[SPOILERS] Doomsday Clock & DC’s Continuity in Justice League #39

[Digifiend]

It feels like their plans changed suddenly

They did. Clearly what was planned was different before Bendis came along. That's why the Saturn Girl in Doomsday Clock had to be erased.

[Buried Alien]

They did. Clearly what was planned was different before Bendis came along. That's why the Saturn Girl in Doomsday Clock had to be erased.

Whether it's Scott Snyder, Brian Michael Bendis, or even the great Grant Morrison, it's hard not to be nervous whenever a big name creative talent signs with the company because the company is going to reshape itself in that creator's image. It's like a sports team signing a big-name veteran free-agent. It could be terrific, but could also go horribly wrong.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[CaptCleghorn]

Whether it's Scott Snyder, Brian Michael Bendis, or even the great Grant Morrison, it's hard not to be nervous whenever a big name creative talent signs with the company because the company is going to reshape itself in that creator's image. It's like a sports team signing a big-name veteran free-agent. It could be terrific, but could also go horribly wrong.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

Maybe in this situation, less horribly wrong than worrying how much your role will change if the "wonderchild" is signed. It's far less a company concern than a personal one.

[astro@work]

I think that the continuity discrepencies got overblown and now (sadly) DC missed a chance to do a much needed continuity clean up.

To my recollection: Alfred was shown as still alive, the Kents returned to the living, Saturn Girl was the wrong Saturn Girl, the JSA was restored, and Batgirl and Donna Troy returned to old uniforms. Let's address these:
1. Wrong Saturn Girl - addressed in story and corrected.
2. Costume changes for Donna and Barbara - they've changed multiple times, does this really even require an explanation?
3. Restored JSA- already addressed in in-continuity books such as JL.
BONUS POINTS: Jon Kent was never shown onscreen, so no need to address anything there,

Really, that just leaves us with the issues of Alfred and the Kents alive.
1.Alfred- given the interminable publication delays of Doomsday Clock, all they had to say was that DC#12 took place after the death of Alfred. Fixed.

2. The living Kents are the odd man out. The scene was sweet but could have been left out of DC#12.

All the hand-wringing about the "events of the near future", the Superman theory, etc. hasn't been adressed in other books,... BUT is every big story in a particular book ALWAYS adressed in every other book? No, not really. How many times has the world been attacked in JLA but Teen Titans or even Superman not acknowledge it?

Yep, it's really the Kents running around that is the hardest to rectify. So now we need a whole OTHER story just to explain all the bad continuity going on.
(If this sounds like a lot of griping, it is. I just want all the horrifically misaligned continuity to hurry up and get fixed so we can all get "on with it").

[jaygon]

I’m put in mind of Justice League 40 and the intro to The Darkseid War ;

Metron notes that with reality being destroyed and reborn/reset over and over again, reality itself is destabilising. It is mentioned that reality cannot stand another death and rebirth.

And then we had just that ; A rebirth. The metaverse revolts against DR. Manhattan’s tinkering and Wally West returns.

It’s likely that reality ‘split’ as a result of Rebirth and there have been in-story ‘hints’ all along that this has been the case ;

‘It was a boat’, ‘It was in the street’ etc.

Wonder Woman’s visions/memories of her various histories during Rucka’s run.

Three versions of the Joker (who will seemingly be revealed as living in the one reality)

I’m not so sure the story is yet finished.

[MikefromGotham]

I’m put in mind of Justice League 40 and the intro to The Darkseid War ;

Metron notes that with reality being destroyed and reborn/reset over and over again, reality itself is destabilising. It is mentioned that reality cannot stand another death and rebirth.

And then we had just that ; A rebirth. The metaverse revolts against DR. Manhattan’s tinkering and Wally West returns.

It’s likely that reality ‘split’ as a result of Rebirth and there have been in-story ‘hints’ all along that this has been the case ;

‘It was a boat’, ‘It was in the street’ etc.

Wonder Woman’s visions/memories of her various histories during Rucka’s run.

Three versions of the Joker (who will seemingly be revealed as living in the one reality)

I’m not so sure the story is yet finished.

I like this. All of this. Makes sense.May not have been the intention at that point in time...but could easily be referenced to help clear things up from where we are now.

[Mr.B]

Metal destroyed the source wall. That's another problem.

Anyway the metaverse can rewire what makes everything work.

[jaygon]

I like this. All of this. Makes sense.May not have been the intention at that point in time...but could easily be referenced to help clear things up from where we are now.

'You see worlds live. And worlds die. Then worlds are remade and they live again...and die again. And live and die. And live and die. The dark secret of existence is that history has been destroyed and then reborn, over and over. Every event has repeated itself : From the birth of an insignificant maggot to the death of a Superman. But this must stop. Although it is unknown to all but a very few, the birth and destruction of the universe has been an ongoing cycle. And over time, that cycle has accelerated. Because of that acceleration, the fabric of this universe is losing its cohesion. Reality has been taken apart and put back together too many times. Therefore, creation has not only stalled, it is under great threat'

'Existence was once again reborn (New 52) ...but it has yet to solidify'. 'Reality cannot survive another Crisis'
-Justice League 40 (2015)

[krazijoe]

has anyone said anything officially about Doomsday Clock being in Continuity? I always thought it would be, but after all the shi...Stuff that has happened since it's inception I now look at it as am Elseworlds story.

[sifighter]

has anyone said anything officially about Doomsday Clock being in Continuity? I always thought it would be, but after all the shi...Stuff that has happened since it's inception I now look at it as am Elseworlds story.

Oddly enough the stuff from it is being used. Geoff Johns said that he’s using his Doomsday Clock version of the JSA in his Shazam ongoing and Bendis has said he’s using the Kent’s in the Heroes and Villains one-shots from Superman revealing his identity. Outside those things I can’t really say.

[Mr.B]

Jay is wearing his "the button"costume during ww2 in flash 750.

[Digifiend]

Wonder Woman’s visions/memories of her various histories during Rucka’s run.

Same thing for Donna, as revealed in The Infected: Deathbringer.

There's at least three alternate realities right now. Doomsday Clock (which also includes Shazam), Bendis (which includes the Superman books, Flash, and the Wonder Comics line), and Snyder (Justice League, Batman Who Laughs). JL #39 explicitly showed DDC and Young Justice. I think there's at least a fourth reality, since King's Batman had Tim Drake show up as Red Robin, which contradicts Bendis (unfortunate, since that's the version of events Batman should've fitted in, due to two Flash crossovers). Hell Arisen and Metal 2 should fix things, as shown at the end of Justice League #39. The team was leaving to merge the splintered timeline.

[Mr.B]

There's more timelines. But in the end 5G overrides them all when it's fully formed.

Similar to DC you having certain things not matching up but did when rebirth happened.

[jaygon]

There's more timelines. But in the end 5G overrides them all when it's fully formed.

Similar to DC you having certain things not matching up but did when rebirth happened.

It seems that previously 'splintered realities' (copied and preserved in the form of alternate earths) are merging and collapsing/feeding back into the fabric of the metaverse/prime reality.

This is very similar to the original concept of Hypertime.

The 'everything happened' aspect of the proposed 'four generation timeline' seems to be the culmination of this merging.

[manwhohaseverything]

I think that the continuity discrepencies got overblown and now (sadly) DC missed a chance to do a much needed continuity clean up.

To my recollection: Alfred was shown as still alive, the Kents returned to the living, Saturn Girl was the wrong Saturn Girl, the JSA was restored, and Batgirl and Donna Troy returned to old uniforms. Let's address these:
1. Wrong Saturn Girl - addressed in story and corrected.
2. Costume changes for Donna and Barbara - they've changed multiple times, does this really even require an explanation?
3. Restored JSA- already addressed in in-continuity books such as JL.
BONUS POINTS: Jon Kent was never shown onscreen, so no need to address anything there,

Really, that just leaves us with the issues of Alfred and the Kents alive.
1.Alfred- given the interminable publication delays of Doomsday Clock, all they had to say was that DC#12 took place after the death of Alfred. Fixed.

2. The living Kents are the odd man out. The scene was sweet but could have been left out of DC#12.

All the hand-wringing about the "events of the near future", the Superman theory, etc. hasn't been adressed in other books,... BUT is every big story in a particular book ALWAYS adressed in every other book? No, not really. How many times has the world been attacked in JLA but Teen Titans or even Superman not acknowledge it?

Yep, it's really the Kents running around that is the hardest to rectify. So now we need a whole OTHER story just to explain all the bad continuity going on.
(If this sounds like a lot of griping, it is. I just want all the horrifically misaligned continuity to hurry up and get fixed so we can all get "on with it").

Kents will be retconned in like jon, wally, bart and conner to have an in universe history and relationships. Bendis said they will be in his books reacting to clark giving up his secret id. That isn't much of an issue.