How much time passed in the pre-New-52 continuity?

[Slimybug]

So, one of the cool things about DC comics is that every once in a while they will give you a round-about figure of just how much time in the "comic book world" has passed. this timeline is obviously much more slow-moving than the real world.

In 1986, "Man of Steel" made it clear that the current comics took place six years after Superman's debut. As most of the Silver-Age superheroes were supposed to have debuted right around the same time (Year One), we can say the the Crisis and the immediate aftermath, like Wonder Woman's new debut, all happened in "Year Six."

Then, when Zero Hour came out, it actually included a timeline at the end. This reinforced that the Crisis took place in Year Six, and essentially stated that the Death and Return of Superman, Knightfall, Emerald Twilight, and Zero Hour all took place around Year 10.

Then something very interesting happened. In "Identity Crisis," it actually states that Ralph and Sue Dibney have been married for over twenty years. It clearly shows they met and were married sometime after the debut of both Elongated Man and The Flash. Woah. So Brad Meltzer was actually trying to say we were now past Year 20, which would essentially state that everything since Zero Hour happened in not too far outside of real-time. It would also mean most of our favorite heroes were pushing 50.

But that decision seems to have been contradicted in the pages of Green Lantern Vol. 04. In the first story arc, "No Fear," which I recently just re- read, it essentially says, through exposition, that it has been thirteen years since Green Lantern's debut, which would place these events only three years after Emerald Twilight and Zero Hour.

So what's the deal? Now obviously, I think the 13-year version is the one to go with. But why did they let Meltzer say over 20? I mean, I personally think it would be cool to have all the characters aging. But I think most people would be adverse the idea of the modern Superman being 50. But hey, maybe we can say it was Infinite Crisis that changed it! So the event sof Infinite Crisis changed the timeline so that all the events that happened over the course of 10+ years were smooshed into 3.

But of course, as each "Crisis" changed so much, there's no guarantee that the post-Infinite Crisis timeline matches up at all with the one presented in Zero hour. But for sanity's sake, I think we're meant to assume it's about the same, except where otherwise noted.

Has anyone heard about the ideas behind Melltzer's decision?

[GlennSimpson]

Yeah, I've never understood why he used that number. I always felt like Meltzer was a comics fan, but that he was a very different kind of comics fan who saw things very differently, and DC gave him free reign to do whatever he wanted (rather like Morrison).

It's worth noting that a lot of the "Secret Files and Origins" books had timelines, but those timelines rarely matched up very well with each other. Which basically means each writer who was putting one together was starting from scratch. So it wasn't very consistent.

13 to 15 years always seemed like a fair range at the time. Dick Grayson is generally the guideline - he supposedly started at age 8, we know what he was doing as a "Teen", he had started college right before New Teen Titans, and he turned 20 or 21 during his Secret Origins tale that was set during a specific arc in New Teen Titans. There are people who have put a ton of time into figuring all this out...

[BohemiaDrinker]

There's always been inconsistencies on this stuff.

The only way post-Crisis continuity works, though, is with a 15-years timeline or longer; and even then there are some issues like the ages of Buddy Bakers kids, Connor Hawke and Billy Batson.

13 to 15 years always seemed like a fair range at the time. Dick Grayson is generally the guideline - he supposedly started at age 8, we know what he was doing as a "Teen", he had started college right before New Teen Titans, and he turned 20 or 21 during his Secret Origins tale that was set during a specific arc in New Teen Titans. There are people who have put a ton of time into figuring all this out...

His age was also set on "26" during Wolfman's Nightwing run; which seemed about right. Wally West turned 19 in Flash #01 ans in theory started out as a ten year old, if I'm not mistaken in Flash year one. I believe the original TT were all the same age, so that would leave everyone roughly 27 at the time of Flashpoint. Devin Grayson once started that Arsenal was over 30, but that's usually ignored.

So, roughly, post-crisis had about a sixteen year timeline with some Prime-Punches along the way.

[Buried Alien]

When the previous DCU ended at FLASHPOINT, my personal canon had the time since the near simultaneous debuts of Superman and Batman (give or take a few months) at sixteen years, and both Clark and Bruce were about forty. Sixteen years is enough time to accommodate four and a half Robins, Wally being the Flash for a number of years, etc.

Besides, forty isn't that old these days.

I think the New 52 is presently six years into its age of heroes.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[BohemiaDrinker]

So, roughly, post-crisis had about a sixteen year timeline with some Prime-Punches along the way.

When the previous DCU ended at FLASHPOINT, my personal canon had the time since the near simultaneous debuts of Superman and Batman (give or take a few months) was sixteen years

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

Okay, we have Barry and Wally fans in accordance. 16 years, it's settled.

[Buried Alien]

Okay, we have Barry and Wally fans in accordance. 16 years, it's settled.

I have Dick Grayson becoming Robin and the JLA forming in Year Three (of the sixteen year timeline).

COIE (or its equivalent) occurred in Year Ten (Year Nine was when Dick became Nightwing).

Jason Todd dies in Year Eleven or Twelve.

DEATH OF SUPERMAN, KNIGHTFALL, EMERALD TWILIGHT and their aftermath occur in Years Thirteen and Fourteen.

FLASHPOINT bows at the end of the sixteenth year. Those final two years are *crazy* busy...almost a crisis a week.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[Sirzechs]

Two Years unless years pass and people don't age.

Dick Grayson is 21 in new 52, i thing he was 15 when he was at the orphanage.

[Slimybug]

I still like to think the Zero-Hour timeline should apply, unless directly contradicted. Isn't that how DC Comics continuity works? Every time we have a "Crisis," you're just supposed to assume whatever's not directly stated to have changed remained the same?

I also don't think it's realistic (I know, it's comics, but still...) to condense Wally's entire career as the Flash, up to and including Flash: Rebirth, and all the stuff that happened in the new Millenium, into just two years.

[Buried Alien]

Two Years unless years pass and people don't age.

Dick Grayson is 21 in new 52, i thing he was 15 when he was at the orphanage.

I still like to think the Zero-Hour timeline should apply, unless directly contradicted. Isn't that how DC Comics continuity works? Every time we have a "Crisis," you're just supposed to assume whatever's not directly stated to have changed remained the same?

I also don't think it's realistic (I know, it's comics, but still...) to condense Wally's entire career as the Flash, up to and including Flash: Rebirth, and all the stuff that happened in the new Millenium, into just two years.

In my head, age thirteen is the ideal age for the sidekicks to begin fighting alongside their mentors. The promotion to adult roles should coincide with their entering their twenties. My view is that Dick became Robin at age thirteen, served as Robin for six years, and became Nightwing at twenty. Wally followed a similar path, becoming Kid Flash at thirteen, assuming the Flash role at age twenty, and operating as the main Flash until age twenty-six when Barry returns.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[Harpsikord]

I'd say 16 years or so, using Dick Grayson as the spring-board. 9 years old at debut, about 26 at Flashpoint

[MykeHavoc]

I always figured it was about 15 years.

[BohemiaDrinker]

I have Dick Grayson becoming Robin and the JLA forming in Year Three (of the sixteen year timeline).

COIE (or its equivalent) occurred in Year Ten (Year Nine was when Dick became Nightwing).

Jason Todd dies in Year Eleven or Twelve.

DEATH OF SUPERMAN, KNIGHTFALL, EMERALD TWILIGHT and their aftermath occur in Years Thirteen and Fourteen.

FLASHPOINT bows at the end of the sixteenth year. Those final two years are *crazy* busy...almost a crisis a week.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

I put Crisis in year nine due to Wally's age; but that's assuming he was the same age as Dick Grayson. Some ages were retconned down the line (Babs was about 2 years older than Dick, then around OYL they were the same age).

[Buried Alien]

I put Crisis in year nine due to Wally's age; but that's assuming he was the same age as Dick Grayson. Some ages were retconned down the line (Babs was about 2 years older than Dick, then around OYL they were the same age).

I think the original five Teen Titans should all be the same age (as unlikely as that would be). They'd all be about fifteen when they first got together as Titans.

One thing that I didn't like about the ZERO HOUR timeline is that Kid Flash was the first kid sidekick, preceding Robin. That doesn't play well in my mind: Robin should be the first kid sidekick in any continuity.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[Buried Alien]

That's a pet peeve of mine, by the way: the original sidekicks being in their original roles for a period of fewer than six years. I've always imagined six years (roughly ages 13-19) as the *perfect* time for those characters to occupy those roles. Any longer is too long; any shorter is too short.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[GlennSimpson]

I think the original five Teen Titans should all be the same age (as unlikely as that would be). They'd all be about fifteen when they first got together as Titans.

One thing that I didn't like about the ZERO HOUR timeline is that Kid Flash was the first kid sidekick, preceding Robin. That doesn't play well in my mind: Robin should be the first kid sidekick in any continuity.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

I have no problem with them being different ages (by a year or so) but they should all have become sidekicks within a short period (as still unlikely as that would be). Granted, Robin, Kid Flash, and Aqualad would have about a year or more of just-sidekicking on their own if we assume Wonder Girl doesn't start until the first Teen Titans adventure.