So in the summer of 2011, DC Comics announced a "New 52" - 52 new #1 titles to be released in September, effectively rebooting the DC Universe. If they can do it, I though, why can't I? What follow was a three month journey through a rebooted DC Universe, dubbed the Drewniverse. The goal was to rebuild the DC Universe in my image, to reboot a continuity that has sagged for years under the weight of Big Crises and Infinite Reboots.
Here's the list of titles, plus a short description, for the comics rebooted for the Drewniverse:
1) Superman - Good ole Big Blue. The ongoing Superman title.
2) Batman - He is the night! Ongoing Batman.
3) Wonder Woman - She is the power! Ongoing Wonder Woman.
4) Action Comics - "Remember that one time when..." Superman stories. These could be flashbacks to pre-Issue #1 adventures or short, self-contained story arcs.
5) Detective Comics - Same thing for Batman.
6) All-Star Comics - Ditto for Wonder Woman.
7) Elseworlds - Alternate stories. Think Gotham by Gaslight, Red Son, and Kingdom Come.
8) Green Lantern - Adventures of our Green Lantern, John Stewart. Sometimes including his junior partner, Barbara Gordon.
9) Tales of the Green Lantern Corps - More space-based adventures of the Corps away from Earth. It is here we can deal with some of the Conspiracy.
10) Green Cadets - More youth oriented title focusing on a cross-section of young Lantern Corps cadets who have been, for whatever reason, chosen at a young age by their rings and live on Oa for training. Slightly manga-inspired.
11) Aquaman - Arata, bastard member of the Atlantean royal family, swims the seas like Cain from Kung-Fu trying to discover the mystery of his heritage.
12) The Flash - Barry Allen has a need... one that if he gives in to, he will die.
13) All-Star Villainy - Short run stories told for the perspective of the world's worst. Featuring Lex Luthor!
14) Badge of Fate - Zatanna Zatara and John Constantine are an odd-couple of mystic detectives chasing down some leads at the behest of the Helmet of Fate.
15) Captain Atom - Captain Monica Adam turns defeat into victory, using the powers she gained by accident to defend the principles of truth, justice, and the American way.
16) Doom Patrol - Will Mycroft Caulder claim his birthright? Would he even want it?
17) Justice League - Big names, big stories, bigger fights.
18) Justice League Task Force - Slightly smaller names, but their adventures are no less important.
19) Green Arrow - I was fighting crime before it went mainstream, bro.
20) Secret Six - Jimmy Corrigan has been contacted by a mysterious informant who helps him solve the toughest cases in Gotham City. Can he and his five allies get to the bottom of the informant's identity?
21) Titans - Mr. Terrific has founded a team of young superpowered heroes. Can they make a difference in the world without fighting each other?
22) Adam Strange - Adventurer and survivalist TV host Adam Strange is called to the biggest survival scenerio of them all - an alien world!
23) Deadgirl - Madison Malloy is dead and not happy about it. Everyone thinks she committed suicide, but that's not the truth. She refuses to rest until the truth comes out.
24) Manhunter - Detective John Jones is really J'onn J'onzz, the Martian Manhunter. He investigates the weird and the macabre in an effort to defend his adopted planet from alien threat posed by the Idol Head of Diabolu.
25) The Outsiders - Batman's team of heroes does what the Justice League can't - or won't!
26) Hawkman - The rogue archaeologist Carter Hall travels the world in pursuit of mysterious artifacts of ancient alien nature.
27) Blackhawks - Our favorite pilots now fly for the UN, looking out for those displaced by war and conflict.
28) Nightwing - Dick Grayson travels the world beating up a host of Batman-knockoffs. After all, there can be only one.
29) Healer - A new POV character for the Drewniverse. Mike Janos has the power to heal anyone he touches, but good intentions only go so far.
30) Superboy - One young man's con will be write large across the Drewniverse.
31) Faust - A young sorcerer with powers he never asked for is summoned to Hell by Lucifer himself. Faust's mission? Solve the Devil's murder!
32) Task Force X - An anthology of stories about the government agency under the control of the fastidious Amanda Waller. Who is Checkmate? Are they real?
33) Barda - Once the head of Darkseid's elites, Big Barda has seen too much and now must flee her old master.
34) Sword of the Atom - A minor mishap gives this minor player a starring role.
35) Booster Gold - Fleeing a mainstream continuity that no longer has a place for him, Booster Gold takes up with several of his alternate versions in the Drewniverse.
36) Resurrection Man - Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning's creation lives again! (and again and again...)
37) Huntress - One woman's war against the system that made her.
38) Firestorm -Two have become one, but can their atomic union help heal a divided continent?
39) Sam Simeon, Vampire Hunter - Right here in Gorilla City, it's Trouble with a 'T' and that rhymes with 'V' and that stands for VAMPIRES.
40) Legion of Super-Heroes - Heroes of the future help train the youth of today.
41) Wildcat - Cats have nine lives and this here is three of them - alleycat, tomcat, and hellcat.
42) The Global Guardians - Just because they were commissioned by the United Nations to work for the betterment of mankind doesn't mean they're going to.
43) Frankenstein, Agent of SHADE - Why mess with a recipe for SUCCESS?
44) Batwoman - When one woman's secret war gets thrust into the light, she gains a name and legacy she never looked for.
45) Camelot - Our country is a castle.
46) Swamp Thing - Our Champion of The Green slouches forth from his swamp, waiting to be born again.
47) Animal Man - The Champion The Red never asked for tries to juggle his duty to his family with his duty to all creatures.
48) O.M.A.C - Where does Brother Eye and and Buddy Blank begin? Surely this can be answered with AWESOME EXPLOSIONS.
49) The Brave and the Bold - More than just team-ups, this will be the engine that helps drive DC into the future.
50) The Elongated Pair - Rapid fire banter and Gingold martinis abound as Ralph and Sue Dibny solve crimes, The Thin Man style.
51) The Creeper - Jack Ryder's alter ego not only knows he's a comicbook character, but is dedicated to being the best one there is.
52) Jimmy Olsen, Reporter - The cub reporter takes on the most dangerous task in the DC Universe - The Keeper of Continuity!
Other assorted entries:
General Zod - The hero of Kandor takes his people's future into his own fists.
Why is Earth So Special? - Why does everyone keep coming here?
Power Girl - She's more than you think.
