DC Universe Rebirth: Things We Learned – SPOILERS

DC Universe Rebirth #1 doesn’t officially release until May 25th, but due to some leaks of the book getting out ahead of time, there is suddenly a lot of information about the book that will usher DC into their next big chapter. DC Comics has officially lifted the embargo on the book and any spoilers, but first, a caveat:

Don’t read these SPOILERS if you have any plans to read the issue itself when it hits stands in a few days. Avoid spoilers at all cost – it’s a special book, and one best read with no prior knowledge going in.

Rebirth #1, written by Geoff Johns, contains a few welcome (and in some cases jawdropping) revelations about the current state of the DC Universe, so let’s walk through a few of the bigger highlights.

The Return Of A Flash

Geoff Johns starts things off by bringing back Wally West, though he’s sporting his classic Yellow and Red Kid Flash costume (it’s explained). He’s trying to keep from forgetting the way the world existed before the Flashpoint and tries to communicate to Barry just what was lost.

“Barry, it wasn’t just me that was forgotten. There were others. There were friendships. Relationships.”

It seems like Wally will be a key piece in restoring those lost aspects of the DCU going forward. He journeys through the DC Universe, and many wrongs are righted and questions answered via his return. He’s also the emotional lynchpin of the story, and has some really heartfelt, hurtful, and ultimately hopeful moments.

Oh, and fans of the New 52 Wally West? Don’t worry, there’s a clever nod that lets them both exist here.

The Return of Legacy

Wally wasn’t the only hero forgotten, and it will come as a pleasant surprise to many fan’s ears that the Blue Beetle longtime readers loved is back. Ted Kord is seen interacting with current Blue Beetle Jamie Reyes, and thanks to a drop in from Doctor Fate, the origins of the scarab are indeed magic after all.

Other legacies are restored as well, such as Ryan Choi and Ray Palmer. After Choi finds a video message from Palmer, he sets out to find him in the microverse. Johns also plants the seeds for a long awaited reunion between Green Arrow and Black Canary, who just can’t seem to shake the feeling that there is something more.

Not only that, but the Justice Society is also teased in a scene involving Johnny Thunder, and a Legion Ring finds its way into the issue (along with a blonde legionnaire) as well. Jackson Hyde, the later pre-Flashpoint Aqualad who never appeared in the New 52 was also seen. 

The Joker’s Three

Johns interweaves pieces of Darkseid War into Rebirth as well. When Batman gains control of the Mobius Chair, he sees the true identity of the Joker and is shocked to learn something more about the villain.

Thanks to Rebirth we now know that there are three Jokers. The first is Jerry Robinson’s original Joker while the second is the Joker seen in Brian Bolland’s Killing Joke. The third is the newest incarnation from Scott Snyder  and Greg Capullo’s recent Batman run in the New 52. Whether they have worked together, are somehow three aspects of one man, alternate reality versions, or are completely separate isn’t revealed here, though.

10 Years Is A Long Time

One of the biggest revelations that comes from Rebirth is the large gap of time that has passed since things were “misplaced,” 10 years of DC continuity has been lost, resulting in so many of the rewired relationships and friendships that West references.

That means, as he says that heroes who were legends are now novices, that relationships that should have helped make heroes stronger have been erased – it’s a lot of the complaints fans had with the New 52 reboot, frankly. Now those complaints have been given a voice, and a villain that is behind it all – that’s the final slide and major, MAJOR spoiler, in case you still want to avoid it…

A Proposal At Low Tide

While a great many pieces of DC history have been lost, that doesn’t mean there aren’t any new beginnings to be found here.

Aquaman proposes to Mera in this issue, in a “surface world custom.” It’s a beautiful moment, and shows how Mera’s love and encouragement make him stronger. It’s also a big, blatant symbol that the “no marriage” rule implemented at the start of the New 52 is no longer in place, and maybe shouldn’t have been in the first place.

Wonder Woman Isn’t Alone Anymore

Grail, Darkseid’s daughter, has always had a unique connection to Wonder Woman.

She also knows something about the Amazon that Diana is seemingly unaware of, and that is the fact that Diana has a sibling. She has a twin brother named Jason, but not much else is known about how her brother came to be or where he has been all this time. It’s just a couple of lines, but notes that Jason is “out there in the world” and “has great power.” Grail tells this, paradoxically, to a baby Darkseid, reborn after the events of Darkseid War.

Who Watches The Watchmen

The big reveal of DC Universe Rebirth is the identity of who stole those missing 10 years and relationships to weaken the heroes of the DCU, and by issue’s end we find out that Watchmen’s Dr. Manhattan is the one responsible.

Hints are left throughout the issue, such as the Comedian’s smiley face button being found in the batcave, or the avatar of the New 52, Pandora, being killed by an unknown foe with her last words “a cruel, lonely monster”.

Watchmen is the book credited by many as the story that brought comics into the world of adulthood, and framing a character like Dr. Manhattan as the villain in this story is an interesting (and quite meta) way to frame DC’s return to it’s more joyous roots. Watchmen symbolizes the cynical way of looking at superheroes, and the DCU will be fighting against that way of life.

“There’s going to be a war between hope and despair, love and apathy, faith and disbelief.”