DC only bringing out one comic on August 31st?

[zemo]

Here's the article: http://www.bleedingcool.com/2011/05/13/dc-to-publish-only-one-comic-at-the-end-of-august/

Seems like kind of a weird gimmick, doesn't it?

[Tobias M]

The phrase silk purse, sow's ear seems appropriate.

[Thequeerjock]

I'm seeing wild theories about how this is going to signify a line-wide complete continuity reboot, but I don't think that's gonna happen. It'll be like that Zero Hour series from the 80's (90's?) where there are some changes, but nothing nearly as huge as Crisis.

[Patrick Gerard]

I could see the line getting a complete set of "Rebirth" treatments to match Barry's.

Barry's Rebirth hinged on his mother suddenly being dead. (A mother that had only appeared in a few prior stories but whose retroactive death provided more story fodder than her ever being alive did.)

My bet is that Barry sets things right but does it imperfectly.

Suddenly every DC property has one or two new wrinkles in its backstory, similar to what happened with Barry's mom. Not so much that it rocks everything or destroys continuity. Basically, something that sets up a single new subplot for every character hinging on some wrong that can't be righted.

For example: Pete Ross - Dead at 17. Affects a handful of Superman stories. The Sons of Liberty thing, the stuff with Pete as Lex's vice President. Lana's forgotten child and marital status. Nothing huge. Not a proper reboot.

But it could do big things for the Superman books dramatically to have the death of Pete to play with, both because of what it does to Clark and how it influences Supergirl and Lana, who now has deep regrets over never reciprocating Pete Ross' affection rather than having a footnote marriage.

Just sow a tragedy into each property. It's not hard to find a character whose retroactive death wouldn't upset continuity but would add drama to the current book.

Here's an example: Aunt Harriett. Nobody even pays much attention to her. Unless Morrison has referenced her, I doubt she appeared since the 70s and her departure was a non-event. But Dick Grayson suddenly being given a dead aunt could influence his adventures as Batman today.

[Lester C.]

I could see the line getting a complete set of "Rebirth" treatments to match Barry's.

Barry's Rebirth hinged on his mother suddenly being dead. (A mother that had only appeared in a few prior stories but whose retroactive death provided more story fodder than her ever being alive did.)

My bet is that Barry sets things right but does it imperfectly.

Suddenly every DC property has one or two new wrinkles in its backstory, similar to what happened with Barry's mom. Not so much that it rocks everything or destroys continuity. Basically, something that sets up a single new subplot for every character hinging on some wrong that can't be righted.

For example: Pete Ross - Dead at 17. Affects a handful of Superman stories. The Sons of Liberty thing, the stuff with Pete as Lex's vice President. Lana's forgotten child and marital status. Nothing huge. Not a proper reboot.

But it could do big things for the Superman books dramatically to have the death of Pete to play with, both because of what it does to Clark and how it influences Supergirl and Lana, who now has deep regrets over never reciprocating Pete Ross' affection rather than having a footnote marriage.

Just sow a tragedy into each property. It's not hard to find a character whose retroactive death wouldn't upset continuity but would add drama to the current book.

Here's an example: Aunt Harriett. Nobody even pays much attention to her. Unless Morrison has referenced her, I doubt she appeared since the 70s and her departure was a non-event. But Dick Grayson suddenly being given a dead aunt could influence his adventures as Batman today.

I haven't been a paying customer for five years so I admit my opinion has no significance, but I think doing a One More Day treatment on every property is suicidal.

[Ray G.]

Given that it's a five-week month, it doesn't really affect their overall product output, so it seems kind of clever.

[RobStaeger]

They did this for one of the issues of Blackest Night, too, didn't they? Of course, that was the doldrums week between Christmas and new years.

[Gaelforce]

How will this be any different than what has happened at the end of just about every Crisis DC has had? The fact that they didn't slap a 'Crisis' label on this doesn't make it any different. Via multiverse collapsing, Superboy wall punching or Superman singing, these 'and we can change whatever we want in the world as a result' gimmicks are getting tiresome.

[OzMan]

Regardless of how it turns turns out, DC is doing a great job at putting a lot of focus on this book. Everyone will probably pick this up and it will at least open up some interest into the regular series books that other people may not have picked up before. That has been DC's biggest issue; the could nail the top 10 but can't take the market share in the top 100. I think its a sound strategy.

[Mark_S]

I'm trying not to think about the end of the summer yet, I want to enjoy it first.

[Forheiszombie]

Here's the article: http://www.bleedingcool.com/2011/05/13/dc-to-publish-only-one-comic-at-the-end-of-august/

Seems like kind of a weird gimmick, doesn't it?

Something big is going down in September as a result of Flashpoint. I originally thought there was going to be a Batman event due to all the books arcs seemingly ending in August... But in the Flashpoint #1 interview with Geoff Johns, the interviewer stated "I haven't gotten anyone to tell me what they're doing from September on" and all Johns said was "good."

[Patrick Gerard]

I haven't been a paying customer for five years so I admit my opinion has no significance, but I think doing a One More Day treatment on every property is suicidal.

It would be OMD if they used it to take out Alfred or Lois.

It would be something else if they used it to take out characters you hadn't seen in years, maybe characters you'd never seen. People of no consequence but who suddenly take on a consequence in death.

[Kevin T Brown]

I read it as that they're only soliciting that issue right now.... Not that it's the only issue being released that day.

I expect a lot of blacked out covers coming soon.

[Forheiszombie]

I read it as that they're only soliciting that issue right now.... Not that it's the only issue being released that day.

I thought it was pretty clear that Flashpoint 5 is the only issue they're releasing that day, due to it's supposed importance to the DCU.

[NickT]

In a way that's very clever, but on the other hand that seems like a good excuse to put some non-DCU books out in the same week, thus making them more noticable.

[stealthwise]

I don't really care that much, but I can't see it affecting everything in a huge way. Unless DC really recognizes the massive impact on sales that the past few years have had, and wants to pull them out of the dumpster (not that I think that's possible with a simple event). But titles like Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, even ones that aren't on everyone's radar, like Secret Six, all have continuing stories that are currently running, and dumping those would set off a backlash that would likely kill a good chunk of their books.

[Kevin T Brown]

I thought it was pretty clear that Flashpoint 5 is the only issue they're releasing that day, due to it's supposed importance to the DCU.

Here's what it says:
IMPORTANT NOTE: Because of its impact on the DC Universe, FLASHPOINT #5 is the only title that DC Comics is currently soliciting to arrive in stores on August 31.


Emphasis mine.

[Thequeerjock]

I don't really care that much, but I can't see it affecting everything in a huge way. Unless DC really recognizes the massive impact on sales that the past few years have had, and wants to pull them out of the dumpster (not that I think that's possible with a simple event). But titles like Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, even ones that aren't on everyone's radar, like Secret Six, all have continuing stories that are currently running, and dumping those would set off a backlash that would likely kill a good chunk of their books.

They also gave a very big push to relatively recent characters like Aqualad and the Justice League International (who while not new in any sense, came well after the original JLA) in Brightest Day. So what would have been the point of doing all these things like Brightest Day or Batwoman or Batman Inc. if you were ultimately going to axe them mid-story and throw them all out so you could start over?

[Shurato2099]

I don't think that they're going to go for a full reboot, as other has pointed out that would cause lots of backlash on several fronts. I think they'll use it as an excuse to reset a few things, particularly things that a lot of writers are already ignoring (or trying to) like the crapfest that was Death of the New Gods/Countdown/Final Crisis which could use some heavy streamlining. They're also waiting until after Flashpoint to start any new series and ended series before Flashpoint began.

They're going to use it as a break point.

[OzMan]

I don't think that they're going to go for a full reboot, as other has pointed out that would cause lots of backlash on several fronts. I think they'll use it as an excuse to reset a few things, particularly things that a lot of writers are already ignoring (or trying to) like the crapfest that was Death of the New Gods/Countdown/Final Crisis which could use some heavy streamlining. They're also waiting until after Flashpoint to start any new series and ended series before Flashpoint began.

They're going to use it as a break point.

More than likely it's going to be a Brightest Day for all the Supporting Characters that have died in the DCU. Therefore it will change the way certain characters are. More than likely Barry will have to make a decision to let his mother die again.

[Weeto]

Arrrghh!

I wish DC would stop altering everything every year or so.

I just want to buy some comics that I can read and understand without everything having to be radically altered every few issues. What makes things generally worse is that changes in a book you've never read usually end up messing a book which has had little to do with the storyline of that other book and often there is no real warning of a link until it is too late.

[RobStaeger]

Y'know, as much as DC supposedly changes its continuity all the time, I can't recall a continuity change since Crisis that really deeply mattered to anyone but the Legion. It either gets undone or papered over within a year or so.

[Slewo.O]

Arrrghh!

I wish DC would stop altering everything every year or so.

I just want to buy some comics that I can read and understand without everything having to be radically altered every few issues. What makes things generally worse is that changes in a book you've never read usually end up messing a book which has had little to do with the storyline of that other book and often there is no real warning of a link until it is too late.

http://www.cartoonstock.com/lowres/gca0313l.jpg

[Patrick Gerard]

Huh. DC Solicits are up. Anybody else notice that every single book is a standalone or the end of an arc and a lot of the covers look like retrospectives you'd see on a final issue?

Pet theory: Barry sets things right but doesn't stop there. He saves his mother... but doesn't stop there.

In the aftermath, Barry will be gone again. Maybe not dead but missing.

Wally takes over the book again, searching for Barry.

And everyone's history has been brightened up by Barry. Pa Kent is back. Kandor never left the bottle. Jason Todd is redeemed. Barbara Gordon is fighting alongside the Birds of Prey. Pantha is back. Kyle Rayner is back with Alex. Ralph and Sue Dibny are back; maybe they're in the JLA along with Aztek. Identity Crisis? Never happened. The classic JSA is whole again; heck, maybe Kal-L is hanging out with them. Ted Kord? Chilling with Booster and maybe Jaime too with a complete JLI. Ray Palmer and Ryan Choi are the Atoms. Hawkman and Hawkwoman are together. Heck, maybe the Legion gets in on the action, noting that records of Supergirl's death have vanished.

Tonally, the whole line is like it was at the height of the Silver Age. Not the details, many can remain as they are now, but the tone. Because all the cracks have been patched. The tragedies removed. The modern characters remain. It's still 2011 but a 2011 where none of the bad stuff happened. And that genie isn't going back in the bottle, per se. Nothing of Barry's changes can be undone.

The question is... What happens now? For example, with Barbara... The Killing Joke isn't going to be restored. So, do they paralyze her a second time to get Oracle or not? It's not that there will be no tragedies going forward but the writers will be picking them carefully. If you want Pantha dead, you're going to have to kill her a second time. You want Barbara in the chair, you can't fall back on The Killing Joke, you'll have to paralyze her again. It's a chance to rethink and re-evaluate every bad thing that's happened in a DC Comic. And this is the template going forward. Everything whole. Heck, maybe Superboy-Prime and Conner are friends now.

And people are going to get hurt. People are going to die. They might not be the same ones this time though. Because the Anti-Monitor is back and he has help. Geoff slipped forever ago that's the final act for his Barry story. But A-Ms got all the greatest DCU heroes of the last 50 years to deal with. Except one. Because Barry Allen is missing.

But I think where we're headed is a scenario where the gang is back together for the first time. All of DC's heroes happy and whole and setup for one last struggle against the creature that killed Barry before. And Barry is nowhere to be found.

[Slewo.O]

Huh. DC Solicits are up. Anybody else notice that every single book is a standalone or the end of an arc and a lot of the covers look like retrospectives you'd see on a final issue?

Pet theory: Barry sets things right but doesn't stop there. He saves his mother... but doesn't stop there.

In the aftermath, Barry will be gone again. Maybe not dead but missing.

Wally takes over the book again, searching for Barry.

And everyone's history has been brightened up by Barry. Pa Kent is back. Kandor never left the bottle. Jason Todd is redeemed. Barbara Gordon is fighting alongside the Birds of Prey. Pantha is back. Kyle Rayner is back with Alex. Ralph and Sue Dibny are back; maybe they're in the JLA along with Aztek. Identity Crisis? Never happened. The classic JSA is whole again; heck, maybe Kal-L is hanging out with them. Ted Kord? Chilling with Booster and maybe Jaime too with a complete JLI. Ray Palmer and Ryan Choi are the Atoms. Hawkman and Hawkwoman are together. Heck, maybe the Legion gets in on the action, noting that records of Supergirl's death have vanished.

Tonally, the whole line is like it was at the height of the Silver Age. Not the details, many can remain as they are now, but the tone. Because all the cracks have been patched. The tragedies removed. The modern characters remain. It's still 2011 but a 2011 where none of the bad stuff happened. And that genie isn't going back in the bottle, per se. Nothing of Barry's changes can be undone.

The question is... What happens now? For example, with Barbara... The Killing Joke isn't going to be restored. So, do they paralyze her a second time to get Oracle or not? It's not that there will be no tragedies going forward but the writers will be picking them carefully. If you want Pantha dead, you're going to have to kill her a second time. You want Barbara in the chair, you can't fall back on The Killing Joke, you'll have to paralyze her again. It's a chance to rethink and re-evaluate every bad thing that's happened in a DC Comic. And this is the template going forward. Everything whole. Heck, maybe Superboy-Prime and Conner are friends now.

And people are going to get hurt. People are going to die. They might not be the same ones this time though. Because the Anti-Monitor is back and he has help. Geoff slipped forever ago that's the final act for his Barry story. But A-Ms got all the greatest DCU heroes of the last 50 years to deal with. Except one. Because Barry Allen is missing.

But I think where we're headed is a scenario where the gang is back together for the first time. All of DC's heroes happy and whole and setup for one last struggle against the creature that killed Barry before. And Barry is nowhere to be found.

Where did he slip that about Anti-Monitor?

[Thequeerjock]

I don't think Pat's theory is too likely.

Looking at Zero Hour, apparently DC released new "Zero" issues for every book, with new status quos for most of them. The Titans got a new line-up, as did the JLA, and so on.
I'm betting that's what we'll see here. The Justice League solicit seems to imply that Robinson's team is going to be breaking up. I'm betting we'll get a relaunch with a new creative team and roster.

[Kevin T Brown]

Pat is somewhat close I believe....

The week following Flashpoint #5 we will have a brand new DCU. It's getting rebooted. Maybe not 100%, but it's being rebooted. The DCU we currently know will no longer exist after August 31st.

DC is doing exactly what they should have done at the end of CoIE #12. A near total reboot.

People will bitch. People will comiplain. But people will be talking. And people will be buying out of curiosity.

As far as I'm concerned, this is VERY GOOD thing. I'm excited to see what we get!

[DarkKnightJared]

Huh. DC Solicits are up. Anybody else notice that every single book is a standalone or the end of an arc and a lot of the covers look like retrospectives you'd see on a final issue?

Pet theory: Barry sets things right but doesn't stop there. He saves his mother... but doesn't stop there.

In the aftermath, Barry will be gone again. Maybe not dead but missing.

Wally takes over the book again, searching for Barry.

And everyone's history has been brightened up by Barry. Pa Kent is back. Kandor never left the bottle. Jason Todd is redeemed. Barbara Gordon is fighting alongside the Birds of Prey. Pantha is back. Kyle Rayner is back with Alex. Ralph and Sue Dibny are back; maybe they're in the JLA along with Aztek. Identity Crisis? Never happened. The classic JSA is whole again; heck, maybe Kal-L is hanging out with them. Ted Kord? Chilling with Booster and maybe Jaime too with a complete JLI. Ray Palmer and Ryan Choi are the Atoms. Hawkman and Hawkwoman are together. Heck, maybe the Legion gets in on the action, noting that records of Supergirl's death have vanished.

Tonally, the whole line is like it was at the height of the Silver Age. Not the details, many can remain as they are now, but the tone. Because all the cracks have been patched. The tragedies removed. The modern characters remain. It's still 2011 but a 2011 where none of the bad stuff happened. And that genie isn't going back in the bottle, per se. Nothing of Barry's changes can be undone.

The question is... What happens now? For example, with Barbara... The Killing Joke isn't going to be restored. So, do they paralyze her a second time to get Oracle or not? It's not that there will be no tragedies going forward but the writers will be picking them carefully. If you want Pantha dead, you're going to have to kill her a second time. You want Barbara in the chair, you can't fall back on The Killing Joke, you'll have to paralyze her again. It's a chance to rethink and re-evaluate every bad thing that's happened in a DC Comic. And this is the template going forward. Everything whole. Heck, maybe Superboy-Prime and Conner are friends now.

And people are going to get hurt. People are going to die. They might not be the same ones this time though. Because the Anti-Monitor is back and he has help. Geoff slipped forever ago that's the final act for his Barry story. But A-Ms got all the greatest DCU heroes of the last 50 years to deal with. Except one. Because Barry Allen is missing.

But I think where we're headed is a scenario where the gang is back together for the first time. All of DC's heroes happy and whole and setup for one last struggle against the creature that killed Barry before. And Barry is nowhere to be found.

Ooooo...that COULD be really interesting, actually! :O

The thing I was thinking of would be that Barry would eventually fix the timeline, but it would be...messy. New characters from that world will still be around, some characters might be replaced by their counterpart, etc.

[Arion]

I'm seeing wild theories about how this is going to signify a line-wide complete continuity reboot, but I don't think that's gonna happen. It'll be like that Zero Hour series from the 80's (90's?) where there are some changes, but nothing nearly as huge as Crisis.

90s .

[Thequeerjock]

The thing I was thinking of would be that Barry would eventually fix the timeline, but it would be...messy. New characters from that world will still be around, some characters might be replaced by their counterpart, etc.

This is what I'm thinking. As far as we know, the Justice League International, Static Shock and Batwoman titles haven't been axed yet, and as I said above a complete reboot would kinda make their past year of storytelling worthless. But I am betting this will be used to resurrect more oldschool characters and more bits of the old status quo.

[Shurato2099]

*sniff*

I bet we don't get any dead Titans back, though.

[DarkKnightJared]

This is what I'm thinking. As far as we know, the Justice League International, Static Shock and Batwoman titles haven't been axed yet, and as I said above a complete reboot would kinda make their past year of storytelling worthless. But I am betting this will be used to resurrect more oldschool characters and more bits of the old status quo.

I could also see them bringing in the more interesting components of the Flashpoint-verse into the DCU--like one that I've heard is that the Green Lantern of that 'verse, Abin Sur, would make his way into the DCU and become the "new" GL of 2814 instead of Hal. People are saying that the "Captain Thunder"/Agents of S!H!A!Z!A!M! might replace the current Marvel family. I also can't help but imagine the story potential being limitless if our Batman got to meet the Flashpoint Batman.

[Thequeerjock]

I could also see them bringing in the more interesting components of the Flashpoint-verse into the DCU--like one that I've heard is that the Green Lantern of that 'verse, Abin Sur, would make his way into the DCU and become the "new" GL of 2814 instead of Hal. People are saying that the "Captain Thunder"/Agents of S!H!A!Z!A!M! might replace the current Marvel family. I also can't help but imagine the story potential being limitless if our Batman got to meet the Flashpoint Batman.

I especially like the bolded idea. Considering how thoroughly f*cked up the current Marvels are, a fresh start could be the best thing.
The JLA solicit seems to imply that the current team is disbanding that month, so I also think we'll be getting a newly relaunched team with a more "A-List" roster. I'm expecting DC to cash in on Cyborg's prominence in Flashpoint by maybe putting him in a big role on the new JLA.

[Shurato2099]

I especially like the bolded idea. Considering how thoroughly f*cked up the current Marvels are, a fresh start could be the best thing.

I'm not sure how to feel about that. On the one hand, a totally fresh start -could- work but on the other hand the last "radical change for the sake of change" didn't go over that well and I don't think that turning the Marvel Family into the Planeteers is likely to go over well.

[Weeto]

I wish everything would go back to the way it was before Identity Crisis as I was really enjoying the DCU at that point...

[Shurato2099]

But, but ... it wasn't EDGY enough back then! </sarcasm>

[Weeto]

I remember what happened after one year later...

...practically all my favourite books were fragged and I couldn't understand what was happening in 75% of them for months. I hope that doesn't happen again but it seems that it might.

[Patrick Gerard]

Where did he slip that about Anti-Monitor?

Back just before Rebirth, that he had plans for the Anti-Monitor as a Flash villain.

[Patrick Gerard]

This is what I'm thinking. As far as we know, the Justice League International, Static Shock and Batwoman titles haven't been axed yet, and as I said above a complete reboot would kinda make their past year of storytelling worthless. But I am betting this will be used to resurrect more oldschool characters and more bits of the old status quo.

Which is why I could see it just being a reboot on the tragedies. Same history, just without any of the deaths or dismemberments. Think of it as being all the bad parts censored.

In turn, there will be more death and guts but they'll try to plan it much more carefully in the future.

In 1985, the confusing/alienating thing was multiple earths so they had a crossover remove them. Now, the confusing/alienating thing is gore and cynicism so they'll have a crossover to remove them.

I think it's helpful to think on the reasons why Barry died and why the Crisis was framed like it was.

Crisis had red skies and lightning because they wanted to evoke Barry all throughout the event. Barry died not because he was boring or unpopular. He was written out of the DCU. There were plans for a new Flash that wasn't Wally and Wally could have taken over anyway since Barry was gone from the standard DCU.

They killed Barry because DC's stance was that he was the human embodiment of the Silver Age and they wanted to wrap up that era with a bloody bang. Since he's come back, he hasn't been himself. He hasn't fit in.

Now, I think the question is whether Barry adapts to the DCU or the DCU adapts to Barry.

I think several characters will remain after Flashpoint. I also think we have a prime example of a scenario where if Barry is going to fix things, who knows where he'll stop? And who knows how much of the regular events were caused by Zoom?

I really think we're going to see the universe compromise towards Barry's attitude more since, meta-textually, they felt they had to kill him to make things darker before.

I'll also add, I think this is the prime time to fix Wonder Woman as well.

[Kevin T Brown]

Patrick, the Anti-Monitor was used in Brightest Day and defeated.

[Patrick Gerard]

Patrick, the Anti-Monitor was used in Brightest Day and defeated.

Not by Barry, though, was he? Maybe something changed but Anti-Monitor was supposed to become a Flash villain.

[Thequeerjock]

I never heard anything about him becoming a Flash villain. He was used as the big baddie in the Ron/Jason Firestorm story, and had a brief altercation with Deadman. But that's about it.

[DarkKnightJared]

Patrick, the Anti-Monitor was used in Brightest Day and defeated.

I don't remember him being defeated--I remember Deadman being thrown at Anti-Monitor by the White Lantern to force Boston to relearn to defend himself, but he really didn't do anything to Monitor besides evade his attacks.

[Shurato2099]

Then there was the later confrontation between Firestorm and the Anti-Monitor and his servants Deathstorm and the faux Black Lanterns for possession of the White Lantern. He wasn't so much defeated as thwarted.

[Thequeerjock]

Bleedingcool is now saying once Flashpoint ends, each title is restarting with a new #1. That's pretty believable at this point.

[RobStaeger]

It's believable, but it seems like he's not getting that from a source, but instead extrapolating it from the finality of DC's August solicitations, the same as we're doing here. It's not confirmation of the theory so much as agreement.

[KirbyKrackle]

If all the dc titles are going to get relaunched with a new number ones, I'm sure Tom Breevort will bitch about it.

[Jose]

If all the dc titles are going to get relaunched with a new number ones, I'm sure Tom Breevort will bitch about it.

Obviously, though numbers are meaningless to Marvel.

I hope they don't renumber Action Comics.

[Arion]

I never heard anything about him becoming a Flash villain. He was used as the big baddie in the Ron/Jason Firestorm story, and had a brief altercation with Deadman. But that's about it.

The Anti-Monitor used to fight against the entire DC Universe ... what's the point of bringing him back if he's going to be misused ?

[Slewo.O]

If all the dc titles are going to get relaunched with a new number ones, I'm sure Tom Breevort will bitch about it.
:)



The Anti-Monitor used to fight against the entire DC Universe ... what's the point of bringing him back if he's going to be misused ?

I'm just fine with Anti-Monitor just sitting back for now... Though the Firestorm fight was awesome.

[Kevin T Brown]

Bleedingcool is now saying once Flashpoint ends, each title is restarting with a new #1. That's pretty believable at this point.

No, I don't think there will be new #1s across the board. Especially not with Action, Detective, Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. There might be SOME new #1s, but not all.

For example, they rushed to make sure Teen Titans hit #100 the same month #99 comes out... That book will probably be a new #1. Flash for sure gets a new #1. Some of the brand new Bat-titles and Super-titles will not be re-numbered. Green Lantern titles? Probably not. Secret Six, Bird of Prey, Booster Gold, JLA, JSA and the rest are definite maybes. I would just guess any title started within the past 18 months does not go to a new #1.

However, there will possibly be a lot cancellations and new titles coming from it. JLA cancelled to come back as JLI? Secret Six cancelled to come back as Villains United? These are just guesses by me, but I can see it happening.

[quietomega]

Line-wide reboots to #1's. Does that mean someone in Marvel defected to DC?

It sounds highly suspect and plausible, but I'm really hoping that that DC doesn't push through with it, at least for the books that have hit triple digits since it'll cause a lot of scams to happen online. A LOT of Action Comics 1's will suddenly pop out, and those that aren't that savvy could end up buying them and only belatedly realizing that it's not the one with Superman's first appearance.

Personally, I'm not that bothered by a line-wide renumbering IF it means that the current creative teams will stay on board and their long term story plans are still intact. Otherwise, I'd be really annoyed

[Thequeerjock]

However, there will possibly be a lot cancellations and new titles coming from it. JLA cancelled to come back as JLI? Secret Six cancelled to come back as Villains United? These are just guesses by me, but I can see it happening.

We know JLI is still coming, but I'm expecting a big JLA relaunch with some of the big guns thrown back in. After the push DC is giving Cyborg in Flashpoint, I'll be very shocked if he isn't front and center in a new League.

[RobStaeger]

This also seems like a plausible reason to launch Batwoman in November, after the dust from whatever this is settles and they can promote it better.

[Patrick Gerard]

Line-wide reboots to #1's. Does that mean someone in Marvel defected to DC?


You mean like Bob Harras (who oversaw the Heroes Reborn era, Age of Apocalypse era, and Spider-Clone Saga at Marvel) being editor-in-chief at DC as of September 2010?

There's probably not an editor in comics who oversaw more new #1's except maybe for Tom DeFalco.

[Dreg]

Huh. DC Solicits are up. Anybody else notice that every single book is a standalone or the end of an arc and a lot of the covers look like retrospectives you'd see on a final issue?

Pet theory: Barry sets things right but doesn't stop there. He saves his mother... but doesn't stop there.

In the aftermath, Barry will be gone again. Maybe not dead but missing.

Wally takes over the book again, searching for Barry.

I think if DC had any interest in releasing a comic starring Wally West, they would have done something (anything) to promote him before the book was released. But he has no major role in Flashpoint, and they've done their best to bury him for the past three years. If DC valued Wally as a character, you wouldn't have Dan yelling "Which one's that again?" every time a fan asked about Wally. He'd be the one getting them excited about Wally.

[Kevin T Brown]

I think if DC had any interest in releasing a comic starring Wally West, they would have done something (anything) to promote him before the book was released. But he has no major role in Flashpoint, and they've done their best to bury him for the past three years. If DC valued Wally as a character, you wouldn't have Dan yelling "Which one's that again?" every time a fan asked about Wally. He'd be the one getting them excited about Wally.

Only 1 issue has been released, so we have NO idea what Wally's role in the next 4 issues is going to be.

Besides, this whole series has been kept very secret, which is odd considering how things always get leaked. So who does what with whom in this story is pretty much a complete mystery.

[Patrick Gerard]

I think if DC had any interest in releasing a comic starring Wally West, they would have done something (anything) to promote him before the book was released. But he has no major role in Flashpoint, and they've done their best to bury him for the past three years. If DC valued Wally as a character, you wouldn't have Dan yelling "Which one's that again?" every time a fan asked about Wally. He'd be the one getting them excited about Wally.

I'm not suggesting he's the permanent star but that he'd be helming a "Search for Barry Allen" arc.

Getting rid of Barry again would be nuts but building up some mystique by having him disappear (so he can have a dramatic third act return) could open some doors.

[Dreg]

dbl

[Dreg]

Only 1 issue has been released, so we have NO idea what Wally's role in the next 4 issues is going to be.

Besides, this whole series has been kept very secret, which is odd considering how things always get leaked. So who does what with whom in this story is pretty much a complete mystery.

Actually, Sterling Gates has revealed that Kid Flash Lost is where the Flash family will be appearing in Flashpoint.

[Jose]

You mean like Bob Harras (who oversaw the Heroes Reborn era, Age of Apocalypse era, and Spider-Clone Saga at Marvel) being editor-in-chief at DC as of September 2010?

There's probably not an editor in comics who oversaw more new #1's except maybe for Tom DeFalco.

I am pretty sure Quesada has them all beat by a country mile.

[Ravenwing263]

I am pretty sure Quesada has them all beat by a country mile.

I would take that bet. Harrass relaunched the entire core Marvel Universe line twice in a year.

[Jose]

I would take that bet. Harrass relaunched the entire core Marvel Universe line twice in a year.

These days Marvel relaunches a title everytime a character changes their socks.

[Thequeerjock]

These days Marvel relaunches a title everytime a character changes their socks.

Not really. Aside from the Heroic Age reboots for the Avengers titles, I can't think of many.

[Ravenwing263]

These days Marvel relaunches a title everytime a character changes their socks.

That's simply not true, even if you adjust for hyperbole.

The turn-overs for The Avengers to The New Avengers to the "Heroic Age" version of The Avengers was kind of brief, but The New Avengers ran about five times longer then Harris' "Heroes Reborn" launch of The Avengers. Not to say Marvel didn't get a bit title-change happy this summer, with the desire to capitalize on the movies and everything, but they are less relaunch happy then they were ten years ago, not more.

[Kevin T Brown]

I would take that bet. Harrass relaunched the entire core Marvel Universe line twice in a year.

And you'd lose. Quesada was E-I-C for twice as long (nearly 11 years). Also, Harras had to deal with bankruptcy issues for 2-3 years while E-I-C, so not a lot of new product being produced during that time.

And I just went through HERE (http://www.dcindexes.com/newsstand/index.php) to see what was published and how many #1s occurred during Harras' tenure..... and not a lot. Tons of minis, but not a lot of new on-going titles. Unless it all hit in '99 and early '00 which was not showing anything.

[quietomega]

I completely forgot about Harrass being in DC now.

Punisher, Daredevil, Black Panther, Runaways and Moon Knight have all hit the relaunch button; especially maddening for Daredevil since his title was bumped to 500, then he was taken OFF his title to make room for Black Panther.

Anyway, the more I think about this, the more I believe that we're anticipating something that won't happen. There was lots of talk about something like this happening during Final Crisis, and life went on. On the other hand, DC may have also realized that Final Crisis didn't have enough effects after it was over and decided to do something drastic this time.

In any case, none of the solicits indicate "final issue" so...maybe?

[Kevin T Brown]

I think it would be dumb of DC to relaunch with all new #1s. BUT I think they will reboot and re-imagine the characters with a clean slate, much like they did with the Flash in 1956.

[Ray G.]

They're going to use Flashpoint to do some sort of "Selective retcons", I bet. Batman and GL will stay the same, but the struggling franchises will undergo some changes.

The one thing I'd look for is probably some return to iconic Wonder Woman. Wouldn't be surprised if they retcon in Young Steve Trevor again.

[Patrick Gerard]

Actually? I think we may go back to Bruce as Batman out of this, the core one.

I'm almost 100% certain Wonder Woman will get fixed out of this, probably stripped down to Perez with silver age details here and there.

[Slewo.O]

Actually? I think we may go back to Bruce as Batman out of this, the core one.

I'm almost 100% certain Wonder Woman will get fixed out of this, probably stripped down to Perez with silver age details here and there.

Why would that happen? It's an anti-climactic ending to an overarching story in a totally different book... That and I doubt the bat-editors would let that happen.

[Kingsmythe]

From everything I've seen of Flashpoint so far, DC is going to save me a lot of money over the course of this as I don't really have much interest in buying any of it. I may well take some time off comics for the most part in all this. That'd be very odd for me, but I'm not getting something just because I don't have my regular titles to buy, and the "Age of Apoco-Flash" just isn't grabbing me.

[quietomega]

Why would that happen? It's an anti-climactic ending to an overarching story in a totally different book... That and I doubt the bat-editors would let that happen.

They probably wouldn't want to piss Morrison off either, since he's one of the biggest top-sellers in the industry right now

I just realized that if they're relaunching everything in September, it's going to make the decision to delay Batwoman #1 to that month make sense

[Hugin]

They probably wouldn't want to piss Morrison off either, since he's one of the biggest top-sellers in the industry right now

I just realized that if they're relaunching everything in September, it's going to make the decision to delay Batwoman #1 to that month make senseIs there any word on Static Shock? Because I was thinking the same thing about their delay of that.

I guess I'll have to pick this up. I don't want to read FP, but if it is as radical as they say I need to read it, and if not then I just spent $15 to learn that I can't trust DC. That's...acceptable.

[Thequeerjock]

Is there any word on Static Shock? Because I was thinking the same thing about their delay of that.

I guess I'll have to pick this up. I don't want to read FP, but if it is as radical as they say I need to read it, and if not then I just spent $15 to learn that I can't trust DC. That's...acceptable.

Henderson was fired from the title, and the launch of the series was pushed back indefinitely. The month that issue #2 was supposed to be launched now has the controversial Dwayne McDuffie tribute issue instead.
I THINK Geoff Johns said it was still coming at C2E2, but didn't elaborate beyond that.

[Jose]

Felicia Henderson is such a bad writer that any delay in the title necessitated by replacing her should be welcome with open arms. If the delay could result in a launch with a post-crossover boost, all the better for the character and his fans.

[Patrick Gerard]

Why would that happen? It's an anti-climactic ending to an overarching story in a totally different book... That and I doubt the bat-editors would let that happen.

I think all the overarching plots wrap up the month before.

Even if Flashpoint doesn't DIRECTLY reboot things, it could be enough of a distraction so that, after Flashpoint ends, all the characters just kind of turn up in their most iconic forms.

So, while Flashpoint wouldn't be rebooting things, I think the idea is that there would be almost no subplots left after the September issues... And then after everything gets fixed, the characters just waltz back in alongside Barry in their most iconic forms and the details are just left hazy.

So... Wonder Woman is Wonder Woman again. The New WW plot gets wrapped up in September anyway. And then the next time we see Diana would be after Flashpoint and she doesn't have to deal with the new WW stuff.

Batman Inc. probably wraps up in September with very few dangling loose ends and the B&R solicit sounds like Dick is getting a different identity. Wouldn't be shocked to see Nightwing and Robin.

The big thing is, post-Flashpoint, you could simply establish everyone being in their most iconic form. Whether than happened organically off-panel or was the result of a temporal two-step could be up to the individual writers and editors. Regardless of how it happens, the end of FP would mark a point where it all happens at once for everyone, some through temporal shuffling. (I could see, for instance, where Johns might request that the WW story wrap up in a way that leaves her distorted so that she gets fixed in Flashpoint, allowing them to also bring in a modernized Steve Trevor while retaining most of the modern stuff.)

[Kingsmythe]

Felicia Henderson is such a bad writer that any delay in the title necessitated by replacing her should be welcome with open arms. If the delay could result in a launch with a post-crossover boost, all the better for the character and his fans.

Felicia D Henderson is the worst comic writer I've run across in my decades of reading. This includes Devin Grayson at her worst, the Beechen Batgirl mini, Amazons Attack, and Final Crisis (yeah, a lot of folks loved it, I thought it was largely incomprehensible).

[Shurato2099]

I had no problem with Final Crisis until the end with Morrison's 'channel surfing' BS cutting from plot point to plot point: the tail end of a company's big event book is -not- where you get all experimental like that.

[Kevin T Brown]

I had no problem with Final Crisis until the end with Morrison's 'channel surfing' BS cutting from plot point to plot point: the tail end of a company's big event book is -not- where you get all experimental like that.

That's Morrison at his worst and at his best.

He just never should have done it there.

[Shurato2099]

It kind of felt like the crazy director from the Irma Vep movie with Maggie Cheung. "He'll screw it up in post ... "

[Personamanx]

Please don't be a complete reboot, Please don't be a complete reboot, Please don't be a complete reboot, Please don't be a complete reboot, Please don't be a complete reboot, Please don't be a complete reboot, Please don't be a complete reboot, Please don't be a complete reboot, Please don't be a complete reboot, Please don't be a complete reboot, Please don't be a complete reboot, Please don't be a complete reboot, Please don't be a complete reboot, Please don't be a complete reboot, Please don't be a complete reboot, Please don't be a complete reboot....

I can deal with change, but not regression.

[The Xenos]

Well if it is a full continuity reboot... geee... that sure as hell sounds like a great time to give up DC comics.

Hell, the majority of DC books I read depend of years of built up continuity, new characters, and character development. Birds of Prey, Secret Six, Batman Inc. A reboot would just decimate their very existence and all my interest in buying DC books along with them.

[Kevin T Brown]

Well if it is a full continuity reboot... geee... that sure as hell sounds like a great time to give up DC comics.

Hell, the majority of DC books I read depend of years of built up continuity, new characters, and character development. Birds of Prey, Secret Six, Batman Inc. A reboot would just decimate their very existence and all my interest in buying DC books along with them.

What if the reboot completely did away with Dinah and Ollie's marriage?

[Lester C.]

Please don't be a complete reboot, Please don't be a complete reboot, Please don't be a complete reboot, Please don't be a complete reboot, Please don't be a complete reboot, Please don't be a complete reboot, Please don't be a complete reboot, Please don't be a complete reboot, Please don't be a complete reboot, Please don't be a complete reboot, Please don't be a complete reboot, Please don't be a complete reboot, Please don't be a complete reboot, Please don't be a complete reboot, Please don't be a complete reboot, Please don't be a complete reboot....

I can deal with change, but not regression.

I don't think they have a choice. It used to be that Wonder Woman was the only book whose backstory was so convoluted and dense that it only the most hardcore fan could understand what's going on. With all the changes that have occurred since 2004, ALL the books have become enmeshed in a very overarching dense convoluted mythology. A major house cleaning is in order.

[Thequeerjock]

I don't think they have a choice.

Of course they do. As bad as continuity has gotten, torpedoing EVERYTHING and simply starting from the very beginning poses it's own unique set of problems.

[Patrick Gerard]

I had no problem with Final Crisis until the end with Morrison's 'channel surfing' BS cutting from plot point to plot point: the tail end of a company's big event book is -not- where you get all experimental like that.

COIE was basically non-stop "channel surfing". The one event I can think of that didn't end like that was DC One Million, although it did end with Kyle Rayner doing a flashback to the end.

[Shurato2099]

No, not really. It was a bunch of vignettes strung together in between the major developments. The end of FC was literally different situations from panel to panel with no rising tension or resolution, just a feeling of 'WTH?!'; they were the implication of story without actually having any.

[Slewo.O]

No, not really. It was a bunch of vignettes strung together in between the major developments. The end of FC was literally different situations from panel to panel with no rising tension or resolution, just a feeling of 'WTH?!'; they were the implication of story without actually having any.

?

All of the situations in FC 7 climaxed to Earth's falling into the hole in reality created by Darkseid's death and then Superman's return to defeat Darkseid and Captain Marvel's army of Supermen to help him against Mandrakk. Then of course earth being lifted and the end. There was a point to the madness.

[Patrick Gerard]

No, not really. It was a bunch of vignettes strung together in between the major developments. The end of FC was literally different situations from panel to panel with no rising tension or resolution, just a feeling of 'WTH?!'; they were the implication of story without actually having any.

That's kinda the level of compression I want more of in comics.

Look at the stuff from the 60s. They'd span five days and three continents in one page.

Joe Kelly also does this a lot too although he's big on the Starlin-esque splashes and double splashes that show vignettes. There was one of those in Batgirl when she teamed up with Supergirl against the Draculas.

Give me the Cliff's Notes. I can keep up.

You literally can't cram to many hints at side plots for my tastes, particularly in the conclusion to a crossover, where I want a swelling orchestra and cast of thousands that take annotations for me to fully decompress.

[Slewo.O]

That's kinda the level of compression I want more of in comics.

Look at the stuff from the 60s. They'd span five days and three continents in one page.

Joe Kelly also does this a lot too although he's big on the Starlin-esque splashes and double splashes that show vignettes. There was one of those in Batgirl when she teamed up with Supergirl against the Draculas.

Give me the Cliff's Notes. I can keep up.

You literally can't cram to many hints at side plots for my tastes, particularly in the conclusion to a crossover, where I want a swelling orchestra and cast of thousands that take annotations for me to fully decompress.

Exactly. What made Final Crisis so awesome is that it didn't need so many big panels all the time. Sometimes all you need is lots of small ones to sell a lot of action and tell the story, it made those double page spreads when they did happen count. Such as Batman's death. That was a nice reserve.

[stealthwise]

The real conclusion to Flashpoint:

Two Years Later.

[Arion]

The real conclusion to Flashpoint:

Two Years Later.

I'm not sure if I can be a fan of that.

[Ray G.]

I just can't see them completely undoing all the progress they've made in Batman and especially GL.

[Patrick Gerard]

I just can't see them completely undoing all the progress they've made in Batman and especially GL.

I can't see them making the progress without a reset button and a lot of the progress made over the years happened because they botched the reset button.

For example:

The overarching plan with President Lex was always for Superman to get Mxyzptlk to retcon it out after Lex kills everybody, with Superman and Mxy both knowing that Mxy's powers can only be used for mischief (even though Mxy doesn't want to use them for mischief this time). Which would have retconned President Lex and Lex's knowledge of Superman's secret identity but created new problems. Ala the cat that's bought to chase the mouse, the dog that's bought to chase the cat, etc.

That whole story got thrown out despite being a longterm plot in the works. So now Lex runs around as a former President of the United States even though the creators were planning on a reset button when they got him elected.

[Kevin T Brown]

I just can't see them completely undoing all the progress they've made in Batman and especially GL.

I can.

They can keep some of it, get rid what's burdensome, and move forward.

[Patrick Gerard]

I can.

They can keep some of it, get rid what's burdensome, and move forward.

I'd also maintain that continuity isn't what they need to reboot: the tragedies are.

They eliminated multiple earths in COIE because they'd become burdensome. They set out to restrict the use of parallel universes and make it meaningful.

But, from a publishing perspective, I don't think a reboot has to be about continuity or something like alternate earths. It can be about tragedy.

I think, in this case, the deliberate set of choices were made:

- Barry Allen doesn't fit into the DCU because he's too bright.
- Zoom gives him a tragedy. (The death of his mother.)
- Barry doesn't seem like himself after that.
- Zoom ups the tragedy level of the whole DCU.
- Barry fixes everything. Saves his mother. And brings the rest of the DCU up to his level of brightness.

Structurally, the whole thing is similar to how Azrael was used to prove that Batman didn't work as a murderous loner; that was the whole point behind AzBats.

In this case, it's basically a question of whether Barry belongs in the DCU, whether he can be made to fit or changed until he fits, or whether he's such an influential figure, so immovable, that he won't get darker no matter what happens in his world or to his world -- but the world will end up changing to match his tone. The world got darker while Barry was gone. Now it's even darker. But we're being setup for a springback. No matter how dark it gets, Barry is Barry and if he doesn't fit into the world, it's the world that will change to fit him.

[stealthwise]

So retconning the tragedies would apply to the heroes only, right? Or do they just wipe out the Secret Six altogether?

[KirbyKrackle]

I'm guessing that the long talked about geoff johns/ grant morrison title after flashpoint is going to be The Flash, Justice League or Swamp Thing.

[Patrick Gerard]

So retconning the tragedies would apply to the heroes only, right? Or do they just wipe out the Secret Six altogether?

The biggest payoff I could see there is renewing Bane's obsession with Batman if he never got to break the Bat.

Also kinda makes sense to have the ultimate Superman-Doomsday throwdown now if the Death of Superman gets wiped out with something nutty like Barry taking out Doomsday as part of his world tour of events. Might also see Emerald Twilight go away, which explains why they're doing so much with Parallax right now.

Think of it this way: the net result might boil down to Barry never having been gone -- which could be a pretty big gamechanger for Wally and push him back into the limelight.

There's actually nothing about Conner's origin that requires the death

[Slewo.O]

The biggest payoff I could see there is renewing Bane's obsession with Batman if he never got to break the Bat.

Also kinda makes sense to have the ultimate Superman-Doomsday throwdown now if the Death of Superman gets wiped out with something nutty like Barry taking out Doomsday as part of his world tour of events. Might also see Emerald Twilight go away, which explains why they're doing so much with Parallax right now.

Think of it this way: the net result might boil down to Barry never having been gone -- which could be a pretty big gamechanger for Wally and push him back into the limelight.

There's actually nothing about Conner's origin that requires the death

What point would be to retconning any of that?

[Patrick Gerard]

What point would be to retconning any of that?

The point would be a tone adjustment. The point would not necessarily be to simplify stuff or streamline stuff but, say, to make the comics line more in keeping with something like Brave and the Bold, which might be something they'd want to do if they wanted to, say, build on the waves of films coming up and digital distribution to hit a kids market more. But they keep the continuity obsessives on the hook by making it a time travel event rather than what, say, Jim MacQuarrie would do and just issue a letter saying, "We changed things. Deal with it."

[Corrina]

My guess is that Grant Morrison has a reset button of his own for the Batman franchise but will only use it when he leaves the books. There's the big thing that he keeps foreshadowing in Batman Inc.

[KirbyKrackle]

My guess is that Grant Morrison has a reset button of his own for the Batman franchise but will only use it when he leaves the books. There's the big thing that he keeps foreshadowing in Batman Inc.

Thats what I like about Morrison. Other writers don't give a damn about continuity in his books and a Morrison doesn't give a damn about the writers before or after him. His work exists in it's own continuity as far as I'm concerned. No need for other writers to screw his stuff up.

[Patrick Gerard]

My guess is that Grant Morrison has a reset button of his own for the Batman franchise but will only use it when he leaves the books. There's the big thing that he keeps foreshadowing in Batman Inc.

That thing happens in September before Flashpoint #5.

[Slewo.O]

That thing happens in September before Flashpoint #5.

Thought his run Batman Inc was going long.

[Slewo.O]

Thats what I like about Morrison. Other writers don't give a damn about continuity in his books and a Morrison doesn't give a damn about the writers before or after him. His work exists in it's own continuity as far as I'm concerned. No need for other writers to screw his stuff up.

Really? The Batman Inc era is probably the most dedicated I've seen Morrison and other writers work together. It's not like say New X-Men.

[Patrick Gerard]

Thought his run Batman Inc was going long.

DC won't acknowledge anything about plans after that but the solicits for that issue of Batman Inc. indicate that plot comes to a head there.

Even if there's no reboot, there shouldn't be any major subplots or storylines that haven't been wrapped up in ANY of DC's books come September.

[Slewo.O]

DC won't acknowledge anything about plans after that but the solicits for that issue of Batman Inc. indicate that plot comes to a head there.

Even if there's no reboot, there shouldn't be any major subplots or storylines that haven't been wrapped up in ANY of DC's books come September.

That should be interesting to watch. It still seems though that we'll have Batman Inc characters running past Flashpoint. It'd be silly if they just built up all those characters only to kill em all, that and there's a Nightrunner story coming up in B and R.

[Kevin T Brown]

Well, apparently we find out in approximately 3 weeks what is going on.....

LINK (http://herocomplex.latimes.com/2011/05/23/geoff-johns-and-jim-lee-plan-to-drop-dc-bombshells-at-hero-festival/?dlvrit=63378).

[Thequeerjock]

W00t.
Good to hear. That's right before the new solicits come out too, so I guess there will be no need for blacked out covers.

[Patrick Gerard]

That should be interesting to watch. It still seems though that we'll have Batman Inc characters running past Flashpoint. It'd be silly if they just built up all those characters only to kill em all, that and there's a Nightrunner story coming up in B and R.

What I'm most curious about, oddly, are the JLA issue where the team ponders if the world needs a JLA and the B&R issue where Dick reconsiders being Batman.

Those kinds of considerations don't make much sense if there's not going to be any continuity post-Flashpoint, unless it's just a thematic/clipshow kinda thing.

I also don't see the DCU big guns working as total rookies.

What I could see if they pull the whole "Barry was never gone" route is to have Barry turn up just after COIE alive and continue all the books from that point, with tweaks, giving everyone a vague pre-Crisis history and having Barry remember the current state of affairs as a crazy future he averted, maybe with Zoom or another villain in the same boat.

There are some oddball things you could do with that as a game of chess where both opponents see many moves ahead, like Barry bringing together the Birds of Prey early (or helping Superman retrieve Supergirl from her rocket early) or Zoom breaking Bane out of prison.

I dunno. I just see the end as being something like Barry turning up at the end of COIE as Wally holds his tattered costume and announcing to the JLA they're going to begin changing the future. From there, bam, classic JLA lineup.

Maybe even make the events of the old universe "Flash Facts."

Y'Know...

Flash Fact: Five years from now, Bane will break Batman's back.

[Patrick Gerard]

The key to this would be blending the Booster Gold notion of hard time versus soft time with the old notion at DC that you can only alter history at a point where you don't exist. Barry's death means he didn't exist then, which makes everything that happened while he was dead mutable.

A lot of the fun would be how it would allow them to revitalize characters like Conner Hawke, Kyle Rayner, Roy Harper, etc.

[Thequeerjock]

What I'm most curious about, oddly, are the JLA issue where the team ponders if the world needs a JLA and the B&R issue where Dick reconsiders being Batman.

Those kinds of considerations don't make much sense if there's not going to be any continuity post-Flashpoint, unless it's just a thematic/clipshow kinda thing.

It seems similar to the set-up for the JLI during Legends, witht he Detroit League getting torn apart and then disbanding. Given that the Robinson League has proven largely ineffective in the current storyline, I'm willing to lay down money that it'll end with Grayson disbanding the League, thus justifying the return of a Big Gun team with Cyborg front and center.

[Slewo.O]

Wouldn't a world where Barry never disappeared after the Crisis mean Wally is stuck even longer as his sidekick? Then of course you have recent events undone like Blackest Night and Brightest Day.

A lot of recent stories that formed the cornerstone of DC's continuity would be trashed. I can't see them risking it.

[stealthwise]

Ugh, I'm kind of glad that I doubt Patrick's predictions will come true, because the only mainstream DCU title I'm reading is Secret Six, and I don't want that messed with. AT ALL.

[Patrick Gerard]

Wouldn't a world where Barry never disappeared after the Crisis mean Wally is stuck even longer as his sidekick? Then of course you have recent events undone like Blackest Night and Brightest Day.

A lot of recent stories that formed the cornerstone of DC's continuity would be trashed. I can't see them risking it.

Wally hadn't been his sidekick for some time at that point and had just recovered from cancer at the end of COIE.

[RegularJoe]

i haven't read a single fan prediction that would keep me buying the books. man...it's possible i have a lot of money coming my way if i end up dropping all my dc books...