DC UNIVERSE REBIRTH #1

Wally West, the ORIGINAL WALLY WEST, is stuck in the Speed Force and has been trying to break free ever since FLASHPOINT. He appears in the Batcave, where Batman is mulling the death of Superman and the existence of three Jokers, and explains that Bruce needs to remember how he got the letter from Thomas Wayne to him. Moving back into the Speed Force, Wally relates how he came to be a Speedster, how Barry died during the Crisis on Infinite Earths, how Flashpoint came about and how, at the end of that, someone stole 10 years from them, turning the heroes into younger versions of themselves and installing a darker feeling into the world. Wally next appears at the care facility for an elderly man who turns out to be Johnny Thunder and Wally begs him to use the Genie to reassemble the Justice Society. 

Elsewhere Captain Sawyer has a woman in custody who has stolen a sandwich because where she comes from, food is free. The woman is searching for Superman, who is dead, and the decision is made to call mental services on her. The only thing she was carrying was a Legion of Superheroes flight ring. Ryan Choi checks in on Ray Palmer who reveals he is trapped in the multiverse and that his ex-wife’s alimony check may be late. He also tells Choi that he left him a miniaturizing belt and he needs his help. Meanwhile, Ted Kord and Jaime Reyes are working together on Kord’s Beetle ship when Doctor Fate arrives to explain that Jaime's scarab is not an alien artifact, but a magic one. Running for her life from an unknown assailant, Pandora reaches a dead end and reveals that she knows that the heroes will vanquish what her pursuer has done. And then she is disintegrated.

The aftermath of JUSTICE LEAGUE #50 and SUPERMAN #52 are felt amongst the world. On Paradise Island, Grail begins to raise baby Darkseid as she explains that Wonder Woman has a twin brother named Jason. The heroes mourn Superman’s death with many like Green Arrow and Black Canary coming together for the first time. The Pre 52 Clark is greeted by a mysterious stranger calling himself Mr. Oz, who says that he is not what he believed and neither was the fallen Superman. Aquaman and Mera have a long talk and he proposes to her. Wally breaks through and meets reporter Linda Park, who insists that she doesn’t know him and that sends him back into the Speed Force. He tries to make contact with Captain Boomerang, Cyborg and Dick Grayson to now avail. 

At last he sees the New 52 Wally West, who is his Uncle Daniel’s son, as he saves a girl and now realizes that his life as Kid Flash is over. Next he sees Barry Allen, who also doesn’t know him. As Wally starts to dissolve as he is eaten by the Speed Force, Barry remembers and pulls him back from the brink of death. With tears flowing down his face, Barry remembers everything that came before Flashpoint and believes it was all his fault for what happened. Wally tries to convince him that someone else was to blame.

In the end, we see Batman discovering the blood-stained smiley face button that was the Comedian's inside the Batcave.  In the epilogue, we see a dismantled watch, with the phrase “every Second is a Gift” come back together. The words “nothing ends, Adrian” are heard and a clock with a splatter of blood are seen. “The clock is ticking across the DC Universe.” Does this mean Dr. Manhattan changed our world?

This is the first shot in DC’s new NEW era of comics and this will be a talking point, positive and negative, for some time to come. Geoff Johns has put his distinctive stamp on the future of the DC Universe with this massive one-shot that solves issues and lays groundwork for future storylines. Gary Frank, Ethan Van Sciver, Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, and Phil Jimenez combine on the various chapters to give us a truly beautiful looking book. Now this book represents the beginning of the REBIRTH Era, but there are still NEW 52 titles appearing for the time being. So that means I’ll be doing two sets of reviews each month: NEW 52 and REBIRTH. At least for the time being. Personally, I am sad to see some titles go away but am very excited about the possibilities for the future.