Two big changes in the DCU (spoilers for Action #900 and Brightest Day)

[Doc Beechler (mod-MD)]

In Action #900, Superman stands with protesters in Iran.  The Iranian government feels that Superman is being directed by the American national security team.  So, to make sure everyone knows that his actions come from his code of morality only and are not forced on him by the US government, Superman renounces his American citizenship at the UN.  Now, this is interesting and can lead to many stories, but I have to ask...how, exactly, was Superman a citizen.  Did he vote?  Did he pay taxes?  Sure Clark does those things and I'm sure Clark isn't renouncing his citizenship.  So this seems to be more symbolic than anything else.  This is Superman saying that he's a citizen of the entire planet, not one country and I can get behind that.  With this and Batman, Inc...the world's finest and becoming truly the WORLD'S finest. 

 

The other big change is the erasing of the Vertigo-DCU line by bringing back both Swamp Thing and John Constantine into the world of Aquaman and Firestorm.  While some Vertigo series will continue to be stand-alone books, this is a big change in policy for DC.  And I welcome it. 

 

I don't want to see Gentleman Ghost in iZombie though...wait...maybe I kinda do.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

I haven't read Action #900 yet and would ordinarily avoid a spoiler thread until I do, but unfortunately NPR spoiled this for me already first thing this morning. Thanks a lot, Steve Inskeep! Must be a slow newsday. I agree with you, Bill, that Superman renouncing his U.S. citizenship is largely symbolic, but the implications and ramifications are huge! For one thing, no more "Truth, Justice and the American Way." (I've long thought "Truth, Justice and Freedom" was more appropriate, anyway.)

 

I also flipped through Brightest Day #24 and guessed what this spoiler would be, too, but the erasure of the Vertigo/DCU line was begun a few moths ago when Death guest-starred in Action Comics.

 

I'll have more to add after I've read the comic in question.

[Doc Beechler (mod-MD)]

Your right...but it seems like that DCU/Sandman line was never very firm.

[ClarkKent_DC]

How exactly was Superman a citizen? Way back during the Bronze Age -- and maybe even during the Silver Age, I don't know -- Superman became a naturalized citizen of every United Nations member country. So I don't think it's such a great move for him to give up his U.S. citizenship if he's keeping the others.

 

Now, does his U.N. world citizen status still hold sway in the post-Crisis, post-Zero Hour, post-Identity Crisis, post-Infinite Crisis, post-Final Crisis era? Who knows?

 

And I have to say I think "Truth, Justice and Freedom" is more achievable than "Truth, Justice and Peace."

[PowerBook Pete, the Mad Mod]

JFK made him an American citizen.

[Jason Marconnet (Pint sized mod)]

I didn't read Action Comics but I did read Brightest Day. Pretty decent ending to what was a solid mini series. I never followed Swampthing or Hellblazer so the ending while kind of cool isn't a huge deal to me. Though the fight between White Lantern Swampthing & Black Lantern Swampthing is in the running for me for best fight of the year.

[Emerkeith Davyjack]

...At Facebook I read it first ( I have a not-yet-opened copy of #900 bagged , in a dollar store Wolverine and the X-Men carrier bag , right in front of me now .!! ) , that some comic shop owner had the ( Rev. Moon-owned ) Washington Times come to his store & interview him and that Fox News was having a - typically hysterical - piece about it IIRC - I mean , of course , the end of the " mature audiences " line keeping John , etc. , out of the DCU !!!!!!!!! Heh , heh , heh , heh , heh , heh , heh , heh , heh . Heh .:-)

  Actually , was there some acknowledgement/" tip of the hat " to the breakdown of the DCU/Vertigo barrier - even/especially a subtle , " only for fans " one - in the story itself ???????????

[Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod)]

Haven't read either story, but I'm finding the reaction to the Superman news pretty priceless. As calm and evenhanded as I expect from my countrymen.

[Figserello]

Regarding the climax to Brightest Day, the always snarky, but often fun Tucker Stone at Factual Opinion had this to say:

 

On the meta- level, there's something vaguely interesting about a comic where a corporate guy's favorite hobby horses team up to kill Swamp Thing, which is one of those rare characters whose very name conjures up the memory of intelligent comics created by talented risk-takers in an environment where creative freedom was actually permissible.

I'm all for the Vertigo characters coming back to the DCU. There may be some fresh stories possible after an absence of 15-20 years. I love the idea of characters getting a 'rest', even though that wasn't exactly the plan, I'm sure.

But I HATE the idea that their return has to be dealt with in-story.

That way lies Infinite Crisis. I want comics that are about something, not that detail Geoff Johns' movement of the pieces on or off or around the board. Who cares about that?

[Philip Portelli]

But did, say, Swamp Thing #7 really happen? Does Batman remember Swamp Thing? Were Zatanna and Constantine still lovers once? Or did she make him forget that, too?

[Figserello]

Who cares?  They were gone a while and now the writers can use them.

 

As to your specific questions, the answers to them would depend on what stories the writers wanted to tell with these characters.  If a writer has no other reason for telling a story than to fine-tune continuity as it stands now, then I don't want to read them!