Due to various circumstances, I stopped keeping up with comics about a year ago. I've recently scanned the comic racks, and it looks likes I've missed a lot in the DC universe!

So I'm asking the excellent community here at HCR kindly to give me an update on the events of the DCU.

Okay, first of all, the Multiverse is back... but different.

There are 52 universes (numbered from 1 to 51, plus an extra one called "New Earth" where everything happens). Monitors monitoring these universes are upset that people are crossing from universe to universe. Monarch (Captain Atom) is gathering an army from across the multiverse to fight the Monitors. Meanwhile, a small group of heroes is searching for (and have found) Ray Palmer who may be the only one who can stop the Great Disaster from happening.

Meanwhile, Sinestro's been stirring up trouble, creating his own Sinestro Corps to promote fear. Members of the Sinestro Corps include Superboy Prime (aka Superman Prime), Cyborg Superman, and the Anti-Monitor. To fight the Sinestro Corps, the Guardians of the universe allowed Green Lantern rings to use lethal force on the Sinestro Corps members... but that was all according to Sinestro's plan since now that GLs are killing people, people are afraid of the GLs, thereby spreading fear.

Meanwhile, Jim Shooter's taking over the writing on the Legion of Super-Heroes (3rd incarnation) while over in Action, Superman's meeting up with the original version of the Legion (without the Five Year Gap but with some extra time passed and a little bit of darkening).

How did the multiverse come back? Is the Anti-Monitor you mention the Anti-Monitor?

The multiverse was reborn in the following way: First, during Infinite Crisis, Alexander Luthor (from Crisis on Infinite Earths) came back and began trying to create the perfect Earth by recreating and sometimes merging Earths brought back from CoIE. However, the heroes stopped him during his experiments, leading to a bunch of Earths being merged together to apparently create "New Earth" (the same as the pre-Infinite Crisis Earth with a few subtle differences). However, there was too much Earthly goodness in the mix, and actually the multiverse was reborn with 52 identical copies of New Earth's universe.

Then, Mr. Mind (who was in a cocoon changing from a caterpillar into a moth) who had inhabited Booster Gold's sidekick Skeets started eating bits of chronal energy, thereby transforming the 52 universes into universes that were no longer identical to New Earth's universe.

And, yes, it's the same Anti-Monitor. Somehow with the rebirth of the multiverse, he was reborn.

Every Supervillian (just about) on Earth has been rounded up and dropped on a Deathworld (of Darkseids design), by the Suicide Squad.

The New Gods are being killed off but their souls are not joining the Source, speculation is that Darkseid is not doing it but encouraging it to bring about the Fifth World.

Granny Goodness is training new "Furies" on earth under the guise of Athena, as Amazons.

The Rogues killed Bart Allen during his short stint as the Flash, Wally came back from another Dimension where Flash's have been visiting throughtout the generations.

So, the most important question really is:

What's the latest with the Justice Society of America? I heard Earth-2 Superman stuck around after Infinite Crisis and joined the JSA.

No, KC Superman has been pulled across dimmensions and joined the JSA.

Current lineup:

Powergirl - Chairwoman
Mr. Terrific
Hawkman
Flash
Damage
Green Lantern
Citizen Steel
Stargirl
Sandman
Cyclone or Hurricane or some other goofy name (Maxine Hunkel, grand daughter of original Red Tornado)
Wildcat Sr
Wildcat Jr
Starman (LEGION of Superheros/KC Starman)
Liberty Bell
Hourman
Obsidian (Brownstone guardian)
Dr. Midnight
and looks like Jakeem Thunder is returning

You mean KC Superman was pulled out of Hypertime from the "Kingdom Come" universe?

Oh man, I need to play some JSA theme teams now using KC Superman!

It should also be noted that KC Superman's presence is what has clued the JLA and JSA that the multiverse is back. All they know is that there are other worlds out there, but currently have no access to them. Few beings are currently capable of traversing the 52 worlds. The Atom, Ray Palmer, is one of the few beings who can do so at will. Another is the already mentioned Monarch (formerly Captain Atom). He has learned how to do so by traveling through the Bleed, which originally came from the Wildstorm universe (WS being one of the 52).

Yes, and storyline wise I thought he was a good pick to use on the JSA (since Kingdom come was all about the young heros going berserk and Superman and the JLA trying to become the future JSA, but with JLA stylizing).

Pretty beastly line up though with KC Superman (possibly most powerful Superman since Pre-Crisis), Power Girl (who's discovering all her other Kryptonian powers), Alan Scott, Jakeem Thunder, Starman, and potent backup.

It's been a great book since relaunch. I love the addition of Damage to the team, he basically takes over Atom Smasher's role, but with a little more edge to him. So far they've trashed some Nazis and beaten the stuffing out of Vandal Savage (it was great, Wildcat and son run him over with a fire truck).

What's happened with the Marvel family?

Oh Lord... you don't want to know.



But here goes.

Billy's still watching the Rock of Eternity, but occasionally ventures out to do some good in his new white duds with his long rock-star white hair.

Freddy's currently going through the Trial of Shazam, by which he has to face every god linked to the Power of Shazam one at a time ad prove himself worthy of that particular power. Meanwhile, a group of wizards called the Order of Merlin have a candidate named Sabina (hot, evil dread locked chick) that's trying to make sure Freddy fails and gains the powers for herself and the Order. She's won 2 of them last I checked. Sounds like a good comic... IT ISN'T. I need to take a shower for the act that I just said all that and know it that well.

And in other out-of-character Marvel Family news, Mary ended up with no powers at all until she caught up with Black Adam and he took pity on her, giving her a portion of his power. Problem with that? Well, Black Adam is an insane, murderous, power-mad villain... and now so is Mary, pretty much. She's hooked up with Eclipso, and was presented to Darkseid as a concubine as part of Eclipso's plan to overthrow Darkseid and rule Apokalypse. She then turned on Eclipso, who highly underestimated her power (and it's INSANE how much power she has now... took Zatanna own like a kid on the playground) and now she's just all nutty on her own.


We have no idea how Mr. Talky Tawny feels about these developments, but I'm guessing that he's off gagging somewhere.

Let me just add:

(1) Of course, these gods are *not* the GrecoRoman entities that we thought they were. Instead, these are just one set of thousands of entities that coincidentally have the same name.

(2) When Freddy is done with his quest, his superhero name will be "Shazam". Not "Captain Marvel" or anything sane, but "Shazam". Sigh.

The only good thing is that he can say his magic word without changing if he so wishes (which would have been useful when he was Captain Marvel Junior).