Jim Lee Talks DC Rebirth NOT being a Reboot
, calling it instead 'an embracing of what we are.''[W]hat we are is one of the first shared [...]
DC Comics has felt a resurgence lately in both sales and critical reception, and they owe that to their line wide Rebirth initiative.
Back when Rebirth was first announced, many saw it as yet another reboot to try and streamline the continuity, or worse just a senseless cash grab. Over the first few months, however, DC has proven that it is neither of those things and is, in fact, a return to a universe beholden to legacy, something DC missed the mark on when they relaunched the universe as part of The New 52.
Co-Publisher Jim Lee has been strongly involved in this return to form, and spoke about what makes this new outlook different from a reboot (via CBR), calling it instead "an embracing of what we are."
"[W]hat we are is one of the first shared universes that had multiple Earths, or at least that commercialized that idea. The first that had multiple versions of characters, and the idea of alternate realities. "I think that's part and parcel with DC. If you look at 'Crisis on Infinite Earths' to even New 52, they're all attempts to do some bookkeeping, and tighten up everything. But then you saw the mythology itself almost has its own sentience and will to define itself, because it's stories are kept in all our heads, and expressed through our creativity and the work that we do. In a way, it has spoken and said, 'No, there must be multiple versions.' And that seems to resonate with the fans."
The multiverse was always a big dividing line between Marvel and DC. Marvel had other universes sure, but it always kept the focus on earth 616, and rarely referred to other universes unless it was a critical part of the story. Within DC books, it was commonplace for characters to refer to Earth 2 and Earth 3 at a drop of a hat, and it was always a double edged sword.
On the one hand, it offered faithful readers endless story and character possibilities, with decades of lore attached to each one. On the other hand, a new reader picking up a DC book for the first time could immediately feel alienated.
The New 52 sought to streamline things, and perhaps got a bit carried away, as it trimmed off all but the most popular storylines in the canon, and fans reacted accordingly. With Rebirth, it seems the creative teams have found a healthy balancing point.
"So yeah, I think it is an embracing of, 'Hey, these are the things that have always defined DC, made DC unique and interesting, and we love the fact that there are generational aspects,'" Lee continued. "Those are things that we kind of overlooked or put to the side when we did New 52 that we're bringing back into it."
While it wasn't received as well as DC had hoped, there were still some great things about the New 52, so it was important to not get rid of those either.
"I think what's cool is, we haven't jettisoned the continuity," he said. "New 52 is within continuity, it's not a reboot. We're just pulling it through, and I think that's the smart decision to have made."
