Wish DC would re-introduce Elseworlds

[caj]

I loved a lot of Elseworlds stories. The best part was that they were stand-alone stories that didn't affect the actual DC Universe but could still be brilliant stories.

[Vakanai]

They still kind of have them, just by different names. All Star Superman, Batman: The White Knight, Harleen, Batman and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Superman Smashes the Klan, etc. Elseworlds isn't a line anymore, but they're still doing Elseworld stories in a way...

[Vordan]

They kind of still are doing standalone stories like that, just without the brand. There’s still some Tales of the Dark Multiverse stuff in the works as well.

[Sutekh]

I loved a lot of Elseworlds stories. The best part was that they were stand-alone stories that didn't affect the actual DC Universe but could still be brilliant stories.

Elseworlds are fun in that the story can be kind of daring. Someone can die. Someone can retire. Someone can get married. And there's no worry that next month the new writer is going to take it all away. The Elseworlds story can have a beginning, and an end, while a serial story is kind of stuck retelling the beginning and midpoints of the story over and over and over again, but can never really have a 'third act,' since Batman's going to be back next month, sure as the sun will rise.

Some Elseworlds, like Superboy's Legion, I like more than many 'canon' versions of the characters!

They can also be a downer in that some writers don't much like the superhero genre and take it a bit too far, killing off large swathes of characters 'because it doesn't matter anyway,' or getting gratuitously dystopian, and, in the process, kind of making the mainline continuity seem less gripping or gritty or 'realistic' by comparison (substitute 'versimilitudinous' or 'plausible' if 'realistic' bugs you). The end product creates almost a 'take that' at the genre, by showcasing how badly it could go, or how certain tropes we willingly suspend disbelief for to enjoy the stories would fall apart upon closer examination, and that, IMO, just sucks the joy right out of the experience. Ultimates, Squadron Supreme, Kingdom Come, all seemed kind of bleak and unpleasant, in their own ways, because the writers had a certain freedom to do stuff that they'd never be allowed to do with the actual 'core' characters, no matter how financially or critically successful they were.

Marvel's What If could get especially annoying at times, with stories that seemed like explicit writer rebuttals of fan displeasure at previous storylines, portraying alternate realities where the unpopular thing didn't happen, and instead it was terribly worse and everyone died badly and take that you ingrateful fans who didn't appreciate my genius Clone saga!

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

I think they announced an Elseworlds where Jor-el and his wife came to Earth with Kal.

[DrNewGod]

Elseworlds was a brilliant idea. Not only did it allow us to set our heroes in alternative times, or nationalities, it allowed the kind of third acts that on-goings can't afford, or that have to be undone because they've messed up the status quo too badly.

[Vakanai]

I think they announced an Elseworlds where Jor-el and his wife came to Earth with Kal.

Announced? I'm pretty sure that book has existed for years now. Certainly sounds familiar...

[kingaliencracker]

Elseworlds and lines like it only make sense when your main universe is selling well. Otherwise they're generally just fan-service and/or creator-indulgent works that really don't do much to market the characters for a broader audience. For example, Red Son is an amazing story and as a hardcore Superman fan its one of my all-time favorites. But it's not a great example to give to those who are thinking about getting into the character or wanting to understand him better. So you wind up with this really weird situation where you don't feel comfortable recommending an amazing Superman story because despite how great it is, it's a counter Superman story that's written for fans who already know & understand the character. It's kind of the Injustice argument - Injustice may be a great story line but it's not great at depicting Superman at his best for non-fans.

Also, one of the few things I agreed with Dan Didio about with regards to Elseworlds is that often times it was "let's take Batman and put him in medieval times" or "let's take Superman and have him raised on Apokolips" but with absolutely no substance behind it. There are exceptions of course - Kingdom Come springs to mind. But there was a lot of dreck that came with the Elseworlds banner.

[kingaliencracker]

Announced? I'm pretty sure that book has existed for years now. Certainly sounds familiar...

Superman: The Last Family of Krypton. It was released in 2010, and I think may have been one of the last Elseworlds stories published.

[PCN24454]

Elseworlds was a brilliant idea. Not only did it allow us to set our heroes in alternative times, or nationalities, it allowed the kind of third acts that on-goings can't afford, or that have to be undone because they've messed up the status quo too badly.

I think that's kinda the problem. By their very nature, they were expendable universes. It's hard to invest in something when you realize that the actions in universe don't matter.

While the same could be said with the main universe, some Elseworlds could get really bad.

[Vakanai]

I think that's kinda the problem. By their very nature, they were expendable universes. It's hard to invest in something when you realize that the actions in universe don't matter.

While the same could be said with the main universe, some Elseworlds could get really bad.

It's only a problem if the Elseworlds story can't stand on its own merits. A bad shared universe story has the shared continuity to help. Elseworlds doesn't. But the good Elseworlds? They're amazing. Doesn't matter at all that they don't impact the main continuity, they don't need to. The story works on it own.

[kingaliencracker]

It's only a problem if the Elseworlds story can't stand on its own merits. A bad shared universe story has the shared continuity to help. Elseworlds doesn't. But the good Elseworlds? They're amazing. Doesn't matter at all that they don't impact the main continuity, they don't need to. The story works on it own.

I think if you balance the more well-received Elseworlds stories (Kingdom Come, Red Son) with all the other, more forgettable Elseworlds stories, you really question the need for the line in the first place. Certainly they had varying degrees of engagement but there's truly only a handful out of the dozens and dozens of stories that had the Elseworlds banner that were truly classic.