The DCU is lumbering from one crisis to another but is it all becoming a blur?
We’ve had deaths, rebirths, numerous crises and the blackest night ever seen all within the past five years and the entire universe is in danger of collapsing under its own weight.
In the past 47 years there have been 25 Crises and that’s not including stories that crossover several characters such as year-long saga 52 or the current Blackest Night series, which I would class as a ‘crisis’ considering millions of people are rising from the dead.
While I’m all for meaty storylines, it’s starting to become white noise now. I pretty much skimmed Final Crisis as I was a tad tired of my universe constantly being in danger. Blackest Night has been interesting so far but there needs to be a break to let readers catch their breath and for the characters to grow in their own stories.
For those who aren't up to speed on the DC Universe goings on of the past few years, here’s a quick recap:
Identity Crisis (2004)
Written by Brad Metlzer, Art by Rags Morales & Michael Blair
This was probably the most low-key saga of late but it packed such an emotional punch that it’s a must-read for any DCU fan. The murder of the wife of Elongated Man, one of DC’s more minor heroes, opens a can of worms that threatens the Justice League and how heroes operate in society. This series shows the ramifications for the loved ones of those who put on a mask.
While there is no 'Earth in peril' storyline here, it sets up the mistrust between the superheroes that will leave them vulnerable for attack later. Identity Crisis features some genuinely dramatic and shocking moments including the rape of one character and the murder of another’s father.
Infinite Crisis (2005)
Written by Geoff Johns, Art by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis & Jerry Ordway
A sequel to the 1985 Crisis On Infinite Earths (COIE), this story brought the multi-universe saga to a close. Nightwing is an unlikely focus for part of this story as he has ties to almost every group and generation of heroes in DC. There are rumours that he was due to be killed off in this story but thankfully he survived and in his place another major character dies saving the universe. Infinite Crisis also marks the return of Superboy Prime and Alexander Luther who have been plotting for the past 20 years while trapped in limbo.
This story isn’t nearly as complicated as the original COIE and it’s all the better for it. It takes what is almost a throwaway panel in the original, Luthor, Superboy Prime, Earth-2’s Lois Lane and Superman entering a paradise limbo, and makes it the basis for the former two’s aggravation – They’re forced to watch everyone else get on with their lives while being trapped forever.
Infinite Crisis also ends with its three main characters – Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman taking a year off from superhero activities, leaving the DCU in the hands of the next generation. This break refreshed them somewhat, however, we went straight into 52 and One Year Later.
Final Crisis (2008)Written by Grant Morrison, Art by J. G. Jones, Carlos Pacheco, Marco Rudy & Doug Mahnke
The planet is conquered by Darkseid and we need the Scarlet Speedster Barry Allen to return from the dead to save us. This crossover involves almost every hero and villain on Earth and one of the cornerstones of the DCU meets their apparent demise.
This series is notable for the aforementioned return and death of two major characters. This is the last chapter in the Crisis sagas, hence ‘Final’ but less than 12 months after it finished up we went straight into…
Blackest Night (2009)
Written by Geoff Johns, Art by Ivan Reis
This series is ongoing so it may be best to reserve judgement until it’s finished, but it’s an interesting premise. So many characters have died and been resurrected over the years that it was only a matter of time before the revolving door into the afterlife was taken advantage of by a villain. Throughout the universe, Black Power rings, similar to those of the Green Lantern Corps are bringing the dead back to life and those who’ve come back are keen to cause some mischief.
Some old faces return and several minor characters are killed and subsequently resurrected as evil Black Lanterns. It brings together all of the various groups in the emotional spectrum to battle the Black Lanterns. So far it has balanced the threat with emotional drama with heroes forced to fight their deceased comrades.
So what can be done?
Depending, of course, on how Blackest Night finishes up, DC writers need to work on letting the characters chill out for six months. I’m not saying have The Flash on holiday in Skegness, but just have some singular storylines. They could even have each of the characters dealing with the aftermath of several years of being under threat. Constantly having your existence in danger of being wiped out would take its toll on the best of us.
What do you think DC should do to refresh its storylines without resorting to another crisis?
