An Alternate New 52 (fantasy booking)

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NoOneofConsequence
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An Alternate New 52 (fantasy booking)

Post by NoOneofConsequence »

Preface:
This is something I came up with about five years ago, roughly around the period when it was clear that New 52 had underperformed but before the announcement of Rebirth. At that time, I sat down and - in the tradition of "I can do it better" fanboyism - considered how it could've been done differently. This was mainly with an eye toward what I, as a lapsed DC reader, might've found interesting enough to draw me back.
I'm posting this here in the comics thread as opposed to the Settings one as it's more of fantasy booking thing rather than as a setting. And as it was done several years ago, it predates the current trends of representation, political activism and what not in comics. This probably makes it problematic for some.
So, this is a hard reboot. At least in practice. (I'll get to the caveat to that statement in a second.) These are not continuations of the characters or titles from before Flashpoint or whatever other Final Final - This Time We Mean It - Crisis that would've proceeded it.
This is not a single Earth/universe. Instead, I'm leaning into what I've always considered one of DC's strengths: the existence of an infinite number of alternate earths. These worlds are able to be their own thing without conflicting with each, and can cross over with each other for stories where it would be interesting. These aren't the old Earth 1, 2, 3, etc. from pre-Crisis, nor is it Multiversity (or the Dark Universe). But there are an infinite number of worlds, and so all of those previous realities exist, as do the worlds of various TV shows, films, cartoons, and so forth. And at some point, some of those worlds may be revisited. But these new titles will be focusing on new worlds.
The new worlds break down into three categories.
First is Earth Prime. This is the mainstream setting with the core group of titles featuring most of the flagship characters.
Second are the Genre Worlds. These four worlds are each meant to focus on a specific genre, each one tailored to the main character of it. The four are film noir, science adventure, girl-oriented YA fiction, and gothic horror. More may be added in the future.
Finally, we have the Throwback Worlds. These are a series of worlds that each evoke a specific time period and the characters of that era, but viewed through a modern lens. Each is meant to play to that era's strengths while also offering a chance to examine certain aspects of it from time to time. (Think of some of the historical episodes from Astro City.)
Ultimately, I'm hoping I've created something that is moving forward in a new and interesting way while also showing love and respect for what has come before.
What is tolerance? It is the consequence of humanity. We are all formed of frailty and error; let us pardon reciprocally each other's folly. That is the first law of nature.
Voltaire, "Tolerance" (1764)
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Re: An Alternate New 52 (fantasy booking)

Post by NoOneofConsequence »

Earth Prime

Earth Prime is the centerpiece of our new DC Universe. It is first and foremost a traditional four color superhero world. Its overall mood is one of optimism and hope, even in the face of tragedy and danger. Our heroes are the Good Guys, full stop. They are champions of Truth, Justice, and Hope, bravely and boldly running toward danger to protect and save others. They are at heart good and decent people and their presence inspires others to aim higher and be better.
By and large, Earth Prime is nigh-identical to our world. History, politics, and others things of that nature are the same. The minor differences come with the presence of many of DC's fictional cities and minor countries. There are also certain hidden enclaves such as Paradise Island.
Technology is somewhat more advanced, mainly in the past several years. This is mainly due to the existence of groups like LexCorp, WayneTech, and STAR Labs. Exactly how much of this is apparent differs from place to place. In most areas, the Internet works better, cars are cleaner and more efficient, and medical technology is more advanced. Humans have even been sent to Mars. But you have to go to some place like Metropolis to see a majority of electric vehicles. There is a general acknowledgment that alien life does exist, but to what extent is debated. In a similar sense, magic and occultism exist, but tend to be hidden and often dismissed as some effect of meta human powers or super science. There are certain aspects of hidden history dealing with the above, as well as so-called "forgotten heroes".
Metahuman superheroes have only really appeared about three or so years, beginning with the public debut of Superman. However, Batman's career predates that be a couple of years. Roughly a year after the first appearance of Superman, the Justice League was formed. Within the past six to nine months, the Teen Titans have come together.

Earth Prime is the setting for 14 of our new titles. These are meant to be the core of the new DC Universe, hopefully appealing to as wide an audience as possible. (If any DC books were going to end up being sent to major book store chains as single issues, it would be these titles.)

Earth Prime's titles are as follows:
  • Superman
    Batman & Robin
    Wonder Woman
    The Flash
    Green Lantern
    Aquaman
    Hawkwoman
    Plastic Man
    Firestorm
    Justice League
    Static Shock
    Blue Beetle
    Teen Titans
    DC Showcase
The Justice League of Earth Prime consists of the first nine (excluding Robin), and Doctor Fate.

The big three of Clark, Bruce, and Diana try to stay as true to their iconic archetypes as possible. They are the icons of Hope, Justice, and Truth. Superman looks like he's about 30, but is actually a little older, owing to his Krpytonian genes and the fact that during college, he would keep taking extended trips to the 30th century to be part of the Legion of Superheroes. This last part is why he comes across as so competent and mature. Batman is in his 30s, and has been active since his mid to late 20s. While he's still stoic and serious, he's mellowed a bit since he started, mostly owing to Robin's influence, some of the success he's had at improving Gotham, and working with the League. Wonder Woman is from a Paradise Island that is a mix of the post-Crisis Greek mythology and the pre-Crisis super science, with her post-Crisis "made from clay and blessed by the goddesses" origin. (He home base is Liberty City, which is sort of a Philadelphia analog, where she works at the Museum of Natural History.)

So, part of my thoughts going into this was that I wanted to make clear that this was a clean break from the pre-New 52 DCU. And I decided to take a page from the birth of the Silver Age, in which it started with a totally new Flash, followed shortly by a new Green Lantern. And so, Earth Prime’s Flash and Green Lantern are totally new characters, even though I’m trying to build off of some of the classic tropes. And, largely because I felt like it, both of them are women.
The Flash is Kasey Kim, a doctorate student in biochemistry and quantum physics who works at STAR Labs in Central City. (This branch is out in the midwest so they could build one of those huge particle accelerators there.) Kim was caught in a particle accelerator accident which gifted her with powers. Her entire body is in a unique quantum state which has given her most of the classic speedster powers. She can probably do even more than that, but my grasp of quantum mechanics is too weak to really speculate in any fashion that isn’t just Star Trek style technobabble.
I’ve no idea exactly how her suit would look, save that it would stick with the classic red and gold design. Kasey’s family - probably her grandparents if not her parents - are originally from Korea. She’s a very open and enthusiastic person, who enjoys getting to be a superhero. She, and most of her family, are fairly conservative, in the “work hard, take responsibility for yourself, and respect traditions” Midwestern mold. Her brother, Anthony, works for Central City’s DA’s office and is the Flash’s quasi-official liaison with the city. Her family knows she’s the Flash, as do some of the people at STAR Labs.
STAR Labs in Central City is overseen by Dr. Gideon Wells, who I confess is partially inspired by Dr. Wells from the TV series.
Our new Green Lantern is Shoshannah King, a half-black, half-samoan woman from Coast City. A life-long surfer and athlete, she’s also a community activist and investigative blogger. (She’s an old-school liberal, not one of the new breed of Neo-Marxists.) While many might describe her as fearless, she’s just very good at facing the things she’s afraid of and doing what she can to overcome them. She’s very driven, with strong personal convictions and a respect for the rights of others. A lot of this comes from her family and upbringing. Shonny has been chosen as Earth’s first (known) Green Lantern in this new age of superheroes, acting as their agent for justice and peace. The power ring does everything you’d expect, along with some new features such as the ability to access the Corp’s intergalactic space gates which allow for rapid transit from sector to sector. The costume stays with the traditional emerald green with black (and probably white) highlights. The logo is also very similar, possibly with some slight changes.
Kasey and Shonny have developed something of a friendship since helping found the Justice League. This is in spite of their differing backgrounds and political outlooks, but is based on the idea that they both respect each other and acknowledge that both of them are decent and well meaning people.

Aquaman is currently the Prince of Atlantis. Even though he was raised on land, he proved his worth by recovering the legendary trident of Neptune (and I swear I had the idea before the movie). He is very strongly supposed to evoke the idea of King Arthur, with Atlantis as this mythical Camelot. He's trying to be a bridge between his people and the surface world (which gives him a lot in common with Diana).
Hawkwoman is based on the alien police woman version, also taking a lot of influence from the Justice League cartoon. Her partner/lover was killed when they pursued a fugitive to earth, and she ended up staying here. I'm tempted to have her day job be as a cop in Midway City (which would be an analog for Chicago or Detroit). She's probably more hard-headed than Batman.
I'm not entirely sure how to do Firestorm. I kind of want to use Jefferson Jackson from the CW, with him as a college student in Pittsburg, where Prof. Stein teaches.
Plastic Man is, well, Plastic Man.
Finally, Doctor Fate is also a woman. She's of Coptic/Egyptian ethnicity, having grown up in Britain. She is a doctor in her real life. She's the newest member of the League. She also gets to star in the anthology series DC Showcase.

Static Shock and Blue Beetle also hew pretty closely to their versions from the Static Shock animated series and original Blue Beetle series (the one where Jamie and his friends actually liked and respected each other). Both are founding members of this world's Teen Titans.
The rest of the Titans are Robin, Starfire, Raven, Beast Boy, and Aquagirl. Robin is Dick Greyson, probably about 15. He's lived with Bruce for about five years, but has only been Robin for a little over a year. (In contrast to Bruce, who is more outgoing and friendly as Bruce Wayne than as Batman, Dick is a lot more serious and reserved in his civilian identity than as Robin.) Starfire is a mix of her classic self and the animated version, having escaped from slavery and being this very bubbly and innocent fish out of water. Raven is the same, a mix of classic version and animated, being super serious and moody, but open to the new people in her life. Beast Boy is about like the animated version, just more serious and not the designated comic relief. Aquagirl is a new character, from Atlantis (a commoner with a talent for hydromancy) who is has a super nerdish enthusiasm for all things about the surface world. She's a supporting character in Aquaman's book at times. All of them rotate as back up stories in DC Showcase.

EDIT: Speaking of Showcase, as I said, it's an anthology series with a lot of short stories. The main one, to start with, is the ongoing Doctor Fate serial. This would be backed up with various Teen Titan shorts and one offs featuring supporting characters from various other characters (Lois Lane being investigative reporter, a day in the job of Alfred, etc.). Possibly also some solo Robin stuff. In the case of Doctor Fate, those would eventually be collected in their own trade, while the rest would be included in Teen Titan, Batman & Robin, and other trades where those characters usually appear.

Anyway, that's Earth Prime. Next is the first Genre World, Earth Noir.
What is tolerance? It is the consequence of humanity. We are all formed of frailty and error; let us pardon reciprocally each other's folly. That is the first law of nature.
Voltaire, "Tolerance" (1764)
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Re: An Alternate New 52 (fantasy booking)

Post by NoOneofConsequence »

Earth Noir is a dark place. Like Earth Prime, it is pretty much identical to our own. But it's a bit more grim, grounded, and gritty. (Alliteration!) The tech level is mostly like ours, save for certain instances of Stunning New Advancements akin to what you used to see in novels by Michael Crichton and others like him. This is a world that largely lacks superhumans. It does have its occasional freaks of nature or misfits of science, but the heroes here are all too human. These are the sort of books that DC way back when released with a "suggested for mature readers" label on the front, dealing as they do with crime, violence, corruption and other dark topics, but not going into the "it's for adults so we can have bewbs and swears in it!" thing that Vertigo kept mistaking for "adult".
There are four books set in Earth Noir:
  • Batman: The Dark Knight
    Detective Comics
    Catwoman
    Green Arrow
This Batman is probably about five or so years into his career, and it's still an uphill slog. He works alone, and despite the presence of Jim Gordon within the GCPD, he's largely an outlaw vigilante. Alfred is here, but his relationship with Bruce is a bit more tragic than that of the pair in Earth Prime. This Batman is very strongly influenced by the Nolan films (especially The Dark Knight) and some of Miller's work (mainly Year One), as well as some of the 80s and 90s material that focused on street level crime and Gotham City rather than super heroics. HIs enemies skew more toward the likes of Victor Zsasz, Professor Pyg, and Hugo Strange. He still has the very strict code against killing, as he's all too aware that crossing that line might result in him ending up as bad as the people he fights against.

Detective Comics is an anthology series. It's three stars are The Question (Vic Sage, in what would hopeful combine the best elements of the Ditko original, the O'Neil revamp, and the Justice League version), Katana (in her black and white outfit, as a grim widowed vigilante battling Japan's underworld), and Bronze Tiger.

Catwoman focuses on Selina Kyle as Gotham's antihero. Her outfit is probably close to that of the Darwin Cooke version, but with a slightly darker attitude. She's from Gotham's mean streets (in contrast to the more strait criminal version in Earth Prime, who is more akin to the original upper class take) and is all too aware that she's not a very nice person, but is actively trying to be better. It's the story of someone trying to improve themselves and not always succeeding.

Green Arrow is about Oliver Queen. He used to be rich, but lost it all in the same circumstances that ultimately led him to becoming a vigilante in Star City. His weapons and equipment are mostly in the realm of the real, with only a handful of simpler "trick" arrows (explosives, for example). He has a complicated relationship with his girlfriend, Black Canary. This would try to draw on some of the better aspects of the Mike Grell run and the early seasons of the Arrow tv series.

EDIT: A few other vigilantes exist in this world, including at least one version of Manhunter, a Vigilante, possibly a Crimson Avenger, Richard Dragon, and maybe a darker take on Crimson Fox. Also the Human Target and Nemesis. Probably a version of the Suicide Squad as well.

Next is Earth Brilliant, which is sort of the antithesis of Earth Noir.
Last edited by NoOneofConsequence on Mon Mar 08, 2021 12:32 am, edited 2 times in total.
What is tolerance? It is the consequence of humanity. We are all formed of frailty and error; let us pardon reciprocally each other's folly. That is the first law of nature.
Voltaire, "Tolerance" (1764)
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Re: An Alternate New 52 (fantasy booking)

Post by NoOneofConsequence »

Earth Brilliant is a bright and dynamic place. The technology is more advanced than ours, especially in the cities. Those cities have a certain futuristic style, usually mixed with stuff like Art Deco and Neo-Classical in an overall way that evokes hope and optimism for the future, as well as a certain warmth for humanity. This advancement isn't to Star Trek levels or anything, but there are space stations, some stations on the Moon and Mars, manned missions to the Astroid Belt, and the like. One of the biggest influences on this world is probably All Star Superman, with a lot of its vaguely Silver Age-ish science fiction in the modern world bits. And, obviously, a big part of the reason this world is the way it is comes from the presence of Superman. He's been an active superhero for about 20 years or so, and has influenced most of the existing heroes and the general world view. This is also the setting for four books.
  • Superman of Tomorrow (I really am not happy with the name, but haven't been able to come up with a better one
    Action Comics
    The Adventures of Supergirl
    Green Lantern Corps
As I said, Superman is an older, experienced version of the classic character, drawing at least some influence from the Christopher Reeve version and parts of the 90s animated series. He's married to Lois, but I'm not sure if they have kids or not. Jimmy is grown up now and has taken over Perry White's job. (I actually liked the guy who played him in Supergirl, at least during the first season, and sort of picture him as looking a little like that for some reason.) Krypto exists in this world. The Lex Luthor of this world is the classic armored science-pirate version of the Superfriends/Superpowers era (in contrast to Lex-Prime, who is the CEO version).

The Green Lantern Corps is primarily set all over the galaxy, mainly focused on John Stewart, in a version almost identical to the one from the Justice League cartoon. But a lot of the other classic GL alien characters would also appear. At some point, it might also introduce Kyle and some of the other recent versions of GL as a bunch of trainees being scouted as potential new Lanterns for Earth's sector. It's very much a very all out, totally crazy sci-fi space adventure series.

Action Comics is another anthology. It's main stars are Cyborg (who I would honestly like to return to being purely the work of his father's own genius, though some of it may be reverse engineered alien tech, as opposed to just a Mother Box or something; I'd kind of like him to look like a sort of grown up version of the animated version from Teen Titans, just because I liked that design), Vibe (who would draw a lot of inspiration from his portrayal in the Flash tv series), and Mister Miracle (the Shilo Norman version who is the world's greatest escape artist, having invented a lot of his tools and tricks using the world's more advanced technology).

Supergirl is a much younger version of the character, about 14-ish, and lives as a private boarding school near metropolis. Her best friend is Natasha Irons, who is trying to take over her retired uncle's mantle as the new Steel. (Probably also appearances from Stargirl, who is a bit of a spoiled brat who just stole the cosmic staff because she could; I confess that some of this is just me giving Geoff Johns the finger.)

These aren't the only heroes of this world. The Japanese version of Doctor Light is here, as are the Ryan Choi version of the Atom, Maxima, at least one of the 80s versions of Starman (not sure which), Skyrocket, Lobo, and The Guardian (the Jake Jordan version from Seven Soldiers).

Next is Earth Shoujo.
What is tolerance? It is the consequence of humanity. We are all formed of frailty and error; let us pardon reciprocally each other's folly. That is the first law of nature.
Voltaire, "Tolerance" (1764)
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Re: An Alternate New 52 (fantasy booking)

Post by Davies »

NoOneofConsequence wrote: Sun Mar 07, 2021 9:21 pm Next is Earth Shoujo.
Well this should be interesting.
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Re: An Alternate New 52 (fantasy booking)

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Earth Shoujo is my (slightly tongue in cheek) name for a world used as a setting for books meant to chase that eternally elusive and mythical unicorn of a desired target demographic: women who consume mass amounts of manga but don't seem to have much interest in traditional comics. More seriously, its general inspiration is the motto Sarah Dyer used for her Action Girl comic: "always pro-girl, never anti-boy". It would be an effort to do traditional superhero comics, but in a way that tried to learn from and incorporate a lot of the positive elements from manga/anime, especially Shoujo stuff, and apply it to the genre. And, very strongly, this would try to do the girl power trope while strictly avoiding the whole "girl power = being able to kill people with your bare hands" concept that everyone in Hollywood seemed to take away from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and especially the "being able to effortlessly knock aside armies of straw men while being adored by everyone" thing from a lot of recent genre material. And its very much not whatever DC is trying to do with I am Not Starfire or Nubia. This world is very similar to Earth Prime, though maybe a little more mysterious and romantic (in the sense of the 18th/19th century artistic movement). It is, again, home to four titles.
  • Wonder Woman & The Global Guardians
    Sensation Comics
    Artemis
    Hawkgirl
WW&GG is an adult Wonder Woman (who draws certain inspiration from the Linda Carter version as well as the one from Superfriends, and at this point a little from Gal Gadot as well) acting as teacher and mentor to a group of teen girl superheroes who are out to make the world a better place. I confess that part of this idea derives from an allegedly proposed Wonder Woman animated vehicle from the 90s which never got green lit, and it was clearly something inspired by Captain Planet. This book would avoid any of the preachiness and straw manning of that show, and generally focus on the younger characters growing, learning and maturing under Diana's guidance, including in the understanding that changing the world for the better is sometimes complicated and difficult, especially if you are trying to avoid being a bully who just forces everyone to do what you tell them to. Of the four main protégées, Terra is the fairly rebellious and hardheaded one. She's based a lot on her early appearances in the Teen Titans cartoon, avoiding the sociopathic original version. But she is the most temperamental of the bunch, probably being from a fairly hard and underprivileged background. In contrast, Fire is from a more upper class Brazilian background, and is super dynamic, enthusiastic, and likes to have fun. Then there's Ice, the super sheltered and shy Norwegian who is smart but kind of naive about new things. Finally, we have the fourth one, Dolphin, who is quiet, mysterious, and fairly serious. At some point, it may also introduce a young version of Wonder Girl, but I fear that would risk turning into a Scrappy Doo.

Sensation Comics is the anthology book. It includes Thunder & Lightning, focusing on their relationship as sisters, as well as with their dad, and what they do at school and in their neighborhood. Also Miss Martian, the loveably clueless alien whose entire concept of humans comes from old tv shows. And then probably alternating between the mysterious and occasionally creepy doings of Secret the Ghost Girl, and the efforts of Zariel the Angel of Love to help people in their relationship dramas.

Artemis is effectively the character from the first season of Young Justice, the rebellious daughter of two professional criminals who wants to be a hero, or at least not to turn out the way her parents did. It's probably the darkest of the books in this bunch, but not going full grim and gritty.

Hawkgirl is your everyday average high school girl who discovers that she is actually the latest in the long line of reincarnations of an ancient Egyptian princess/queen, and that with that comes a bunch of powers and the responsibility to use them to deal with various enemies and menaces her past incarnations have faced.

And again, there are other characters in this world. A Shining Knight derived from the Seven Soldiers version (a hero of Camelot thrown into the modern world), Amethyst Princess of Gemworld, a version of Star Saphire, Lilith Clay and her unfrozen caveman boyfriend Gnarrk, Panthra (as a female Mexican luchador similar to the Teen Titans cartoon, who fights vampires, robots and other craziness similar to the old luchador films), Argent, Mirage, Sapphire, and Arrowette. (Some of them might end up as members of the Global Guardians after a while.)

Next, Earth Gothic.
What is tolerance? It is the consequence of humanity. We are all formed of frailty and error; let us pardon reciprocally each other's folly. That is the first law of nature.
Voltaire, "Tolerance" (1764)
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Re: An Alternate New 52 (fantasy booking)

Post by NoOneofConsequence »

Earth Gothic is a weird place. In a certain sense, it feels a little timeless, almost as if certain parts of the world and society have held still for a while. Depending on where one looks, it still feels a little like the 70s, or parts of the 90s, or even stranger temporal disconnects. Sometimes the technology may be a little outdated, or not work. It's a world of strange mysticism and arcane mysteries, with monsters and more human horrors. And the heroes of this world are ones who fight monsters. This is probably one of the weirder ideas I've had for this entire thing, but I think if done well there'd be a place and a customer base for it. This also has four titles.
  • The Shadow of the Bat
    The Challengers of the Unknown
    The Blood of the Demon
    The Wraith of the Spectre
The Shadow of the Bat is about a Bruce Wayne whose parents were killed by something ... not human. And he's devoted his existence to uncovering and destroying those things. It's Batman as a hunter of vampires, ghosts, weird cults, and other such things. It would draw a bit on some of the "Dark Deco" style of the 90s animated series, as well as classic horror films, some of the more gothic elements of the 70s reinvention of Batman, and maybe a little of the Blade films at times. Alfred is probably the only mainstay ally he has here.

The Challengers of the Unknown is the anthology book, focusing on the trials and adventures of mysterious fortune teller and provocateur Madam Xanadu, the all-monster rock band Scare Tactics, and professional debunker Doctor 13 (and his psychic/mystic daughter).

The Blood of the Demon is about Jason Blood, professional paranormal investigator, occultist and monster hunter, and the internal demon he wages eternal war against. (I am using Blood as opposed to Constantine because I feel the later is a little over done, and I think Blood's vast age and his conflict with the demon inside of him - something he can unleash as the equivalent of a supernatural atomic bomb if the situation is desperate enough - offers more story potential.)

The Wrath of the Spectre is Jim Corrigan, a cop in San Fransisco who has been dead for decades but seems only vaguely aware of this fact. But he is instinctively drawn to evil, and visits divine wrath upon it.

I'm not entirely sure who else is in this world. Some incarnation of Swamp Thing, certainly. Also Deadman. Maybe versions of Ragman, Klarion the Witchboy, I Vampire, and the Resurrection Man.

Next I'll be starting on the Throwback Worlds.
What is tolerance? It is the consequence of humanity. We are all formed of frailty and error; let us pardon reciprocally each other's folly. That is the first law of nature.
Voltaire, "Tolerance" (1764)
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Re: An Alternate New 52 (fantasy booking)

Post by NoOneofConsequence »

Before I get to to the Throwback Worlds, there are two books that don't exactly fit any of the categories.

One is Legends of the DC Universe. This is another anthology series, this one focusing one anything and everything DC has ever done. It would include stories from the Batman 66 and Wonder Woman 77 universes, the Bruce Timm animated verse (including Batman Beyond), some of the old Pre-Crisis worlds, some of the old Elseworlds, and other oddities. In my head, I sort of see the first six issues involving Batman Beyond, one of DC's old Sword & Sorcery characters, and some sort of 1930s Pulp take on Hawkman.

The other is Superboy & The Legion of Superheroes. This is basically what Clark Kent was doing between graduating High School in Smallville and eventually joining the Daily Planet in Metropolis. He's learning how to be a superhero (and eventually Superman) in the 30th century. This Legion is most likely the classic line up, though probably slightly updated versions that give a lot of respect to the originals, the Zero Hour reboot version, and other takes. The world of the Legion is a generally hopeful place, even if it does have its various threats and problems.
What is tolerance? It is the consequence of humanity. We are all formed of frailty and error; let us pardon reciprocally each other's folly. That is the first law of nature.
Voltaire, "Tolerance" (1764)
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Re: An Alternate New 52 (fantasy booking)

Post by NoOneofConsequence »

The Throwback Worlds

So, as I said, each of these worlds is meant to evoke a certain period of comic book/DC history, generally set during that period and drawing a lot of inspiration from it and its characters but through a modern lens. So certain things get the benefit of hindsight and can be explored to see how they impact elements of the superhero genre. Generally, each book is its own stand alone world. I'll be looking at them in a sort of reverse chronological order.

ICONS is a book that draws a lot of inspiration from the Milestone books, as well as a lot of the better efforts to look at black and other non-white superheroes over the years. While the setting is more or less modern day-ish, this world's superheroes first appeared in the mid 90s. In addition to Icon (as essentially this world's Superman), it also included the Maria Mendoza version of Wonder Woman from Just Imagine Stan Lee, and a Batman analog who wore a Mexican Luchador mask. The book's main stars are a new group of young superheroes, Hot Spot, Wind Dragon, Long Shadow, and Ora. They draw a lot from that one episode of Justice League and some of the second season of Young Justice, except for Hot Spot who is the Teen Titans character. They are obviously meant to evoke Black Vulcan, Samurai, Minnesota President Apache Chief, and El Dorado. Wind Dragon and Ora are female.

Wild CATS is the classic Jim Lee book, updated. In my head, I sort of imagine it as having art by Bryan Hitch or someone like him, so that it looks like some sort of big budget late 90s/early 2000s action movie by Michael Bay or the like. Which is what it's aiming for, being about a high octane shadow war between two races of aliens hiding on earth. It's the sort of book aimed at people who enjoy hyper violent super human action (which I do at times), while also trying to have good writing and interesting characters.

Nightwing is about the Iron Age of comics. It's set in something akin to the late 90s. Superman is dead. Batman has been replaced by an armored killer, and Wonder Woman by an angry violent antithesis of the previous ambassador of peace. The Green Lantern Corps have been destroyed by Hal Jordon. The Flash is missing. Aquaman is now a radical angry eco-pirate with a hook hand and Hawkman is consumed by some sort of Hawk-god avatar. And most of these guys are part of Captain Atom's new militant Extreme Justice League, who tend to smash things first, ask questions never, and just leave everyone else picking up the wreckage. The only true old school hero left in this world is Dick Greyson, the adult Nightwing, who struggles to stay true to his mentor's ideals and his own code of ethics in a world increasingly out of control. He still believes there is good in the world, and it's worth fighting for.

In stark contrast is JLA. This is very much the late Bronze Age of the early 80s, sort of if Crisis had never happened. The old League is mostly gone. Batman has left to form the Outsiders. Wonder Woman is now Queen of the Amazons, and Arthur is King of Atlantis. Barry Allen has moved to the far future with Iris. Ralph and Sue are semi retired, as are Ollie and Dinah (who are married). Hal Jordon lives on Oa as the leader of the Corps. The Atom is off doing his Sword of the Atom thing. And Superman is ... well, I never really figured out what happened to him. He's not dead, but he's not here either. So it's the new generation of heroes turn to be the league. Dick Greyson as Nightwing, Donna Troy as the new Wonder Woman, Wally West as the new Flash, Garth and Tala as the new Aquaman and Aquawoman, and Roy Harper as the Red Arrow. They're joined by the remaining Martian Manhunter and Zatanna (in her white and purple outfit), and by newcomers Captain Thunder (a black Captain Marvel, similar to the one from JLA: Destiny) and Vixen. And maybe the Wonder Twins (I could never really decide on that). John Stewart (the classic version) and Firestorm (Ronnie and the Professor) are reservists, as are Supergirl and Batgirl. I image the artwork and character design being highly reminiscent of George Perez's Titans work.

The Justice Society is also Bronze Age, but set in its world's 1976. It draws a lot from some of Roy Thomas's Golden Age throwbacks of the period. This world had its classic Golden Age heroes of the original Justice Society back in the 30s and 40s, mostly retiring by the late 50s and early 60s. This included the Golden Age versions of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. The new Justice Society is the creation of Bette Kane, the former Bat-Girl, now Batwoman (with the classic red and yellow costume) and Michael Holt, the new Mister Terrific (his costume having a few minor alterations to make it period appropriate; he probably also has a bigger head of hair, but not ludicrously so). It's members include Jessie Chambers and Jade as the new Flash and Green Lantern (there's going to be a running thing here were almost every world seems to have its own unique set of that pair, reflecting the world they come from), Yolanda Montez as the new Wildcat, Jakeem Thunder as the new bearer of the Thunderbolt, Hector Hall as the Golden Eagle, Mikaal Tomas as the very Bowie-esque alien Starman, Al Rothstein as Atom Smasher, and at least one other (maybe Beth Chapel as Dr. Midnight). It's a lot of people with diverse and sometimes conflicting ambitions trying to use the others for their own ends, and sometimes managing to find common ground and respect for each other. (Holt and Jakeem have very different ideas about what a black superhero in 1976 America should stand for and be doing; Jessie and Jade are trying to figure out what their place is in their family legacy, while Hall is kind of rebelling against it and some of the others are trying to prove themselves worthy of it. Bette is very much wanting to prove herself as the legit heir to the Bat-legacy, in spite of her estrangement from the retired Dick Greyson and especially from Helena Wayne.)

The Brave & The Bold is the Silver Age writ large and is about the characters DC created during those early years. It is nominally set in 1963, before the JFK assassination (which may or may not happen in this world) and, not coincidently, the time Marvel Comics was getting started. The two main characters of the book are Barry Allen and Hal Jordon. They are the two biggest heroes of this world, as characters which predate the Silver Age - such as Superman and Batman - don't exist in this world. They are joined by Kid Flash, Hawkman and Hawkgirl, the Atom, Martian Manhunter, Elongated Man, Adam Strange, and the Challengers of the Unknown. I kind of imagine the art as looking a little like the stuff from The New Frontier. I will mention that Iris and Wally are black here, as it gives the opportunity to examine the issue of race in the time period and the Silver Age without being preachy about it.

The Magic of SHAZAM! takes place in 1953 (deliberately the year Fawcett had to stop publishing Captain Marvel because of DC's lawsuit) and draws a lot of inspiration from the original Golden Age Marvel Family and some of the better parts of his appearances over the years, as well as the decade it is set in. This is not a book that is afraid to be slightly silly at times - this is a book that will include Talky Tawny and Hoppy the Marvel Bunny at times - but treats its heroes and the world they live in with a lot of respect and love. The world isn't a perfect place, but Billy Batson and his friends believe in the power of hope and doing everything they can to help others when they can. And they aren't alone. The power of SHAZAM has a way of finding people of a similar mindset around the world - the Lieutenant Marvels - and giving them the power to make a difference when needed. Those powers differ from person to person.

Freedom Fighters takes place in the 1940s, and is partially inspired by old stories about WW2 dragging on as wells that Justice League episode where they went back in time to the War to fight Vandal Savage. This is the mid to late 40s, and WW2 is still ongoing. This is because the Axis leader, Vandal Savage, has managed to produce a lot of super tech war machines. Europe is under his thumb, save for guerrilla hold outs in Britain and elsewhere, while attacks have been made into North America. Defending America is Uncle Sam and other Quality Comics characters. Versions of The Ray, the Phantom Lady, the Human Bomb, Black Condor, Dollman and Dollwoman, Firebrand, Kid Eternity, Captain Triumph, the Red Bee, Manhunter, Neon the Unknown, Alias the Spider, Spider Widow, Max Mercury, and others. And not all of them will survive. This is something of a diesel-punk sci fi version of WW2 that incorporates both period superhero ideas and those of more realistic war films.

Finally, Weird Western Tales, an anthology which primarily stars Jonah Hex, but also Cinnamon, Nighthawk, Bat Lash, Scalphunter, El Diablo, and Ohiyasa Smith. These tend to be classic western stories with a twist, involving demons, time travelers, werewolves, dinosaurs and other stuff. Cinnamon and Nighthawk's story may or may not deal with the idea of them being incarnations of Hawkman and Hawkwoman.

That's all for the moment. Next will be thoughts on potential expansion titles, presuming the idea of people actually liking and buying any of the above.
What is tolerance? It is the consequence of humanity. We are all formed of frailty and error; let us pardon reciprocally each other's folly. That is the first law of nature.
Voltaire, "Tolerance" (1764)
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Re: An Alternate New 52 (fantasy booking)

Post by NoOneofConsequence »

So, after about six months to a year to fully establish itself, it's time for this New 52 to expand a little. This means new titles.

Batgirl is the new Earth Prime book, about young Barbara Gordon debuting as Batgirl. She's slightly older than this world's Robin, and though she's a top notch athlete, she tends to work more with her wits and brains than her fists. Her costume is probably very similar to the real New 52 one. She will develop her own rogues gallery, mainly including new versions of Magpie, Killer Moth, and Louis the Lilac (a criminal who differentiates himself from the rest of Gotham's villains be being a gentleman criminal who doesn't kill people).

(If popular enough, the new Doctor Fate may also get her own book, or at least a mini series to test the waters. If so, the main star of DC Showcase would probably be a new version of Metamorpho as a sort of superpowered archeological adventurer, kind of like a cross between Indiana Jones and Ben Grimm.)

Along similar lines, the new Earth Noir book is Birds of Prey. This stars a totally different version of Barbara Gordon, who was never Batgirl, but was shot and paralyzed by one of Gotham's criminals. She's the hacker and information broker Oracle, coordinating her agents, Black Canary (who has broken away from Green Arrow) and Huntress (the post Crisis version).

(Again, I'd like to hope that one of the Detective Comics characters might be popular enough to test them in their own miniseries. Human Target or Crimson Fox would probably be the new DC star. There might also be a Suicide Squad miniseries, one where a lot of them get killed.)

Earth Brilliant's book is Booster Gold, the time traveler trying to become a rich and famous superhero in our time. His main supporting character is Ted Kord, the retired former Blue Beetle, who is desperately trying to teach him how to be a real hero. (This Booster isn't an idiot. A lot of the story here is him learning from his mistakes and actually growing into a hero.)

(The new Action Comics character would probably be The Atom and/or The Guardian.)

Earth Shoujo's new book is Zatanna, the teen stage magician and secret magic user, who is solving supernatural mysteries while trying to find her missing father.

(The new Sensation Comics serial would be Panthra and/or The Shining Knight.)

Earth Gothic's book is Saga of the Swamp Thing, which would probably focus a lot on folk horror, bio-horror, and nature-horror.

Legends of the DC Universe would have a spin off, Tomorrow's Finest: Superboy & Robin, which would be about Johnathon Kent and Damian Wayne.

LSH also gets a spin off, Legion Academy, which is set in the (likely) future of the Legion, when they've established a school of all new young heroes who are aspiring to be the next generation of Legionnaires.

If the Throwback books are popular enough, they'd also get spin off miniseries to test for potential new ongoing books.

If Wild CATS got a spin off, I think you could do something with the concept of Stormwatch. In this case, it would be the human governments' response to this alien war going on on their planet. This includes the efforts to create their own super-soldiers as an anti-alien strike team.

With ICONS, I have this idea of Mal Duncan as this earth's Blue Lantern (rather than Green), known as the Herald of Hope.

Nightwing's spin off is Young Justice, in which his efforts to keep the idea of heroes alive bears fruit with a rag tag band of teen super heroes. They are led by Tim Drake, who is this world's Oracle (having been badly injured by the Azrael-Batman), and include Superboy, the de-aged Ray Palmer Atom, Damage, and one or two others.

JLA leads to Worlds Finest: Batgirl & Supergirl, which is the classic pre-Crisis duo of Babs and Kara, with their classic Bronze Age outfits, and their deep and well established friendship.

Justice Society's spin off is Trinity, which is about Helena Wayne as Huntress, Power Girl, and Fury (daughter of the Golden Age Wonder Woman), and the three of them dealing with how they each handle their legacies, if they can live up to them, and being women in the swinging 70s.

Brave & The Bold is joined by Doom Patrol, who debuted in 1963. It's the classic line up of Chief, Robot Man, Negative Man, and Elastigirl. It might derive some additional inspiration from the recent tv series and the Grant Morison run, but by and large this is looking at a lot of the weirder corners of the early 1960s, as well as a general idea that people can respect and learn to understand each other despite their differences.

For the world of Shazam, I would really love to do Spysmasher as the bane of 1950s commie spies (the ones which, after the KGB archives were opened in the 1990s, turned out to have been very real and all over the place). Because I really dislike communists.

Finally, Weird War Tales, an anthology set in various wars, featuring things like The Haunted Tank, the Creature Commandoes, GI Robot, the War that Time Forgot, and the Unknown Soldier. I'm a little torn between this being the classic WW2 versions, or exploring the idea of these concepts in the 21st century and our past 20 years of war in the Middle East and Central Asia.
What is tolerance? It is the consequence of humanity. We are all formed of frailty and error; let us pardon reciprocally each other's folly. That is the first law of nature.
Voltaire, "Tolerance" (1764)
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Re: An Alternate New 52 (fantasy booking)

Post by NoOneofConsequence »

At some point there would be a few instances of worlds crossing over, at least where it feels appropriate. Something like Earth Prime's Teen Titans meeting Earth Brilliant's Supergirl (and probably eventually the JLA world's Batgirl and Supergirl meeting their Prime and Brilliant counterparts). Also some sort of epic meeting of all the Flashes and Green Lanterns. And I'd like both versions of Superman to meet Captain Marvel.

The Throwback worlds might also all end up getting Annuals which expand on their worlds a little. Such as JLA's annual giving a look at Batman and the Outsiders, as well as a new incarnation of the Teen Titans made up of the Jason Todd Robin with teen versions of the classic Vibe and Gypsy (who may need a new code name), as well as Kole. The Brave & The Bold would probably delve into the worlds of the original Challengers of the Unknown and the Metal Men. And so on.
What is tolerance? It is the consequence of humanity. We are all formed of frailty and error; let us pardon reciprocally each other's folly. That is the first law of nature.
Voltaire, "Tolerance" (1764)
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Davies
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Re: An Alternate New 52 (fantasy booking)

Post by Davies »

Call her 'Chameleon' and have her making references to Boy George songs in her dialogue.
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
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Re: An Alternate New 52 (fantasy booking)

Post by NoOneofConsequence »

Davies wrote: Fri Mar 12, 2021 12:43 am Call her 'Chameleon' and have her making references to Boy George songs in her dialogue.
I'd be tempted to call her Runaway, the name they used for the amalgam of her and Rogue for Amalgam's JLX/JLAvengers.
What is tolerance? It is the consequence of humanity. We are all formed of frailty and error; let us pardon reciprocally each other's folly. That is the first law of nature.
Voltaire, "Tolerance" (1764)
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Davies
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Re: An Alternate New 52 (fantasy booking)

Post by Davies »

That's good too! I mean it's what she literally is, so!
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
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Re: An Alternate New 52 (fantasy booking)

Post by MacynSnow »

How about Jason Todd(Red Hood) in Earth:Noir or Gothic?
In Noir, his origin could relatively remain the same ( Street kid trained by Batman; Beaten and left for dead by Gangsters when he went out on his own; thought long dead by Bats untill he returned as Hood) while the Gothic version is his original version, where he was partly raised by Nocturne as Bruce's Successor (even call him Shade instead of Red Hood)...
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