*The following is a companion piece to Staff Writer Chad Berkich’s latest analysis article, titled “DC’s Identity Crisis.” Chad is the Thinker’s resident superhero expert—and he uses the following news story to catch his readers up to speed, so that they may better understand the details of “DC’s Identity Crisis.”
For the third time since 2011, DC is rebooting their universe—albeit temporarily. DC Future State is a two-month, full-line event that offers “fans a glimpse into futures both near and far” and is a complete reimagining of the current DC comics universe.
The main talking point of DC Future State is the new Justice League. The traditional Justice League consists of seven members: Superman/Clark Kent, Batman/Bruce Wayne, Wonder Woman/Diana Prince, Aquaman/Arthur Curry, Green Lantern/Hal Jordan, the Flash/Barry Allen, and Martian Manhunter/J’onn J’onzz or Cyborg/Victor Stone. Members of this new Justice League will not know each other’s secret identities, and the line-up will consist of new heroes.
Jon Kent, Clark Kent/Superman and Lois Lane’s son, will be taking over as Superman (and was previously Superboy). The identity of the new Batman is currently unknown, with speculation pegging him as Luke Fox/Batwing. There will be a new Brazilian Wonder Woman named Yara Flor. Andy Curry, the daughter of Aquaman and Mera, will be taking her father’s spot on the League as Aquawoman. Jo Mullein, a Green Lantern from the currently running book Far Sector, will be representing Green Lantern. Finally, Jess Chambers, whose aunt is Jesse Quick/Liberty Belle/Jesse Chambers and who is non-binary, will be taking over as the Flash.
The introduction of the new Justice League is matched by many other changes to the status quo. Future State’s Gotham City will be controlled by the Magistrate, who keeps everything under surveillance and has outlawed vigilantes. Despite this, a Batman team continues to fight against the Magistrate’s reign of terror, while Batman/Bruce Wayne, who is presumed dead by the Magistrate, continues to fight them under the new mantle of Dark Detective. Superman, due to a crisis in the near future, is forced off Earth and travels to Warworld, while his son Jon takes over the iconic mantle. Barry Allen/The Flash is cut off from the Speed Force, the source of his powers. The Green Lantern’s power source, the Central Power Battery, is dead. Finally, Amander Waller is using a new Suicide Squad that is composed of characters who look like the Justice League on Earth-3. From a cover released by DC, there also appears to be a Flash/speedster with prosthetic legs. And these are only a handful of the many changes that will occur in DC Future State.
DC Future State is likely based on DC Comics 5G, an event that was teased and headed by Dan DiDio, who recently left the company. While the changes in DC Future State are a large shake-up of the status quo, normal comics and arcs will restart in March. How much of DC Future State will become permanent or come into mainstream continuity is unknown. However, DC has confirmed that a series about Yara Flor, the new Wonder Woman, will start after Future State.
DC Future State
DC Future State
DC Future State
DC Future State
That’s a cool picture. I wish we could see the full version.
No time to talk (for now), but God bless you all for your valor and insight.
What a novel idea. Opposing voices allowed on campus.
I generally assume that professionals know what they are doing (obviously not always true, but better than even odds), which would lead one to conclude that they are not in fact wasting millions of dollars for the sake of virtue signalling. Is it possible that they are accurate in concluding that there is a market for this more diverse content? And that the fans who are not happy with this direction may be in the minority, making the statement “none of this will appeal to fans” less accurate than, say, “none of this will appeal to the fans like me, who don’t see the intrinsic value of increasing diversity of representation”?
You say that the fact that Jessica Cruz is a recipient of DACA inherently promotes illegal immigration, denying that there might be any value in telling a story centered around a human who is a part of that program (is that what you’re saying? That no story can be centered on a DACA recipient that does not promote illegal immigration?). Also, your claim that Mandy’s “I am not starfire” title establishes a victim narrative says more about how you see the title and the character than about the title itself. As you point out, breaking out from your parent’s shadow is a classic narrative, in superhero fiction and elsewhere. You’re reading a whole lot into into some pithy wording, and take from your interpretation of it that the character is just going to… give up? Presumably they’re not going to write a comic book about a character who just gives up. (Leaving aside the fact that in plenty of classic batman comics he does, in fact, wallow in self pity, and a big portion of avengers:endgame does revolve around the fact that many of them, in fact, gave up.)
Because your criticisms don’t seem grounded in what DC is actually doing with its characters, it really seems like your problem starts and ends with the fact that they are making their superheroes more diverse.