DC All In: Where to Start Reading DC's New Jumping-on Point

DC Comics is going "All In" on new readers.

By Cameron Bonomolo - September 26, 2024 07:30 pm EDT

Nearly 40 years ago, the DC Universe was in crisis. Crisis on Infinite Earths, a 12-issue crossover event series by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, was the publisher's response to reining in decades of multiple Earths-spanning canons by creating a simplified and unified DCU to attract new readers who might have been confused by DC continuity. In 2011, post-Infinite Crisis, DC relaunched and renumbered its entire comic book line with The New 52, a universe unburdened by complicated continuity; and in 2016, a line-wide Rebirth realigned and re-energized the DCU by restoring some of what had been lost (including legacy numbering).

If you don't know the difference between pre-Crisis, post-Crisis, post-Flashpoint, or post-Rebirth, DC's new line-wide publishing initiative — DC All In, launching in October — is "the greatest jumping-on point in many, many years," says Scott Snyder (2011's Batman and 2024's Absolute Batman).

(Photo:
DC All In: Justice League Unlimited #1 foil variant cover by Daniel Sampere.
- DC Comics)

"The goal is to celebrate every kind of superhero storytelling at once. I was lucky enough in my decade-plus of DC to be part of a couple of really awesome initiatives," Snyder told ComicBook. "The New 52 was all about new things and sort of reinventing the heroes from the ground up and inviting in readers that wanted reimagined takes. Rebirth was about celebrating this great incredible tapestry of continuous storytelling that we've had, this epic kind of collective story, possibly in centuries."

"Each one was a big success, but they had sort of totally different sensibilities. And sometimes during the time that I was at DC, it felt like those those sort of sensibilities were in conflict," Snyder added. "But my belief and the belief of, I think, most creators and editors and everybody there, was: If we could do both of those things together at the same time, we'd have an incredible seismic moment and [an] initiative that embraced all kinds of readers. Continuing, new. People that are hungry for really daring, different takes. People that love the classic takes, and people that just want big, epic storytelling."

(Photo:
The new DC status quo begins in DC All in Special #1.
- DC Comics)

All In isn't a start-from-scratch reboot, but an initiative that will launch a reimagined universe — the new DC Absolute Universe — while DC's ongoing line of core titles get new directions or new creative teams. Set in the aftermath of the crossover event Absolute Power by Mark Waid and Dan Mora, DC All In begins with DC All In Special #1 (above) from Snyder, Joshua Williamson (Superman), Daniel Sampere (Wonder Woman), and Wes Craig (Deadly Class).

The 64-page, single-issue mega-event is a flipbook, which tells two stories that "are independent of each other, but they run parallel with each other and they interact with each other," Williamson teased: one about the superheroes of the DC Universe in a fight against Darkseid, and the other about different versions of the trinity to be introduced in the Absolute Universe (below).

dc-absolute-universe-jim-lee-absolute-batman-absolute-superman-absolute-wonder-woman.jpg — (Photo:
Absolute Superman, Absolute Wonder Woman, and Absolute Batman variant covers by Jim Lee.
- DC Comics)

DC All in Special #1 goes on sale Oct. 2nd and will be followed by Snyder's ongoing run on a new Batman book with Absolute Batman #1 (by Snyder and Nick Dragotta) on Oct. 9th, Absolute Wonder Woman #1 (by Kelly Thompson and Hayden Sherman) on Oct. 23rd, and Absolute Superman #1 by Jason Aaron and Rafa Sandoval on Nov. 6th.

"If we were going to do this big initiative, it all had to begin with a story," Snyder told ComicBook. "The story had to be big and grandiose, but also really simple. It had to be something that would invite in new readers and also speak to this incredible legacy of storytelling that I think long time readers are used to."

Enter Darkseid, Dark Lord of Apokolips, whose chaotic and dangerous energies are the genesis of the new Absolute Universe, where the Dark Knight doesn't have the resources of his core line counterpart; the Amazon warrior has no sisterhood; and the Man of Steel has no family or Fortress of Solitude.

"We started planning this story that would be about Darkseid. Darkseid is the villain that, for both me and Josh, always felt like he is sort of the core antagonist of the entire DCU," Snyder said. "Over the last few years, he's had some fantastic stories — Final Crisis, [Justice League: The Darkseid War], all these different ones, but we felt like maybe it was time to do something with him where he leveled up." Williamson teased that, rather than embrace order and rule with the Anti-Life Equation, Darkseid is "beginning to embrace chaos, and you're gonna see that in this special on that side."

(Photo:
DC All In Special #1 variant cover by Rafa Sandoval.
- DC Comics)

The All In-branded core line is also tailored to both new and returning readers with new story arcs and creative teams in the main DC Universe, including Williamson's ongoing run on Superman, Chip Zdarsky's ongoing Batman run, and Tom King's ongoing Wonder Woman. Tom Taylor (Nightwing) and Mikel Janín (Grayson) will take over as the new creative team on Detective Comics with a new storyline promising major changes for the Dark Knight, starting with Detective Comics #1090 on Oct. 23rd.

Starting with Action Comics #1070 on Oct. 9th, the long-running comic will go weekly with "Death of the Phantom Zone," by Waid and artist Clayton Henry (Superman: Son of Kal-El), spinning out of Waid and Mora's Absolute Power and Batman/Superman: World's Finest. Williamson will also close out his run on Oliver Queen with Green Arrow #350 on Oct. 23rd, which passes the quiver to the new creative team of writer Chris Condon (That Texas Blood) and artist Montos (Green Lantern: War Journal).

DC All In Special #1

Following the events of Absolute Power, the heroes of the core DC Universe have fought against the deep divisions in the world around them to usher in a new era of unity.

And it's just in time, too — because Darkseid has returned! Superman gathers every DC Super Hero on Earth to hold the line against a vastly different version of the Lord of Apokolips as they raise our cosmic defenses and prepare for war. And when the first blows land, the shock waves will ripple across DC's core series, shaking the nature of their realities to their very foundation!

But a greater threat looms on the horizon in the Absolute Universe. Here, DC's biggest icons come of age with fewer advantages while facing greater opposition than ever before and retaining the immutable heroism that continues to inspire and entertain fans. But can they really protect the light that shines inside them when the world in which they live is hurtling toward a terrible destiny?

Batman

Batman #153-154 (October 2, 16) – Chip Zdarsky, Jorge Jiménez, and Carmine Di Giandomenico are back with a vengeance with a new story arc, "The Dying City," featuring an unexpected turn from the Riddler, a mysterious new Super Hero named Commander Star, and the shocking murder of one of Gotham City's greatest citizens as Batman ships twice monthly in October.

Detective Comics

Detective Comics #1090 (October 23) – Following "Gotham Nocturne," another of DC's most historic titles gets a new creative team in the form of superstars Tom Taylor and Mikel Janín, and a new story arc, "Mercy of the Father." Years after the tragic murder of Thomas and Martha Wayne, a ghost from Gotham City's past has been lying in wait to strike at Batman ever since that fateful night in Crime Alley. This story will result in major changes for the Dark Knight, and things may never be the same again.

Action Comics

Action Comics #1070-1073 (October 9, 16, 23, 30) – Another one of DC's foundational titles goes weekly beginning in October! "Death of the Phantom Zone" spins directly out of Absolute Power and Batman/Superman: World's Finest, as writer Mark Waid and artist Clayton Henry plunge Superman into the Phantom Zone to prevent an otherworldly horror from laying waste to Metropolis. And in the second story, "Supergirl: Universe End," Eisner Award winner and Zatanna: Bring Down the House writer Mariko Tamaki and artist Skylar Patridge take Supergirl to the farthest reaches of space in pursuit of a mysterious threat only she can handle.

Superman

Superman #19 (October 23) – Superstar artist Dan Mora joins Joshua Williamson in a new story arc spinning out of Absolute Power. One of Superman's most lethal enemies returns as the Man of Steel and Superwoman (Lois Lane) deal with the return of the rampaging Doomsday, but how long will Lois's newfound powers last? And as if Doomsday isn't trouble enough, another one of Superman's greatest enemies lurks in the shadows: the Time Trapper.

Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman #14 (October 16) – Courtesy of Tom King and Daniel Sampere, the tide is turning in Wonder Woman's battle against the Sovereign as Steve Trevor takes matters into his own hands, with deadly consequences. But Steve's end could be the beginning of Diana's greatest adventure yet—motherhood!

Green Arrow

Green Arrow #350 (October 23) – This oversize anniversary issue features legacy numbering as writer Joshua Williamson closes out his acclaimed run on DC's Emerald Archer. Oliver Queen faces the aftermath of his actions in Absolute Power, having done the unthinkable to protect his loved ones, and the ramifications of his involvement may have gone too far for his family and friends to forgive. This can't-miss issue also debuts the opening chapter of Green Arrow's next adventure, from the new creative team of writer Chris Condon (The Enfield Gang Massacre, That Texas Blood) and artist Montos (Green Lantern: War Journal).

Absolute Batman

Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta introduce fans to a new Batman with the release of Absolute Batman #1. In this iteration, fans will be introduced to a version of the Dark Knight that doesn't have the money, mansion, or butler of his core-line counterpart. Readers will quickly find out what makes this the "Absolute" version of Batman when the debut issue, with colors by Frank Martin and letters by Clayton Cowles, arrives at participating comic book shops and digital retailers Wednesday, October 9. Absolute Batman #1 will publish with a main cover by Nick Dragotta and Frank Martin, plus variant covers by Wes Craig and Mike Spicer, Jim Lee, Scott Williams and Alex Sinclair, Mitch Gerads, and Ian Bertram (1:25).

Absolute Wonder Woman

For Diana, there is no island paradise, no sisterhood to shape her, nor a mission of peace—so what is the purpose of an Amazon warrior in this new universe? Eisner Award-winning writer Kelly Thompson and breakout artist Hayden Sherman reinvent her from the ground up in Absolute Wonder Woman #1, with colors by Jordie Bellaire and letters by Becca Carey, on sale Wednesday, October 23. Absolute Wonder Woman #1 will publish with a main cover by Hayden Sherman and Jordie Bellaire, plus variant covers by Wes Craig and Mike Spicer, Jim Lee, Scott Williams and Alex Sinclair, Jeff Dekal, and Dan Panosian (1:25).

Absolute Superman

Writer Jason Aaron and artist Rafa Sandoval join forces to present a new Man of Steel with the launch of Absolute Superman #1. This Superman has no family, no Fortress of Solitude, and no home. Will he still stand for truth and justice in this new universe? Readers can find out when Absolute Superman #1, with colors by Ulises Arreola and letters by Becca Carey, hits participating comic book shops on Wednesday, November 6. Absolute Superman #1 will publish with a main cover by Rafa Sandoval and Ulises Arreola, plus variant covers by Wes Craig and Mike Spicer, Jim Lee, Scott Williams and Alex Sinclair, Clayton Crain, and Matteo Scalera (1:25).