal Force was quite good but got cancelled and a cant remember much about Fate (a reincarnation of Doctor Fate with his helmet and amulet melted down as a knife) and Manhunter (good art I think). Have to dig out the issues I have a read through them again.

Hopefully DC will get the 'magic' back with Day of Vengeance - using characters that already exist instead of recreating them.

[Shellhead]

Zero Hour was a misguided effort by DC to revamp their product line so that it would feature younger characters who were dark and kewl. I cringed when I saw Alan Scott with the revamped costume and the poofy Mar-vell style hair. I shook my fist when Dr. Mid-nite, Hourman, and Atom were casually slaughtered. And after the dust settled, I quit DC in disgust when we got the new and kewl Fate, who was basically a jerk with tattoos and jewelry. I bought the rest of the Sandman series and then basically ignored DC until JSA #1.

[borateen]

If anything, Zero Hero gave birth to Jack Knight Starman.

The bestest thing ever to come out of it.

[Apathy Boy]

If anything, Zero Hero gave birth to Jack Knight Starman.Yeah, that alone is almost enough to make ZERO HOUR the best crossover ever.

[married guy]

Aw man, Fate blew chunks!

Grim & gritty 90's fad gone bad. Complete with stubble and bad attitude. UGH!

Manhunter was pretty average too. I didn't try Primal Force so I can't comment on that one.

Zero Hour did give us some great stories. The Flash tie-in was cool and helped kick off Terminal Velocity which rocked!

I also enjoyed the issue of Detective where Bruce discovered Joe Chill DIDN'T murder his parents as he was doped out of his mind the night it happened. (great Nolan art too)

The Robin and Superboy issues were fun too.

The thing that really rubbed me the wrong way was the way JSA were just tossed aside.