Dawn of DC

Dawn of DC is a 2023 publishing initiative by the American comic book publisher DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic book titles. Following the events of the 2022 crossover storylines "Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths" and "Lazarus Planet", DC Comics started the Dawn of DC line in January 2023 with Action Comics #1051 and concluded with Absolute Power #4.[1]

The initiative succeeds the Infinite Frontier line, and is itself succeeded by the DC All In initiative spearheaded by writers Joshua Williamson and Scott Snyder in October 2024.

Publication history

DC Comics first announced the launch of Dawn of DC in November 2022. DC Publisher & Chief Creative Officer Jim Lee described that the "Dawn of DC is one of our most ambitious initiatives ever and is a chance for us to tell bigger and bolder stories across our line".[1]

Unlike The New 52 or DC Rebirth where all titles were relaunched with new number one issues being released in a short period, Dawn Of DC instead is a yearlong storytelling initiative consisting of a slow rollout of new titles releasing throughout the year. Other books from prior to Dawn of DC, such as the Justice Society of America book that is being written by Geoff Johns as a part of The New Golden Age, will converge to the initiative.[2] Action Comics by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Batman by Chip Zdarsky, Catwoman by Tini Howard, Nightwing by Tom Taylor and Harley Quinn by Tini Howard are books which started prior to Dawn of DC and are now part of this initiative.[3]

The first issue to be released under the Dawn of DC banner was Action Comics #1051 on January 24, 2023, with various others following suit thereafter. The tone for many of the books in Dawn of DC was inspired by Mark Waid and Dan Mora's Batman/Superman: World's Finest, along with Tom Taylor's Nightwing series. Along with the tone, the series are more interconnected and intertwined with one another, helping to enhance the shared universe.[4] What happens in one series is directly going to affect another. Tom King commented that "Superman is going to have an impact on Wonder Woman, and what happens in Batman is going to impact Superman. The world is cohesive, not separated".

In May 2023, the ongoing series Batman celebrated its 900th issue along with being the first issue of Batman to be officially branded in Dawn of DC, even though the previous arcs were set after the events of Dark Crisis.[5] The next issue went back to its previous numbering with #136 but was the first DC title to include legacy numbering with #901. In June 2023, both Wonder Woman and The Flash celebrated their 800th issues along with marking their first series in Dawn of DC. Following issue #800 both series were relaunched in September, starting from issue #1 with new creative teams.

In July and August 2023, the Knight Terrors event, headed by Joshua Williamson with multiple tie-in mini-series by various creative teams, took over the publishing line.[6][7]

After the end of Knight Terrors, DC Comics published a Batman and Catwoman crossover titled Batman/Catwoman: The Gotham War, headlined by Chip Zdarsky and Tini Howard. This crossover takes place within the main Batman and Catwoman series, with their respective artists drawing these issues. Additionally, a Red Hood-centric two-issue tie-in miniseries, Batman/Catwoman: The Gotham War: Red Hood, was written by Matthew Rosenberg and drawn by Nikola Čižmešija. This crossover took place from August 2023 to October of the same year.[8]

In October 2023, Superman with the 7th issue of its current volume celebrated its (legacy) 850th issue in an oversized special.[9]

Titans: Beast World, the Titans-centric event started in November 2023, with the main series being written by Tom Taylor featuring art by Ivan Reis, Danny Miki and Lucas Meyer. The event tied in to both Titans and Nightwing, also written by Taylor.[10]

At New York Comic Con 2024, DC Comics announced the "Superman Superstars" initiative occurring in the Action Comics series. The initiative began in January 2024 with creators Jason Aaron and John Timms for the story arc I, Bizarro in Action Comics #1061-1063.[11] Following I, Bizarro, Joshua Williamson, Rafa Sandoval and Miguel Mendoca took over for the next story arc, House of Brainiac, a cross-over between Superman and Action Comics from April to June 2024.[12] The next team to take over the initiative is Gail Simone and Eddy Barrows in #1067-1069 with the story Superman and the Challenge from the Stars.[13]

In July 2024, DC comics published the next company-wide summer event, Absolute Power written by Mark Waid and drawn by Dan Mora. The event consists of the titular four-issue mini-series.[14] The event uses threads built up in series published throughout Dawn of DC, including the character of Failsafe from the events of the Batman series written by Chip Zdarsky with art by Jorge Jimenez, from Batman (vol. 3) #125–130 and #144-148. Along with the Brainiac Queen, a new character created by Brainiac introduced during the events of House of Brainiac.[15] The event lasted from July to October 2024, with the effects of the event leading into the new DC publishing initiative, DC All In, from Scott Snyder and Joshua Williamson.[16]

Plot

Throughout the runs of Dawn of DC, Amanda Waller attempts to rid the world of all metahumans, good or bad, eventually succeeding, taking away every super-powered being's power and turning the world against all super-heroic activities

Overarching narrative

With the end of Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths, the Justice League was brought back from their supposed deaths. Amanda Waller, now inspired by this act, works under the Light to take action against all metahumans, both heroes and villains alike. In The Dawn of DC Primer #1, Waller tasked Peacemaker and Peacewrecker, her new right hands, with the goal of acquiring the Helmet of Hate from Lazarus Island. Whilst Peacemaker was off on his mission, Waller met up with a group of villains and gave them a new task, to kill the superheroes.

A new villain, Insomnia, fueled by his hatred of the Justice League and the superhero community (as a result of an attack by a group of evil Batmen which led to the deaths of his family) put the entire world to sleep.[17] He did this in order to find a mysterious object, the Nightmare Stone. After getting the Nightmare Stone, Insomnia brought the nightmares of the hero community to life. Following these events in "Knight Terrors", the world's opinion of the Justice League changed, no longer as beacons of hope but instead as avatars of fear.[17] Waller steals the Nightmare Stone through all of the chaos and a mysterious figure (later revealed to be one of the missing pieces of Raven's soul) combines the stone with the Helmet of Hate in order to transform into Doctor Hate. Waller then tells Hate to target the Titans now that the Justice League are feared by the world.[18]

During the Necrostar incident, Waller and Peacemaker meet with the President of the United States and ask him to activate the emergency Bureau of Sovereignty in order to contain the threat.[19] In the aftermath, Waller takes control of the Hall of Justice by framing the Titans for Beast Boy's invasion; and Hate has trapped Raven in her soul gem.[20]

Waller meets with the Council of Light, which turns out to be multiple versions of Brainiac.[21] It is revealed that Brainiac teleported Amanda and her Suicide Squad when they fought the Crime Syndicate before Dark Crisis. Waller is angry that Brainiac used her and warns him to stay out of her way.[22]

Reviving Time Commander to rebuild Failsafe, and grooming a reset Brainiac Queen to her ideology, Waller sets to work to remove all metahumans permanently.

Changes to the DC Universe

Following the events of the Dark Crisis, the Justice League, as a team, has gone onto a long term hiatus with the Titans, led by Nightwing, becoming the DC universe's premier superhero team.[23] The Titans are now located in Blüdhaven with their new Titans Tower being rebuilt over an old prison, which was destroyed following a prison breakout, led by the villain Heartless.[24] The villain Brother Blood has now changed public perception for himself and his cult, the Church of Blood now rebranded as the Church of Eternity. He is promoting this new change with the support of Teen Titans member Garth/Tempest. Garth rejected the offer to join this new Titans team in support of another who has the ability to be someone "who can make a real difference".[25]

Following the events of "Dark Crisis", "Warworld Saga", "Lazarus Planet" and Action Comics #1050, a major change in the status quo occurred for the Superfamily. This includes the expansion of the Superman family and mythos with the addition of the Super Twins, Osul and Otho-Ra; Jon Kent now has new powers which mirror those of the Electric Blue Superman from the 1990s; and Lex Luthor uses Manchester Black's abilities to erase the public's knowledge of Superman's secret identity.[26] Luthor is now in prison and has handed over the reins of LexCorp to Superman, with the company being renamed to Supercorp and having a new goal of helping Superman. Lois Lane also serves as the current editor-in-chief of the Daily Planet, with Perry White being on a sabbatical.[27] Steelworks was founded by John Henry Irons / Steel to bring forth Metropolis into becoming the City of Tomorrow.[28] Power Girl gains telepathic abilities due to the Lazarus Storm, and now goes by the name Paige.[29] Jimmy Olsen now has a new love interest in the form of ex-supervillain Silver Banshee. Silver Banshee previously damaged Superman's hearing so he no longer has super-hearing, having done so after being threatened by a new group of evil mad scientist supervillains.[30] These scientists have been physically changing Superman's rogues, making them more deadly and powerful.

Following the events of "Lazarus Planet", the Doom Patrol, led by the Chief, a new personality of Crazy Jane, have a new mission statement: with a rise in the metahuman population, their goal is to help, protect and offer safe haven, for the world's metahumans.[31] Along with a new mission, the Doom Patrol have a new base called the Shelter, based out of an old missile silo, to provide shelter to new metahumans and place to where they can better improve their abilities.[32] The Doom Patrol are joined by two new metahumans - Beast Girl and Degenerate.[33]

During Dark Crisis, the superhero Oliver Queen / Green Arrow disappeared and did not return with the rest of the Justice League. This disappearance is investigated by the other members of the Arrow Family including Dinah Lance / Black Canary, Roy Harper / Arsenal and Connor Hawke / Green Arrow.[34] Lian Harper, who died in the 2009 story Cry for Justice, is now back alive and well, reunited with her father, Roy Harper, and has rejoined the Arrow family.[35] Connor ends up traveling to the future and meeting the Legion of Super-Heroes.[36] For some unknown reason, the Green Arrow family can no longer be reunited in its entirety for in the future they caused a "Great Disaster".

Following "Lazarus Planet", magic in the DC Universe now works differently causing Billy Batson to use a new name, The Captain, as whenever he says "Shazam!", it triggers his transformation to occur.[37] Other than Mary Marvel, the rest of the Shazam Family no longer has powers.[38] Through the powers of Hippolyta, the meaning of "Shazam!" for Mary Marvel stands for new deities; Selene, Hippolyta, Artemis, Zephyrus, Aurora, and Minerva,[39] though her powers appear to be the same.

The Guardians of the Universe have mysteriously disappeared, and in their place, the United Planets have taken control of the Green Lantern Corps. The United Planets claim that Sector 2814 (Earth) is a liability to the universe and reassign all Green Lanterns to other sectors across the universe. Furious at this change, Hal Jordan quit the Green Lantern Corps and returned to Earth.[40] Carol Ferris, Hal Jordan's long time romantic interest has moved on from Hal and now has a new fiance. John Stewart retires from the Green Lantern Corps and now lives on Earth with his mother.

Titles

• Key

See also

• List of current DC Comics publications