DiDio Announces "Legacies"

[NightBeetle]

Link

Every fan familiar with the modern monthly series put out by DC Comics are familiar with the concept of superhero legacies – costumes and mantles passed down across generations of heroes from the Green Lantern to even Batman. But in May of 2010, the publisher will launch a series of stories exploring that concept, from the inception of the DC Universe through the modern day, with "Legacies," a seven-issue series written by Len Wein and drawn by a rotating cast of classic artists with Andy and Joe Kubert handling the first issue. DC Executive Editor Dan DiDio shared the early details exclusively with CBR.


"We get asked a lot about the history of the DC Universe," DiDio said. "It's one of the things that's always been a topic of 'With so many changes and revisions and events...when are you going to tell the definitive history of the DC Universe?' I had bought those 'History of the DC Universe' books that came out after 'Crisis On Infinite Earths,' and that was more of a textbook. It was more of a listing. I've never been big on timelines, because as soon as you put a timeline down, you have to revise it because our characters don't age at the same speed as actual time. If they did, I'd have these 80-year-old guys in these baggy suits that would look really ridiculous.


"Because of all that, what we need to do, and what we're trying to do, is build this 'Legacies' book. 'Legacies' is a series that breaks down, over its chapters, the five generations of the DCU. They're very concise generations, each with a beginning and end, and what you see is the various incarnations of our characters evolve, change and grow as the generations pass on. In that way, we build what might be called a timeline, not in a calendar way, but told through story as the world changes around them. We've got a lot of touchstones of events and storylines throughout the DCU that we'll hit."


DiDio explained that while the series would touch upon all the marquee superheroes expected in a universe-spanning DC event, the crux of the story will have a very personal, ground-level feel. "We're seeing the Flashes change. We see the Green Lanterns change. And we see how the world evolves around them by seeing it through the point of view of two characters and how their lives change and how their families' lives change in watching the DC Universe grow. It has a bit of a 'Marvels' feel, which I still think is a wonderful book, and I think it's wonderful to tell the history of the DC Universe in this manner. We tell stories, and it makes more sense to tell this info in a story than in text."

 

[Sawyer]

I'm in.

 

[Drz]

Eh the idea is nice, but somehow i feel things like this will never work out.

 

[Assassin]

wtf is this

 

[Tron Bonne]

Sounds like an interesting idea in concept, but considering how DC is more and more minimizing and pushing aside their biggest modern Legacy characters for their Silver Age counterparts or most 'iconic' version of the characters as some would say, I find it rather odd on their part.

 

[WompuM]

So is this Elseworlds...or....?

 

[Tron Bonne]

I don't think so, I think it's going to put a timeline down for the DCU, if I understand correctly

 

[Drz]

Yeah basicly its a canonical story about the 5 generations of heroes... I LOVE the idea but i just can't grasp this is going to remain canon forever... Things always end up getting changed here and there and whatnot whatnot.

 

[sethcohen]

i saw legacies and got excited... i thought maybe they were doing some cool out of continuity thing where they finally retired the big three and had their former sidekicks taking up the mantles... cuz you know, something like that couldnt ever be permanent in the DCU proper... too bad its not and i have ZERO interest in this...

 

[BrianWilly]

:heart: DO WANT :heart:

 

[yenaled]

Can we just have an Alan Scott/Kyle Rayner book instead.

 

[WompuM]

So what are the 5 generations?

Jay Garrick --- Alan Scott
Barry Allen ---Hal Jordan --- Ollie Queen ---Bruce Wayne
Wally West --- Kyle Rayner -Roy/Conner ---Dick Grayson
Bart Allen-------------------Mia Dearden-- Tim Drake
Iris West(?)----------------- Lian Harper -- Damian Wayne

 

[Sawyer]

:heart: DO WANT :heart:

Glad I'm not the only one.

 

[yenaled]

So what are the 5 generations?

Jay Garrick --- Alan Scott
Barry Allen ---Hal Jordan --- Ollie Queen ---Bruce Wayne
Wally West --- Kyle Rayner -Roy/Conner ---Dick Grayson
Bart Allen-------------------Mia Dearden-- Tim Drake
Iris West(?)----------------- Lian Harper -- Damian Wayne

Well going by the cover it's the Green Lanterns, the Flashes, the Spectres, the Fates and the Black Canaries.

 

[WompuM]

Spectres huh? So Jim, Hal, and Crispus?

 

[hippie_hunter]

So what are the 5 generations?

Jay Garrick --- Alan Scott
Barry Allen ---Hal Jordan --- Ollie Queen ---Bruce Wayne
Wally West --- Kyle Rayner -Roy/Conner ---Dick Grayson
Bart Allen-------------------Mia Dearden-- Tim Drake
Iris West(?)----------------- Lian Harper -- Damian Wayne

That's the way I see it.

 

[hippie_hunter]

Well going by the cover it's the Green Lanterns, the Flashes, the Spectres, the Fates and the Black Canaries.

I think it's more than just those characters. They mention Batman as well.

 

[Jahu-Momus]

It looks like its going to be alot like Marvel's "Marvels" where the stories are told from average people, but this one will go from the Golden age to the Modern Age

 

[WompuM]

Hopefully beyond. I'd love to seen a Teen Titans with Damian and Lian and the lightning twins. And ya' know, Chris Kent if he ever gets de-aged.

 

[hippie_hunter]

I don't think so, I think it's going to put a timeline down for the DCU, if I understand correctly

I don't think Legacies will be dealing with that since DC is also announced a new The History of the DC Universe and Who's Who which would seem more appropriate to do a timeline in. I'm really curious to see if DC will finally admit that they have a 40 year old Batman and Superman.

 

[hippie_hunter]

Hopefully beyond. I'd love to seen a Teen Titans with Damian and Lian and the lightning twins. And ya' know, Chris Kent if he ever gets de-aged.

I think only Iris has powers now to save her brothers life.

 

[Kenda Man]

I am in! I definitely want to see how the Spectre will appear to bystanders. If he will be feared because he is the right hand of God or will he be portrayed as his JSA counterpoint and just be a masked crusader? I would also like to see some Marvel Family action as well.

P.S. Alan Scott's ring is on the wrong hand, it should be on his left.

 

[Hush]

I will buy.

 

[WolfCypher]

i saw legacies and got excited... i thought maybe they were doing some cool out of continuity thing where they finally retired the big three and had their former sidekicks taking up the mantles... cuz you know, something like that couldnt ever be permanent in the DCU proper... too bad its not and i have ZERO interest in this...

They did that in Teen Titans, where Tim became an even more violent kill-on-sight Batman, Connor became a harsh psychokinetic Superman, Cassie became Wonder Woman, agent of Ares and avatar of war, and the other Titans grew to newer identities.

I would love for a non-canonical story where The Big 3's sidekicks DID grow into the Big 3, but obviously are not darker or more psychotic. Tim as his own Batman, Connor as his own Superman, and Cassie as her own Wonder Woman; all adults and still with morals.

 

[Tron Bonne]

I don't think Legacies will be dealing with that since DC is also announced a new The History of the DC Universe and Who's Who which would seem more appropriate to do a timeline in. I'm really curious to see if DC will finally admit that they have a 40 year old Batman and Superman.

Well, in the interview it says that,

In that way, we build what might be called a timeline, not in a calendar way, but told through story as the world changes around them. We've got a lot of touchstones of events and storylines throughout the DCU that we'll hit."

Sounds to me like they are trying to at least set down a timeline of the generations in story format