DC is planning on fixing their timeline!

[HandofPrometheus]

Dan Didio says they are working on a DC Universe timeline to fit everything on there to be a basis for all characters. So they can have a Who’s who? again and have less confusion on the universe.
source: https://www.reddit.com/live/13b2tdrfoqye7/

DC editorial is currently working on an official timeline of the DC Universe "so that we have a better understanding of how are characters interconnect and fall in their relationships with each other," said DiDio.
source:https://www.newsarama.com/46028-sdcc...dan-didio.html


"The failing of the New 52 was that we didn't take the time to figure this stuff out."- Dan Didio

No s@#$! People could've told you this the day the New 52 launched!

I still have no faith in this because the same people who effed it up are still the same people behind it. If they are truly making one timeline then DC needs to put their foot down and make a mandated Secret Origins book that writers and editors must follow and reference. Too many characters still don't have concrete origins and it's been 8 years since the reboot. If they are truly going to make a cohesive timeline they need to sort out character origins and team origins first. Yes, ALL OF THEM!

What are the Green Lanterns of Earth origins? Hal, Jessica and Simon may have theirs but the rest don't. They just have hints or speculated guesses. Did old events actually happen like Emerald Twilight which launched Kyle or Hal retiring which put John and Guy on board? Did Mosaic happen? We know Katma and John's romance existed (I think) but to what capacity?

Did the 80s Suicide Squad happen?

The New 52 JLI makes no sense since the JL was just formed and they apparently knew each other already

How can Cyborg be a founding member if NTT happened? Did NTT happen? So much hints drop that it did and If so, Donna in Finch's run makes no sense.

I don't even want to think about how the JSA fits in this. From Doomsday Clock it seems that New 52 is still its own reality/Earth I guess but...idk.

I may be overthinking this but I hate not knowing what my favorite characters origins are and where they fit in the DCU. DC has their work cut out for them and this is a mess they created. I'm curious how they're going to fix it.

[BohemiaDrinker]

There's no way to do it without at least a soft reboot.

[Korath]

Well, since in Superman and WOnder Woman case, nothing which happened in New 52 still exists in any way, shape or form, it's rather easy to deal with them. And beyond Snyder's JL, Batman also seems to have retained next to nothing of this era.

Aquaman's easy, but in the other direction : New 52's still the canon as far as I know and understand the storylines. I guess Flash and the GL are kind of confusing, but that's really it for the big guns.

[DrNewGod]

Waiting for the next dumpster fire....

[Starter Set]

Oh my, first of April again already? Time sure goes by. Look at that silly calendar, telling me it's july.

[Restingvoice]

lol that's a funny joke

I'll always give it a chance though. That's what I do every reboot. Pick up every issue I'm interested, and then whittle it down little by little the moment they screw it up

[KangMiRae]

There's no way to do it without at least a soft reboot.

Well said! I don't think there would be any shame in that either, now that they've acknowledged some of this.

[Ulysses]

Did the 80s Suicide Squad happen?

Questions like this... I appreciate that this is important to people but I don't get it. Can you pick up your issues of 80s SS and read them? Well, those stories happen while you're reading them, no?

I don't understand DC editorial or the fans having this desire to force linear chronological coherence on a fictional universe that has characters stay the same age for 80 years. This has to be a byproduct of our scientific materialist paradigm or the western world's fetishization of certainty or something dysfunctional somewhere.

Look at all of human history and its mythological endeavors, internal coherence was not a priority. These stories are simply supposed to resonate with us on a human level. Tell great stories and I'm confident no one's going to care if the timeline makes sense.

[Hol]

Bring back the pre Flashpoint continuity. It was as perfect as it was ever going to get. Certain things from the new 52 that worked you can squeeze in there. Like Jon Kent. That would be the best way to go IMO.

And finally...give Barry Allen back his original costume. Those stupid lines ruin one of the best costumes in comics.

[phonogram12]

Questions like this... I appreciate that this is important to people but I don't get it. Can you pick up your issues of 80s SS and read them? Well, those stories happen while you're reading them, no?

Yep.

Also, I came to the realization a long time ago that stories that were important to me weren't always stories that were important to TPTB (and vice versa), so half the fun soon became creating my own head canon.

Tell great stories and I'm confident no one's going to care if the timeline makes sense.

Which is why my favorite Superman stories tend to be the Elseworlds type.

[Tzigone]

Questions like this... I appreciate that this is important to people but I don't get it. Can you pick up your issues of 80s SS and read them? Well, those stories happen while you're reading them, no?

Because, they make future stories and relationships more significant. If X killed Y brother, and now they are in the same issue and forced to work together, I need to know if Y even had and brother and if continuity says X killed him, because it should directly impacts how they interact. Or more accurately, directly impacts whether or not the way they interact is reasonable or not. I don't like relationships and continuity and history to just be ignored "for the sake of the story" because then characters are less consistent, nothing that happens matters because it will be ignored next time it's convenient, and things can't build on each other in terms of character development, etc.

[godisawesome]

The real problem is more one of quality control: editorial and management, both Pre- and Post-New 52 tended to be almost hilariously inconsistent and self-destructive, and were more notable by how their absence of interference *and* occasional displays of competence at assisting writers instead of dictating to them tended to lead to better books and stronger lines. Continuity played a part in this, but only really as a tool: when used well, continuity creates momentum, gravitas, and weight in a character’s story, and when used badly, it doubles down on certain mistakes over and over again.

The Superman books were a mess before Flashpoint, and a mess after Flashpoint... save for the Action Comics run where, would you look at that, they just let Grant Morrison off his leash.

They really just need better editorial and a stable fo writers they trust enough to actually get their jobs done. That’s trickier than it sounds, but it’s also more effective than trying to restructure continuity every three or four years before handing things back to guys like Scott Lobdell and leaving prospective buyers to wonder if he’s writing something he wants to, or just carrying out Dan Didio’s marching orders.

[Jackalope89]

DiDio said that?

Knowing him, he'll try and retcon the original Titans to having never been in their original roles. After all "Dick makes Bruce looks old!"

[skyvolt2000]

Look at all of human history and its mythological endeavors, internal coherence was not a priority. These stories are simply supposed to resonate with us on a human level. Tell great stories and I'm confident no one's going to care if the timeline makes sense.

The issue is a lot of these characters are NOT getting those great stories.

Others have been held hostage by one or more types of stories and not allowed to evolve from them.

Barry has everything at the expense of Wally.

Same with the other Lanterns when compared to Hal. John Stewart is MORE than a blown up planet.

Cassandra Cain is a SHELL of herself because her history is gone.

Jason Rusch-Doomsday Clock pretty much made it clear he was NEVER Firestorm.

Was Tim Drake ever Robin?

You got too many empty shells out there because no knows if their past stories matter.

It makes it harder to sell a character or attract talent to write them. And you open them to whatever mess a writer or worst editor has for them.

See Aqualad. His first talk or encounter with Aquaman is from JAIL? Way to be New 52 Wally Westish.

[MajorHoy]

. . . Barry has everything at the expense of Wally . . .

I think Wally gained more at the "expense" of Barry.