DC's "new" timeline revealed at NYCC

[Tenzel Kim]

I think that's likely. But am curious to when the changes are. And, of course, what we all really want is how the past is now, not how it was before reality-shifting events. But maybe we will get side-by-side charts.

What you are seeing is how the new timeline will look after an upcoming reality-changing event of some kind that we don’t know for sure when will be. A lot of speculation centers around the final issue of Doomsday Clock

[king81992]

I think that's likely. But am curious to when the changes are. And, of course, what we all really want is how the past is now, not how it was before reality-shifting events. But maybe we will get side-by-side charts.

If DC is going to publish each 'Generation' as its own line of comics to establish what the past is now, I hope that they don't retell old storylines and do something new.

[Tzigone]

What you are seeing is how the new timeline will look after an upcoming reality-changing event of some kind that we don’t know for sure when will be. A lot of speculation centers around the final issue of Doomsday Clock

I thought so at first, but it's 60 years. It's not compressed enough to be and end-game, in-universe timeline. Dick's at least in 40s by the end of it. Batman is in his 50s. Dick's in his mid-thirties at least when he meets Damian. DC won't have the characters that old so it doesn't work. Unless they are de-aged, and the whole world would notice that.

[Grayson - The Dark Heir]

I think that's likely. But am curious to when the changes are. And, of course, what we all really want is how the past is now, not how it was before reality-shifting events. But maybe we will get side-by-side charts.

I think the point of the timeline is that the past before reality-changes is still the past. The timeline is a record of superhero activities, so that's why it doesn't track every point in time Bruce is born, only what he's done after he was born the first time. They were de-aged and their memories were likely changed, which would explain the discrepancies between each Gen. Reality-changing now is like if every prominent character dipped themselves in a Lazarus Pit in between the final year of the current gen and the first year of the next gen, and then also got selective memory loss as a side effect. The timeline seems to be more about making as much important stuff canon, and there's always a chance a Gen 5 would result in everyone aging back up to their actual ages and/or gaining their memories back.

The major difference between this timeline and what continuity was already like in Rebirth (beyond retcons like Diana being the first superhero) is that every timeline change in baked in, the link between each part. Pre-Crisis is not part of Hypertime from Barry's perspective anymore (which is how it was presented in The Button for example), it's the actual past of the current timeline even if no one remembers and their current ages don't line up.

I thought so at first, but it's 60 years. It's not compressed enough to be and end-game, in-universe timeline. Dick's at least in 40s by the end of it. Batman is in his 50s. Dick's in his mid-thirties at least when he meets Damian. DC won't have the characters that old so it doesn't work. Unless they are de-aged, and the whole world would notice that.

The whole world was likely de-aged as well to some extent. Clark getting younger over time means the Kents have to as well, as does Lois and Lex. Which means all of their supporting casts do, too.

[Mr.B]

Isn't Hypertime gonna collapse soon in JL.

[byrd156]

FIXED TIMELINE™ is brought to you by "people who broke the timeline".

It's like the Iceberg Slim story from Dave Chapelle's stand up. If you're the one to help take care of the problem they'll be so thankful that you helped fix it and forget you were the one who caused it in the first place.

[Tzigone]

I think the point of the timeline is that the past before reality-changes is still the past. The timeline is a record of superhero activities, so that's why it doesn't track every point in time Bruce is born, only what he's done after he was born the first time. They were de-aged and their memories were likely changed, which would explain the discrepancies between each Gen. Reality-changing now is like if every prominent character dipped themselves in a Lazarus Pit in between the final year of the current gen and the first year of the next gen, and then also got selective memory loss as a side effect. The timeline seems to be more about making as much important stuff canon, and there's always a chance a Gen 5 would result in everyone aging back up to their actual ages and/or gaining their memories back.

Which is nothing but a big old mess that will not stick. It doesn't form a coherent narrative or sequence of events for the entire history of the the DC universe since superheroes arrived - and that's what I'm looking for. A history that doesn't make sense is doomed to fail. If it's "20 years happened, but it's only 8 years later and no one on earth remembers the events accurately from more than 3 years ago" then what even is the point?

I can kinda, sorta understand if this is the real events that happened. But then I want the events (and timeline) that everyone thinks happened to make them these ages and that drives their interactions with each other

And, if it's all being Lazarus-pit dipped and memories changed, then why did they make it 60 years instead of 82? Well, maybe that's just because they want it rolling instead instead of tied to real-world dates, but I just can't see that working with WW II specifically referenced.

[NeonZ]

Is there any reality gets rewritten inside stuff so far.

Nothing like that is actually mentioned in the timeline (well, there's -one- Booster related comment about time changing, but that seems to be it), it's just people speculating. I really think it's more likely they will just add some kind of time freezing between gen 1 and 2 for entire cities/characters (like what happened with Bronze Age Captain Marvel originally). That frees them from the ties to real world events and from then on its comic book time, so aging isn't an issue.

This timeline is clearly new, not part of any previous continuity, so it makes no sense to assume that this timeline itself is affected by the past reboots. That would be just an overly complex mess.

[Frontier]

So I guess the big question is...what is Generation 5?

[king81992]

So I guess the big question is...what is Generation 5?

Batman Beyond and Legion of Superheroes era? Possible new continuity after reboot?

[Frontier]

Batman Beyond and Legion of Superheroes era? Possible new continuity after reboot?

Oh yeah, none of this timeline touches on the Legion, does it?

[king81992]

Oh yeah, none of this timeline touches on the Legion, does it?

I have no idea. I can't see what's written on the timeline.

[dswynne]

TO ALL THE SHAZAM! fans:

I noticed on the chart that it says "Shazam Joins the JLI", but then in chart G3, but it also says "Billy Batson=Shazam, Shazam joins the Justice League". Any takers as to what's going on?

[Mr.B]

Batman Beyond and Legion of Superheroes era? Possible new continuity after reboot?

That's the far future.

[Mr.B]

TO ALL THE SHAZAM! fans:

I noticed on the chart that it says "Shazam Joins the JLI", but then in chart G3, but it also says "Billy Batson=Shazam, Shazam joins the Justice League". Any takers as to what's going on?

His post crisis history and johns merged into one.