What's the difference between the "All-Star" and "Confidential" treatments?

[shaxper]

I thought the point of the "All-Star" titles was to tell non-continuity stories of DC's most legendary characters that went back to the roots of what these characters were about. The "Confidential" titles seem to be doing the same thing with the only difference being that they both go back to the early years (sort of the Year 2 treatment), whereas All-Star Superman takes place in a non-continuity modern day.

So is there a clear cut difference between the "All-Stars" and the "Confidentials"? Is it possible that DC is just thinking of abandoning the "All-Stars" and starting over with the "Confidentials"?

[Ripper]

I thought that Confidential was actually going to be canon.

[Young Avenger]

Confidential books are canon and will have a different creative team on every arc. Just like JLA and JSA: Classified

[shaxper]

Confidential books are canon and will have a different creative team on every arc. Just like JLA and JSA: Classified

So these are ongoing retcon titles? That seems a bit risky and confusing, consistantly revising a character's history month after month. There are bound to be massive continuity glitches over time.

[Joe Acro]

So these are ongoing retcon titles? That seems a bit risky and confusing, consistantly revising a character's history month after month. There are bound to be massive continuity glitches over time.

Considering we don't know for sure what happened in the past of the post-IC Earth, we can't really call out continuity glitches. One could simply say that any contradictions are a result of the older story not having happened in New Earth's history.

[shaxper]

Considering we don't know for sure what happened in the past of the post-IC Earth, we can't really call out continuity glitches. One could simply say that any contradictions are a result of the older story not having happened in New Earth's history.

What I meant was that the current titles are moving forward without any knowledge of what info will be filled in as part of Superman's past. If the Confidential series ends up running for a very long time, there are inevitably going to be conflicts of some sort. How can Geoff Johns possibly anticipate what the writer of Superman Confidential #83 will have Superman experience in the past? On the flip side, will the writer for Superman Confidential #83 really be expected to sift through every post-Infinite Crisis Superman story to make sure there's no contradiction with what he's doing?

[Black Atom]

I thought "Confidential" would be more or less like "Legends of..." or "Untold Tales", which weren't necessarily contradictory to any established continuity.

[shaxper]

I thought "Confidential" would be more or less like "Legends of..." or "Untold Tales", which weren't necessarily contradictory to any established continuity.

That had been my initial impression too. I'd prefer it that way, at least.

[glennsim]

What I meant was that the current titles are moving forward without any knowledge of what info will be filled in as part of Superman's past. If the Confidential series ends up running for a very long time, there are inevitably going to be conflicts of some sort. How can Geoff Johns possibly anticipate what the writer of Superman Confidential #83 will have Superman experience in the past? On the flip side, will the writer for Superman Confidential #83 really be expected to sift through every post-Infinite Crisis Superman story to make sure there's no contradiction with what he's doing?

I don't think Geoff Johns will say anything in his stories about how Superman first encountered Kryptonite, he'll just assume that Superman encountered Kryptonite at some point in the past. So that gives the SC writer the freedom to do whatever he wants.

That said, there's probably a statute of limitations. If a writer 10 years from now wants to say something that contradicts the SC story, they probably won't stop him, because by then they figure no one will remember the earlier story.

[Ripper]

I think the idea is that they can do a story where Batman is 24 again but they arent going to mess about with continuity too much. Its just like filling in gaps and stuff.

[Shellhead]

I've read some of the JLA Confidential issues and most of the JSA Confidential issues. They seem to fall into three categories with respect to placement within continuity:

1. Taking place now, like the Vandal Savage issues that were clearly labelled OYL and depicted Alan Scott as a member of Checkmate.

2. Taking place at a specific time in the past, like the recent JLA Confidential issues written by Steve Englehart and featuring the Detroit-era JLA.

3. Taking place at an unspecified time because it doesn't matter much, like the Wildcat/Jay Garrick team-up in JSA Classified.

So what's the problem? Some Classified issues take place at a certain time and say so, although they may not pin it down to taking place between exact issues of the main series. Other Classified issues are so generic (like Wildcat/Garrick) that they could have taken place anytime during the history of those characters, even before the first Crisis.

[IamtheRock3]

did like multiple pages get cut off or something

[Matt Algren]

did like multiple pages get cut off or something

Yes, but for the life of me I can't figure out why.

[Joe Rice]

Yes, but for the life of me I can't figure out why.

Maybe it's being split off into a new thread. I hope so, i thought some of it was pretty interesting. And there was that one post I wanted to make out with.

[Matt Algren]

Maybe it's being split off into a new thread. I hope so, i thought some of it was pretty interesting. And there was that one post I wanted to make out with.

Yeah, get in line. I don't do sloppy seconds. Sorry, it's kind of a rule.