DC Comics: Rebirth

[Ovation]

Is this Dark Metal Multiverse thing finally ending, then? Ever since the previous Metal “event” I’ve dropped a lot of titles and danced around the whole Metal thing as much as possible. I’m down to the two Superman titles (though mostly out of habit), LSH (because Legion—but I’m not overly excited about this latest version) and some of the “out of continuity” digital titles (most of which appear to have just stopped).

My wallet is happy but it’s a bit distressing that in the time I can most afford comics I find the least amount of comics interesting. Oh well. Was bound to happen at some point.

 

[kirk55555]

Just for the record, Snyder's got nothing to do with this one. The writers are Andy Lanning and Ron Marz. Also, it's one issue, you might as well skip it and go back to it in January.

I'll try that, it would be weird to have dropped all DC books. But, as for who is writing it, I'm pretty sure that the Endless Winter is a direct result (and possibly a spin off) of that edgelord crap known as Death Metal, so even if Snyder isn't writing it, its connected to his shit.

Well, funny you'd say that, the current writer of Nightwing is Dan Jurgens.

Yeah, but he didn't give Grayson the amnesia (that was in a Batman issue), and I'm 99% sure that Dan Didio was responsible for the event and probably it becoming an ongoing storyline, since Didio famously, legitimately hates Nightwing and has wanted to kill him off before. Now Didio is gone, and we're apparently getting the normal Nightwing back.

Is this Dark Metal Multiverse thing finally ending, then? Ever since the previous Metal “event” I’ve dropped a lot of titles and danced around the whole Metal thing as much as possible. I’m down to the two Superman titles (though mostly out of habit), LSH (because Legion—but I’m not overly excited about this latest version) and some of the “out of continuity” digital titles (most of which appear to have just stopped).

I really fucking hope so. The idea sucked when it started, and at this point its just Snyder's inner 16 year old shithead taking Mark Millar/Garth Ennis style shock crap and toning it down just enough for DC to publish in their main line. It feels like DC's version of The Ultimates, stupid shit that only exists to be offensive and shocking. I mean, at least Snyder hasn't gone full Mark Millar (no incest...yet), but he's toeing the line.

 

[Kai "the spy"]

I'll try that, it would be weird to have dropped all DC books. But, as for who is writing it, I'm pretty sure that the Endless Winter is a direct result (and possibly a spin off) of that edgelord crap known as Death Metal, so even if Snyder isn't writing it, its connected to his shit.

Not from what the descriptions in the solicitations tell us. No Death Metal Multiverse stuff, no Apex Luthor, no hypthetical-turned-real child of J'onn and Hawkgirl's. But I'm not trying to talk you into it, just skip it and come back in January.

Yeah, but he didn't give Grayson the amnesia (that was in a Batman issue), and I'm 99% sure that Dan Didio was responsible for the event and probably it becoming an ongoing storyline, since Didio famously, legitimately hates Nightwing and has wanted to kill him off before. Now Didio is gone, and we're apparently getting the normal Nightwing back.

What I meant was Jurgens is also the writer of the December issue. No snark there, just you saying you liked Jurgens pre-Bendis Superman, and me saying that Nightwing issue you're considering to come back for being written by Jurgens.

I really fucking hope so. The idea sucked when it started, and at this point its just Snyder's inner 16 year old shithead taking Mark Millar/Garth Ennis style shock crap and toning it down just enough for DC to publish in their main line. It feels like DC's version of The Ultimates, stupid shit that only exists to be offensive and shocking. I mean, at least Snyder hasn't gone full Mark Millar (no incest...yet), but he's toeing the line.

My guess is there will be minor tweaks to the multiverse and January will see a lot of books getting a new direction by new writers. Bendis leaving Superman, Williamson leaving Flash, JL needing a new regular writer, and what with the Teen Titans tie-in special for Endless Winter (with the previous roaster, plus Donna Troy & Beast Boy), I wouldn't be surprised if TT got a new #1 in January, as well.

 

[Kai "the spy"]

I just learned that those Gary Frank variant cover for the three Death Metal one-shots do link up:

 

[Kai "the spy"]

Now, what's this, then?

 

[JD]

I noticed that these all seem to be just one or two issues, which is a big change from some of these other things that they've spent months on.

 

[Kai "the spy"]

This isn't really that new, they've had short-term crossover events that depend on pace and tie-in issues for a while, going all the way back to the 90s, really, but for some recent examples, there was the Justice League vs. Suicide Squad crossover, Justice No More (which was the bridge between the original Dark Nights: Metal and Snyder's Justice League), and Drowned Earth.

It is, however, curious to have two such events directly after one another. There's been gossip online about a line-wide relaunch (not as radical as New 52, though, as nobody suggested they'd start Detective, Action, Flash and Wonder Woman with a new #1 again) with new writers for every title. Now, Grant Morrison's run on Green Lantern isn't due to end until February, and Mariko Tamaki just got the WW gig with #759, so they might just do these crossovers in order to let Morrison finish properly and give Tamaki more than a 10-issue run.

Mind you, I'm not suggesting that these crossovers are pure filler. Well, maybe Endless Winter is, it certainly looks like it's on a similar level as Drowned Earth, but I suspect that Future State might be about establishing the new status quo after the end of Death Metal.

 

[The Realist]

Death Metal, Endless Winter, Future State ... Christ on a crutch, I wish I could just buy comics about the characters I'm interested in, and read a story about those characters, not this endless "event" horseshit. (Spoiler: I can. COVID broke me of the habit of buying floppies; I'm officially a trade-waiter now, so I'm not obliged to keep up with DC's constant line-wide money-grabs.)

 

[Kai "the spy"]

Well, Jim Lee recently said that they were going to do away with crossovers and focus more on the individual titles for a while, which is also why I suspect Future State to establish the new status quo and a creative relaunch (with new #1s, probably) in March.

 

[JD]

I can't remember which site it was on, but I think read an interview where Jim Lee said that more or less is the plan. They aren't going to be doing a big New 52/Rebirth style reboot, but they are going to be shifting a lot of the creative teams and storylines.

 

[Mike Farley]

Kind of makes you wonder if Bendis was really done with the Superman books or they're shifting him somewhere they think he'll sell better?

 

[theenglish]

I can't remember which site it was on, but I think read an interview where Jim Lee said that more or less is the plan. They aren't going to be doing a big New 52/Rebirth style reboot, but they are going to be shifting a lot of the creative teams and storylines.

Supposedly Death Metal addresses the Doomsday Clock changes and all the "events" line up. Hope this means the return of the JSA.

 

[theenglish]

Kind of makes you wonder if Bendis was really done with the Superman books or they're shifting him somewhere they think he'll sell better?

He probably had an initial deal to work on a few different books. He may be moving to Green Lantern or maybe even the Batman titles--Bruce Wayne still needs to return to his blue trunks and reveal his identity to the world, doesn't he?

 

[Kai "the spy"]

So, lot of news on the 2-month "Future State" event taking place January and February of 2021, and it looks very much like they really just cannibalized everything they already had for 5G into this one.

The Beat| DC unveils FUTURE STATE event details & creators

Here is the description from DC:

In DC Future State, the Multiverse has been saved from the brink of destruction, but the triumph of DC’s heroes has shaken loose the very fabric of time and space! The final chapter of Dark Nights: Death Metal (on sale January 5, 2021) brings new life to DC’s Multiverse, kicking off this glimpse into the unwritten worlds of DC’s future!

They're also giving anthology titles a new try with this.

The John Ridley "Black Batman" mini-series will be folded into one of those, "The Next Batman":

The other Batman anthology series is "Dark Detective", with the main feature by Mariko Tamaki & Dan Mora:

Those are four-issue mini-series, twice a month. Then there will be conventional 2-issue non-anthology mini-series from the Bat-Family: Batman/Superman, Catwoman, Harley Quinn, Nightwing, and Robin Eternal

Superman also will have two anthology titles, the 2-issue "Superman of Metropolis", starring the grown-up Jon Kent:

And the 4-issue "Superman: Worlds of War", starring a Clark Kent exiled to Warworld (this certainly makes me glad this didn't become the new status quo):

Then there are anthology mini-series for "Immortal Wonder Woman", "Justice League", "Green Lantern", and "Suicide Squad":

And conventional minis and one-shots for:

- Aquaman
- The Flash (that cover already pisses me off, thank god Dan Didio is gone)
- House of El
- Kara Zor-El: Superwoman
- Legion of Super-Heroes (how does that work? Aren't they way in the future already?)
- SHAZAM!
- Superman/Wonder Woman
- Superman vs. Imperious Lex
- Swamp Thing
- Teen Titans
- Wonder Woman

 

[JD]

I was just about to post the IGN article about this, but it looks like you got it covered.
The big difference with this and 5G, is that this is just a temporary time jump, before they go back to the present and the regular versions of the characters in March. It sounds like some of the books will start stuff that sets up what we see in Future State, but it's not going to be the big instant shift to a new permanent status quo that 5G was going to be.

 

[theenglish]

So is this just a Convergence style event or is there actually a story arc that comes out of Death Metal attached to all the one shots and mini series?

 

[Kai "the spy"]

Well, Death Metal is basically about re-writing the Multiverse, and it was supposed to lead into 5G when Didio was still around. So, it's probable that there will be a Future State tease as an epilogue at the end of Death Metal. But I doubt there'll be much carry-over from Future State into the ongoing titles resuming in March. OTOH, even Convergence had some lasting effects, with the return of pre-Flashpoint Lois & Clark, the introduction of Jon Kent, and the resurfacing memories of the original Teen Titans.

 

[theenglish]

So, did Doomsday Clock mean anything in the end? Will we ever see if its resolution had any effect on the DCU--we've seen the return of the JSA but its connection to the Watchmen story is ambiguous at best. Was Doomsday Clock an Elseworlds story at this point?

 

[Kai "the spy"]

Aside from Wally West and the Batman Who Laughs becoming a Dr. Manhattan-like beings, and Dr. Manhattan messing with the timeline being referrenced in the first issue of Death Metal, I don't think there was a lot of impact of Doomsday Clock on the DCU at large. My guess is, because it took so long to finish up, TPTB got tired of waiting, which is why Scott Snyder got to re-introduce the JSA in his Justice League run. They probably intended Doomsday Clock to be about finished by then.

There's room to speculate that Geoff Johns and Dan Didio probably were at odds a lot, and Didio worked against Johns' plans while the latter was busy with other media.

 

[theenglish]

Thanks. I will be reading Death Metal properly in November as I am still getting caught up with reading I didn't do last year. The Justice League filler issues were incredibly disappointing, especially since there was no reason those stories coGLuldn't have taken place following the events of the Doom War--they were sent to travel in the past to spread goodwill and the stories told in the filler issues were mainly about that. Some were readable but average; others were downright bad and juvenile.

Right now I am reading Morrison's GL series which is so enjoyable I wish that he were set to continue writing Hal Jordan for years to come--my one criticism of the series is that in typical Morrison fashion he spends a great deal of time bringing back Silver Age references while sidelining or ignoring much of what has happened in the GL books for the last ten years.