DC New 52 2013: Past Is Prologue?

[Babos]

Since we're ending DC's first full calendar year of New 52 and starting the second one, I got to thinking about continuity, timelines and all the editorial/creative assurances that "important" stories still happened as we thought it.

We're on a brand spanking new Earth where we are only 5 to 6 years into meta-human history sothere is not nor should not be a lot of continuity to even be getting tied in knots about. Whether Death of Superman, Emerald Twilight, Crisis, whatever.

You know what, it has become very clear that Batman and Green Lantern changed just like everyone else did too. More on that here.

My message to DC brass is let the panels in the comics speak for you. Put out quality books that stick to your on-panel New 52 continuity and we’ll all be good. Don't have off-panel side discussions assuring us of things at comic cons or online.

So, what do you expect from DC Comics in 2013? What lessons can be learned from 2012?

Happy New Year everyone!

[Raptor13]

In all honesty I wouldn't mind having about a year worth of 'going back in time' issues that straight up tell you what happened in the past since those characters started. The zero issues (at least the ones I got) didn't do that, they just said how they got to the point five years ago or whatever. Issues of Dick Grayson as Robin, Roy Harper with Green Arrow, etc just to actually iron out continuity. I know it probably won't happen, because non confirmation can keep more fans hoping their favorite stories happened etc, its just something I would enjoy

[Babos]

In all honesty I wouldn't mind having about a year worth of 'going back in time' issues that straight up tell you what happened in the past since those characters started. The zero issues (at least the ones I got) didn't do that, they just said how they got to the point five years ago or whatever. Issues of Dick Grayson as Robin, Roy Harper with Green Arrow, etc just to actually iron out continuity. I know it probably won't happen, because non confirmation can keep more fans hoping their favorite stories happened etc, its just something I would enjoy

I'm still hoping we'll get a "History of the DC Universe" type mini-series and even the previously announced "Who's Who" at some point in 2013 or after Multiversity.

Other than that, I'm fine with things organically showing up in each of the respective books at the pace determined by the writer. If it is important to know that Death of Superman storyline happened, then teh writer should add a flashback or whatever into their regular book. Nothing forced, but organic. I'm now going into 2013 assuming if I haven't seen it mentioned in a New 52 comic, then I don't know if that old story happened or not.

I respect the writers, editiors and DC brass that have been trying to assurance that certain stories happened, but I'll wait to see that confirmed in the books. Its safer for everyone that way.

[godisawesome]

I'm with you, because great back-stories simply can't be topped unless it's an organic change made by the main writer on their own. The zero issues kind of fell apart whenever the writer either failed to make a satisfactory replacement backstory or simply didn't care that much about leaving their main story.

[MajorHoy]

Unfortunately, it doesn't look like DC really planned anything out in advance, and can't even keep track of what they're doing in the New 52 without having someone change their supposed minds half way through, causing revisions when the stories are later collected.

[Babos]

I'm with you, because great back-stories simply can't be topped unless it's an organic change made by the main writer on their own. The zero issues kind of fell apart whenever the writer either failed to make a satisfactory replacement backstory or simply didn't care that much about leaving their main story.

And the 0 issues were a great spot to slip in a few references to some of those olde "important stories" that happened, So, since they didn't, let's let it unfold organically.

[Babos]

Unfortunately, it doesn't look like DC really planned anything out in advance, and can't even keep track of what they're doing in the New 52 without having someone change their supposed minds half way through, causing revisions when the stories are later collected.

I think they did plan some things out, but as the main stories evolved organically, that changed their plans. That said, I imagine things are more solid. I expected some hiccups in year one. Most of the issues in year one were throw-away lines in dialogue about Teen Titans and Batman's Robins. :) Last month's New Guardians showed a direct retcon for Kyle and and an indirect one for Hal too.

[Prisoner 6655321]

I kinda sorta theorize that the “past” of the new-52 era isn't exactly “real” and that while some of the inconsistencies may be bad planning that good planning may outweigh it.

http://forums.comicbookresources.com...ont-reality%29

Anyway, it's still not a super tight theory but essentially... I think that there are some major cracks built into the foundation of the post-flashpoint reality. Pandora put the worlds / time lines / dimensions / what have you together to help deal with a threat that had already existed on some plane before the changes to reality were made and so was Batman, Jenny Quantum, and Tim Hunter. The new reality was made from already existing worlds / time lines / dimensions / what have you as a weapon or defense against that pre-exsisting threat. So, in a way … Batman, for example.... hasn't only been fighting crime for five or ten years or what have you... he's been doing so for at least as long as he had before the reality shift at the end of flashpoint (or the beginning of Flashpoint... depending on how you wanna look at it since Thomas was the FP Batman)... the change in reality happened, but in order for it to have happened in the way it was presented it needs to have been rooted in the pre-Flashpoint realit(y/ies).

[DrSimonHurt]

What DC really believes is the same thing they always do. They create a jump-on for new readers and the timeline slowly integrates back into the old one. Happened in the silver age, 1985, Zero Hour, etc.

There will be a point down the line where you stop seeing the New 52 and you just see the DC Universe. I'm personally tired of seeing "THE NEW 52!" printed on the comic covers. It's not new now. It makes the covers look like a cereal box.

[Babos]

I kinda sorta theorize that the “past” of the new-52 era isn't exactly “real” and that while some of the inconsistencies may be bad planning that good planning may outweigh it.

http://forums.comicbookresources.com...ont-reality%29.

I appreciate the effort you put into your theory, but I subscribe to Occam's razor on this. The most straightfoward explanation is that the New 52 verse timeline-wise started just 5 or so years ago. For it to be anything else would make it even more confusing for readers since this 5 year window was established in the New 52 comics themselves.

[Babos]

What DC really believes is the same thing they always do. They create a jump-on for new readers and the timeline slowly integrates back into the old one. Happened in the silver age, 1985, Zero Hour, etc.

DC has line-wide reboots of a significant nature every decade in some fashion every 10 years since the 1980s. COIE (80's), Zero Hour (90's), Infinite Crisis (00's), Flashpoint (10's). Before that there mini-reboots with characters like Superman every few years or so from his creation. He was Superboy after the fact, Krypton fleshed out, etc., etc. Reboots are in DC's DNA in a way that its not for Marvel. Cosmic DC.

So, the next reset should be coming some time in the 2020's.

[LegoLawyer]

I think DC should use its DC Universe Presents comic for just this purpose. Fill in these gaps. They can tell current day stories with a few flashbacks at least. I have heard that upcoming issues focus on Starfire and Speedy. I'd like them to go back in time on Speedy a bit.

However, the Kid Flash issue of DC Universe wasn't very good. It was just a little extra onto TT dinosaur story. Had they made it a little more revealing about Kid Flash's origins, I'm sure it'd sell better.

[Mahou Otaku]

Honestly, the only real problem I had (have) with The New DC is that it couldn't decide on what it wanted to be. Was it a retcon, a new universe, something similar with minor changes? If that question had been answered thoroughly, and if it had been decided from the outset whether they wanted to reboot entirely or keep what they had, things would have been a great deal smoother.

Instead, you end up with a Batman where everything that happened previously has happened...except it hasn't; Robin was Robin, but he wasn't, but then he was...and things of that nature.

The easiest way to have fixed this would have been proper prior planning at the outset; now, I'm afraid it's very late in the game at over a year later. And I also fear that anything attempted by DC to fix the problem would only be more damaging by creating more confusion, as retcons are known to do.