Can someone explain what people mean when they say 'pre-crisis' and 'post crisis'?

[muckluck]

Hi, i'm new here and haven't read many batman comics (hardely any in fact) so when people say about this pre/pst crisis thingy i havve no idea what they are on about.

Is it possible for someone to explain what this means (or is it too complicated )

I'm hoping to start reading some batman comics but i think theres another thread about what are good ones to read so i won't ask in here.

Thanks

 

[ironman29758]

there was this important event called the Crisis of Infintie Earths that was in the 1980s where the multiverse was destroyed and in it's place was one earth
Pre Crisis was stories before The Crisis like Silver Age and Golden Age and Post Crisis are stories Like the Death of Superman. Here is a link to know more about the Crisis of Infintiy Earths: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crisis_on_Infinite_Earths

 

[Cain]

Any DC comic published from 1986 on = post-crisis

Every DC comic from the beginning till 1985 = pre-crisis

 

[TruerToTheCore]

DC decided in the early 80s that they wanted to streamline their "DC universe". Mainly because Marvel outsold them at that point and so they do what companies always do: They imitated their style. Marvel had continuity while DC had just stories. Each issue another one, not much "crossover" between them. And, more importantly, Marvel had "shared universe" they wanted to make us believe that all these characters exist in ONE world while in the DC Universe each character had basically his own "world", heck, you could even say each title existed in a seperate world. Another point where the countless parallel universes (called Earth-1, 2,3, Z, X and whatever). So DC wanted to change all these facts and created a mini-series (not a good story at all, not really a must-read) called "Crisis On Infinite Earths". At the end of this story the "multiverse" collapsed and "merged" into one universe (which was basically Earth-1, although Earth-2 became the "past" of this new reality). BUT despite what people believe the "post-crisis DCU" didn't start back then. The titles were published as if nothing had changed. The multiverse was not longer mentioned, the memories were wiped out. But the guys were basicaly the same ones. Superman continued, Batman continued, Wonder Woman continued. A short time later Superman became the first "post-crisis character" with the mini-series "Man of Steel", his old continuity and adventures were completely erased. So this is the point were post-crisis (for Superman) started. But Batman doesn't have such an event, so people usually associate "Year One" with the start of the new Batman, the point where "post-crisis" starts for "Detective Comics" is debatable, but usually the begin of Denny O'Neil's editorial reign marks the point. Other characters don't have a post-crisis incarnation at all, they stayed the same.

IMO the Crisis was doomed from the start. They didn't streamline continuity, they made it a mess. I mean, what do you expect when you end the storyline with a guy who remembers(!) the old status quo? It didn't affect Batman that much, but Wonder Woman and Superman became new characters.










Timeline:
Crisis (April 1985 - March 1986)
Last pre-crisis Batman story ("Resurrection Night" / "The Night of Thanks But No Thanks", both October 1986)
Last pre-crisis Superman story ("Phantom Zone - The Final Chapter" September 1986)
First post-crisis Batman story ("A Bird in the Hand...", November 1986)
First post-crisis Superman story (""From Out the Green Dawn..."", October 1986)

 

[muckluck]

wow - thanks for all your help t:
i kinda understand it now...yay!

Plus, TruerToTheCore, thanks for that epilogue - very much enjoyed reading it