Exclusive: Hope and heroism on tap for DC's 'Rebirth'
SPOILERS: The following contains important plot points from DC Universe: Rebirth.
Geoff Johns is interjecting heart and humanity back into the lives and adventures of DC Comics' iconic superheroes.
DC begins a new Rebirth initiative next month that refocuses the likes of Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and other characters, emphasizes what makes them special and creates a more cohesive universe. And Johns, the writer of such high-profile books as Justice League, The Flash and Green Lantern, sets the stage for what’s to come in DC Universe: Rebirth, out Wednesday and featuring all-star artists such as Gary Frank, Ethan Van Sciver, Phil Jimenez and Ivan Reis.
The 80-page special showcases well-known A-listers, heroes tied by moniker and legacy such as the Atom and Blue Beetle, and one character in particular from Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ iconic 1980s Watchmen series being brought into the main DC Universe for the first time in very significant fashion.
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“It felt like there were things that had gone missing — not the characters but an overall feeling of hope and optimism,” says Johns, the newly minted co-lead of DC Films and a producer on the upcoming Suicide Squad and Wonder Woman movies. “There’s a sense of warmth and emotion to this universe beyond the big epic threats and continuity stuff.”
Johns’ own journey to reconnect mirrors that of Wally West, a young speedster in his old Kid Flash togs, as he tries to return to his home in the Rebirth special and warn his friends that something's gone cosmically awry. “He has perspective that a lot of readers might have: He knows everything and he’s trying to get back to it,” says Johns.
The time-altering 2011 event series Flashpoint gave way to “The New 52” relaunch of DC’s line, putting new spins on classic heroes, but Wally's learned that a dark force has “infected” them and caused these icons to not remember a whole decade of their lives.
The culprit: Doctor Manhattan, the atomically powered, almost god-like figure in Watchmen who’s more an antagonist than villain in Rebirth, Johns says. “If you’re going to have a conflict between optimism and pessimism, you need to have someone who represents a cynical view of life and also has the ability to affect this. I know it’s crazy but he felt like the right character to use.”
How Watchmen is involved in the DC Universe is a mystery that will unfold in the background over the course of a couple years, but Rebirth in the meantime will focus on various players in its series.
Wally will be at the forefront as a cornerstone of a new Titans series, as will his mentor Barry Allen, the Flash, with his own relaunched book. A particularly poignant moment comes for these friends in the Rebirth special that was emotional for Johns to write. “Honestly, when I one day go from this plane to the next,” he says, “I hope I face it like Wally West faced his death.”
Other characters also face challenges in Johns' special. Something’s happened to the current Superman yet another Man of Steel — the one who was killed years ago by Doomsday and has a son with wife Lois Lane — has to find his place in this world. And Green Arrow and Black Canary, partners and lovers in another time, both feel a longing for something more.
“It’s not just stories or history that was taken — it was moments where these characters connected in my mind,” Johns says. “Love was lost, and the ongoing mission of Rebirth is have that love return and have the characters connect again. And they’re going to have to in the face of greater threats.”