who's who | DC Comics

Dan DiDio talks LEGACIES, WHO'S WHO

You know, ever since I started at DC Comics (nearly eight years ago for those of you keeping track), I’ve been asked when are we

going to do a new HISTORY OF THE DC UNIVERSE and a new WHO’S WHO? Over the years I’ve given varying responses to these questions (everything from “waiting to find the right talent” to “not ready to start revising history’); after all, the creative energy that Marv Wolfman and George Perez put into the original HISTORY was hard to top, and the amount of man hours it took to build a new WHO’S WHO was a little daunting. And truth be told, if we ever planned to take on these two monumental projects again, we wanted to make sure we rolled them out at a time we felt that the universe was no longer in flux and the history, as built, and the Who’s Who entries would stay relevant for as long as the original projects (some of the editors, myself included, can be seen still using the original Who’s Who as a reference guide). The last thing we’d want to do is to build these books and have them outdated before their final issues hit the shelves. Well, given the events of BLACKEST NIGHT (you didn’t really think I’d give away the ending, did you?), and the fact that we are approaching DC Comics’ 75th anniversary, I am very happy to announce that the time is now.

A new WHO’s WHO is currently in production with the first issue hitting the stores in May. Like the original series, this is a massive

undertaking: 18 issues, over 800 entries and featuring, literally, a thousand characters. Former DC Editor Bob Greenberger has returned to the fold (Bob worked on the original Who’s Who as well) and is taking on the incredible task of building this series so that it has the same lasting impact of the first one. As for the history of the DC Universe, well, we are coming at that a little differently. Rather than a prose piece, master storyteller Len Wein has crafted a detailed and weaving story of two families whose lives have been impacted by five generations of super-heroes.

DC LEGACIES tells the tale of the history of the DC Universe as experienced by the characters who live in it. Five generations, ten issues and fifteen of comics’ greatest artists will be telling a tale for the ages. And while you will be hearing more about this project as it gets closer, this Nation page just gives you a sample of the first-issue art of the incomparable team of Andy and Joe Kubert as they tackle the first generation and the age of the Mystery Men.

A little special comic book goodness to kick off 2010. Happy New Year, Nation!

To be continued…

Tags:

blackest night, Dan DiDio, dc nation, legacies, who's who

DCU IN 2010: CELEBRATE THE LEGACY AND HISTORY OF THE DC UNIVERSE

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.