The DC Universe is about legacies. The Golden Age. The Silver Age. The Bronze Age. Heroes passing on mantles to their protégés. Teachers and students. Fathers and sons, mothers and daughters. In the DCU, the sense of family and history is part of the very fiber of the universe.
One of my earliest comic book memories as a kid was when my dad took me to the comic shop for the first time and bought me a copy of THE GREATEST FLASH STORIES EVER TOLD. I remember huddling in my room (you’d think I’d be outside, enjoying the Miami sun – but that’s neither here nor there) with the bright yellow book, featuring three generations of speedsters hurtling toward me, and being drawn into a world of lightning speed, chemicals and science, secret gorilla nations, colorful villains who wielded mirrors and boomerangs and a stand-up guy named Barry Allen, who loved his wife Iris and his nephew Wally. Barry was also the Flash, the Fastest Man Alive. He didn’t have the same funny hat as the guy before him, nor was he as grim as the Batman or as strong as Superman, but something about him stuck. He was someone to look up to.
And then there was Wally – a kid relatively my age who had amazing powers and was learning from his idol. Reading Cary Bates’ heartbreaking “Death of the Flash” synopsis toward the end of the collection was both shocking and uplifting – Barry died saving the universe, but his sidekick took over. The student became the teacher.
This is what the DCU is built on – heroes trying to live up to the legacies their predecessors have created, and in the process, creating new ones of their own. Superman. Batman. Wonder Woman. Green Lantern. The Flash. The Justice Society. The Justice League. The Legion of Super-Heroes. Hawkman. The Atom. I could go on, but you get what I’m saying here.
And, as we enter the next decade of the 21st century, the DCU is going to take a moment to celebrate its rich and legendary history.
First up is LEGACIES, a 10-part mini-series kicking off in May from writer Len Wein and an all-star cast of artists. Each issue will spotlight a different era from the history of the DCU in two stories, with each issue moving us closer to the present. Who’s up first artistically, tackling the birth of the DCU and the beginnings of the mystery men and the Golden Age? None other than Andy Kubert and his father Joe Kubert, who’ve built their very own comic book legacy. It’s only fitting, right? I would think so. Plus, you get a story illustrated by none other than J.G. Jones, as each issue will feature backups with art by some of the biggest names in the industry. Here’s a clue as to Len’s perspective on the series, from his first interview:
“Legacies is the history of the DCU as told from the point of view of the man on the street. It starts at the dawn of the Golden Age and right now it runs right up to the moments before Countdown to Infinite Crisis begins.”
"Being asked to work on these historic and iconic characters is an honor," said Andy Kubert. "Being asked to work with the creators involved -- that I grew up reading...and got RAISED by -- is not only an honor, but awe inspiring."
Well said, guys. Swing by COMIC BOOK RESOURCES in a bit to read more from Dan DiDio and Wein on LEGACIES.
But there’s more. Dan DiDio’s teased this here and there, but we can now officially confirm that in tandem with LEGACIES, we’ll also be publishing new editions of THE HISTORY OF THE DC UNIVERSE and an all-new WHO’S WHO 15-issue series, profiling some of the best and lesser-known characters populating the DC Universe.
And while the DCU in 2010 will be very much about pushing our most beloved characters into new worlds and to face new challenges, there’s a lot to be said about tipping your hat to the past, and the legacy of those that came before.
