Comic Book / DC Universe

DC Universe is a 2018 Retool of DC Comics following the official dissolution of the DC Rebirth name.

While publishing wise the titles and numbering that were started by DC Rebirth are being continued, narrative wise several titles are receiving a soft overhaul as a result of events in Dark Nights: Metal and Justice League: No Justice.

For series published and storylines begun during DC Rebirth refer to that page here, though titles overhauled as part of the brand or series connected to ongoing Rebirth titles but published after the Rebirth title officially being ended will be covered here.

For the New Age of Heroes which was also meant as follow up on Dark Nights: Metal refer to that page here as DC solidly established that as its own group of titles. It also takes place after Doomsday Clock, depicting the DC Universe once again altered by Doctor Manhattan, but this time with the Justice Society of America and the Legion of Super-Heroes restored to reality, combining the histories of the New 52 and Post-Crisis into a bold new world with new adventures abound.

Ongoing Series

New Justice

A group of titles focused on various teams dealing with the consequences of Dark Nights: Metal and Justice League: No Justice.

• Justice League: In light of the Source Wall breaking, the League tries to prepare for threats from the unknown while Lex Luthor strives for the opposite by forming the Legion of Doom.
• Justice League Dark: When magic begins acting strangely across the globe, Wonder Woman gathers a team of mystic experts consisting of Zatanna, John Constantine, Swamp Thing, Detective Chimp, and Man-Bat.
• Justice League Odyssey: With an entire new sector of space created during No Justice, Cyborg leads a team to explore the stars consisting of Jessica Cruz, Starfire, Azrael, and ... Darkseid?!
• Titans: When a piece of the broken Source Wall lands on Earth and starts randomly granting people superpowers, Nightwing assembles a new team of Titans made up of Raven, Beast Boy, Donna Troy, Miss Martian, and Steel (Natasha Irons) to contain the situation. Continues from the Rebirth numbering.
• Teen Titans: Having grown disillusioned with the failures of older heroes, Damian Wayne puts together a new team to handle supervillain threats... permanently. Continues from the Rebirth numbering.

Superman

• Man of Steel: A new villain appears to kill Superman... one that has ties to the destruction of Krypton.
• Superman: Following on from Man of Steel, Superman is forced to reflect on his place in the world... while Clark Kent has to reflect on life without his wife and son.
• Supergirl: Kara Zor-El sets out into the stars to discover the truth behind Krypton's destruction, which proves to be a greater mystery than she could have imagined. Continues from the Rebirth numbering.

Other

• Hawkman: Carter Hall discovers that his history of reincarnation goes back further than he realized and is tied to a mystery spanning ages.
• Catwoman: Following the wedding of Batman and Catwoman, Selina Kyle leaves Gotham for some time to herself only to wind up dead center in a conspiracy focused on her alter ego.
• The Green Lantern: A look into the day-to-day life of Hal Jordan as he goes about his duties as a Space Cop.
• Shazam!: Billy Batson and his surrogate family unlock the mysteries of the Rock of Eternity and discover the secrets of magic itself.
• Batman and the Outsiders: Having discovered the secrets of the Brainiac Files, Batman puts together a new team to handle the threats that have been revealed.

Limited series

• Plastic Man: Plastic Man finds himself in the middle of a conspiracy that may be targeting the Justice League. Six issues.
• The Batman Who Laughs: The Batman Who Laughs returns to torment Batman with a new dark plan. Six issues.
• Heroes in Crisis: Tragedy strikes the superhero community following an attack at the mysterious Sanctuary. Nine issues.
• Electric Warriors: Earth emerges from the Great Disaster, only to discover a universe on the brink of war where a fragile peace is maintained by diplomatic gladiators known as Electric Warriors. Six issues.
• Freedom Fighters: On the Nazi Regime dominated Earth-X, the Freedom Fighters work to reignite the American spirit: the literal one known as Uncle Sam. Twelve issues.
• Martian Manhunter: J'onn J'onzz must solve a murder mystery that brings him back to his long dead world of Mars. Twelve issues.

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DC Universe provides examples of the following tropes:

• Alternate Company Equivalent:
  • Hawkman serves as one to Wolverine. Both are empowered by metal with unusual properties, seek out memories of their forgotten past, and are essentially immortal in different ways.
  • Plastic Man comes across as one to Deadpool. Both seek to make amends for their criminal past, have a Sad Clown facade to cope with their own self-loathing and are ultimately morally complex while acting like an uncaring jerk. Very blatant in issue #2 of the mini-series where he makes pop-culture shout outs and even breaks the fourth wall.
• Background Magic Field: The Legion of Doom's plan is to harness seven hidden forces that are accessible now that the Source Wall has broken. It's also noted that the forces are interconnected to each other. These consist of:
  • The Invisible Spectrum, aspects of the Emotional Spectrum used by the various Lantern Corps that is based on emotions that are usually suppressed by others. It manifests as the Ultraviolet light that seems to be powered by shame and causes those that wield it to be controlled by a sentient black sun called Umbrax . Word of God has it that there are other types as well.
  • The Still Force, an inverse of the Speed Force that normally fuels the power of speedsters. As such, it can disrupt Speed Force powers and slow others down.
• Broken Pedestal:
  • Following the invasion of the Dark Multiverse and the Source Wall breaking, the Justice League has been subjected to this. Formerly ardent supporters and stalwart allies have come to see them as nothing but flawed and ineffectual, while before they were Earth's first line of defense against the unknown. Green Arrow, who was almost driven to tears at being offered membership in the League, outright tells them that Waller's belief that they've been cleaning up messes that they caused is absolutely correct.
  • On a smaller level, there is Damian Wayne and Wallace West in Titans who have both grown tired of the flaws that their mentors have and form a new team to do things their own way.
• Gotta Catch Them All: Lex's plan in Justice League is to harness seven hidden forces that can now be accessed following the Source Wall breaking.
• Kryptonite Ring: Martian Manhunter entrusts Green Arrow with a box that can be used to destroy the Justice League should it ever prove necessary.
• Mythology Gag: In an Ultimate Universe-like fashion, the Justice League title draws on a mixture of influences from the comics (Cyborg and Martian Manhunter as members of the League), Justice League (John Stewart and Hawkgirl as members of the League while Hal Jordan is absent), and Superfriends (the Legion of Doom as the main enemies, Sinestro's uniform being the one from that show).
• Nothing Is the Same Anymore: The very nature of the DC Universe was altered by the Source Wall breaking at the end of Dark Nights: Metal. Seven hidden forces can now be accessed, magic has begun to fail, an entire new sector of space was basically created during the events of No Justice, Broken Pedestal is now in effect on the Justice League, etc.
• Open Secret: The existence of Sanctuary. It isn't widely known about (Green Arrow doesn't know of it when Roy Harper mentions it) and most of the superpowered community doesn't know it even exists, but those aware of it don't have compunctions about bringing it up to those who aren't. It seems to be more of a private location where those needing help are sent on an as-needed basis rather than an outright secret.
• Put on a Bus:
  • Tempest, Lilith, Bumblebee, Beacon, Nobody II, and Aqualad are all absent, while their teammates are still active. Though Beacon and Nobody II manage to make a cameo at the end of The Terrifics #25 and Aqualad eventually gets recruited for Young Justice.
  • Jon Kent is no longer present as a result of the events of Man of Steel (2018). Subverted when Brian Michael Bendis' Superman brings him back...as an older teenager.
• There Are No Therapists: So very much averted. Sanctuary is a place created explicitly to help superpowered beings and costumed vigilantes cope with the traumas of their unique lifestyles. Even if Sanctuary itself leaves a lot to be desired...

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