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

[Nat]

That's a world where Superman took over--which seems like it would go badly, but didn't--24 might be an Earth where Superman brought freedom to the masses, but it resulted in anarchic destruction.

Chaotic Evil Superman is a good idea, so many of the evil Supermen are just facist.

[Jody Garland]

You've got a point. I'm going to look at the different combinations starting with the Y Axis. I'll also be making some educated guesses with these, so take it with a grain of salt.

Earth-0 and Earth-33 are opposite one another by virtue of being by themselves. They make sense together- the DCU and the real world. It's a simple pairing.
An unknown Earth and Earth-29 (Bizarro World) are paired. I'm going to be honest, I can't imagine what an opposite of Bizarro world would be, especially one that straddles order and chaos.
Earth-45tm (Superdoom) and Earth-2 are opposite one another. It's interesting, but I can't think of a definitive reason why they'd be paired. Maybe because on one Earth, there were no heroes until Superman was made, and on the other the Superheroes that are responsible for the entire genre live, albeit rebooted?
Earth-9 (Tangent) and Earth-34 are opposite one another. No idea for this one, though I wonder if it doesn't have to do with radiation, given that Tangent's world was nuked and Earth-34 is green. Maybe this is the new home of the Atomic Knights, a more disastrous yet brighter take on nukes?
Earth-48 and Earth-1. Zero idea.
Earth-4 (Charelton) and Earth-5 (Fawcett). This one is interesting on a variety of levels. Morrison is doing a recursive allusion with the Charleton world by making it into a Watchmen pastiche. In it, the Peacemaker assassinates the President. The kind of world where a superhero assassinates a politician is very much the opposite of the much brighter world where the Marvel Family live, and which Morrison has described his take on as being Pixar-esque. In addition, the two companies are arguably DC's largest acquisition in terms of companies they've absorbed.
Earth-50 and Earth-36. No ideas on these two, considering the former might not be Wildstorm anymore and the only known thing about the latter is it hosts the Red Runner.
Earth-35 (unknown) and Earth-20 (Pulp). This one is also an unknown, considering the former is at the moment mysterious.
Earth-41 and Earth-17. another unknown.The latter was the Atomic Knight world before Flashpoint.
Earth-31 (Miller) and Earth-20 (Red Son). Already mentioned this one. One probably unintenial part about it is the former is by Miller, the latter Millar.
Earth-39 (Wally Wood?) and Earth-8 (Angor). Some potential here- a world of analogue superheroes vs. a world likely predominantly sci-fi, horror and/or true crime.
Earth-7 and Earth-22 (Kingdom Come). Earth-7 is pretty unknown, so no idea.
Earth-51 (Kirby) and Earth-6 (Stan Lee). This one goes without saying. In addition, both seem to have force fields around them. A result of the New Gods tampering with them?
Earth-37 and Earth-32. Both unknown. The former was the world of Howard Chaykin's Batman Thrillkiller. Maybe this is the Chaykin world Morrison mentioned? Anybody notice 'letter-tones dots' on the Earth?
Earth-26 (Captain Carrot) and Earth-44 (Dino Cop). Makes sense- mammals as funny animals on one, dinosaurs on the other.
Earth-15 and Earth-23 (Celebrity Superheroes). Not sure. The former was a destroyed world in Countdown, and it still looks destroyed here.
Earth-40 (Anti-pulp) and Earth-47 (Dreamworld?). this is an interesting world. Visibly, Earth-40 is dark and monochromatic, Earth-47 is tie-dyed. The former is presumably based on pulp, which originates in the 30s, the latter in 60s. There's probably other ways I'm not even thinking of.
Earth-3 and Earth-16 (Supersons). Both different kinds of analogues? One utopia, the other distopia?
Earth-11 (Genderswapped) and Earth-43 (Nightmare). I have no idea on this one. It's pretty weird.
Earth-12 (DCAU) and Earth-38. Unknown. Earth-38 looks a bitter darker tinged than the animated-looking Earth-12, though.
Earth-18 (Justice Riders) and Earth-19 (Gaslight). Period pieces on opposite sides of the Atlantic. Gritty cityscapes contrast with the dusty American Southwest. Both use steampunk (Earth-18 in Multiversity). Lots of stuff here.
Earth-10 (Nazis) and Earth-42. No idea. Am I the only one who thinks Earth-42 looks almost claymation?
Earth-13 (Magic?) and Earth-21 (New Frontier?). Both guesses on Pre-Flashpoint terms, I've got little to guess about this one.

Hope that's not to much wild mass guessing and meaningless analysis for the thread.

Back in September I did a world by world look. A bit outdated now, though.

For instance, Earth-26 / Earth-41 now makes more sense because it's funny animals on one side, 90s Image on the other. Felt since the discussion has turned back to the opposite theory, I'd bump my own post. Hope that's not too egotistical.

Also, Earth-10 seems to me to be a more sadly broken world than a worst-case scenario. Morrison makes it sound like a solemn graveyard world where the heroes aren't bad, but the world itself *is.* Compare to the corporate world, where the only 'hero' is flat out evil.

[Thor-Ul]

Not outdated, got interesting bits. But when we are talking of the opposites we are using the house of heroes/rock of eternity as axis. That's the way you can make earth 20 and 40 opposites (pulps worlds), as 0 and 33 (full of heroes vs no heroes or real vs fiction) and 10 & 5 (Nazi world opposite to Captain Marvel, who got an story of nazi fighting by the way).

Also:
51 vs 6: Jack Kirby vs Stan Lee, 'nuff said, true believer.
16 vs 45: Legacy vs corporate branding? Both imperfect utopias in their own way.
2 vs 3: the first duplicates of earth 0. One with heroes the other with villians.
7 vs 22: Ultimate marvel vs Future DCU? Could be, but we still need to confirm the survival of KC to Flashpoint.
23 vs 41: Diversity earths in opposition. Two different kind of diversities.
42 vs 4: Chibi vs Charlton Characters. This is a tricky one. Both caricatures/twists/extremes of the superhero concept? Harsh realism vs wacky innocence?
19 vs 34: Gaslight vs Amazonia(?) Opposite victorian words could work.
17 vs 15 Post apocaliptic word against a destroyed utopia? Dunno, still unknow about e-15.
29 vs 14: Duplicating earths opposites? One an imperfected copy, the other, crerator of copies?
47 vs 35: Love Syndicate (make love, not war) vs Super-americans(make war, not love)? I'm using Animal man 24 as reference here. If you undertand the subtext.
26 vs 39: Cartoon vs Wally Wood(?). Could be Cartoon characters opposite to sci-fi/horror world of comics. An EC like world?
12 vs 50: DCUA beyond vs Wildstorm? Dunno, but both earths icons seems pretty much similar but 50 is more dark than 12. Maybe these earths are more similar than we though, in a earth 20/earth 40 way.

As we can see, even if they are opposites worlds, they seem to share somekind of similar concept. But others, vexed me.
8 & 44, Marvel vs Mecha world. How that works?
18 vs 9 Steampunk cowboys vs coldwar heroes?

[resipsaloquitur]

The key question is whether all of the axial opposites are also mirrored opposites in the way 20 and 40 are. I suspect it isn't going to be that clean of a reflection and we'll be straining to come up with a way for certain worlds to be opposite of each other.

Really, the way Johns wrote it, Earth 3 is Earth 0's opposite in the same way 20 is to 40, but they're not in axial opposition.

[Clairaudient Freedom Soldier]

The key question is whether all of the axial opposites are also mirrored opposites in the way 20 and 40 are. I suspect it isn't going to be that clean of a reflection and we'll be straining to come up with a way for certain worlds to be opposite of each other.

Really, the way Johns wrote it, Earth 3 is Earth 0's opposite in the same way 20 is to 40, but they're not in axial opposition.

Johns is always switching from nonconformity with another writer's parameters to an uncritical incorporation of another writer's idea--more specifically, little pieces of another writer's idea--into his jumbled work. If Morrison is the primary architect of the multiverse, Johns should conform to his basic rules. This lack of coordination and cohesion is the reason Johns' earth-0 is a wreck.

[resipsaloquitur]

Johns is always switching from nonconformity with another writer's parameters to an uncritical incorporation of another writer's idea--more specifically, little pieces of another writer's idea--into his jumbled work. If Morrison is the primary architect of the multiverse, Johns should conform to his basic rules. This lack of coordination and cohesion is the reason Johns' earth-0 is a wreck.

I'd see it as the opposite--Johns is the grand architect working for corporate DC, while Morrison does large-scale artsy projects ithin Johns' structure. In other words, Morrison is playing around in (and with) the universe that Johns has built. However, I'll honestly say that I don'T know the extent to which Johns and Morrison interact on these projects.

It's notable, though, that Johns' portrayal of Earth-3 as a dark mirror of the main DCU is largely in imitation of Morrison's Earth-2 OGN. A few concepts clearly copied over, like Lois as Super Woman and Thomas Wayne as Owlman.

[Clairaudient Freedom Soldier]

I'd see it as the opposite--Johns is the grand architect working for corporate DC, while Morrison does large-scale artsy projects within Johns' structure. In other words, Morrison is playing around in (and with) the universe that Johns has built. However, I'll honestly say that I don'T know the extent to which Johns and Morrison interact on these projects.

It's notable, though, that Johns' portrayal of Earth-3 as a dark mirror of the main DCU is largely in imitation of Morrison's Earth-2 OGN. A few concepts clearly copied over, like Lois as Super Woman and Thomas Wayne as Owlman.

I see what you're saying, but the New 52 was put together in such a haphazard manner that the unifying vision is virtually non-existent. The result is an aimless mishmash. Morrison was given the task of laying the groundwork for the multiverse, so even though Johns is responsible for the unifying vision, he has to be consistent with what Morrison was asked to do or inform him in advance of the guidelines for developing the multiverse. My criticism of Johns is that his structure appears to be a glaring lack of structure.

[Clairaudient Freedom Soldier]

Earth-43 cover. Anyone want to live there?

[Thor-Ul]

I see what you're saying, but the New 52 was put together in such a haphazard manner that the unifying vision is virtually non-existent. The result is an aimless mishmash. Morrison was given the task of laying the groundwork for the multiverse, so even though Johns is responsible for the unifying vision, he has to be consistent with what Morrison was asked to do or inform him in advance of the guidelines for developing the multiverse. My criticism of Johns is that his structure appears to be a glaring lack of structure.

For me that has been a ego clash: Morrison have a vision, Johns have another one and both clashed in certain points. And Johns right now have more power in DC structure than Morrison. They both likes a lot of concept of DC but meanwhile Morrison goes forward with weird concepts and new perspectives, Johns is more nostalgia driven, bringing back the old concepts close as he knew them long time ago.

I would like if we stick to the multiverse as Morrison conceptualizes, for the moment. Before Johns decide to destroy it again. That's the kind of use he has give to the other worlds until now.

[resipsaloquitur]

If I'd had to describe things, I'd say that Morrison is the architect and Johns is the interior designer.

I'm not clear on what extent they've clashed, though. The Multiverse has really slow-rolled prior to Multiversity, largely limited to Earths-0, 2, and 3 plus glimpses in Vibe.

[Thor-Ul]

Earth-43 cover. Anyone want to live there?

Is that Patrick Gleason? Only that cover hides an interesting story. And a vampire Justice League, what means? With Morrison behind, you can just expet the obvious answer.

[Thor-Ul]

If I'd had to describe things, I'd say that Morrison is the architect and Johns is the interior designer.

I'm not clear on what extent they've clashed, though. The Multiverse has really slow-rolled prior to Multiversity, largely limited to Earths-0, 2, and 3 plus glimpses in Vibe.

But even in the Vibe series you can see there is no coordination between Morrison and Johns. Johns established Gypsy as a character outside the multiverse but Morrison used another version of the character as native of earth-16. Until further notice we can't know if she is the same character or what.

[Clairaudient Freedom Soldier]

Is that Patrick Gleason? Only that cover hides an interesting story. And a vampire Justice League, what means? With Morrison behind, you can just expet the obvious answer.

This cover is by Jae Lee, Thor-Ul. Gleason is drawing the other cover.

[Thor-Ul]

This cover is by Jae Lee, Thor-Ul. Gleason is drawing the other cover.

Ok, corrected.
this is Gleason:

[Clairaudient Freedom Soldier]

Earth-17 looks like a positive place, another earth that's much better than Earth-0 ...