Let's Try Again: Tracking the 52 Worlds (and Beyond!)

[Myskin]

I've had some time to think about it, and - in addition to my previous post - I'll share some more thoughts:
spoilers:

1- I didn't have time to fully absorb the main story, but I am a bit worried now. I am not sure about having the Legion of Sivanas and Darkseid taking centre in the main story, where the main villain - so far - has been the Gentry. I'd rather not have another juxtaposition of two main baddies, à la Mandrakk-Darkseid. 2- Has anyone noticed that in several of the "riff" earths we don't have a real "riff", but rather a tweaking of classic DC heroes potentially reimagined by other publishers? Take a look at E-41: they are basically WW, Swamp Thing, Martian Manhunter, Green Arrow/Lantern, as if Image had published them. 3- I am beginning to get OK with most of the "unforeseen" worlds. I rather like Generations and I vaguely understand the reason behind having it included (having a Golden Age Supes without copyright problems, at least I think). Something like that behind E-21? I think so. I REALLY like the Justice Lords, which always seemed to me like an improved version of the CSA, more interesting than the original one. I can understand the disappointment for not having a Wildstorm Universe, but I can see the publisher's reasoning (why create a single Wildstorm earth, when we are still desperately trying to integrate it in the official Universe?). But maybe that's because the only two Wildstorm titles I was really interested in were Planetary and Authority, and they are better left untouched (and maybe they simply can't touch them). 4- I think that Darkseid's frequent invasions in Generations kinda justify E-38's position on the map (we have a direct influence of the New Gods on E-51 as well, but that didn't prevent the Disaster from happening... E-51 is an interesting place, not a place full of light). I don't think we should be too nitpicky about it, not all the earths on the chaos/pit quadrant are inherently evil, E-44 (the robot one) seems a rather funny place, and E-6 is just a different take on DC heroes (of course, there is some meta-commentary on Stan Lee vs Kirby, and the "just Imagine..." minis were rather crappy, but they were not nazi earth. 5- Why not an America's Best Comics earth? That's bizarre. 6- The DKR problem. OK, without a doubt it depends on a last minute decision on DC's part. I can't understand the whys - yet - but maybe it has to do with the fact that putting it on the same level with "common" elseworlds could be interpreted as a regression (the same could be said about New Frontier to say the truth, but maybe Cooke's contract is different). But the main the problem is not the exclusion of DKR, but rather the inclusion of a Pirate Earth in its place. This doesn't seem an original, and unexplored creation like the Waterworld from the JLA, but rather a reference to an old Batman story nobody remembers anymore. Definitely the weak point of the whole map IMHO (even if its weakness depends on the comparison to DKR). If it had depended on me, I would have put JLA: Destiny (Arcudi and Mandrake) on this earth. Its grim mood would have justified the position on the map, too. 7- Is Lady Quark's earth a reference to some pre-existing comic book? I am not talking about Top Ten, but rather something more circumstantial. 8- Devilfist on E-8 is a complete mystery to me. 9- No Alan Davis earth, which doesn't surprise me at all, since - after the ending of the first mini - that universe basically evolved in a Silver Age universe with few differences from the original one. 10- E-41 is one of Morrison's personal fetish, and it's rather funny, but let's admit it, it's not that useful... 11- E-15. Ok, that's bizarre, I see no reason in reviving Countdown, if not for having the "cosmic grail" (the Green Lantern?) come to the rescue of E-17 during Multiversity 2, à la DC One Million. 12- No Milestone universe, which doesn't surprise me, since Milestone guys are apparently on their own right now. 13- How many of this Supermen survived in the final version of the Multiverse? http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb2...iverse_001.png 14- Was Klaus janson ever openly mentioned as one of the artists on the guidebook?

end of spoilers

[Bruce Wayne]

spoilers:

Earth-48 seems to be a weathervane or pidgeon in the coal mine. The Forerunners were in Countdown to Final Crisis. Lady Quark/Lord Volt/Princess Fern were in CoiE and of course the OMAC/Brother Eye looking thing seems to suggest Infinite Crisis.

end of spoilers

[Myskin]

Ahahah, about the New Gods...
spoilers:

Has anybody caught the implication of having Big Barda as the WW of Justice League Beyond IN the regular DCU, where Barda is alive and kicking in World's End? New Genesis gods has several emanations, too...

end of spoilers

[Thor-Ul]

No, I got what you meant. You're asking if Byrne's take on 2011 onward would resemble Nu52. Three answers: one, Byrne already gave us a few glimpses of the early 21st century, which I think would remain unchanged. That's what I meant. Two, Byrne's timeline is still influenced by everything starting in 1938, so future heroes reflected that. For example, he still had Kyle Rayner in the 1990s, but his costume reflected Alan Scott instead of Hal Jordan. He had a "Nightwing," but his costume was distinct with only a superficial resemblance to Dick Grayson's. So I think the heroes of 2015 would reflect different styles than Nu52.

Three, I'd hazard a guess that Byrne hates Nu52, so to do a Nu52 version of Byrne would be pretty weird.

You meant like the Generations Kyle Rayner's suit? Seems like Byrne hates any reboot he doesn't make.
It's true about the 2019 glimpse. However, to keep his style, the generations world had to manifest somekind of reference to the 2015 feeling in some fashion.

[Jody Garland]

I just noticed!
spoilers:

In the panel with all the Flashes, the Flash of the Western world is shown- the Trigger Twins! They're probably a play on the Tornado Twins.

end of spoilers

[resipsaloquitur]

Heh. They drew Earth-38 in a Byrne style. Wonder how he'll take to that. Years ago, Marvel did a What If...? Issue in Byrne style and dedicated it to him. My recollection is that he was either ambivalent or angry about it. Probably the former.

[Myskin]

Now that I think about it: is it just me, or is this the very first time since the beginning of New52 that we had an official recollection of the whole DCU history (including the classic looks) in its entirety? In a real, officially publsihed DC comic book, I mean.

[Clairaudient Freedom Soldier]

I like the idea, I might have to do one myself or even a list of villains for a "Legions of the Multiverse" antagonistic counter-part.

One teeny query I have with your list is how come you decided to choose several people from several worlds, instead of one representative each from a different world?

Just curious!

Thanks for your question, Sharkey! Some of the alternate earths, as they were briefly portrayed in the guidebook, were less exciting than I had hoped, and the characters I liked tended to be clustered within a few worlds.

[Clairaudient Freedom Soldier]

In response to CFS's hypothetical "Justice League of the Multiverse", my idea of the roster for a "Legion of the Multiverse" villain team:

Alexander Luthor [Earth-3] - Joint leader, superpower leecher

Lord Havok [Earth-8] - Joint leader, hunts down heroes' weapons

Brunhilde [Earth-10] - Strategist, group enforcer

Count Sinestro and Parallax the Fear Thing [Earth-40] - More overt and dramatic fear-spreaders

(Vampire) Batman [Earth 43] - Stealth, preys on civilians to spread fear, wildcard

Superdoomsday [Earth-45] - All-round powerhouse and Supermen killer, wildcard

The main two dynamics of the team would be:

- Both Alexander Luthor and Lord Havok vie for complete control of the group, usually switches between them based on which of their individual agendas suit the rest of the team best. Naturally, Brunhilde being on the team would stop any one person from taking complete control.

- Vampire Batman and Superdoomsday are both nearly uncontrollable, Batman because he is obbsessed with killing innocnets over the mission and likewise for Superdoomsday and his in-built hatred of other multiversal Supermen.

As an additional note, I chose not to include any villains that would be leaders of their own Earth's villain team (Overman, Vandal Savage etc.) nor Dr. Silvana or any of his doppelgangers because they already belong to the Legion of Silvanas.

If anyone has any thoughts or anything on it, feel free to add or amend it.

I like your choices. DC should expand on Lord Havok as a cross-dimensional threat.

[Myskin]

Ahahah, now that I think about it...
spoilers:

the killing of Chibi Martian Manhunter at the beginning of the story is a parody of the killing of regular Martian Manhunter in Final Crisis... also written by Morrison.

end of spoilers

[Sharkey]

Thanks for your question, Sharkey! Some of the alternate earths, as they were briefly portrayed in the guidebook, were less exciting than I had hoped, and the characters I liked tended to be clustered within a few worlds.

That's fair enough. Although I enjoyed seeing (nearly) all the worlds being revealed, there were quite a few I'm not too keen on - either because whatever they are riffing off escapes me completely.

I found a few of them as well to be wasted opportunities. What I mean is each of those particular earths may have a decent concept for their version of the Justice League, but I don't see how that same concept could be expanded across the entirety of that particular Earth.

Glad you like my villain list!

[Sharkey]

I like your choices. DC should expand on Lord Havok as a cross-dimensional threat.

I like that idea, Lord Havok could aim to go around to steal all the Multiverses' most powerful creations and weapons - kind of would explain Superdoomsday's place on the roster (not including my fondness for the character since his inception in Action Comics!)

[Bill Lange]

It's been awhile since I have posted anything on CBR. Mostly due to time, and waiting for The Multiversity Guidebook to come out.

Having said that, now some thoughts:

1) I LOVE The Multiversity so far. Every issue has been a gem. I honestly can't think of another super-hero comic I've felt this way about in 20 years (Well, Astro City is an exception.).

2) I have no problems with any of the Earths in the Local Multiverse. Maybe September DC can do 52 #1's from each of them?

3) The New Gods being everywhere in different forms is a nice device. Kind of how the Greek and Roman Gods are perceived.

4) How many people are out looking for Batman: Lil' Gotham #12 now?

5) The Legion of Sivanas kick ass!

6) Best Kamandi story since Jack was writing him!

7) I like how Morrison has now given a purpose to the destruction of Earth-15. From the slaughterhouse that was Countdown To Final Crisis, at least some good may come from it.

8) More Marvel Family, Please.

9) Love to see more stories in Earth-12's past.

10) Did I misinterpret that scene, or is Hypertime back in play? It would explain how Convergence comes about, and go beyond the Local Multiverse.

Well, 3 issues left. Let hope for a gran finish.

[Sirzechs]

Should a ongoing be Launch ( which there's a high chance it will) about the House of heroes and the Multiversal League, should the book still be called Multiversity?

[resipsaloquitur]

Should a ongoing be Launch ( which there's a high chance it will) about the House of heroes and the Multiversal League, should the book still be called Multiversity?

I've said elsewhere that I'd like the next September event to be Multiversity month, where every title flips to an alternate Earth counterpart....