DC Comics unveiled the prologue for their latest big initiative All In with DC All In Special #1. I know what you are thinking. Another big initiative for DC Comics? It has been a turbulent ride for DC Comics for the past decade. DC Comics has been devastated by bad leadership and terrible editorial decisions that all began with the ill-conceived failure known as the New 52. Once DC Comics finally waived the white flag and admitted that the New 52 was a total failure we got a string of one initiative after another as DC Comics flailed about like a drowning man in a panic to correct their declining sales numbers.
We got the DCYou initiative in 2015. Next was the Rebirth relaunch in 2016 which junked the New 52 and brought back the real DCU. Next was the idiotic 5G relaunch for 2020, which was fortunately trashed and the remnants of 5G survived as the Future State initiative in 2021. Then we got the Infinite Frontier relaunch in 2021. Next was the Dawn of DC initiative in 2023. All of these efforts failed to arrest DC Comics’ sales problems.
This all leads us to the latest attempt by DC Comics to revive their titles with the All In initiative. I sympathize with long-time DC Comics fans who are rolling their eyes at yet another big initiative designed to save DC Comics. I am right there with you.
Having said that, there are aspects of All In that give me some hope. First, Scott Snyder and Joshua Williamson are the brains behind the All In initiative. Snyder and Williamson are by far the most talented writers that DC Comics has at this point. And it is not even close. I will openly admit that I am a fan of both Snyder and Williamson so I am predisposed to be interested and excited by anything created by these two guys.
DC Comics should be thanking all the comic book gods that they were able to get Scott Snyder back into the fold. Hopefully, Snyder and Williamson have full support from both the leadership and editorial at DC Comics with the All In initiative. DC Comics has to show commitment and confidence which is something they have always lacked in anything they have done going back to the New 52.
All right, enough of the walk down Amnesia Lane. Let’s discuss DC All In Special #1! Let’s start with the most unique aspect of this issue: its physical format. DC All In Special #1 is a flip book! Pretty neat, right? Comic books are supposed to be fun, so I love the cute gimmick of this issue being a flip book. Good job, fellas.
As a flip book, you read the first story until you get the final double-page spread in the middle of the issue. Then you close the book, flip it over, and read the second story until you get to the same final double-page spread in the middle of the issue. The first story is Alpha. The second story is Omega.
DC All In Special #1 – ALPHA
Creative Team
Writers: Joshua Williamson and Scott Snyder
Artist: Daniel Sampere
Center Spread Artist: Dan Mora
Colors: Alejandro Sánchez
Center Spread Colors: Tamra Bonvillain
Alpha serves as the bridge from the conclusion of Absolute Power to the new All In initiative. The story is set 52 days from the conclusion of Absolute Power. Yes, the use of the number 52 is well done. The number 52 has had a special place in the DCU since the weekly comic 52 was released in 2006. At the time, the number 52 referenced the number of Infinite Earths that existed in the new Multiverse which was revealed during the conclusion of 52.
The biggest task for DC All In Special #1 was to be as new reader-friendly as possible. This issue is a jumping-on point for new readers and older readers who left DC Comics a while ago. Both of these groups of readers are consumers who probably did not read Absolute Power. Therefore, DC All In Special #1 had to get these readers up to speed on the fallout of Absolute Power and how it impacts the DCU going forward.
The core of Alpha is the unveiling of the new Justice League. Well, the Justice League Unlimited, to be exact. This new name for the Justice League is an obvious homage to the old Justice League Unlimited cartoon from 2004-2006. I loved the Justice League Unlimited cartoon so I am a fan of bringing the same concept to the Justice League in the comic books. The benefit of a massive Justice League roster allows the writer to mix and match a wide array of characters. This keeps the story arcs fresher since it is not always the same six characters over and over again.
Alpha centers on Booster Gold. Alpha unveils that the new Justice League Unlimited is designed to be large and include as many worthy heroes as possible. The reasoning behind this approach to rebuilding the Justice League is a direct response to how easily Amanda Waller took down the heroes in Absolute Power.
The new Justice League Unlimited is designed to be a place where the members can pool their resources, support each other, and communicate to ensure something like what happened with Waller in Absolute Power never happens again.
In furtherance of this new purpose of the Justice League, each member will now have a membership card, designed by Mr. Terrific, which is personalized to each hero and their powers. The membership cards will augment each hero’s powers and pair them with other heroes who can do the same. The membership card will also allow access to the brand-new Justice League Watchtower. Transportation to and from the Watchtower is provided courtesy of Boom Tube technology.
This leads us to the next new aspect of the Justice League Unlimited: The new Justice League Watchtower. This new headquarters is even bigger and better than ever. This new Watchtower is also powered by science and magic. I dig the design of the new Watchtower. It is different from prior versions that we have gotten over the years. I am a sucker for a cool headquarters. Now, all I ask is that Snyder or Williamson use their power to get us a cool cut-away diagram of this new Watchtower! Please!
The new Watchtower is also the type of fun headquarters that you would get in superhero comics from the 1960s to the 1990s. The Watchtower is over-the-top and the culmination of everything fun and cool in the DCU. This is how I like my superhero comics. I want them to be grand and escapist to the highest degree. The new Watchtower delivers that as an exciting setting for the new Justice League.
The Justice League membership card is a fantastic concept. I love it. This is a fun almost Silver Age device. I appreciate that we are told how the membership cards were created and what they do without getting bogged down in the details. Superhero comics should be fantastic and a bit silly at times.
Snyder and Williamson unveiled the Justice League membership card in a perfect fashion. Booster mentions all of the touchstone items that are absolutes in the universe. Those include Batarangs, the Fortress of Solitude, the Green Lantern power ring, and the Legion flight ring. Then Snyder and Williamson have Booster mention the unassigned Justice League membership card and position it as the most iconic of all the items. We learn that the unassigned JL membership card that Mr. Terrific shows Booster when Booster arrives at the Watchtower is the same card that Booster saw in the Metropolis Museum where he worked as a night guard in the Legion of Super-Heroes’ time period.
This was a masterful job of integrating the new Justice League membership card into the DCU and positioning it as one of the most iconic. The membership card is also the one item that influenced and inspired Booster Gold the most to pursue his life as a hero in the 21st century. I love DCU lore and it was nice to see Williamson and Snyder rejoicing in it during this story.
I also loved how the Justice League was presented and handled in Alpha. This is no surprise considering that I adored Scott Snyder’s handling of the Justice League when he controlled the franchise. It started with Justice League: No Justice #1 in 2018 and then culminated with Snyder’s epic run on Justice League that ended with Justice League #39 in 2020. That was the last time the Justice League was relevant in DC Comics.
Snyder fully understands and loves the Justice League franchise. That is something you cannot say about many of the writers that DC Comics employs these days. Snyder’s phenomenal run on Justice League is proof that he is the right man for the job of unveiling the new Justice League Unlimited. It is so unfortunate that Snyder will not be writing the new Justice League Unlimited series. Oh, well. You cannot have everything!
After eleven pages of necessary world-building and establishing a sound formation for the new Justice League Unlimited, Williamson and Snyder turn to the action of the story. The next eight pages of Alpha is a chaotic and frenetic battle between Darkseid, who has merged with the Spectre, and our Justice League heroes. During the battle, our heroes manage to separate the Spectre from Darkseid. This causes Darkseid to disintegrate into energy and disappear.
The final eight pages deal with the aftermath of Darkseid’s attack. Some of Darskeid’s Anti-Life energies remained and merged with the Justice League membership card which is now red and black and full of Chaos energy and has Darkseid’s Omega symbol on it. The membership card is now a portal to Alpha World which was the new world created at the end of Dark Nights: Death Metal #7. However, at that point, Alpha World was an unfinished primordial world. Now, Alpha World is a finished world that radiates with Darkseid’s energy.
Our heroes need to investigate Alpha World and what is going on with Darkseid but only those with an abundance of Tachyon particles can safely set foot on Alpha World. That means only time travelers can go. So, Booster Gold volunteers. Mr. Terrific creates a tether to Skeets to bring Booster back to the Watchtower in ten minutes.
Booster hops through the portal and arrives on Alpha World. Darkseid’s Omega symbol is on the Daily Planet building. The heroes immediately lose contact with Booster. Booster notices that Skeets is missing. Booster then notices his ring has the Darkseid Omega symbol on it. Booster sees Darkseid and his new army which is none other than an evil version of the Legion of Super-Heroes!
As a long-time Booster Gold fan, I was thrilled to see my boy getting the spotlight in DC All In Special #1. Unlike other writers, it is obvious that Williamson and Snyder respect and love Booster’s character. Booster is presented with respect. The scene with Superman presenting Booster his Justice League membership card? Perfection! I am ready for a Williamson or Snyder-penned Booster Gold title now!
Williamson and Snyder also deliver a concise and effective backstory for Booster Gold to get any new readers up to speed on his character. Everything involving Booster Gold in Alpha is well done.
Of course, I have saved the best of Alpha for last. It is the amazing double-page ending delivering an evil version of my beloved Legion of Super-Heroes! Long-time followers of the Revolution know that I love the Legion more than anything else from either DC Comics or Marvel Comics. I was pumped to see the Legion’s shocking appearance at the end!
To be sure, I will write a full article breaking down this two-page ending and getting into the fine details of this evil Legion of Super-Heroes. I will say now that I am thrilled that Williamson and Snyder intelligently avoided the awful Bendis Legion that nobody asked for or enjoyed. Smart move, boys. The evil Legion of Super-Heroes looks primarily based on the Levitz Legion which Geoff Johns reintroduced to the DCU after Final Crisis as the default version of the Legion.
Final Thoughts
Alpha was a great story. This got me excited for the new Justice League Unlimited comic. Alpha also got me excited to learn more about the Legion of Super-Heroes of Alpha World. This was a fun read that emphasized classic superhero escapist entertainment.
Story Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10
Art Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10
DC All In Special #1 – Omega
Creative Team
Writers: Joshua Williamson and Scott Snyder
Artist: Wes Craig
Center Spread Artist: Dan Mora
Colors: Mike Spicer
Center Spread Colors: Tamra Bonvillain
Omega takes place 52 days after the end of Absolute Power. This story centers on Darkseid and his quest to bond with the Spectre to become more. To do so, Darkseid has Himon, the creator of the Mother Box, craft a machine from Element X that is based on the sacred science of the Guardians that was developed by the Legion of Super-Heroes. The machine will only work with the person to whom it is bound by blood. Darkseid lops off left arm up to his elbow and pours his blood into the machine.
Darkseid gets the machine operable and goes searching for the Spectre to bond with him. This search takes Darskeid to various realms where he battles Zauriel and then battles Eclipso. Darkseid eventually comes face-to-face with the Spectre and bonds with him.
In a last-ditch effort, the Spectre, still trying to break free of Darkseid, brings them to the Justice League Watchtower in hopes that the heroes can free him from Darkseid. During the fight, Darkseid uses the Spectre’s ability to realize that Darkseid is forever locked into an endless cycle of being a god and then being something less and repeating the cycle.
Once the Spectre is separated from Darkseid, Darkseid is happy and says that Darkseid finally ends. Darkseid says once again he ends and then is reborn as always. However, this time he is not reborn or connected to Earth or Superman or anything. Instead, Darkseid is now connected to a new world: Alpha World. A world where the heroes are born facing greater odds.
We see Absolute Wonder Woman, who is raised in Hell instead of Paradise. We see Absolute Batman who has no advantages and is the chaos instead of the system itself. We see Absolute Superman in a world where hope is the underdog and the villain. More importantly, Alpha World is Darkseid’s alone. This is a reality where Darskeid can finally become what he was meant to be. Darkseid says once he is at his full power he will return to the other Earth and destroy it.
We end with Booster Gold appearing in Alpha World. Booster then comes face-to-face with Darkseid’s army: The evil Legion of Super-Heroes.
Omega was a good introduction to Alpha World and the three Absolute titles headed our way. While I did find Alpha to be the more interesting of the two stories I still enjoyed Omega. I think most readers will enjoy Alpha more than Omega. Omega will appeal more to long-time readers like me who are huge fans of Jack Kirby’s Fourth World.
Alpha has a story that is more appealing to a wider range of readers. Alpha is also easier to consume for new readers. Having said that, Williamson and Snyder did try to make Omega new reader-friendly. But, the fact remains that the reader will need to possess a much deeper understanding of the DCU to enjoy all of the rich details of Omega’s story.
And such details we get. Snyder and Williamson love DC continuity in a way most current writers do not. It was cool to see Himon in Omega. Himon is a New Genesis citizen who first appeared in Mister Miracle #9 in 1972. I love seeing minor Jack Kirby characters like Himon!
Williamson and Snyder do not explicitly tell the reader what machine Darkseid is having Himon construct. However, we do get clues. First, the machine is made from Element X which is the Tenth Metal that is used by the New Gods. This is another Jack Kirby creation that first appeared in New Gods #7 in 1972. Snyder and Williamson also hint that the machine is based on Guardian technology and used by the Legion of Super-Heroes.
Those clues make it clear that this machine Darkseid is building in Omega is none other than the Miracle Machine. That is so cool! The original Miracle Machine was created by the Controllers based on Guardian Green Lantern power ring technology and was given as a gift to the Legion of Super-Heroes. The Miracle Machine is the most powerful item in creation since it can turn thought into reality. The Miracle Machine was a Jim Shooter creation first seen in Adventure Comics #367 in 1968.
While Alpha’s primary job is to help sell the new Justice League Unlimited, Omega’s primary job is to help sell the new Absolute Batman, Absolute Superman, and Absolute Wonder Woman titles. Your interest will vary based on the creative teams for each of the three titles and if you have any particular loyalty to any of these three characters.
I have never been a big Wonder Woman or Superman fan so it would have taken a writer that I like being placed in charge of those titles to get me to buy them. Unfortunately, I was not impressed with either writer selected for those two titles.
On the other hand, I will be getting Absolute Batman. I have always been a big fan of Batman and I love that Scott Snyder will be writing this title. Scott Snyder has earned my trust with his excellent work on Batman in the past.
Final Thoughts
Omega was an enjoyable read steeped full of Fourth World goodness and a dash of Legion of Super-Heroes flavoring. I always love any story crammed full of DC lore and sporting cameos from lots of different characters like Azriel and Eclipso.
I do think that Omega does a fine job establishing the foundation for the new Absolute Batman, Absolute Wonder Woman, and Absolute Superman titles. I find the entire concept of Alpha World intriguing and I want to learn more about what Darkseid is up to on Alpha World.
Of course, the one thing I am most interested in going forward is Darkseid’s Legion of Super-Heroes! Give me lots more of this!
Story Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Art Rating: 6 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 6.5 Night Girls out of 10