COMICS MY WAY: CRISIS ON INFINITE MISTAKES Pt2

So in part one I laid out the problems: The DC Universe is one continuity mess after the next, a constant dragging of plotting feet “fixing” a problem that they editors probably figure is “no big deal” while their confused fanbase shrinks in frustration and a shrinking wallet as they can’t afford buying weekly series that really don’t change much, and “tie-ins” that really aren’t “tie-ins” at all.

The fix here is an easy one really, and totally profitable to DC and could restructure their books to not only give readers a reason to keep buying their products, but to generate new readers, new capital, and new excitement to a universe and comic company that could take them way over the top.

First off, I think it’s obvious the way they are going now is a constant string of “short term” flashes, a kind of carrot strung before the horse, promising change, and yet keeping it just out of reach. DC will NOT be able to keep this up (heck, Marvel is no better, only I firmly believe that the hole they’ve dug for themselves continuity wise is totally beyond repair!). This will require one more year’s worth of supposed “carrots”, but all of which is designed to generate capital in the long term, and one more weekly, or bi-weekly “event” series, fans will groan and moan at first, I’m sure they do now anyways, but they’ll love it when they realize it’s all permanent..

Part One: Clearing the way

First off, Vertigo, and the cartoon adaptions, the already marked “adult” and “kids” comics that is are totally exempt- this effects only the mainline DCU books. Ample time before the start of the event all the editors and writers are called together for a conference. I know this has been done in smaller cases before, but this time it’s all the DCU books editors and writers pulled together, I realize this is probably a logistical nightmare, but it HAS to be done. Section by section the editors and writers are told what’s up and that TOTAL organization is KEY to what they have planned. I would go so far as to appoint one editor high up (I would recommend someone with a firm fan background who is TOTALLY aware of all the characters in the DCU who can try to keep everything straight- a kind of “Monitor” who knows shits about to hit the fan HARD.

Part Two: Foundation

A year before the event, weird things start happening in everyone’s books, continuity as every fan thinks of it is totally out the window. Dead characters reappear, old villains, supporting characters, and teams of villains wreck havoc, and things soon become totally out of control. This will allow all the current talent teams to let their imaginations SOAR. The crazier the better, just as long as the Monitor knows what you’re up to, and agrees to each writer and editor’s “madness”. The “Crisis” characters Harbinger, Pariah, and Monitor keep reappearing, and it seems that a number of the supernatural based characters (Like Spectre, Phantom Stranger, Deadman, and Dr Fate) are going insane.
That last bit alone can be totally fun, but it’s obvious at this point that the DCU is literally coming apart in the continuity seams. Fans are ENCOURAGED to make total sense of it all as DC becomes the talk of the forums about how insane and out of control they have become. Personally, towards the end of the year, I’d start cleaning house and killing characters off, all except for our key players listed above. Plus it would be a GREAT time to start fast-forwarding everyone’s private life (Lois Lane pregnant?!?). The supernatural characters REALLY start kicking it into high gear, Now would be a great time for a 6 issue Deadman mini that starts off with a small incident and ends up with him realizing that reality is really not worth fighting to save, and that perhaps his only peace can be found in the end of reality altogether (in other words, he goes totally NUTS). All the while the “event” logo starts popping up in the upper left corner of everyone’s books. EVERYONE is on edge, there is SO much doom and gloom rolling that fan’s heads are spinning, and the Editor/Monitor is having a rough time keeping it all straight. Both Pariah and Harbinger become crazy powerful, and the Monitor makes a realization that it’s all coming to a drastic head. Coolness right?

Part 3: The Event

Not sure what to call it (something cool and deadly though perhaps TOTAL CRISIS), but “The Event” series can be at least 12 issues long, but the basis of the plot is that the Monitor has realized that all the supernatural based characters are off their rockers, that “reality” is shredding because of it, and there HAS to be a solution to the problem. It’s admitted that Crisis On Infinite Earths was only a temporary fix and reality has been slowly shredding itself up and it’s come to a head as no one, and no group of people can keep it in line anymore. At this point all the current “alternate earths” merge back into the main one. The Monitor becomes convinced that most of the supernatural based characters are dedicated to ending reality altogether, and after collecting a totally odd group of powerful characters, both heroes and villains, they try to terminate a number of these characters. It’s possible at this time that The Specter starts chasing after the same characters and absorbs them into his being (this could also involve the Anti-Life equation from New Gods- if they still exist)- at any rate Specter, becoming incredibly powerful, gets a small glimmer of sanity, says he knows what he has to do, and how to fix things- at the climax of the series (like the end of issue 11) Specter literally explodes and all goes black.

Part 4 The Aftermath

The Monitor, Harbinger, and Pariah remain in a neutral realm the separates all the newly restored Multiverse (and if I was DC I’d see if I could copyright the name) and dedicate themselves to the preservation of order. This allows the Monitor to “monitor”, Pariah to spot for (really be pulled to) “crisis flaws” in any of the world’s realities, and Harbinger to do what’s necessary to get the people on those earths to fix the problem (including transporting other heroes onto worlds that need to be fixed- leaving the possibilities endless for crossovers and such or even pulling together a multiversal team of “Fixers” (like all the characters at the end of Infinity Crisis).

Which characters are dead, which are refashioned, which are totally ignored, will all be up to the individual creative teams. Plus this opens the door for another series of “Multiversal History Books” or perhaps The Monitor’s logs of the more important worlds. Slight variations in worlds are kept in check, and only the drastic changes make another world in the multiverse- with Monitor, Pariah, and Harbinger to oversee and guide each new world as they form- their work is more than cut out for them.

To keep all the confusion to a minimum, all the DCU books carry a second logo on their masthead (upper right probably), each one denoting which earth this book in the consumer’s hands takes place on, plus at least for awhile I would suggest taking half of the inside front cover to explain the earth the book is on, as well as catch up new readers on important characters and plot points. The point here is to AVOID confusion, and flat out be entertaining and challenging to the reader’s imagination and NOT their frustration. Multiple versions of characters, as well as teams (there could EASILY be a Legion team in every world’s Superman’s future), are wide open, plus any character the gets killed in the even would be open for revamping, Plus the title of “Multiverse Monitor” should remain

Part 5; The Results:

This allows a VERY straightforward refashioning of every book. No more sloppy continuity flow, or reader frustration. Each world is not only broken down by books and characters: but also by editors and art teams, which allow chief editors, as well as regular editors serving underneath them to literally control their own corner of the multiverse. Not only that but it also creates a kind of caste system within the company. Here’s how I see it breaking down:

VERTIGO: Stays the same.

ALL-STAR Earth: for all the current “All-Star” books- each of which can be restarted with new talent teams and storylines as the editor sees fit. On this earth all the characters can cross into harder “adult” territory at the same levels that the All-Star books run in now only I would add a few more titles (at least Wonder Woman and Green Arrow) with TOP NOTCH talent working the books.

EARTH 1 (MAIN-LINE): JLA, primary current age DC icons and titles DRASTICALLY cut down now after the “event” This is pretty much the “Mainstream” DC titles- and again these books can be refashioned or restarted however the editors see fit. Major league talent here

EARTH 2 (AAA): JSA, INFINITY INC. the golden and near silver age characters live and age here. I would suggest retiring the original JSA and bringing the newer characters to the front.
Consider this world the AAA team, slightly lower than the mainstream, and paid at a slightly lower scale than the Earth 1 books. Things are MUCH lighter and lighthearted than Earth 1, with stories lasting 1-3 issues primarily- NO huge events (except a once a year cross between earth’s 1 and 2) Options for profit sharing and other pay benefits here.

EARTH 3: Crime Syndicate world- which would perhaps make for a great title but that could just be me.

EARTH X(CHAOS LINE): Would be an earth where the Nazis have won, just like in JLA 107-108. Quality characters FREEDOM FIGHTERS, UNCLE SAM, as well as other WW2 characters can dwell here. I think a series on this earth could be INCREDIBLE with the right team working them.

EARTH B (DEADLINE): Where all the stupid stories have gone- bye-bye and we’ll never go there.

EARTH S(MORE FUN): Fawcett characters, perhaps some Charlton and Quality golden age characters as well. Primary book(s) are Billy Batson, Plastic Man and other super lighthearted books.
This world is literally aimed at younger readers (but NOT written down to them) with fantasy and the fantastic the primary focus. Perhaps same pay scale as Earth 2, with the incentives and profit sharing it could inspire some pretty cool work, free from any restrictions or “reality”.

JOHNNY DC: Stays the same.

Placement for Milestone characters would be up in the air, and I would imagine The Spirit and other outside licenses would remain separate.

This would allow DC plenty of room for a wider variety of books, a pay rate scale allowing better rewards, as well as a chance for creativity to flourish better than ever. I can only see this set-up as a win-win all around. What do you think? Stupid? Crazy? Let me know- and thanks for reading this much- I hope it opens your mind a little as to how much fun comics could be again if only the groundwork were a little more open. Of course, this is only a suggestion, thoughts put intentionally into the ether for discussion, actually the way I’d do it if I could do COMICS MY WAY.