DAN DIDIO ON DC UNIVERSE #0

**MattBrady** · 05-01-2008, 01:36 PM

So…that DC Universe #0 issue. As we reported yesterday, The New York Daily News reported that the issue features the return of Barry Allen (although it should be noted that the assertion that Allen returns was entirely that of the News, and not made by Geoff Johns or Grant Morrison, who were interviewed for the article). So what does DCU Executive Editor Dan DiDio have to say about the issue, its narrator, and its more than likely return of a character?

We asked.

Newsarama: Dan, let’s start with the narration of the issue – it goes all the way through to the end, talking its way through to the end. We’ll get to that in a minute, but let’s hit upon the structure of that. Whose idea was it to tie things together with that as a throughline?

Dan DiDio: That was actually all three of us working together. We had a lot of different bits and pieces in it, and just like we did with Countdown to Infinite Crisis, we wanted to have a story running through, a point of view uniting the scenes that we’re showing, not just little vignettes of what’s going on, but a story that helped to pull everything together and really show that we’re making our way through the DC Universe, and not just leading to one particular project or idea.

NRAMA: That said, in your mind, what did this issue have to do, and who did this issue have to speak to?

DD: For me, when we look at the three Crises as a trilogy, this really gets us back to the beginning, back to the first Crisis to show how the third ties back to the first. One of the most recognizable parts of Crisis on Infinite Earths was the loss of some very prominent characters, and we’ve decided to use this book to bring that one last missing piece back to the DC Universe. A lot of things from Crisis on Infinite Earths that were lost, we’ve seen come back again in one form or another – we’ve seen the return of Supergirl, we’ve seen the return of the Multiverse, and now, the final piece of the puzzle.

NRAMA: Final piece of the puzzle…being a character, a thing, a…

DD: A character.

NRAMA: And as you’ve said before, this issue had to be a “primer” in a way for the DCU to readers who may be checking it out for the first time in a while?

DD: Right. When we did Countdown to Infinite Crisis, it really became a great jumping-on point just to get people in tune with the direction and tone of the DC Universe and familiarize or re-familiarize themselves with the characters of the DCU. This one again, has that same goal and agenda.

NRAMA: Back to what you said about bringing Pre-Crisis things back. Wasn’t one of the things about the original Crisis was a push to simplify and streamline the DC Universe? To bring things back to one earth, to make Superman the only survivor of Krypton, which would make him “special” again… Isn’t that asking for the complications and troubles that DC editorial was trying to jettison some 22 years ago?

DD: What we’re trying to do and hoping to accomplish when this is all said and done – and by the way, we’re not going to say what will be sticking at the end when it’s all over – that’s not to say that the multiverse will still be there at the end of Final Crisis. This is not to say that every character will still be in their current form by the end of Final Crisis. What this does do though is that it addresses all the bits and pieces that made Crisis on Infinite Earths so great and really brings that story to closure in a way. Hence the name, Final Crisis.

So, realistically, we’re seeing a lot of things that were part of DC lore and tradition, and we can argue this several ways – the first thing is that, in the earlier days, DC was an amalgam of companies and an amalgam of ideas that were all basically brought together and in some ways, had to be forced to work together. What we’re hoping to show now is an organic growth of how all this springs from one simple source, not how it was all jammed together in the earlier days. So you’re seeing a much more organic nature to the creation of the multiverse and the creation of so many aspects of the DCU.

The trouble has been – stepping away from the storytelling part – is that so many aspects of what has made DC great that might have faded away following Crisis on Infinite Earths have always found a way to re-institute themselves into the lore and storytelling since that first Crisis. But you’re right – we came out of Crisis with one Superman as the sole survivor of Krypton, but just by the nature of Superman and the aspects of his story and lore – other “pieces” found their way back into DCU continuity again. Now what we’re doing – we’re not trying to apologize for it, we’re not trying to run away from it, we’re trying to identify and embrace everything that has made our characters great throughout the long history of DC.

NRAMA: The final vignette – the teaser for Final Crisis. We see that Libra is back and something of a true believer in a new “god” that he has found and that may have rescued him. Will we be learning how he came back?

DD: Yep – in the course of Final Crisis itself. He will be the big bad at the opening of the story for sure. He’s found “a” god to follow, and brings a very evangelical take to the supervillains who’ve just been put through the wringer in regards to the experiences they had in Salvation Run.

NRAMA: So he’s talking to a very receptive audience here – a group of people who are looking for a leader to right the wrongs that have been done to them?

DD: That’s the thing too – the villains themselves were cast off and abandoned and spent every day battling for their lives. There could be an argument of whether or not the punishment exceeded the crimes, as well, but when they do return to earth, there is a feeling among them that they are owed. In some ways, they step it up against heroes, against the public opinions of themselves, and some will rally around Libra as a leader for them.

NRAMA: The character falling through the multiverse, pulling himself together – is that the narrator of the issue?

DD: Nope. That is actually…well, that would be giving it away. But it’s not the narrator. That beat of the character falling through the multiverse is part of what Libra is saying…follow what he’s saying, and look, and you’ll see the connection.

The narrator – whose thoughts we’re reading from page one, starts as everything, and then finishes as a man. He’s reconstituting himself, his identity, and his physicality as the story moves along. Throughout the issue, there’s growing clarity and understanding about his past – who his acquaintances were, and what his purpose in life is. That’s something that you see – someone who was once part of everything, is coming back into himself as an individual again.

NRAMA: So – given the narration, given that this is a Crisis, given the lightning bolt on the last narration box…

DD: And given that there’s a lightning bolt going through a white moon, it does hearken back to a certain character, yeah.

NRAMA: So are we talking about Barry Allen?

DD: All I can say is that it looks like someone DC fans may know and who has definite ties to a major event which occurred within Crisis on Infinite Earths.

Most people are drawing the conclusion that it is Barry, but like Grant and Geoff, I’m not at liberty to reveal, because all the whats, hows and whos are played out in Final Crisis. But I will say that, in his storytelling, Geoff has alluded to the fact that Barry will return three times in Wally’s life when things are most dire. You know what? Things aren’t going to get that much more dire than we see then in Final Crisis.

For this to be the Final Crisis story that will help to define and refocus the DC Universe, I’ve always felt that Flash is an integral character and one of the primary characters of the DC Universe, and it’s important to have the Flash front and center.

NRAMA: Does the narrator play a role in Final Crisis?

DD: There’s a very good chance that he will be appearing within the pages of Final Crisis, yes. He’s pulling himself together because the threat is that great, the challenges are that immense that he realizes that, as a being who was one with the universe, he has to reconstitute himself in order to lead the charge against the challenges that are coming.

NRAMA: People will hate you if this is a big ruse, and you’re bringing Aztek back, as he was/is everything thanks to being blown up…

DD: I’ve seen the pages already, so I’m pretty confident to say that it’s not Aztek, no. [laughs]

Oh, and one last thing to say – there was a misprint in the article that came out in The Daily News which said that Geoff is the co-writer on new Flash comics – it was supposed to say that he’s the co-writer on this issue, with Grant. Nothing there to announce - just a misprint.

Asked if there were any more teases he could give, DiDio offered up his whiteboard, which appeared briefly at the New York Comic Con, and in this week's "DC Nation" column.

JeffCapo · 05-01-2008, 01:45 PM

I think the issue was well done. Good summation of what was in the past and highlights of what could be.

First post - Boo-Yah!!

AirDave817 · 05-01-2008, 01:48 PM

As much as I've been a fan of Wally and Mark Waid's original run on The Flash, and as much as I hate ressurrections, if _____ _____'s back and Morrison and Johns don't make him to dark or grim and gritty, I'd start reading The Flash again. He was always the poster boy for the goofy, aw-shucks-ma'am optimism of the Silver Age. That's what I'd like to see make a come back. Of course, how easy could that be to pull off successfully?

durkadurka · 05-01-2008, 01:50 PM

DC has the potential for a really cool redesign of the universe after Final Crisis. I hope they do something really interesting and original. I think it's possible, but it would have to involve a lot of characters, probably all the main ones, evolving into something DC hasn't been willing to do (at least not long term).
I'm looking forward to FC, as well as Batman RIP and The Blackest Night. And a lot of the tie-ins look interesting. If Final Crisis is as good as i think Secret Invasion will be, it should be a great summer.

vbartilucci · 05-01-2008, 01:54 PM

OK, I got it - the falling fire-man is not the guy we're listening to through the issue. So that's Darkseid, then. Cool.

S Giacomelli · 05-01-2008, 01:55 PM

More amazing Pop Magick from Grant! The (Barry) Flash was, after all, the first spirit the 17-year old mage summoned.

Supreme Convoy · 05-01-2008, 01:56 PM

I love the whiteboard/chalkboard with clues!

PeregrineReviews · 05-01-2008, 02:00 PM

The whiteboard looks interesting. I see quite a few familiar elements in there already, including the redefined Anti-Life Equation running along the bottom, Johnny Quick's Speed Mantra in the bottom right corner, and so on.

TedKordLives · 05-01-2008, 02:00 PM

1000 /3=1

At the end of this, there will be a single, unified Legion!

Here's hoping it's the one appearing in Action Comics of late.

73Zero · 05-01-2008, 02:01 PM

After reading DCU #0 yesterday, I can honestly say that I'm really hyped over Final Crisis. I can't wait to see how this all plays out, especially with the setup they've done.

Lemurion · 05-01-2008, 02:02 PM

It makes me nervous when I see references to the Multiverse potentially going away again. I think that it's fundamental to the DCU. It needs Earth 2

This is because the DCU needs one Universe where Superman was the first and greatest superhero, and one where he is a champion among the current generation of heroes. The only way to accomplish that is to use two parallel time streams.

SevensBlack · 05-01-2008, 02:06 PM

Wow, a misprint about about co-writing an all new Flash that was actually meant to be about Geoff and Grant co-writing DC Universe #0? I'm really not buying that excuse. I'd understand if it was a misprint regarding Rogue's Revenge, but otherwise, that's some terrible reporting. I think Didio is backtracking...

Ace · 05-01-2008, 02:11 PM

Re: The Tone of this interview.

The most frustrating bit of this to me is that Didio doesn't seem to realize that so much of their fanbase were born after... oh, 1978 or so, are under 30 years old, came in during the 80s or 90s, and don't think that much of ANYTHING pre-crisis is what made DC special at all.

I sure don't. Why? Because past some Arnold Drake comics in the 60s and Denny O'Neil and Englehart ones in the 70s, everything before the 80s is pretty crummy and simplistic. The comics are not well written. They rebranded themselves with Crisis, started telling much more Marvel-style stories with deep, flawed human characters and actual character development and it worked.

The pinnacle of it was the lead-up to Infinite Crisis which was ABSOLUTELY the best Marvel-style story of the last twenty years. We were getting decompressed Nu-Marvel written for the trade stuff from Marvel for the most part and Didio was trying hard to make EVERY issue matter over in DC. Everything right up to Infinite Crisis 1 was just wonderful character-driven big event stuff. There was so much momentum. Two or three years of plots were converging.

And then out of the blue came these 4 characters shoehorned into the story that didn't seem related at all, relics from 20 years ago and it all went off the rails. Everything that had been building got shoved to the background so fuel this one story. That's why you're seeing another Rann-Thanagar war story and why they're just now getting to Moorcock's redesign of magic and the Society's redoing its thing, because these ideas that were built to so successfully were just chucked aside for Alex Luthor and Superboy-Prime and Kal-L. Completely plot-driven instead of character driven.

And all of the fanbase that had jumped on over those last few years jumped right back off again and their market share plummeted accordingly.

If they're aiming OUTSIDE the direct market, great. I don't agree with it or think it will work but I certainly understand it. Give the most iconic version of the characters. Tell the fans to shove it and try to get kids to read it again. That's not what's happening though.

They're aiming more and more for people over 30. Or sometimes trying to make a clumsy middle ground. Look at the LSH sales. They put Shooter on which draws in a lot of those over-30 fans and then all of them jump right off when they realize it's not the nostalgia fix they want.

The market share is going to keep plumetting. And that's very frustrating because I love DC comics between 1986 and 2006 or so.

And there's a lot I love now too. All DC is doing now is making for a more divisive fanbase once again. It really is frustrating.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

That's about the general tone, not about the possibilities of Barry coming back or about Final Crisis, which in itself, I think will be great..

BUT, I bet there is probably a big chunk of the fanbase under 35 or so who would much prefer Aztek to come back than Barry. Just saying, is all.

For one thing, I was born in 81 and there were very few comics with Barry published in my lifetime, especially before I was 8 or so, and the last few years of his run are notoriously bad anyway. I did buy all of the issues of Aztek off the stand and have fond memories of the Morrison JLA.

Michael Mayket · 05-01-2008, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DD

What this does do though is that it addresses all the bits and pieces that made Crisis on Infinite Earths so great and really brings that story to closure in a way. Hence the name, Final Crisis.

Crisis on Infinite Earths already had closure.

That said I am looking forward to Final Crisis.

Joe Batman · 05-01-2008, 02:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MattBrady

NRAMA: So are we talking about Barry Allen?

DD: All I can say is that it looks like someone DC fans may know and who has definite ties to a major event which occurred within Crisis on Infinite Earths.

All you can say?! The Associated Press is saying that Barry Allen is back, which begs a response--be it a clarification or a denial. Not the time to be cryptic.

sweetchristmas · 05-01-2008, 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeregrineReviews

The whiteboard looks interesting. I see quite a few familiar elements in there already, including the redefined Anti-Life Equation running along the bottom, Johnny Quick's Speed Mantra in the bottom right corner, and so on.

There's no speed mantra, it's a clue to possibly splitting up the JSA into 2 teams (Blue team and gold team!)
There's also clues to the Manazons, the Legion hopefully down to 1 team, and I think the TT is for teen titans...

Daveport · 05-01-2008, 02:17 PM

If it is Barry I hope it is just a temporary return. I am getting tired of characters coming back from the dead and sticking arround.

durkadurka · 05-01-2008, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ace

If they're aiming OUTSIDE the direct market, great. I don't agree with it or think it will work but I certainly understand it. Give the most iconic version of the characters. Tell the fans to shove it and try to get kids to read it again. That's not what's happening though.

They're aiming more and more for people over 30. Or sometimes trying to make a clumsy middle ground. Look at the LSH sales. They put Shooter on which draws in a lot of those over-30 fans and then all of them jump right off when they realize it's not the nostalgia fix they want.

The market share is going to keep plumetting. And that's very frustrating because I love DC comics between 1986 and 2006 or so.

And there's a lot I love now too. All DC is doing now is making for a more divisive fanbase once again. It really is frustrating.

I disagree. I think their direction has appeal to both types of fans. I started reading comics in the 90s, and only started reading DC pretty much since Identity Crisis. Thanks to things like Wikipedia, i'm more or less up to speed on the characters i'm curious about. It doesn't really matter that they are bringing back elements from Crisis on Infinite Earths, or pre-Crisis for that matter, as long as it's well written, interesting, and fun. That's the main thing. If they return to older elements, that's something for longtime, faithful fans. But doing something brand new with them, like Johns' Green Lantern, makes them great for new and old fans alike. And not only that, if it's done extraordinarily well, it will make younger fans try to find out what the older stories were like.
A recent example was in Blue Beetle, when Jaime yelled "Khaji Da!" or whatever. I had no friggin idea what was going on, but a lot of people loved it. Then in the next issue when you understand, and they relate back to the first Beetle, it not only makes sense but is amazing story telling. It really all just depends on how the story is told.

ljacone · 05-01-2008, 02:18 PM

I enjoyed the heck out of DC Universe #0. As a teaser book, I thought it did it's job very well, because it really made me want to read the majority of the stories they were hyping. Final Crisis sounds tremendous, and I am very excited about it at this point. A lot of times, Grant Morrison's work doesn't do it for me even while I can appreciate what he is going for, while Geoff Johns is my favorite DC scribe. It seems that by joining forces, they have really piqued my interest

Michael Mayket · 05-01-2008, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TedKordLives

1000 /3=1

At the end of this, there will be a single, unified Legion!

Here's hoping it's the one appearing in Action Comics of late.

I'd be fine with that, but I'd like to see them bring in elements of the other two (and by that I mean XS, Gates, and Kinetix).

ultraaman · 05-01-2008, 02:19 PM

Well I didn't find that #0 really accomplished much as a bridge or into Final Crisis. Yes, it met the expectation of being a teaser but what we get are vignettes of different stories that, other than the narration, do not link up in anyway UNLESS you are already familiar with Crisis lore. Plus the Batman and Legion sections were weak. The Batman one was just cliche and if someone is new to Legion this was not a good intro.

I also don't want Barry back, at least not permanently. There isn't enough room for 2 Flash books either so Barry knocks Wally off as King Flash, or Barry is relegated to a team book (which I find highly unlikely). Time will tell. I'd rather have Bart back.

And my BIG gripe, because it irks me, is a very small detail but it still irks me. Zoom's powers are NOT speed based. He leaps through time which gives him the illusion of speed. He doesn't vibrate or sense anything like vibrations - never has.

Question - who was the guy on the moon?

The art was very strong though. Not a bad page in the lot.

caats19 · 05-01-2008, 02:20 PM

weeeeeeeee. 4 times the red. FOUR FLASHES BABY.

Ace · 05-01-2008, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by durkadurka

I disagree. I think their direction has appeal to both types of fans. I started reading comics in the 90s, and only started reading DC pretty much since Identity Crisis. Thanks to things like Wikipedia, i'm more or less up to speed on the characters i'm curious about. It doesn't really matter that they are bringing back elements from Crisis on Infinite Earths, or pre-Crisis for that matter, as long as it's well written, interesting, and fun. That's the main thing. If they return to older elements, that's something for longtime, faithful fans. But doing something brand new with them, like Johns' Green Lantern, makes them great for new and old fans alike. And not only that, if it's done extraordinarily well, it will make younger fans try to find out what the older stories were like.
A recent example was in Blue Beetle, when Jaime yelled "Khaji Da!" or whatever. I had no friggin idea what was going on, but a lot of people loved it. Then in the next issue when you understand, and they relate back to the first Beetle, it not only makes sense but is amazing story telling. It really all just depends on how the story is told.

It's not a matter of knowledge and understanding so much as focus.

You said you started reading around Identity Crisis. Do you REALLY feel like Infinite Crisis was the logical conclusion to the year or two of storytelling after Identity Crisis? Did it flow well for you? Did you buy the reveal in Villains United 6 even though it came out of nowhere? You don't feel at all that the story was railroaded into something very different than what it was logically building to as a way of celebrating the 20th anniversary of Infinite Crisis? You felt it was all good, rewarding storytelling?

If you say yes, that's fine. We've got a difference of opinion.

I've got nothing against having to go to wikipedia to look something up every now and again. I actually prefer it.

I think you hit it on the head. If it's done extraordinarily well, then it's ok. The problem is that past a few examples (And hey, Green Lantern, post issue 15 or so since the first year of the book was very mediocre, and Blue Beetle, after Giffen left, weirdly enough, ARE the first two that come to mind. JSA is up there too), I don't think the execution has been enough to carry the marred editorial vision.

Michael Mayket · 05-01-2008, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DD

Most people are drawing the conclusion that it is Barry, like Grant and Geoff, I’m not at liberty to reveal, because all the whats, hows and whos are played out in Final Crisis.

Am I reading this wrong or is he saying that Grant and Geoff are only assuming that it's Barry who has returned? Man, is Grant going to be surprised when Final Crisis comes out and he learns that it was Ronnie Raymond.

Joking aside why is he being so coy about who returned? He's obviously aware of the interview that Grant and Geoff gave to the New York Daily News because he refers to it at the end.

**MattBrady** · 05-01-2008, 02:26 PM

[quote=Michael Mayket][quote=DD]Most people are drawing the conclusion that it is Barry, like Grant and Geoff, I’m not at liberty to reveal, because all the whats, hows and whos are played out in Final Crisis.

Quote:

Am I reading this wrong or is he saying that Grant and Geoff are only assuming that it's Barry who has returned? Man, is Grant going to be surprised when Final Crisis comes out and he learns that it was Ronnie Raymond.

you were reading it right - it's just that there was a "but" that I missed in there. Fixed now.

MattB