DC is planning on fixing their timeline!

[John Ossie]

If anyone could figure out DC's messy continuity, it's Bobo .

Bobo is on the case as we speak!

[phonogram12]

I'm in favor of hard reboots.

Everybody is rebooted...but not to year one (more on this later).

I would have a multi-universe with filled with JLA earths and JSA earths (that's what we want to read about).

Some variation of those previous stories exist on some world...but I don't want to have to see it if I don't want to. (What's in Black Label stays in Black Label.)

I hate to say it, but this is probably never going to happen. As long as readers become writers and editors, they will always have a bias and bring something in from a favorite story from their childhood (*cough* *cough* Geoff Johns *cough* *cough*). This is just the nature of the industry.

lmao that's absolutely not possible but ok. It'll be fun to watch them try.

The only correct answer.

[Rac7d*]

Pre-Crisis he was a natural blonde that dyed his hair black
Post Crisis he had natural dark hair
In 2009 he dyed his hair red with a white streak for unknown reasons
In 2012 his hair was made naturally black again

was the white streak no a side effect of the Lazarus pitt

[phonogram12]

My theory...

I'm expecting 'Zero Hour Done Right' soon now.

DC will keep fixing the timeline and then it unravels.
And each time they do, the number of titles in the DCUniverse drops down a bit.

So, in about 50 years when DC is down to just Batman and Detective they'll finally have no problem keeping continuity straight.

Ha! And yet it will somehow still be a world where a 35-year-old Batman plays father figure to a 26-year-old Dick Grayson because they refuse to age him past 40 unless it's an Elseworld.

I always felt that timeline was too compressed. A mere four years for Dick Grayson as Robin and five years for Wally West as Kid Flash just didn't cut it for me. In my opinion, both Dick and Wally served their sidekick roles for at least six years before moving on to their adult identities.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

I had the same issues. This was probably the first sign for me that readers were never going to receive any sort of clear cut timeline that ever made a lick of sense.

[kingaliencracker]

Ha! And yet it will somehow still be a world where a 35-year-old Batman plays father figure to a 26-year-old Dick Grayson because they refuse to age him past 40 unless it's an Elseworld.

Well, if I had my way Bruce would be 35-years-old but Dick Grayson would be 12-15-years-old and still Robin. I know that will anger the Nightwing/Teen Titans fans but it just makes the most sense to me, for a variety of reasons.

[phonogram12]

Well, if I had my way Bruce would be 35-years-old but Dick Grayson would be 12-15-years-old and still Robin. I know that will anger the Nightwing/Teen Titans fans but it just makes the most sense to me, for a variety of reasons.

While I'm still against any sort of timeline, this is where a multiverse would come in handy. I mean, you could basically have an entire world for your favorite version of any character. A world where Dick is still in the short pants! BAM! Earth-32! A world where an aged Batman takes on a red haired teenage girl as Robin? BAM! Earth-28! An earth where Bruce is actually age appropriate to be the father of a 20-something Dick Grayson! BAM! Earth-2!

The possibilities are endless!

[Buried Alien]

I had the same issues. This was probably the first sign for me that readers were never going to receive any sort of clear cut timeline that ever made a lick of sense.

It contradicted decades of well-established DC lore and common sense: Robin/Dick Grayson was originally presented as the first of the teen sidekicks. The ZERO HOUR timeline had Robin/Dick as one of the final ones to emerge, after Wally, Roy, and Garth had all been at it for a while. Nor did it make much sense that Wally's career as the main adult Flash was, by ZERO HOUR, already longer than Barry's entire (Silver/Bronze Age) Flash career. The ZERO HOUR timeline not only overcompresses events, but distorts them in ways that don't jibe with common DC lore.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[Frontier]

They should hire Greg Weisman to construct the new DCU timeline. He already has the experience .

[phonogram12]

It contradicted decades of well-established DC lore and common sense: Robin/Dick Grayson was originally presented as the first of the teen sidekicks. The ZERO HOUR timeline had Robin/Dick as one of the final ones to emerge, after Wally, Roy, and Garth had all been at it for a while. Nor did it make much sense that Wally's career as the main adult Flash was, by ZERO HOUR, already longer than Barry's entire (Silver/Bronze Age) Flash career. The ZERO HOUR timeline not only overcompresses events, but distorts them in ways that don't jibe with common DC lore.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

All in the vein attempt to keep them all under the age of 35.

[DrNewGod]

I hate to say it, but this is probably never going to happen. As long as readers become writers and editors, they will always have a bias and bring something in from a favorite story from their childhood (*cough* *cough* Geoff Johns *cough* *cough*). This is just the nature of the industry.

Yeah, for every Roy Thomas or Kurt Busiek, there've been a legion of hacks. People forget that some of the most influential early writers were folk stopping by to make a few bucks whilst trying to break into crime/sci-fi/etc magazine and novel writing.

Wonder what would happen if DC or Marvel started prospecting at some of the writer/fan conventions of other genres? Set aside some of the lower rung properties (The Metal Men, Ragman, Moonbow, Powergirl), give eager-to-earn writers exhibiting what-might-be-potential a short bible, and let 'em rip. Then put the results in front of some of the best artists on the payroll and see who says "Huh. I think I'd like to try that."

[DrNewGod]

All in the vein attempt to keep them all under the age of 35.

You mean, "the bloody attempt?" Sorry, couldn't help myself.

On a more serious note, there is more than one reason that Batman, et al. have to remain viably young in their comics. Their brands are powerful, and DC/WB/AT&T isn't going to give that up if they can help it. The stories of The Last Son of Krypton, and The Dark Knight, and The Amazon Princess are simply more iconic than any heir is likely to be (be it The Cadmus Kid, The First Sidekick, or The Imaginary Girl Turned [hell, I don't know what to characterize Donna as]).

This to me is the case for Multiverse. If we can't just Leave It Alone, then (IMO) the answer is to create a New Earth from scratch, no more than 5 years into its heroic age, with the Justice League just forming. Allow Earth 1 to be treated as Earth 2 was pre-Crisis; a sort of what-happened-to-...-verse. That lets you write stories of succession and coming of age in its own setting. But, as this is a business, we have to let the most valuable IP be available and accessible to the new readers.

We long-time fans may find that frustrating, but it's probably what's best for the brands if we'd like to see this hobby continue to prosper. New readers have to be able to experience the simple, easily relatable core characters as their own.

[phonogram12]

You mean, "the bloody attempt?" Sorry, couldn't help myself.

On a more serious note, there is more than one reason that Batman, et al. have to remain viably young in their comics. Their brands are powerful, and DC/WB/AT&T isn't going to give that up if they can help it. The stories of The Last Son of Krypton, and The Dark Knight, and The Amazon Princess are simply more iconic than any heir is likely to be (be it The Cadmus Kid, The First Sidekick, or The Imaginary Girl Turned [hell, I don't know what to characterize Donna as]).

This to me is the case for Multiverse. If we can't just Leave It Alone, then (IMO) the answer is to create a New Earth from scratch, no more than 5 years into its heroic age, with the Justice League just forming. Allow Earth 1 to be treated as Earth 2 was pre-Crisis; a sort of what-happened-to-...-verse. That lets you write stories of succession and coming of age in its own setting. But, as this is a business, we have to let the most valuable IP be available and accessible to the new readers.

We long-time fans may find that frustrating, but it's probably what's best for the brands if we'd like to see this hobby continue to prosper. New readers have to be able to experience the simple, easily relatable core characters as their own.

I agree with all this. Except for me, what I find frustrating is trying to make sense of a timeline that will never make sense. When you try and do that, it just impacts the quality of the stories and that's what's worse than anything else, IMHO.

[boltmonster]

Keep in mind: we have four comic ages with four different versions of all characters. Golden, Silver, Modern, and New 52. Each one after the Golden Age is an update of the previous age. The oldest characters in the New 52 are New 52 Post Infinite Crisis Superman and New 52 Post Infinite Crisis Lois Lane. Everyone else in the New 52 are still their updated versions.

I say pick a comic age that you want back and go from there.

[scary harpy]

...

This to me is the case for Multiverse. If we can't just Leave It Alone, then (IMO) the answer is to create a New Earth from scratch, no more than 5 years into its heroic age, with the Justice League just forming. Allow Earth 1 to be treated as Earth 2 was pre-Crisis; a sort of what-happened-to-...-verse. That lets you write stories of succession and coming of age in its own setting. But, as this is a business, we have to let the most valuable IP be available and accessible to the new readers.

We long-time fans may find that frustrating, but it's probably what's best for the brands if we'd like to see this hobby continue to prosper. New readers have to be able to experience the simple, easily relatable core characters as their own.

Works for me.

I suggested a multiverse filled with JLA earths & JSA earths and I think this concept fits.

[BBally]

I said it before and I'll say it again, COIE damaged the DC Universe in the long run.