DC's Rebirth Bringing Back Some Old Fan Favorites

Okay, just like yesterday, I want to give you all fair warning...there are going to be ***SPOILERS!!!*** for the Rebirth story arc that DC comics is working on.


Every four or five years or so, comic book publishers like to shake things up in order to draw in new readers and bring back old ones.  Marvel is doing it this year with the release of their Civil War II story arc, and DC is going to be giving us Rebirth.  Not much had been said about what to expect from Rebirth, but then some information leaked over on Reddit.  After this happened, DC lifted their "press embargo" on some of the what we can expect, and it starts with the introduction of an old character that we haven't seen since before Flashpoint took place and gave us the New 52...Wally West.


Now, the Wally West that we end up following is the "original: Wally West, who used to be Kid Flash, and not the new Wally West that was introduced at the beginning of the New 52.  He's stuck in the Speed Force and is trying to find a tether to get back to reality.  While he's stuck there, they let the readers know what's going on in the current universe.  Here's a quick run down of things that I pulled from the story that Screenrant published:

Batman not only knows The Joker’s real name (following the events of the Darkseid War storyline in Justice League), he knows an even bigger secret: The Joker has three real names, implying that the Clown Prince of Crime may be three different men (or a composite of three different pre-Flashpoint possible origins for the original Joker.)

Jessica Cruz has become a Green Lantern.

The Legion of Superheroes (or at least a Legion flight-ring) have re-emerged.

Johnny Thunder, originally of the Justice Society of America (who aren’t supposed to have existed anymore) is alive and living in a nursing home.

Darkseid has been reborn in the body of Superwoman’s baby.

Aquaman and Mera are getting married.

Green Arrow and Black Canary are not together, but seem to be regaining their memories of a relationship.

Pandora, the “herald” of the New 52 era, has been killed by an unknown assailant.

The Atom is trapped in “The Microverse,” and Atom #2 Ryan Choi now remembers that he is Atom #2 again.

Wonder Woman has a twin brother named Jason, identity unknown but presumed to be someone she/we have already met.

Doctor Fate is back on the “main” Earth, rather than his doppelganger form known to be living on Earth 2.

Jackson Hyde (Aqualad) has returned and has come out of the closet as a gay man.

Superman (New 52 version) is missing, potentially setting up the character’s rumored death in issue #52 of his own series. Meanwhile, the original (pre-New 52) version of Superman is hiding out with Lois Lane and their son after having been willed back into existence during the Convergence event.

West is able to use Barry Allen as his tether back to the real world.  Allen is feeling guilty about everything that happened during Flashpoint, as some of his memories have returned that reminded him of all of the chaos that he created.  He thinks that he changed the timeline through his actions, but West tells him that he didn't...that they are still in the original timeline, except some all-powerful force has changed reality.  This being is changing memories and breaking down the bonds between superheroes, forcing reality to change in order to weaken them before the final confrontation.  They don't tell us who this being is, but the rumor around the web is that it is none other than Doctor Manhattan!  Why do they think this?

At the end of the issue, it shows Batman digging up a long buried object inside the Batcave, with Wally West saying, "We're being watched," in a voiceover to the scene.  The object?  The Comedian's blood-splattered smiley face badge from The Watchmen!


So what does this mean?  Is DC finally going to incorporate that universe of The Watchmen in with the regular DCU?  Who knows?  But it's a twist that I don't think anyone saw coming!  So what are your thoughts on all of this?  Are you excited to see this happen, or are you tired of all of these "universe altering" storylines?  Let me know your thoughts in the comments section down below.