Before DC’s Absolute Universe, the New 52 Changed Everything

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It’s not an overstatement to acknowledge that DC Comics’ Absolute Universe stands among their most cherished and triumphant alternate universes ever created, still in its early stages of development. The Absolute Universe represents a fresh take on decades-old superhero lore, resetting everything back to the hero’s initial beginnings. Moreover, it doesn’t merely restart but also fundamentally alters key aspects of each character, reimagining them with a new perspective. It explores the limits of transformation while maintaining the essence of each character. In other words, it questions how much can be stripped away while preserving the core identity. This innovative approach has revitalized heroes and villains alike, offering new breath and direction to all. So far, titles like Absolute Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman have demonstrated its success. However, it’s worth noting that this isn’t the first time DC has reshaped their characters and fundamentally altered their histories.

Among DC Comics’ notable and contentious projects, there’s the New 52 initiative. In the year 2011, DC decided to completely overhaul their comic book universe, making everything that happened before irrelevant in the new storyline. This meant canceling all existing comics, such as the continuous runs of Detective Comics and Action Comics, and launching a fresh set of 52 titles. These new books were designed to serve as entry points for readers joining the DC Universe. The rationale behind this change was that the complex backstory required to understand many DC comics, like Batman, made it challenging for newcomers to dive into the stories, thus limiting the number of potential readers.

The New 52 reboot gave every superhero a fresh start, complete with new origin tales and centuries of revised history. This meant that each main character had been active for only ten years when they debuted in their first issue, making them significantly younger than fans were accustomed to. Alongside this fresh start came new mythology, featuring significant alterations like Cyborg being created from Apocalyptic technology and Superman’s parents dying while he was still a teenager. The reboot allowed writers to take these classic heroes down entirely new paths, free from the constraints of hundreds of comics that dictated a specific status quo. Remarkable changes were made, such as Superman dating Wonder Woman instead of Lois Lane. Scott Snyder’s tenure on Batman is often hailed as one of the best New 52 runs and among the Dark Knight’s finest ongoing series in general. However, just five years later, DC reinstated much, if not all, of the pre-New 52 continuity with their Rebirth relaunch of comics.

Reflecting on this topic, it’s intriguing how the New 52 is often seen as divisive compared to the Absolute Universe, given that the latter brings about even more substantial changes than some of the titles under the New 52 banner. Yet, the Absolute Universe is generally well-received. I believe the key factor lies in the concept of legacy.

The New 52, being a reboot, essentially discarded much of the DC Universe’s rich history and established characters, which many fans had grown attached to over the years. This change was met with mixed feelings because it felt like a break from what came before. On the other hand, the Absolute Universe doesn’t seem to carry the same weight of tradition, allowing readers to embrace its drastic alterations more readily.

In essence, the legacy of familiar characters and stories played a significant role in shaping the reactions towards these two initiatives.

How are the New 52 and Absolute Universes Different?

As a passionate moviegoer, I’d say the striking contrast between the New 52 and the Absolute Universe lies in the fact that the latter serves as an alternate reality or ‘Elseworld’. This means the events within it don’t affect the core DC Universe. For instance, in the Absolute Universe, Batman could be a blue-collar worker, with his mother alive and some of his most notorious foes as his closest friends – all without altering the narrative of the primary Batman comics. The beauty of this universe is that readers can appreciate or dismiss its stories without influencing their connection to the traditional DC comics.

The New 52 standout feature was its exclusivity; it represented the sole collection of DC comics available at the time. While Elseworlds tales and alternate versions existed, the primary Batman series fell under the New 52 reboot umbrella. If a reader found displeasure with

In the context of Batman, the New 52 reboot brought about some significant alterations in the characters associated with him. For instance, Barbara Gordon, who was Oracle in the previous version, became Batgirl again. The original Batgirl, Stephanie Brown, wasn’t present in the New 52. Dick Grayson, initially Batman and then Nightwing, returned to his Nightwing role and didn’t start as Robin until he was sixteen. Tim Drake, unlike before, was never a traditional Robin but always Red Robin instead. Cassandra Cain, who had been both Batgirl and Black Bat, was absent in the New 52. Moreover, Batman was fortunate because many of his classic stories were still considered canonical, yet the timeline was adjusted so that all these events occurred within a decade, leading to numerous continuity complications.

In my opinion, the influence and deeds of countless heroes were erased from existence. Heroes like Connor Hawk as Green Arrow and Wally West as The Flash, who followed in the footsteps of great predecessors such as Barry Allen, were no more. The New 52 swept away decades of history for these characters, and some of them are still missing or have yet to reclaim their original stories. While the New 52 remains a subject of intense debate, the Absolute Universe is cherished because it offers a daring new path without obliterating the old, which many fans continue to adore. It honors DC’s rich history, making it a warm and fitting addition to the multiverse.

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2025-04-16 02:41