Saying Goodbye To The Old DC Universe

Although DC has said that past stories matter in the new DCU launching next week, they've been pretty vague about which stories matter enough to be carried into the new continuity. So I'm taking a moment to look back and give a nod to the stories I most enjoyed in DC continuity since the last extensive continuity game-changer, "Crisis On Infinite Earths", in 1985.

In no particular order:


Crisis On Infinite Earths

This was the first major story I collected in back issues when I started my hobby. It was the foundation for the (then) all-new DC Universe continuity and introduced me to a world of characters (nearly every one in DC continuity made an appearance!) that had already been around for years. It was also beyond epic in scope and to this day the stakes have never been as high as they were in this massive, cosmic story.

Cosmic Odyssey

This "event" story featured the DCU heavy hitters and gave me a proper introduction to Darkseid and the horrors of Apokolips, with gritty art by Mike Mignola that I was amazed grew on me so much!

The Spectre

Written by John Ostrander with dark, "smoky" art by Tom Mandrake, this series explored the supernatural world and concepts of justice, vengeance and punishment from a viewpoint that largely paralleled Biblical thinking, and with a storyline that was dark and delightfully disturbing.

JLA (Grant Morrison)

Although I've taken issue with his recent work, Grant Morrison's run on JLA continues to be my all-time favorite. Seeing the "big seven" heroes of the DCU play off each other was amazing and every storyline featured epic opposition worthy of their combined might. And Batman has never been cooler as Morrison used clever writing and Bruce Wayne's mind to easily make him one of the most "powerful" members of the team!

Emerald Dawn

Although I'd known Green Lantern from The Superfriends and already thought he was cool, this revamp of his origin story made me a GL fan for life.

Identity Crisis

DC is less known for gritty, emotional stories than Marvel is, but this story introduced a new level of seriousness and moral complexity to the DCU through an emotionally involving story, while also making classic villains suddenly much more dangerous.

Superman/Batman

The first 12 issues of this series gave comic fans a much needed reminder of the relationship dynamic between DC's two most iconic characters. The creative overlap of independent inner monologues contrasted Superman and Batman, while giving me a reason to sympathize with both of them. These were stories that clearly defined who these characters are at their core.

Emerald Twilight

Although it meant the corruption of a much loved Green Lantern, this intense story led to more fantastic, morally complex stories and resulted in the introduction of a new Green Lantern that many, including myself, quickly grew to love.

Green Lantern Rebirth

Far more exciting for me than the return of Hal Jordan was the return of the Green Lantern Corps. This series, in addition to masterfully reworking continuity, reminded us what it means to be a Green Lantern and why the concept is so...freakin'...cool!

The Flash (Mark Waid)

Wally West finally came into his own under the guidance of writer Mark Waid, who injected life into this series as he explored the ramifications of superspeed far beyond simply "running really fast". The Speed Force is possibly the greatest gift to The Flash concept since the character was originally created, and Waid's respect for legacy was a foretaste of what future writers would aim to deliver.

The Flash (Geoff Johns)

Although I wasn't sold right away, Geoff Johns won me over as soon as he began focusing on the villains of the Flash rogue's gallery, revamping them into interesting characters who were also more challenging to the Flash than ever before. In the pages of this book, Johns demonstrated his knack for making old things new again while respecting the past.

JSA (Geoff Johns)

Nowhere else has Geoff Johns displayed his love for the history of the DCU more than in his run on JSA. Characters who had fallen on the back burner for years became exciting "new" characters in the DCU. This series made longtime fans of the DCU (like myself) glad they chose to invest in the rich history of DC Comics.

H.E.R.O.

This series last 22 issues and brought the strange, corny "Dial H For Hero" concept into the serious world of the modern DCU. Much of the series focused on a wide variety of new characters as the device that grants super powers fell from one set of hands to the next. What would people REALLY do if they suddenly had super powers? This treasure of a series attempts to answer just that question with both funny and frightening results!

Batman: Year One

Although Frank Miller can be hit or miss in his writing, he was at the top of his game in this revamp of Batman's origins, which served as key source material for the recent Chris Nolan Batman movies. Gotham has rarely been grimier and Batman rarely cooler than in this fantastic look at who Batman is and why Gotham needs him so much.

The Killing Joke

If you've ever wondered why the Joker is such a frightening nemesis for Batman, you haven't read this story by Alan Moore. Both disturbing and fascinating, this story continues to have impact on Joker stories today. I'm happy to say that DC has at LEAST confirmed that this story will still be part of the new history launching next week.


Thanks for some amazing characters and stories, DC! I can't wait to see what comes next!