Yesterday, DC Comics put into effect a plan to close one era and start a new era. Flashpoint was the key to the closing and opening of business.
Flashpoint, it turns out, could have just as easily been called, 'Crisis of Infinite Time Streams'. Though another recent event, Final Crisis, kind of put a end to the use of the 'crisis' term.
'Crisis of Infinite Earths' some 25 years ago took the universe of many corresponding Earth' concept previously established by DC creators and merged all these Earth's into one. Bits of previous stories were kept and new ideas were introduced.
Most noticeably a certain 'Man of Steel' starting from scratch. Wonder Woman, Justice League, and Flash soon followed. New titles were introduced with the likes of Booster Gold, Blue Beetle, etc. The Elseworld's were kind of started too with the non-continuity stuff like Frank Miller' - The Dark Knight and Moore/Gibson - Watchmen.
It just so happened; this is the period I started to take my comic reading to more than a random pick-up when hitting the Cork and Bottle. When I would start to actually keep each issue rather than allowing my mom to throw them away. These titles starting out made them appealing and sucked in someone who really had no knowledge other than Saturday morning cartoons.
What has been done now is pretty much the same with all these adjacent points in time now all merged into one conscious stream. Once again things are changed while other things will stay the same. This time though DC is doing a line wide reintroduction with every book starting at issue one. Trying to make things exciting again and re/capture people to the medium.
I admit at first I was flabbergasted and feeling a little bit hurt. In the end I realized a number is just a number. Marvel Comics has really shown this with their seeming constant restart of a titles numbering and starting out certain newer titles/characters at something other then a #1 but with 800 or some number like that.
I realize everyone has their favorite stories and views about what events actually shaped a character. In reality probably the only stories that matter are those that manage to be made into trade books. Trade books for the most part stay in print the longest and the easiest thing for a person to find, especially with Amazon.com at your beck and call. You already see the trades effects with how they are supposedly treating Green Lantern and Batman while other books are seemingly going back to the drawing board.
It is an exciting and worrisome time to be a comic fan. Their is just so much mystery at this point behind what is happening. The new Justice League that was introduced along side Flashpoint really doesn't do much to answer anything. It actually looks at the past rather than our comicbook present. Hopefully this next week with the first thirteen of the fifty-two titles starts to clear the picture a bit.
I look forward to the ride though. All I am looking for is great story telling. I hope that comes through in spades in the weeks ahead.
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