5.2 Reasons We Love the Multiverse

The idea of what could have been always intrigues. It’s literally the basis of fictional storytelling. Those magic words: what if?

What if a stranger visitor from another world came to Earth and our yellow sun granted him amazing abilities far beyond that of normal man? What if a young boy with unlimited funds and resources saw his parents gunned down in front of him and began a never-ending quest for justice? What if a dying alien gifted a young pilot with the most powerful weapon in the galaxy?

These questions gave birth to some of the World’s Greatest Super Heroes—but the questions didn’t stop there. Throughout the years, creators explored other alternatives, other worlds, where Superman landed in Soviet Russian instead of America, where the Justice Society served as a secret government agency instead of public heroes, where Wonder Woman ventured to man’s land during the Victorian Era, and more.

There’s a literal multiverse of possibilities out there, and we love exploring them all.

Earlier this week, DC Comics and WB announced the upcoming Infinite Crisis multiplayer online battle arena game, which features characters from all across the DC Universe—and beyond—venturing into various other Earths including the world of Batman: Vampire and Gotham by Gaslight. The possibilities alone sends our minds reeling from an overdose of awesome, and to help placate ourselves until the game’s release we’re going to take a look at other multiverse tales with 5.2 Reasons We Love the Multiverse!

1. Superman: Red Son

Arguably one of the greatest Elseworlds tales ever written, with a surprise ending that will simply blow your mind, Mark Millar’s Superman: Red Son features a Superman raised in Soviet Russia and explores the intrinsic heroism at the heart of the character. More importantly, it also features a Batman in a fuzzy hat complete with Bat-ears. It’s awesome.


2. JSA: The Liberty Files

Starring the Bat, the Clock and the Owl, JSA: The Liberty Files re-imagined the Justice Society members as secret operatives hunting to uncover the mystery behind a German secret weapon codenamed “the Superman.” Perfect for any fan of action, espionage and super heroes, it exemplifies Elseworlds storytelling at its finest.


3. Batman: In Darkest Knight

Batman becomes a Green Lantern. Seriously, what more do you need to know?


4. JLA: The Nail

Written and drawn by Alan Davis and based around the proverbial rhyme “For Want of a Nail,” JLA: The Nail shows the massive and world-changing consequences one simple act can cause. When a nail leads to Jonathan and Martha Kent never discovering the baby Kal-El, it causes a chain reaction that completely alters the course of the DC Universe, creating a world where metahumans are feared and hated.


5. Superman: Secret Identity

An Elseworld of an Elseworld (sort of), Superman: Secret Identity by Kurt Busiek and Stuart Immonen follows Clark Kent—a boy named after the world’s most famous comic book super hero. That’s right, Clark’s from “Earth Prime,” the original home of the CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS hero Superboy-Prime. Growing up, Clark resented his name and the jokes that came with it. That is until the day he actually developed super powers.


5.1 Kingdom Come

Don't play this game. You know this.


5.2 The Earth One Line

With More Still to Come!


That’s really just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the multiverse. There’s still a ton of tales out there we didn’t mention, including the current Earth 2 ongoing and the upcoming Multiversity limited series by Grant Morrison. What are some of your favorite other Earth tales? Let us know in the comments!

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5.2 Reasons, infinite crisis, Elseworlds, Multiverse, kingdom come, Superman, Batman, justice society of america, jsa, justice league of america, jla, earth one

Exclusive Cover Reveal: SUPERMAN#19

When we solicited our DC COMICS-THE NEW 52 titles for April, we only showed the first side of each gatefold cover. Well the time has finally come to start seeing what’s on the other half of these exciting pieces of art!

Today, THE SOURCE has your exclusive first look at Kenneth Rocafort’s full cover for SUPERMAN #19, featuring the one person with the power to turn Wonder Woman against Superman. Can the Man of Steel convince her otherwise?

Take a look at the cover to see who that one person is. And what could this mean for Superman and Wonder Woman’s relationship? Place your bets in the comments section below, and don’t forget to pick up your copy of SUPERMAN #19, in stores April 24th!

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Superman, kenneth rocafort

Preview Monday: SUPERMAN #18 and THE UNWRITTEN #47

Welcome back for another installment of Preview Monday! This week we’re giving you exclusive first looks at SUPERMAN #18 and THE UNWRITTEN #47.

After the shocking events of “H’el on Earth,” Superman has been called in to meet with the United States Senate to explain the nature of the “Fortress of Solitude,” which is now considered a threat to international security! Will Superman allow international inspectors to enter his home? And how will this predicament affect the public’s opinion of the Man of Steel? Find out in SUPERMAN #18, flying into stores this Wednesday, written by Scott Lobdell and illustrated by Aaron Kuder, Tyler Kirkham and Robson Rocha.

Meanwhile, in THE UNWRITTEN, “Orpheus in the Underworld” has begun. In his quest to bring Lizzie back from the dead, Tom Taylor has made it to Hades—but he left his memories behind in the process! And now that the king of the Underworld has agreed to help him, can Tommy trust him? Or does the tyrant have his own sinister agenda? Written by Mike Carey and illustrated by Peter Gross, THE UNWRITTEN #47 arrives in stores this Wednesday.

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Superman, the unwritten, Scott Lobdel, Aaron Kuder, tyler kirkham, Robson Rocha, mike carey, peter gross

Win a Free Man of Steel T-Shirt

This summer, Superman returns to the big screen. But before that, he’s heading to Hot Topic.

Hot Topic will be the exclusive home of the new Man of Steel teaser tee—the first official Man of Steel shirt to hit the market. Featuring the film’s modern take on Superman’s iconic glyph, you can find the new shirt in Hot Topic stores or online at the Hot Topic website on March 25th.

However, for fans who don’t want to wait, we have five free Man of Steel teaser tees to give away on Twitter. Right now. And all you need to do to win one is tell us what Superman represents to you.

Here’s how it works…

1. First, if you’re not already doing so, be sure to follow DC Comics on Twitter.

2. Before 11 p.m. PST tomorrow (March 20th), tweet what Superman represents to you using the hashtag #MOSGiveaway. For example, “Superman represents integrity, honesty and bravery. #MOSGiveaway” Or “Superman is the hero we should all aspire to be. #MOSGiveaway” (You get the idea!)

That’s really all there is to it. After the deadline, five winners will be chosen at random and will be direct messaged for their name, address and t-shirt size (S, M, L or XL). Good luck, and thanks for being such super fans!

***

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. A purchase of any kind will not increase your chances of winning.

This Sweepstakes is open only to legal residents of the 50 United States or the District of Columbia who are at least 18 years old as of the date of their entry. Employees of DC Entertainment and any of DC Entertainment’s affiliates, parents, subsidiary companies, or advertising and promotion agencies and members of their immediate families are not eligible to enter or win the Sweepstakes. Void where prohibited. By entering the Sweepstakes, entrants agree to these Official Rules and DC Entertainment’s Privacy Policy. The decisions of Sponsor are final and binding on all matters relating to this Sweepstakes. Odds of winning depend on the total number of eligible entries received.

One entry per person. All entries must comply with these Official Rules and meet the submission guidelines detailed herein. Each entrant is solely responsible for any and all uses of his/her registered Twitter account.

By submitting a tweet, entrant warrants, represents and agrees that: (i) entrant is the person responsible for the tweet; (ii) the reproduction, distribution and display of the tweet does not violate the rights of any persons or entities; (iii) the entrant has the right to submit the tweet to Sponsor; and (iv) Sponsor may reproduce and display the tweet on ­­­­­­­­­­­DCComics.com and all DC Comics-operated Twitter and Facebook pages. Sponsor reserves the right to condition the award of prizes upon the execution by the winner(s) of a publicity release. Notwithstanding this reserved right, entry is conclusively deemed to be permission by the entrant for Sponsor to use the entrant's name and picture (without compensation to the entrant) if the entrant is a winner to publicize the Sweepstakes and otherwise, as determined by Sponsor, unless prohibited by law. Sponsor reserves the right to require the winner to execute an affidavit of eligibility as a sworn document and provide other proof of eligibility as a condition of receipt of the prize or award.

The random selection will be held on 12 p.m. PST on Thursday, March 21, 2013 from all eligible entries received. We will then Direct Message the winners on Twitter to get necessary information. If a selected winner does not comply with these rules or respond to the request to claim their prize, an alternative winner will be selected from the remaining eligible entries. Prize does not include transportation costs and all entrants are responsible for securing transportation to the event. Total value of prize is $20.50.

Sponsor not responsible for late, lost, stolen, incomplete, misdirected, garbled, damaged, delayed or undelivered entries.

Winners’ List: For the name of the winners, available after Monday, March 25, 2013, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope, to be received by DC Entertainment to: Gerard Maté 4000 Warner Blvd. Burbank, CA  91522.

The Sponsor of the Sweepstakes is DC Entertainment, 1700 Broadway, New York, NY 10019.

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giveaway, Superman, man of steel

5.2 Reasons Earth 2 is Blowing Our Minds

Pack your theoretical bags and don’t forget your magic-repellant enchantments and custom-made Jay Garrick Flash helmet because this week we're taking a little trip over to EARTH 2—home to the re-imagined members of the Justice Society of America!

The first issue alone had us salivating for more and with each new character appearance and plot twist, we need to chug more and more water to replenish all those lost fluids (cause of, you know, the salivating). What makes this series so awesome? Well, with the first volume collection hitting stores this week, we thought it would be a good time to give you the 5.2 Reasons Why Earth 2 is Blowing Our Minds!


1. A World without Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman...

The opening salvo of EARTH 2 introduced us to alternate versions of the Big Three of DC—engaged in an all-out brawl of insurmountable odds against the hordes of Apokolips. This isn't necessarily new for Supes, Bats, and, uh, Wondy, but whereas normally they've got friends helping them, this time they're on their own... and their victory came at a terrible price as in the first issue, the Big Three of DC get straight up murdered! How’s that for a plot twist Shyamalan?

2. ... But Not a World without Heroes

Sure the Big Three are gone, but that doesn't mean that Earth 2 threw up its metaphorical hands and went “Screw it, we’re out.” That would make for a very, very short series. The consequences and repercussions of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman’s sacrifice lead to the emergence of an all-new generation of heroes, including the Flash Jay Garrick, Green Lantern Alan Scott, Hawkgirl Kendra Saunders, the Atom Al Pratt, and more.

3. A Whole New World

However, though the names and powers might seem familiar, this isn't the same JSA of old. We've got a young Jay Garrick just discovering his powers (granted to him by a freakin’ god no less), a very different Alan Scott as an avatar of the Green, a military man version of Al Pratt, a gun-totting Hawkgirl, a villainous Fury, and much more we don't even know yet. With a whole new world to play with, the possibilities are endless.

 

4. Welcome Home, Mr. Robinson

Speaking of endless possibilities on a whole new world, who better to weave those webs than James Robinson? Robinson gained much praise and popularity for his work with Earth 2 on such titles as JSA, THE GOLDEN AGE and STARMAN. It's very obvious to anyone who reads his work that he has a deep-seeded love for these characters, so it's especially exciting to see him not only back on Earth 2 but also re-imagining these characters for a new age.

 

5. Wardrobe Change

One of the coolest things about the series is seeing the multitude of cosmetic changes that have been made to the costumes of these characters. Check out some of them below!