DC introducing a new wrinkle to classic continuity

[Avi]

Ok. So that one new Earth they mentioned post-Death Metal, is an Earth where all stories take place?

Is that right?

I’m guessing you mean Elseworld?

Elseworld – One universe inside the Omniverse that we don’t know about yet. The multiverse team will explore it in a title written by Williamson.

Linearverse - One universe inside the Omniverse in which characters live through all former main-continuities as one person. There are no future stories planned right now. It’s basically a sandbox to piece one cohesive timeline together.

That's an easy way to write this off when it gets too confusing for some

What a bad idea

I'm not really writing it off. It's literally what's stated inside the article:

The Linearverse seems to exist as a storytelling option, to tell specific tales that require or benefit from the premise (for example) the current very serious Batman actually had and remembers his wackier, kid-friendlier science fiction-inspired adventures from the '50s, or that Superman and Batman have been friends for nearly 80 years.

As of now, DC has not announced any plans for more stories set in the Linearverse, but it is a new club in the bag for writers with a story to tell.

[Will Evans]

I’m guessing you mean Elseworld?

Elseworld – One universe inside the Omniverse that we don’t know about yet. The multiverse team will explore it in a title written by Williamson.

Linearverse - One universe inside the Omniverse in which characters live through all former main-continuities as one person. There are no future stories planned right now. It’s basically a sandbox to piece one cohesive timeline together.




I'm not really writing it off. It's literally what's stated inside the article:

The Linearverse seems to exist as a storytelling option, to tell specific tales that require or benefit from the premise (for example) the current very serious Batman actually had and remembers his wackier, kid-friendlier science fiction-inspired adventures from the '50s, or that Superman and Batman have been friends for nearly 80 years.

As of now, DC has not announced any plans for more stories set in the Linearverse, but it is a new club in the bag for writers with a story to tell.

How would Linerverse deal with Shazam (Billy)?

1940s Captain Marvel? 70s Captain Marvel? Post-crisis Captain Marvel? Power of Shazam? New 52 Shazam Family?

[Sacred Knight]

Pretty stupid when you can just utilize the Multiverse. But how many times have we said since its been back to "just utilize the multiverse"? It wasn't like they were suddenly going to do it now. I mean sure its mentioned in this very article, but I've been around enough to see that ideas like this are designed so they can largely avoid it outside of specific finite storylines. In terms of how a larger canon works though, general insistence always eventually falls back to the whole Clutterearth thing. Its an insistence I don't understand. 35 years since the original Crisis changes and it still lingers at the core of everything they do, regardless those running things. Its always "there can only be one" with them.

[Bruce Wayne]

So this is basically a retool of Byrne's Superman Batman Generations?

[kingaliencracker]

Ok. So that one new Earth they mentioned post-Death Metal, is an Earth where all stories take place?

Is that right?

Well again, Death Metal only reinforced what Doomsday Clock established, which is the "Omniverse" and all the characters remembering (not necessarily directly experiencing) their past realities. This "Linearverse" establishes that it all physically/actually happened to the current incarnation of the character. So it's substantially different, IMO.

[DrNewGod]

This attempt to satisfy every corner of DC fandom will probably annoy almost every corner of DC fandom. Well done DC.

[Citizen Kane]

None of this is actually being utilized as the de-facto continuity for the DC universe, if I'm reading the article correctly? It seems this concept was scrapped when Didio got canned, no? If it wasn't and this is the new, accepted continuity, then God help us all.

[The Darknight Detective]

With characters like Batman, Superman and the Legion, I already do this and always have. I think in terms of multiverses, too. But one way of thinking I apply is a linear approach and trying to conceive of a universe where all things are true. Don't we all do this? I never just think in one stream--I have multiple options going on in my mind at the same time.

The sliding timeline isn't a problem for me, especially since it was around during the Bronze Age when I was a kid. The problem is the idea that everything can be incorporated into a single universe without it appearing to be hammering a round peg into a square hole.

[kingaliencracker]

None of this is actually being utilized as the de-facto continuity for the DC universe, if I'm reading the article correctly? It seems this concept was scrapped when Didio got canned, no? If it wasn't and this is the new, accepted continuity, then God help us all.

Didio's plan was similar but it didn't involve the characters' ages being static and instead legacy characters were supposed to take over. So Superman's son would be the current Superman, while the original Superman operated as far back as 1938. I don't know how they were going to resolve this with a character like Batman who is mortal and would be long dead by now.

The current plan is Superman still operated back in 1938, and everything that we read involving Superman actually happened. But DC's time moves substantially different and therefore he's only in his 20's/30's.

[Will Evans]

Well again, Death Metal only reinforced what Doomsday Clock established, which is the "Omniverse" and all the characters remembering (not necessarily directly experiencing) their past realities. This "Linearverse" establishes that it all physically/actually happened to the current incarnation of the character. So it's substantially different, IMO.

So Lana Lang remembers she had a baby with Pete Ross?

Ollie remembers he had two sons, older Connor and younger Robert?

Luthor remembers he had a daughter called Lena?

Garth and Dolphin remember they had a son together.

[HsssH]

Yes, Omniverse idea is stupid as well.

[The Darknight Detective]

Yes, Omniverse idea is stupid as well.

Heh. What's the point of remembering another timeline(s) when it's not part of the current one? It's kind of like "We're bringing back your favorite continuity... but not really!"

The only people who should remember any of this is us, not the characters themselves.

[HsssH]

It is good that Superman can visit his parents and while talking to them remember that they are actually dead. Cutting edge storytelling.

[Lee Stone]

It’s times like this where the DC characters would probably envy the pulp heroes that weren’t forced to exist outside their era.
There’s been attempts to modernize the pulp characters, but they still stay for the most part in the ‘30s to ‘50s.

Maybe we do need a new Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. If only so we can still get Bruce, Clark and Diana stories set in their prime periods without having to make them immortals.

[seismic-2]

DC should ignore continuity, completely. It is far, far too strained to attempt to devise a scheme, or multiple schemes, for incorporating everything. Just write good stories, and if they totally contradict other good stories, then who cares. You'll have twice the number of good stories. By trying to make everything compatible, you have a lot of not-good stories. It's simply not worth it!