Four Pics & Five Spoilers: DC Comics Doubles Down On Villainy, the Multiverse & Adult Ex-Sidekicks?

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DC Comics has started to release images from its May 2012 shipping books. Through four books we learn a lot about what’s coming in the New 52. Some of it is intentional by DC Comics while some may not have been. You decide.

    5. Suicide Squad Faith & A Classic Villain Makes New 52 Debut

    In May the Suicide Squad goes after Mitch Shelley, Resurrection Man in his #9 issue. Nice to see Suicide Squad branching out in the DCU.

    Did you notice a character that looks eerily like classic Suicide Squad villain Count Vertigo in the upper left corner? He’s back!

    4. Suicide Squad Death Spoiled (?)

    The Hunt for Harley Quinn started in this week’s Suicide Squad #6 and DC is teasing a death next issue. We see from May’s Suicide Squad #9 cover some missing members who are on this month’s team. In issue #6 the villainous twosome from Green Arrow called Lime and Light join the team and we also learn that this Harley mission would be Savant’s last mission before he is pardoned if he survives.

    So, if you look at the preceding Resurrection #9 cover and now the Suicide Squad #9 cover Savant and one of the “green” villainesses are missing from the cover. So, does Savant survive and leave the Squad after the Hunt for Harley or does he die? Also, do Lime or Light die during Hunt for Harley? Stay tuned!

    3. Earth 2’s Supergirl & Robin

    While there was a lot of speculation by fans and teases by DC Comics about what the New Earth 2 world would be like, the cover to May’s World’s Finest #1 made some deliberate teases about the past of its heroine leads Power Girl and Huntress.

    While we know that Helena Wayne is the Huntress, in the 1970s she was Batman’s daughter, in the New 52 she may still be that or an ancestor to a Golden Age’ish Bruce Wayne / Batman. And, from the cover, prior to being Huntress she was “a” Robin or “the” Robin to presumably Earth 2’s Batman.

    In terms of Power Girl, it’s pretty much confirmed she is Earth 2’s Supergirl and presumably Earth 2 Superman’s cousin or a relative or some kind.

    2. Justice Society As Earth 2 Adult Teen Titans?

    The variant cover released for Earth 2 #1 was a bit of a surprise. DC Comics has not confirmed how similar to the Golden Age Justice Society the new one will be or whether it will be all new. We’ll still see.

    Certainly, looking at the Worlds’ Finest cover and knowing Huntress is Helena Wayne (and likely Bruce Wayne’s daughter on Earth 2) there is a stronger case to be made for Dick Grayson likely Earth 2’s first Robin, being under the Earth 2 Batman cowl as opposed to an aged Bruce Wayne. However, we’ll just see.

    Wonder Woman was a bit of a surprise from the Earth 2 #1 cover, but only because Wonder Woman’s Golden Age roots were wiped with the Crisis of Infinite Earths in the 1980s. This Earth 2 possibility might in fact be the best solution for DC’s Donna Troy problem. If the Justice Society is in part a reimagined “Titans” (sans “Teen”) then having the former Wonder Girl – who DC has fumbled for years – but be great as a next generation Wonder Woman on a “legacy” Justice Society. Or it could be Diana as Amazons are touched by the gods and could age slower.

    There’s a Superman on the cover who looks fairly young. This is unlike the Bronze Age Justice Society that had a aged Superman right down to salt and pepper hair. So, unless this is Kal-l who ages very slowly or this be Kon-l ;) of Earth 2 assuming the role of Superman? This would still work with the heroic legacy and lineage concepts of the Justice Society, certainly since the 1980s Infinity Inc. and the most recent two series JSA and Justice Society of America pre-Flashpoint.

    Lastly, could Wally West make it onto the Earth 2 Justice Society too? Hmmm.

    1. Darkseid vs. the Multiverse?

    While most people have been obsessed with DC Comics’ trinity on the cover of the Earth 2 #1 variant, but did you notice that the villains on the cover appear to be the Jim Lee redesigned parademons from Geoff Johns’ Justice League? Is that the case and if so, is Darkseid far behind? If this Earth 2 will lead into Grant Morrison’s Multiversity exploration of DC’s multiverse, does that mean the big threat in that book will be Darkseid? Does he threaten the multiverse?

Very exciting times at DC!


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John is a long-time pop culture fan, comics historian, and blogger. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief at Comics Nexus. Prior to being EIC he has produced several column series including DEMYTHIFY, NEAR MINT MEMORIES and the ONE FAN'S TRIALS at the Nexus plus a stint at Bleeding Cool producing the COMICS REALISM column. As BabosScribe, John is active on his twitter account, his facebook page, his instagram feed and welcomes any and all feedback. Bring it on!