Arguably the best thing about DC Comic's current universe is how connected it feels, from Superman's team-ups with Batman, to Hawkman's alien race-The Thanagarians-being at war with Adam Strange's alien allies-The Rannians. Everything is connected, but it wasn't always that way. Throughout DC's years of publication they have reset their universe to best fit both old and new readers. That's right readers, today we'll be discussing DC's Crisis History.
Often the challenge into reading comic books is feeling like you're missing something, the steep learning curve and various events that shape a story before it's told can be a weight on people who are new to comic books. To explain the entirety of the DCU would take too long, mainly because the DCU has been shattered and reassembled by several events called "Crisis". While the first Crisis can be dated back to 1961 when two versions of The Flash met, the first Crisis that reshaped the entire DCU was 1985's "Crisis on Infinite Earths". To put things simply, a being known as The Anti-Monitor wanted to destroy the entire DC Multiverse, this mainly focused on Earth 1 (the then current universe) and Earth 2 (the Golden Age universe). The characters of Earth 2 integrated into Earth 1 and many characters died during the event to avoid duplication of one character. For example: while Earth 1 Supergirl died during this Crisis, the Supergirl of Earth 2-who went by the name Power Girl-survived and stayed in Earth 1. Older heroes like Earth 2's Green Lantern and The Flash remained in Earth 1 as seasoned veteran heroes, seeing as how their careers began in the 60's relative to this 80's-90's universe. But our story doesn't end here, because this event was followed up by "Infinite Crisis" in 2005. This event focused on Earth 2 versions of Superman, Lex Luthor, Lois Lane Kent, and Earth-Primes' Superboy plotting to use Earth 2 characters to recreate Earth 2. Their plan falls apart as Superboy-Prime goes insane and murders various heroes and villains, this includes Earth 1 Superboy, thirty-two Green Lanterns, and Earth 2 Superman. Superboy-Prime's actions result in Earth 1 and Earth 2 combining into a new Earth, not much unlike Earth 1. Also, Earth 2 Luthor is murdered by The Joker because Luthor didn't invite The Joker into his team of villains. Typical.
But wait there's more! Taking a step away from all this Earth 1/Earth 2 business, let's discuss 2011's "Flashpoint", while not titled as a Crisis, it's repercussions clearly mimic those of previous Crisis events. With the main DCU being focused on Prime-Earth (that New Earth I mentioned), we follow The Flash/Barry Allen who at this point has been brought back to life multiple times along with several other DC heroes. The Flash is tricked by his enemy The Reverse-Flash into traveling back in time and preventing the death of his mother, Nora Allen. This causes The Prime-Earth to take radicle changes as history has changed: Thomas Wayne becomes Batman to avenge the death of his child, Aquaman and Wonder Woman wage war against each other, Superman was raised and contained in a government bunker, and Barry Allen never became The Flash. With the help of this world's heroes, The Flash is able to regain his powers, defeat Reverse-Flash and rewrite history one more time, but allow his mother to be murdered once again in the process. It was this change of time that combined DC Comic's other publications to migrate into the main DCU. WildStorm, Milestone and Vertigo Comics were absorbed into what DC called "The New 52". This new universe shuffled around the history of DC, but mainly modernized it's many characters. For better or worse, this is the current DCU.
Now I know that is a lot to take in and while DC is famous for pulling this kind of stuff, keep in mind Marvel Comics has pulled similar stunts. In fact, both comic companies are planning on reseting their respective universes once again with DC's "Convergence" and Marvel's "Secret Wars". Things like these are bound to happen as comic books are always trying to change and become easier to understand. The problem with reorganizing for new readers is that you make old readers feel forgotten or isolated. But really, even if the universe they've come to love disappears, the books and the history won't. I tried to simplify these events as much as possible without trying my tie brain in a knot, so please forgive me if these descriptions lack anything. Just know this: Comics are confusing, but they are also awesome. That is all. Thanks for reading!
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