The Other history of the D.C.

[Vordan]

Yeah a lot of her problems with Batman and Bullock seemed to come from a place of projection to me. She projected her own feelings about violence onto others because it took her descending into alcoholism to admit she had a problem. Really enjoyed the issue.

[Frontier]

Speaking of Batwoman, I liked the Kate Kane appearances. It was a bit jarring for me, as a viewer of the CW show, to see this early version of Kate who's a lot more feminine and a lot more of a socialite (albeit, not a happy one). I'm guessing her first meeting with Montoya was between getting drummed out of West Point and her deciding to become a vigilante?

Apparently Ridley changed a lot about Renee and Kate's relationship here (like how they first met and how faithful they were to each other), which I kind of wonder why. Like, their first meeting is pretty iconic and memorable, so why change that?

Long-haired party girl Kate has always been canon. After leaving West Point she basically took to alcohol and the night life to cope before she saw Batman and became inspired to become Batwoman.

(Comic Kate is also more feminine than TV Kate).

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

I thought it was a great read and the best issue yet. The bar is raised for #5 and if Ridley writes a solo with any of these characters I'd buy it.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

This was probably my favorite issue so far. Ridley finally made Gotham City make sense for me in a way that no other writer has managed in decades.

[sifighter]

With the final issue out I wanted to say something about this series, and hopefully I will say this in the right way.

I think that this is a beautiful series to read that actually attempts modern dc history with a sense of genuine maturity for the subject matter at hand in each issue, and not a story trying to be mature through the use of needless violence. I think that while it is an interesting look at dc history it is also one that adds new context to moments, it never shys away from the weird but acknowledging it all as history that actually happened. In fact one can go back and read the stories that Ridley was inspired by and see he made none of this up. It also never shys away from real world tragedy and unfairness towards minorities based on race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality. In some situations it can be quite rough to read, especially if like me you are not actually part of a minority group and didn’t have full knowledge of all the events that transpired throughout history. However I think it’s important that we hear about them and the powerful imagery that Ridley is trying to evoke by using real world events.

However I think what also makes this series good is the characters themselves, as they are written with their own personal histories, experiences, but also bias and hang ups. We see part of that in the first issue where Black Lightning acknowledges his ill found anger towards John Stewart, but at no time did it feel like Ridley himself hated John Stewart but instead it was completely in the character of Black Lightning. And then to switch it in issue 5 with Thunder we get the spotlight thrown back at Black Lightning with the problems he has in context of his daughter. As someone who is a fan of most of these characters as an outsiders, Titans, and Batman reader I feel like Ridley balanced them well. Although I’m pretty sure Bruce Wayne didn’t walk away from this unscathed, as there was plenty of genuine criticism against him based on tactics and stories that genuinely happened.

But yeah I think it’s good and people should read it as Ridley writes the fantastical of the dc universe but intertwines it with genuine human life.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

This series, as a whole, has been wonderful. I've liked some issues more than others, but I think this has to stand up there as one of the strongest books DC's done in a while, along with Superman Smashes The Klan and Mister Miracle.

[Shimbo]

With the final issue out I wanted to say something about this series, and hopefully I will say this in the right way.

I think that this is a beautiful series to read that actually attempts modern dc history with a sense of genuine maturity for the subject matter at hand in each issue, and not a story trying to be mature through the use of needless violence. I think that while it is an interesting look at dc history it is also one that adds new context to moments, it never shys away from the weird but acknowledging it all as history that actually happened. In fact one can go back and read the stories that Ridley was inspired by and see he made none of this up. It also never shys away from real world tragedy and unfairness towards minorities based on race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality. In some situations it can be quite rough to read, especially if like me you are not actually part of a minority group and didn’t have full knowledge of all the events that transpired throughout history. However I think it’s important that we hear about them and the powerful imagery that Ridley is trying to evoke by using real world events.

However I think what also makes this series good is the characters themselves, as they are written with their own personal histories, experiences, but also bias and hang ups. We see part of that in the first issue where Black Lightning acknowledges his ill found anger towards John Stewart, but at no time did it feel like Ridley himself hated John Stewart but instead it was completely in the character of Black Lightning. And then to switch it in issue 5 with Thunder we get the spotlight thrown back at Black Lightning with the problems he has in context of his daughter. As someone who is a fan of most of these characters as an outsiders, Titans, and Batman reader I feel like Ridley balanced them well. Although I’m pretty sure Bruce Wayne didn’t walk away from this unscathed, as there was plenty of genuine criticism against him based on tactics and stories that genuinely happened.

But yeah I think it’s good and people should read it as Ridley writes the fantastical of the dc universe but intertwines it with genuine human life.

Gotta agree with your post and cosign. Ridley really dug into the rich, and often weird, history of the DCU and gave each of the character's he highlighted their own voice, motivations, insecurities, hang ups, identities and used those to examine different parts of DCU that intersected with those characters. This type of raw writing is what we need more of. Great run and I hope maybe this spurs another shot at something like this with other characters. I loved all the stories, but Tatsu has a special place in my heart and Ridley did right by her.

[bat39]

And...that's a wrap!

This series has been an (in)constant companion for the better part of a year, and its a bit strange to see it come to an end.

I daresay this has been the most 'realistic' look at the DCU yet. Not 'realistic' in the way that, say, the Nolanverse Batman movies were. But emotionally and psychologically realistic about how all the insanity of living in a full-blown superhero world impacts people's lives, for better or worse. And I think Ridley has driven home the idea that superheroes are just people at the end of the day, with their own flaws, biases, blindspots and even prejudices, better than almost any creator I'm aware of across media - that too, without needing to 'reinvent' the characters.

Mild SPOILERS ahead for Issue 5

Anissa Pierce's story brings us full circle on the series and on Black Lightning's legacy. And I think its really interesting, and perhaps intentional, that for all that Jefferson cribs about the likes of Superman or John Stewart in his issue, here he's the main subject of derision, from his own daughter no less! There's been criticism that this series basically takes a dump on the A-listers in order for the protagonists to virtue-signal. Nothing could be further from the truth, and the fact that Ridley is willing to be not just critical, but scathing towards one of his protagonists, while writing from another's perspective, proves it. In Ridley's interpretation of DCU history, no one is without some serious warts.

Superman doesn't really get any focus this issue, nor does Wonder Woman (the latter disappointed me a bit, since I was hoping to see Anissa's take on the Max Lord killing). But Batman gets probably his harshest portrayal in this series yet - Anissa basically stops short of calling him a soulless calculating monster, one possibly driven insane by his parent's murders. Dick and Roy don't come off too well either, which kinda harked back to their portrayal in the Mal/Karen issue.

I know we possibly weren't meant to think too much about the specifics of the timeline, but since Ridley chose to use this real-time conceit he kinda draws attention to it. Dick and Roy sure look pretty spry for heroes who started their careers before 1970 (going by the Mal/Karen issue, which itself contradicts the timeline established in the Jefferson Pierce issue)! But they're presented as being not a whole lot older than Anissa here. Its weird, because they retain the idea of Black Lightning being active in the 80's, and having worked with Batman back then.

And then you have the first appearance of the Justice Society in this series which, again, seemingly contradicts the first issue, where Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman etc. were established as being the first superheroes in the 70's. But JSA history, and its integration into mainstream DC continuity, has always been messed up enough that I guess we need to let it slide...

I liked the final splash page with Thunder surrounded by all the diverse heroes of the Infinite Frontier era. Ridley's book has mostly been a history lesson of the last 50 years of DC history, but its great, in the end, to see it tied to DC's future. A future that looks to be even more inclusive than its past.

That said, I don't think this series needs to end here. The story of the Pierce family has come full circle (with Katana's being a thread that runs through this saga), but that apart each issue is pretty self-contained, so there doesn't need to be a definitive ending. Some of the stories I'd like to see explored moving forward are John Stewart, Kate Kane, John Henry Irons, and Jaime Reyes.

[Vordan]

Overall I enjoyed the series and wouldn’t mind seeing more with other heroes.

[king of hybrids]

Honestly, I thought Ridley was actually pulling punches with Superman, considering he can and has been portrayed as an unthinking supporter of the US Government in more… controversial administrations/eras (eg TDK) even in recent times

As for Batman, Anissa’s time on the Outsider’s did coincide with a period when Bruce was being portrayed as an utter bastard to everyone in the DCU who wasn’t Alfred, which really only ended after IC