New History of the DC Universe #1 is written by Mark Waid and published by DC. Artwork is by Todd Nuack and Jerry Ordway. Colours are by Matt Hermes and John Kalisz with letters by Todd Klein.
New History of the DC Universe #1 is available from today, in print and on digital platforms where all good comic books are sold. Grab your digital copy from Amazon Comixology UK right here.
Synopsis
In celebration of 90 years of DC, super fan and writer Mark Waid turns backtime to the very beginning of the DC Universe in a four-issue miniseriesdrawn by some of DC’s greatest artists and told by the newest chronicler oftime, Barry Allen, the Flash! In our debut issue, Barry takes us from the verybirth of the DC Universe to the rise of the Justice Society. The Golden Age ofheroes begins here!
Review
The timeline of DC Comics can be rather confusing as you try to understand what exactly is canon and what has been retconned due to a reboot or in-universe event such as a Crisis. It starts to get quite hard to follow, and when you’re trying to talk to a friend about your favourite character but they mention one canon while you mention another, it begins to get confusing.
Mark Waid has teamed up with DC for their 90th anniversary to finally, once and for all, settle a canon DC timeline. The usage of Barry Allen as the character to narrate this four-issue limited series is a stroke of pure genius, as who better to get the facts straight than the man who has been through it all himself and at the centre of a few history-alternating events?
This is not a comic that’s going to be for everyone, and that’s noticeable within its first 5-10 pages. It’s doing its job by being informative and in-depth regarding the timeline of the DC universe, but it also lacks any sense of a story. This might make it a struggle for some people to feel connected with the book, as there aren’t any stakes at play. What Mark Waid has created is a lore book that hardcore DC fans will appreciate and people like myself who aren’t heavily informed might enjoy.
As there’s a lot of history to get through, Mark Waid doesn’t waste any time with just one specific moment in history. On one page, there are at least three different crucial events happening, and each page is different. For me, while there’s a heap of information to retain and, truthfully, a reread is in order, Waid’s writing making it snappy really helped with keeping engaged in what essentially is a DC history book.
It begins from the dawn of time with the introduction of Perpetua, her sons, and the Endless, and we eventually move into the iconic Golden Age. It’s a fun and enjoyable read as you get to see how all of the characters and stories interconnect with each other. There were numerous points where I found myself learning new information, such as the existence of the Justice Society Dark or even Hippolyta as Wonder Woman.
New History of the DC Universe has that beauty to it. It’ll give the longtime fans something to enjoy while also gaining a new perspective and for fans like myself who haven’t spent too much time with older comics, a chance to learn about what DC has had to offer in its past. With the addition of Todd Nauck and Jerry Ordway’s art, it makes the narration of this Golden Age feel slightly more engaging as they nail the designs of the heroes and villains of the past. It’s an extremely basic format that this book follows, and this leads into the art not having to be experimental.
If you’re finding yourself enjoying New History of the DC Universe and discover a piece of history that you didn’t know of before, the comic has an index at the back that lets you know the comic and issue that the information derived from. This gives newcomers and readers overall the incentive to go on their own and do more research to learn more than what Mark Waid can fit into a page.
Verdict
New History of the DC Universe #1 is an informative, fun and engaging read for fans who aren’t fully tapped into the history of the DC Universe. It’s a basic book that follows an easy format to get through the timeline efficiently with artwork that could also be deemed quite basic, but none of that is bad, as it allows for the comic to be accessible to anyone. This is a comic that should be on the shelf of any DC fan.
⭐⭐⭐.5
