We all like what we know, right? We like taking the same route to work every day. We love having lunch at the same Chinese restaurant every Friday. We enjoy the company of the friends we’ve made over the years. DC Comics tried turning that idea on its head a few years ago when it announced its “New 52” publishing initiative in 2011. Essentially, all current series and storylines would be abandoned in favor of brand new #1 issues (comic companies love those, comic readers not so much). The idea with the New 52 was that new readers would be able to come on board and not have to worry about “catching up” with series’ and learn years of continuity. The fresh starts and “creative shake-ups” would allow all readers to be on level playing fields.
And it worked! Sorta. I know a ton of people who picked up their very first DC books following the New 52’s launch. Sales saw spikes, which leveled off, of course. But it did work. DC’s market share is in an extremely better place now than it was six years ago.
One of the edicts of the New 52 was that the characters of DC Comics should be young again. When you’re in a universe with 75 year old characters like Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman, you’ve got a lot of history to deal with. So, literal decades of history of these characters was deemed to not exist. In the continuity of DC Comics, almost all of the iconic stories fans know and love now never happened. Things like Superman and Lois Lane’s marriage (everyone’s marriage, really), Batman having died and returned, The Flash making his heroic sacrifice in Crisis on Infinite Earths. All gone in favor of a shiny new present where every character has a clean slate.
But, after a while, the new wore off. The new fans who stuck around joined in with the old fans in asking for a return to the “original” DC Universe, the one we left behind before the reboot to the New 52. But some of the New 52 was good. The “Court of Owls” storyline in the Batman books, the growth of the Green Lantern titles, Suicide Squad’s emergence into a hot commodity. How can we keep what did work in the New 52 and have a return to the DC Universe of old? Rebirth. That’s how.
In this special 80-page giant-sized issue, we learn that something has altered the history of the DC Universe. Literally a being of near omnipotence has “stolen” time from our heroes. So we really never left that original DC Universe. We just are not in an “alternate present” where our villain has manipulated the heroes for some (still unknown) reason. By the end of the issue, we learn who our villain is.
Watchmen, although published by DC Comics in 1985, was never part of the main DC Universe. Until now. It is to be assumed that Dr. Manhattan of the Watchmen is the being who has manipulated the DC Universe since its creation. Very little is known about why Dr. Manhattan has done what he’s done or who else is involved. One other character from the Watchmen, Ozymandias, is believed to be aiding Manhattan (or possibly controlling him) and is currently going by the name “Mr. Oz”, but that’s not confirmed as of yet. We’ll learn in September,though.
So, I gave all of this backstory to give you this list: The Five DC Rebirth Titles You Should Be Reading.
Batman
Unsurprisingly, Batman is in the lead with his main title. Currently starring the Dark Knight, this book’s main focus has been, thus far, Batman’s struggle with trying to find some semblance of a normal life. After a run in with an alternate version of his father, Bruce has been driven more and more to step away from his life of crime fighting and live his life to the fullest. His first step in that direction? Marry Catwoman.
Superman
To reconcile the vast differences between New 52 Superman and the original Superman, the two characters were combined. Literally. There were two Supermen/Clark Kents and now there is one. New 52 Superman was one of the biggest failures of that line. And the Rebirth Superman has been probably its greatest success. Focusing less on Superman by himself, this book puts the focus on Superman and Lois Lane, who are once again married and have been for a number of years, and their son, Jon, who we now know as Superboy.
Detective Comics
The flagship book of our publisher has historically been led by Batman. And this hasn’t really changed, but since it’s relaunch, the book focuses on a team consisting of Batman, Batwoman, Red Robin, Spoiler, Orphan (90’s comic fans will know her as Cassandra Cain), and Clayface (yes, the villain).
Super Sons
Starring Robin/Damian Wayne/the son of Batman and Superboy/Jon Kent/the son of Superman, this book is honestly probably my number one at the moment. It’s fun, it’s action-filled, it’s everything a comic book should be.
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman, interestingly, has a rotating publishing schedule whereby odd numbered issues are set in the past, telling a “Year One” style story and even numbered issues are set present day. New 52 really altered the well-known “formed from clay” origin story most longtime comic fans are familiar with and replaced it with a straight-up “Diana is Zeus’ daughter” origin. The new series is taking strides to correct that.
The Flash
The mystery of Dr. Manhattan, the stolen years, and the appearance of the smiley face button belonging to The Comedian (another Watchmen character) has been investigated in the pages of The Flash, most recently in the aptly titled “The Button” crossover.
Lots of clues into the mystery of DC’s Rebirth can be found in Titans and Justice League of America, as well. We’ll have more answers as we head to the culmination of this nearly two year long story in November with Doomsday Clock, a mini-series slated to feature the showdown between Superman and Dr. Manhattan.
Thanks for reading.
-Josh
All related characters and images are trademarks of DC Comics, a division of Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
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