DC's "new" timeline revealed at NYCC

[D.Z]

The Linearverse does the concept with very minimal aging.

[D.Z]

They could have done the same 5G concept with no real time dates but using the sliding timeline, and WW2 becomes some fictional war.

[Tzigone]

Bleeding Cool posted the full (aborted) timeline: https://bleedingcool.com/comics/firs...ine-dan-didio/

They added the ages, which I appreciate, but still don't know what would have actually been represented had this been used.

So they made Barbara younger than Dick. Of course. Blech. Not that important, just so unnecessary.

Kinda surprised they kept Diana losing her powers. And is 1969 Donna 23 (and older than Dinah) when Dick and Wally are 15? Or is a typo and they're making her 13?

Dinah and Ollie break up twice in 1987.

Billy "ceases aging" in 1983 - I assume that means when Fawcett has it's thing, and not just him?

1998 - Connor begins aging. I didn't know he ever didn't age.

Dick's older when he becomes Nightwing than originally by this timeline, of course, and as previously mentioned in discussion, is 30 when Damian is born. Tim is 22 and Damian 8ish when Damian debuts.

Jaime made it to 22, so that's interesting.

The compressions are weird. Bruce is 40 in 1996 even though he's 10 in 1953 and 39 in 1991. It's weird seeing where they just skipped years of aging for characters but kept the years on the timeline. I know it's something we discussed extensively at the time, but I still cannot wrap my head around anyone thinking it's an idea to have hard years on a timeline and yet not have how many years ago it actually was. 2012 has Booster aware of the timeline changes, but does that mean N52 or these time compressions here? I assumed the former.

Generation 5 – Reset

Yep, that's a copout.

The Linearverse does the concept with very minimal aging.

Oh, I have massive problems with that, too. Some of the Western era heroes would still be too young to be retired. Unless they've changed up details (or more accurate ones have been reported) since I first read about it.

Should have just left a good old-fashioned timeslide, IMO. With the JSA on another earth, a somewhat Rebirthish origin for Diana, and Black Canary just one woman like she was in the 1970s.

[bat39]

They could have done the same 5G concept with no real time dates but using the sliding timeline, and WW2 becomes some fictional war.

Yeah, Marvel has done something similar now with their fictitious 'Siancong War' that's basically WW2 and the Vietnam War for characters who need to be on a sliding timescale.

Its not the time compression per se that bothers me. If we're ready to believe that Batman debuted 15-20 years ago...then the idea that he debuted 30 years ago works just as well. Its the addition of real-world dates in a way that does not make sense that's the problem.

[MajorHoy]

They could have done the same 5G concept with no real time dates but using the sliding timeline, and WW2 becomes some fictional war.

Might as well just dump all the Golden Age characters if you do that.

A JSA formed during periods of the Korean War or Viet Nam war wouldn't have any true resemblance to the characters from the end of the Great Depression / beginning of World War II. American society was a totally different thing during those times.

Don't know why they have "1941 Year 4 (G1 – Y4) Sgt Rock & Easy Company enter European theater" since Pearl Harbor didn't take place until December 7th of 1941; wouldn't 1942 have made more sense for Easy Company to get trained, formed, and sent over to Europe?

And it also puzzles me why they have "1940 Year 3 (G1 – Y3) JSA. Wonder Woman joins JSA. Jay joins JSA. Alan joins JSA. Dinah Drake debuts as Black Canary. Dinah (21)." That's bumping Black Canary's introduction up by seven years!

[Vordan]

Putting real world dates, or even saying something like “this happened x years ago” is always a bad idea for an ongoing shared universe unless you say the characters age in real time. It was always going to be a mess as we see in this timeline.

[Tzigone]

And it also puzzles me why they have "1940 Year 3 (G1 – Y3) JSA. Wonder Woman joins JSA. Jay joins JSA. Alan joins JSA. Dinah Drake debuts as Black Canary. Dinah (21)." That's bumping Black Canary's introduction up by seven years!

It is a weird one. Especially as it wasn't used to move up Dinah Lance's birth and make her older than 19 when she joined the League.

Putting real world dates, or even saying something like “this happened x years ago” is always a bad idea for an ongoing shared universe unless you say the characters age in real time. It was always going to be a mess as we see in this timeline.

I agree, with the caveat that "x years ago" is fine for personal events - like Bruce's parents died "x years ago" or Barry got married "x years ago" or what not - things that slide with the characters. May be implied in your statement, though? I do think it's important for all characters in the shared universe to age at the same relative rate (especially the ones that interact heavily), but even that's a pipe dream, to be honest.

[D.Z]

The western heroes could had simply died of mortal ways in the Linearverse.

Anyway only stuff left of 5G is Wonder Woman and the JSA parts. The rest of the characters are on the 15 to 20 or more sliding timeline post infinite frontier.

[Tzigone]

The western heroes could had simply died of mortal ways in the Linearverse.

The point I was making is that all the 20-somethings of the 1880s would be 40-somethings in 2020 (if it was a 1/8th aging rate - when I read it, we didn't really have info on that). Former American slave and slaveowners and so forth. Unless aging only slowed between 1938 and 2020. Which is a horrible storytelling decision, IMO.

“people age far more slowly, living much longer than elsewhere,”

would mean everyone ages that slowly, including people not connected to our heroes.

[D.Z]

Linearverse isn't meant to be realistic. Neither are most super heroes comics with their made up science for powers. You are still dealing with viruses and deaths, they're not invincible.

The regular sliding timeline, many selected characters and their history will continue to move up as time pasts irl, and everyone else we knew from the real world that has a counterpart dies and their meetings and topical events cease to exist unless in hypertime. Also obivous changes in tech and fashion over time as the timeline moves on means those stories didn't exactly happen as the art says it did.

Only JSA and various certain other characters are locked in.

[BohemiaDrinker]

"So, you want legacy, huh? Here, have ALL OF IT, see how much it sucks as this plan has no chance of working long term, and then I can reboot again with all my favorites and a bunch of #1's"

Dan Didio in a nutshell, man. ¬¬

[Tzigone]

The regular sliding timeline, many selected characters and their history will continue to move up as time pasts irl, and everyone else we knew from the real world that has a counterpart dies and their meetings and topical events cease to exist unless in hypertime. Also obivous changes in tech and fashion over time as the timeline moves on means those stories didn't exactly happen as the art says it did.

Yes, but regular sliding time is accessible and easily understandable to audiences in a way Linearverse is not, IMO. Linearverse doesn't fix anything, and introduces more problems.

[Restingvoice]

Jimmy 15? Is he an intern?
13 is too old for Dick in this timeline... yeah see? How is he older than Harley?!
Gen 5 Reset... so basically this is all just for backstory. They're making a second New 52 and this is the backstory, since the last time they didn't have enough planning

Jon returns age 23 oh **** you

[king81992]

Instead of clearing things up, the timeline makes everything more confusing.

[D.Z]

Reset would mean the timeline and reality before it is in bubble over. Also did someone sold time or broke time?

Anyway most of this is scrapped so whatever.

Could had also used it's still the 80s or 90s instead with advanced modern tech.