Something is afoot with the DC Universe. The Flashpoint crossover shows a DC Universe that is radically different from the one we know. Aquaman’s Atlantis and Wonder Woman’s Amazons are locked in an all out war that has virtually destroyed Europe, Africa is under the control of Gorilla Grodd, Batman is Bruce Wayne’s father, and it is Cyborg not Superman who is America’s greatest hero.
The Flashpoint World Map (via The Source)
Only Barry Allen and Booster Gold remember the old world and there is a lot of story to cover before the series wraps with Flashpoint #5 at the end of August. August is a five-week month and the Flashpoint conclusion is the only book shipping in the fifth week. Not only that, but a suspicious number of ongoing plotlines, arcs, and stories are wrapping immediately beforehand. DC looks like they are deliberately clearing the decks for whatever comes after Flashpoint and that has ignited a firestorm of speculation and rumour.
Comics Alliance have a good run down of the evidence for some sort of thresh hold event and detail a dozen different conclusions/story breaks that are happening in August. These include:
- The infamous J. Michael Straczynski arcs for Superman and Wonder Woman, “Grounded” and “Odyssey,” conclude after being taken over by Chris Roberson and Phil Hester respectively.
- “Rise of Eclipso” wraps up in Justice League.
- Batman: Gates of Gotham ends, and Batman gets a fill-in issue discussing an “identity crisis” for Dick Grayson, implying he might leave the Batsuit in September.
- Scott Snyder, Jock and Francesco Francavilla’s excellent “Black Mirror” storyline concludes in Detective Comics.
- “Reign of the Doomsdays” wraps up in Action Comics.
- [etc]
What does this mean for the Justice League? Well this is the Justice League solicitation for August:
Justice League of America (vol. 2) #60
- Credits: Writer: James Robinson; Penciller: Daniel Sampere; Inker: Wayne Faucher; Colourist: Andrew Dalhouse; Letterer: Rob Leigh; Cover Penciller: Ivan Reis; Cover Inker: Joe Prado; Cover Colourist: Peter Steigerwald; Variant Cover Artist: David Mack; Editor: Rex Ogle and Eddie Berganza
- Solicitation copy:In the aftermath of “Eclipso Rising,” the team faces an uncertain future. Be here for a tale of love, friendship and heroism when this incarnation of the JLA must decide whether they have anything left to offer the DC Universe. And the mystery of Jesse Quick’s wavering speed powers is solved in a revelation that will shock everyone.
- Published:17 August 2011
- Length:32 pages
- Cost:$2.99
It certainly sounds like an end or break point.
A few weeks ago Bleeding Cool announced that they’d discovered that DC’s next big thing was called “The Dark”, but they had to admit that they didn’t have a clue about what it was. Then Newsarama’s blogger Graeme McMillan, among a piece on the desensitizing escalation of destruction levels at DC and Marvel, observed that:
and JLA is, I am now convinced, running the secret lead up to whatever that “The Dark” launch is going to be for DC
Which sort of makes sense. The entire “Eclipso Rising” arc features villains and heroes who are tied to the Shadowlands – the vestigial primordial chaos left unilluminated when the creator commanded “let there be light”. And that certainly would fit the bill for something described as “The Dark”. (Let us also remember that James Robinson has stated that he’s working on an upcoming Shade series of some sort.)
Now Bleeding Cool have fuelled that suspicion with another rumour:
But I do have the first title for whatever Dark may be.
Justice League Dark.
This is post-Flashpoint, folks.
We’re talking an A-list creative team as well.
All very believable, but the conspiracy theory engines got dialled to eleven when DC themselves announced that Geoff Johns and Jim Lee would on Saturday, June 11 at the Hero Complex Film Festival in Hollywood for an “exclusive on-stage conversation” regarding the future of Superman. The date is important as it’s before the September solicitations which is when DC will have to spill the beans on while titles are available for order in September.
Could Geoff and Jim new the new A-list creative team on Justice League Dark? We’ll find out on June 11th.