Which characters should still have their own universe?

[MajorHoy]

None of them. Crossovers and shared universes are the bread and butter of superhero comic these days. Most characters won’t gain much from making it harder to crossover regularly with other supers. Take for example the post new 52 version of the JSA. Do you really think being in their own universe helped them ?

Those faux-characters are NOT the "Justice Society of America".

Did they ever refer to themselves as the "JSA" within a published comic book story?

[Jon Clark]

None of them. Crossovers and shared universes are the bread and butter of superhero comic these days. Most characters won’t gain much from making it harder to crossover regularly with other supers. Take for example the post new 52 version of the JSA. Do you really think being in their own universe helped them ?

I think if Earth 2 even with all the other changes hadn't been set in a doomed universe it might have had a different sales fate. Maybe following whatever plan James Robinson had at the beginning might have worked. Instead it switched to focusing on replacing Superman and Batman, destroying the world, starting civilization over on a new world … Basically a rotating set of short term directions that never went anywhere.

Its like having an ongoing Dark Knight Returns as a testing ground for whether series set in the future (Legion, Batman Beyond, Tommy Tomorrow. Adult Super-Sons) would work.

[Lee Stone]

JSA
Warlord
Arion
Arak
Amethyst
Claw
Legion of Super-Heroes
Kamandi
Jonah Hex
Sgt. Rock
Original Suicide Squad
Original Secret Six
Blackhawk
Anthro
Cave Carson
Sea Devils
Nathaniel Dusk
Angel & the Ape

[Electricmastro]

The Shazam! crew. The flavor is more fun and far less dark than the general DCU. Lt Marvels, Uncle Marvel, Tawny Talky, etc. lose something if adjusted to fit in with current heroes.

There was Earth-S, which was first seen in Whiz Comics #2:



And Earth-5, which was first seen in 52 #52:



Though I'm not sure how people felt about these set-ups.

[Jim Kelly]

I don't think it needs to be explained, but I always assumed that it was called Earth-5 (even though there was a different Earth-5 in the pre-Crisis multiverse) because 5 looks like S--and the 52 multiverse doesn't allow for letters instead of numbers. Likewise Earth-10 was equivalent to Earth-X, because X is the Roman numberal for 10. So this is how DC writers got around their own self-imposed taxonomy.

How did I feel about Earth S/5? Loved it.

DC does have a problem with all their acquisitions. When you look at their record, acquisitions tend to fall through the cracks--leaving one to wonder why DC bothered to acquire these properties, unless it was just to prevent other companies getting hold of them. And when those acquisitions are in another universe, it makes it a lot easier for DC to just ignore them--which I think is the reason a lot of fans have for wanting these properties integrated into the "main universe." But that's no guarantee that those properties will get anymore respect and now they have to bend their concept to accomodate the big properties of the "main universe."

I think the obvious solution is not to have a "main universe." There should be several universes that are all just as valid--so the idea that one universe is the main one shouldn't have any credence.

[Tzigone]

The Shazam! crew. The flavor is more fun and far less dark than the general DCU. Lt Marvels, Uncle Marvel, Tawny Talky, etc. lose something if adjusted to fit in with current heroes.

I didn't really care for that aspect. The old comics varied in tone, with Jr. it seems like, generally being more serious than Cap (which isn't saying much). And I like that aspect explored, too.


Posted on it here. It's not dark in blood or gore or shock value or death. But maybe somewhat in color scheme, and occasionally touched on theme. Though I acknowledge urban poverty is different in the US in 2019 than in 1942.

But I guess I'm in the minority in wanting more serious Captain Marvel and crew stories, where they still shine brightly rather than being made jokes of.

[warzon]

the Titans.DC should do something with them like what's going over at Marvel w the X Men.

[Restingvoice]

Dark, Noir and/or Realistic Batman
It always weirds me when Batman is so dark and solitary in Gotham but then turns superheroic or facing alien threats in Justice League and its equivalent

[Gero4568]

None of them. Crossovers and shared universes are the bread and butter of superhero comic these days. Most characters won’t gain much from making it harder to crossover regularly with other supers. Take for example the post new 52 version of the JSA. Do you really think being in their own universe helped them ?

I agree with this 100%.

[Starter Set]

The JSA clearly.