Year Two

(2006)

 

–FLASHBACK: This scene takes place six years before the main action in Batman Annual Vol. 2 #1. Bruce is finally handed the keys to the Wayne Enterprises kingdom by WayneTech’s chief executive officer, Lucius Fox (as referenced via flashback in Batman Annual Vol. 2 #1).  Writer Scott Snyder curiously pens that Bruce has only recently “returned” to Gotham City from his “extended vacation” of training. While Bruce has been Batman for only a mere six months now, he has been back in Gotham since 2004, so this seemingly incorrect topical reference registers quite oddly. Maybe this flashback is instead meant to take place seven years ago? It says six, so I’m leaving it here for now. Or maybe the reference is to Bruce having been absent recently while Batman was adventuring with the Al Ghuls overseas?—see the footnote for details.^[1]

–FLASHBACK:  Batman and Talia Al Ghul have a romantic night and conceive a son. A one-panel flashback image from Batman and Robin Vol. 2 #2 shows Bruce about to engage in the coital act with Talia. This whole affair is shown with greater clarity in a flashback from Batman Incorporated Vol. 2 #2.  (Damian will be kept a secret from Bruce until Year Six).  Batman Incorporated Vol. 2 #2 also shows little baby Damian being nurtured in a high-tech sci-fi artificial womb/incubator. With this strange technology, Talia skips the rigors of a normal human pregnancy—essentially giving birth to a fetus right away and having the artificial womb/gestation bubble do all the work for the next nine months. Not only that, Talia is able to augment the physical and mental development of her son as well. Thus, Damian’s birth is a tricky item, chronologically speaking. You could argue that his actual birth is here and now in early 2006, or when the artificial womb re-births him in nine months—I know it’s weird, but we’ll lean towards the latter.  Thus, Damian’s birthday is (likely) sometime in September of 2006.  After the conclusion of these important events, Batman and Talia’s tumultuous on-and-off-again love affair will continue for a few more months before fizzling out entirely.^[2][3]

–FLASHBACK: The next part of the flashback from Batman Annual Vol. 2 #1 occurs now. Lucius Fox introduces boss Wayne to one of his scientists that is working on cryogenics, Victor Fries. Fries has been specifically studying a woman with congenital heart failure named Nora Fields who has been frozen since her death in 1968. Fries quickly becomes unhinged and begins to obsess over reviving Nora, and even comes to believe she is his wife. When Bruce finds out about Fries’ dementia, he terminates the project immediately. Of course, Fries will continue his work in secret for the next few months.

–NOTE: Bruce initiates the charitable end of the Wayne Enterprises corporate structure, known as the Wayne Foundation. He also initiates the Wayne Enterprises-funded Victims Incorporated Program (as originally told in Batman #217 and canonically referenced in Batman Incorporated Vol. 2 #0). Victims Inc will function as a service that provides assistance to those who have lost loved ones at the hands of Gotham crime. The program will also appoint private investigators to solve cold murder cases that the GCPD has been unable to crack. Victims Inc, in the Silver Age, was short-lived due to the dangerous exposure it placed upon Wayne Enterprises employees. However, in the New Age, Victims Inc is an ongoing program that successfully continues.

–NOTE: Batman skirmishes with and defeats The Phantasm (Andrea Beaumont). The Phantasm makes her New Age first appearance in Batman: The Dark Knight Vol. 2 #2. Note that this is the first time the Phantasm has ever been made canon outside of the old DC Animated Universe. I’m not sure what details remain of the original narrative from the Mask of the Phantasm film and the DCAU comics, but it is possible this Phantasm has a completely different origin.

–NOTE: Batman obtains a mammoth robotic Tyrannosaurus rex after an adventure at a dinosaur theme park and displays it in the Bat-Cave. The T rex has been the centerpiece of the Bat-Cave in every comic book epoch ever since the Golden Age, but its first New Age appearance is shown in the final pages of Flashpoint #5.

–NOTE: Batman adds the famous giant penny to the list of bizarre items on display in the Bat-Cave (as first seen in Batman Vol. 2 #4). Batman gets the giant coin after an encounter with the “Penny Plunderer,” Joe Coyne.

–NOTE: Batman’s first public sighting, although unconfirmed, takes place in the Cherry Hill section of Gotham (as referenced in Batgirl Vol. 4 #0).

–FLASHBACK: Bruce learns that Victor Fries has still been secretly toiling away on his unhealthy Nora Fields project for the past few months in the bowels of the WayneTech building (as seen through flashback in Batman Annual Vol. 2 #1). Bruce shows up to personally stop Fries from re-animating someone who has no relation to him whatsoever. Naturally, Fries reacts violently, causing an accident that sprays him with a strange brew of cryogenic chemicals. Later, in the hospital, Fries awakes with twenty-three degree Fahrenheit body temp, a new-found icy touch, and a thirst for vengeance against Bruce Wayne. Thus, Mr. Freeze is born!

–NOTE: Batman apprehends the debuting Mr. Freeze. Freeze makes his New Age appearance in Batman Vol. 2 #1 where he can be seen as a prisoner of Arkham Asylum. Red Hood & The Outlaws #9 mentions that Mr. Freeze is run over by the Batmobile in a donnybrook with the Dark Knight. This could very well be that instance.

–FLASHBACK: After a tumultuous year-long hot-and-cold on-and-off-again relationship, Batman finally tells-off the aggressive and manipulative Talia Al Ghul once and for all (as seen in Batman Incorporated Vol. 2 #2).  Meanwhile, unknown to Batman, Damian Wayne is re-birthed from his artificial gestation bubble womb and rapidly aged thanks to freakish genetic engineering. Damian (whom Batman doesn’t even know exists) has already become a toddler overnight and begins training in the deadly arts.

–NOTE: Batman’s second public sighting, although unconfirmed, takes place during a citywide flood (as referenced in Batgirl Vol. 4 #0).

–NOTE: Batman’s third public sighting, although unconfirmed, takes place in Crime Alley (as referenced in Batgirl Vol. 4 #0).

–Justice League Vol. 2 #1-6
The origin of the Justice League takes place five years before the present (meaning 2011, when Justice League Vol. 2 #1 was published).^[4] Thus, the Geoff Johns/Jim Lee re-formulation of the JL takes place right here. The super-humans have just begun to appear—Superman himself has just debuted as DC’s very first official superhero about six months ago (somewhere either earlier this year or late in the previous year). Despite the boom of superheroism in America, the super-humans are still feared and misunderstood. Batman, at this point is still thought of an urban legend and has rarely been seen by the public. Although technically, Batman has been active as a costumed vigilante for at least a year already. Our epic begins with Batman in Gotham as he chases one of the monstrous Parademons across the city’s rooftops, while simultaneously being chased by GCPD choppers. Batman meets and is assisted by Hal Jordan (an intergalactic peace officer known as a Green Lantern), and despite constantly bickering, the duo fights off the Parademon and retrieves a mysterious Mother Box. After a trip to Metropolis, Batman and Green Lantern find themselves in a fight against Superman (Kal El/Clark Kent)! Superman, in case you’ve lived under a rock for your entire life, is the super-powered Kryptonian Man of Steel. Green Lantern calls his friend Flash (Barry Allen), who immediately hotfoots it to Metropolis to help out. Meanwhile, in a STAR Labs facility in Detroit, several scientists—including Silas Stone, Anthony Ivo, Sarah Charles, T.O. Morrow, and William Magnus—examine another Mother Box planted by a Parademon. Instantaneously, all the Mother Boxes on Earth activate, opening Boom Tubes (portals to another planet in another dimension), from which armies of Parademons emerge and begin kidnapping people to harvest their “organic material.” Dr. Stone’s son Vic is badly injured by a Parademon, forcing the doctor to take drastic measures—infusing Vic with an experimental alloy/nanite material called Promethium. In the blink of an eye, Vic becomes Cyborg! In Washington, DC, Wonder Woman (Diana, princess of the Amazons, the race of warrior women relative to the Greco-Roman gods) and her US government-appointed liaison Steve Trevor battle Parademons of their own. Wonder Woman soon joins the other heroes in Metropolis. As the government super-human watchdog group called Checkmate watches from helicopters above, Aquaman (Orin/Aurthur Curry) and Cyborg join the five other heroes and confront the leader of the attacks, Darkseid! Darkseid easily handles the heroes and zaps Superman with an Omega Beam, allowing a Parademon to haul him away. Batman unmasks and reveals his secret identity to Green Lantern then allows himself to get taken by a Parademon in order to attempt a rescue of Superman. The Dark Knight is shocked to soon find himself on the vile extra-dimensional planet Apokolips, the hellish home to Darkseid and his minions. While Batman successfully frees Superman from the torture chamber of Desaad and Steppenwolf, our heroes on Earth learn that Darkseid is searching for his daughter.^[5] The part of the team that remains on Earth saves a bunch of people, including David Graves and his family. Cyborg not only uses his new technological super powers to bring Batman and Superman back,^[6] but also to send Darkseid and his Parademons back to Apokolips for good.  Later, US President George W. Bush holds a televised tribute to the band of heroes—Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg—and unofficially deputizes them as a superhero team called The Super Seven.^[7]

–NOTE: Aquaman introduces his wife Mera to his surface-dwelling superhero friends (as referenced in Aquaman Vol. 7 #15).

–FLASHBACK: Batman and a few select engineers, utilizing Mother Box technology taken from the recent skirmish with Darkseid, secretly construct and launch the ultimate surveillance device/counter-measure against the ever-rising threat of metahumans:^[8] the super-computer program called Brother I, housed in a satellite that orbits Earth (as seen in DC Universe Presents #0 and referenced in Justice League International Vol. 2 #8-9 and Justice League International Vol. 2 Annual #1). Brother I is meant to be Batman’s “Big Brother” panopticon from which he will monitor super-human activity all over the globe. However, Brother I will quickly gain self-awareness, become fully-sentient, and go completely evil, starting a very unfortunate sequence of events (as referenced in OMAC Vol. 4 #1). The newly rechristened Brother Eye will raise hell, but eventually will be defeated by the good guys and sent into deep space.  However, with later ties to Maxwell Lord and Cadmus, Brother Eye will eventually gain his bearings and begin creating failed OMAC after failed OMAC (at the Cadmus labs on Earth) in an attempt to build his perfect warrior.^[9]

–NOTE: The Super Seven (the future Justice League) defeats the giant alien menace known as Starro the Conqueror (as referenced in Justice League Vol. 2 #6). Justice League of America Vol. 3 #1 tells us that Steve Trevor gets possessed by Starro during this adventure.

–FLASHBACK: Batman fights a Talon, one of many killer assassins that represents the Illuminati group known as the Court of Owls (as seen through flashback in Batman: The Dark Knight Vol. 2 #9). The fight only lasts a few seconds before the Talon flees the scene, thus preventing Batman from getting any info on the Talon or the Court of Owls. Batman won’t discover the centuries-spanning secrets of the Court of Owls (or even become aware of the organization’s existence) until 2012.  Be aware, however, that Bruce investigated the Court of Owls when he was a little boy (as revealed in Batman Vol. 2 #3) and later as a teen (as revealed in Batman: The Dark Knight Vol. 2 #0) in conjunction with the death of his parents.  Of course, at age eighteen, Bruce stopped believing in the Court of Owls when he realized that a drunkard named Joe Chill randomly killed his folks.

–NOTE: Around a month after the defeat of Darkseid, author David Graves publishes the book Justice League: Gods Among Men, which signals either the renaming of the Super Seven to the “Justice League” by the seven heroes themselves or Graves coining the “Justice League” moniker himself (as seen in the first epilogue of Justice League Vol. 2 #6). Either way, the Justice League now has its proper name!^[10]

–NOTE: The Justice League defeats alien tyrant Despero (as referenced in Justice League of America Vol. 3 #1).

–NOTE: Batman quietly quells a sticky situation within the walls of the GCPD HQ (as referenced in the second feature of Batman Vol. 2 #0). This event, which takes place “five years ago” (aka five years before the 2011 publication of Batman Vol. 2 #1), is witnessed by both GCPD Lieutenant James Gordon and his daughter Barbara “Babs” Gordon, both of whom immediately hold the Dark Knight in the highest regard possible.

–NOTE: Batman begins a working relationship with GCPD Lieutenant Jim Gordon, Detective Sergeant Harvey Bullock, and District Attorney Harvey Dent. Likewise, Batman’s relationship with Dr. Leslie Thompkins blossoms as well. The details of these items are still a bit foggy, but they are apparent as per Batman Vol. 2 #1. The second feature of Batman Vol. 2 #0, which occurs “five years ago” (aka five years before the 2011 publication of Batman Vol. 2 #1), tells a short yarn that takes place now. While this tale doesn’t feature Batman, it highlights several other key characters. The narrative is as follows: It has been weeks since Lieutenant Gordon and Babs met Batman for the first time. Gordon chats with his daughter atop the GCPD HQ about how some people still think Batman is a myth.  Gordon then unveils the Bat-Signal. Across town, a young genius named Tim outwits his corrupt school headmaster, a young delinquent Jason Todd violently beats up a co-conspirator in a robbery after things turn ugly, and a teenage Dick Grayson nabs a purse snatcher while promoting his upcoming family trapeze act at Haly’s Circus. All three of these young men (and Babs too) are awestruck as a giant Bat-Symbol fills the Gotham sky for the first time.

–FLASHBACK:  This item occurs less than a week after our previous note. Bruce is on-hand at Haly’s Circus when the Flying Graysons are murdered by Tony Zucco, leaving their teenage son Dick Grayson orphaned (as seen in Nightwing Vol. 3 #0). Bruce then chats with Lieutenant Gordon and offers to house Dick at Wayne Care Center, a home for wayward boys. Over the course of the next several days, Bruce and Alfred meet with Dick.  Each night Dick sneaks out in search of Zucco. A week after his parents’ deaths Dick witnesses Batman beating the stuffing out of some lowlife hoods and helps him out. After this episode, Dick shadows Batman and helps him kick ass for a few weeks.  Empathizing with Dick’s loss and seeing promise in the boy, Batman takes Dick into the Bat-Cave, where Dick drops a bombshell and reveals that he has deduced his secret identity.  Dick is given a “part-time job” at the Wayne Manor and begins a combat and detective training session that will last “several months.”  There are also brief references and flashbacks to this Dick Grayson/Robin origin story throughout Nightwing Vol. 3 and an additional reference in the second feature of Batman Vol. 2 #0.  Dick is never adopted by Bruce, but is made his legal ward instead (as referenced in Batman: The Dark Knight Vol. 2 #13).

–NOTE: Batman takes down Joker in a plot that involves a pair of giant dice, which he then keeps as trophies.  Joker winds up in Arkham Asylum.  The dice can first be seen in the Bat-Cave in Batman Vol. 2 #1. Like the T rex, the dice are a staple of the Bat-Cave and have been featured in every comic book epoch since the Golden Age.

–FLASHBACK:  Bruce visits Arkham Asylum under the auspices of Wayne Enterprises (who are investing in a new wing), as seen in Batman Vol. 2 #17.  Bruce sneaks off, visits with Joker, and shows the playing card he left in the Batcave less than a year ago.  Joker looks at Bruce, but makes no response or recognition.  Even though Joker obviously knows that Bruce and Batman are one and the same, his twisted mind works in mysterious ways.  For the Joker, it isn’t about knowing Batman’s secret ID.  To quote from Bruce from Batman Vol. 2 #17, “[Joker] didn’t care who I was beneath the mask, and never would.  Knew that he was incapable of even broaching the subject of Bruce Wayne.  It would ruin his fun.”

–FLASHBACK: Months into Dick’s training, shortly before Batman returns from one of his nightly patrols, Dick has a heartfelt chat with Alfred about the loss of his parents, comparing it to the loss of Bruce’s parents (as seen in Nightwing Vol. 3 #0).

–NOTE: September. Batman visits Crime Alley, as he will do every late September, to honor his fallen parents at the location of their deaths (as referenced in Batman & Robin Vol. 2 #1).

–NOTE: Batman isn’t directly involved with this note, but it is an important one. Lieutenant Gordon is promoted to Captain. Due to his popularity with most Gothamites and the overwhelming negative public opinion of the increasingly more-and-more corrupt GCPD, Gordon is able to throw his hat into the ring of contenders vying for the office of commissioner. And wouldn’t ya know, candidate Gordon is elected Gotham’s new Commissioner of Police! We know this happening occurs now since Gordon is still a lieutenant when the Flying Graysons die (in Nightwing Vol. 3 #0), but is commissioner when Babs becomes Batgirl (in Batgirl Vol. 4 #0).

–Action Comics Vol. 2 #10-12^[11]
Superman dons his informal T-shirt costume and busts criminal David Marigold. But who will care for Marigold’s pet hamsters? Superman suits up in his actual costume and meets with the Justice League to discuss hamsters, the idea of world peace, and how the JL should function. Of course, since the JL doesn’t have an official HQ yet, they meet in a dingy warehouse. Superman reveals he knows Batman’s secret ID and Batman reveals that he knows Superman’s secret ID. Later, terrorists bomb the Daily Star building where Clark Kent works. Following the blast, the public believes Clark has been killed. Shortly thereafter, Superman, back in his more comfortable T-shirt duds, easily defeats Nimrod the Hunter. A few weeks pass following Action Comics Vol. 2 #10 (before Action Comics Vol. 2 #11 begins). Superman has decided to let the world go on believing that Clark Kent is dead. Using the new moniker Johnny Clark, a tough-guy bad-ass fireman (as opposed to mild-mannered reporter), Superman continues his superhero-ing—using his “everyman T-shirt costume” primarily in Metropolis, but switching to his formal Superman attire for everything else, including a meet-up with Batman. Superman asks Batman’s advice regarding his recent abandonment of the Clark Kent ID. Batman says to “leave the problem” with him as the discussion is cut short due to a random Gotham crime popping-up. Back on his personal orbiting satellite “Fortress of Solitude”—the Collector of Worlds’ former floating alien museum complete with Braniac AI—Superman pontificates further on his recent identity change. Later, back down on Earth, Superman is confronted by the all-powerful newcomer, Captain Comet (Adam Blake). Superman defeats Captain Comet and saves Lois Lane‘s life, although during the chaos Johnny Clark is presumed dead (vaporized). Afterward, Batman meets with Superman and tells him that the Clark Kent identity is worth returning to, so Superman does return to it.  Our tale ends with the reveal of a serious threat from the 5th Dimension: Vyndyktvx!  But that’s Supes’ problem not Batman’s.

–FLASHBACK:  Around five months into his training, Dick finally dons the costume of the Boy Wonder, becoming Batman’s official sidekick, the one, the only, Robin (as referenced in Nightwing Vol. 3 and Batman Vol. 2).  Robin assists an injured Dark Knight against the threat of super-assassin Lady Shiva (Sandra Woosan).  In New Age continuity, it seems that being Robin is a part of a type of crime-fighting internship. Dick will be Robin for only a year (including his training time) before stopping to become Nightwing, followed by Jason Todd and Tim Drake. It is worth mentioning that Nightwing Vol. 3 #3 (which takes place in late 2011) has a flashback that takes place “five years ago” that shows Dick shortly before the death of his family and his becoming Robin, which is just one reason that Robin’s initial debut goes here.  It is also very important to note that during Robin’s roughly yearlong tenure as Robin, he will constantly disobey Batman’s orders—often receiving help or encouragement from Alfred when doing so (as referenced in Batman Incorporated Vol. 2 #7).  Furthermore, whenever Bruce leaves town on business, Robin will go out on patrol on his own—also acting against express orders not to (as referenced in Batman & Robin Vol. 2 Annual #1).  These incidences are not specifically shown and, thus, are not specifically listed on this chronology.  Therefore, we must imagine them scattered amongst the vacant spaces on the timeline during the period where Dick is Robin.^[12][13]

–NOTE: Batman and Robin take down the man responsible for killing the Flying Graysons, Tony Zucco (as referenced in Nightwing Vol. 2 #18).  Zucco dies before he can serve time.  However, Nightwing will learn seven years later that Zucco has actually faked his own death.  Yep, Zucco is alive and well, hiding out in Chicago.

• Share on Facebook.
• Share on Twitter.
• Share on Google+

1. ^[1] SINGH: I believe there is an explanation as to why Lucius says that Bruce has only “recently returned” in Annual #1: His adventures with the League of Assassins in Year One (2005) qualify, in this instance, as a second “extended vacation.”  This “recently returned” dialogue works if Batman, prior to leaving for his overseas excitement with the Al Ghuls, publicly leaves Gotham amidst a media hoopla (as Bruce) yet again and then publicly returns in early 2006.  So, to reiterate: Bruce leaves to train in 2000 and returns in 2004, but then leaves again in 2005 to return now in 2006.  Here’s my reasoning: Lucius said Bruce was on “extended vacation,” so that means he could have possibly returned to Gotham once before. Bruce also says his social skills are rusty, so I’m guessing he could have been in Gotham prior to officially returning again in 2006.  And those images that show Talia with Darrk (in Incorporated #2) are not in Gotham or even in America.  Further images appear to be in Italy and in a desert, so this could all have taken place within Year One, functioning as his second “extended vacation.”  Thus, Bruce becomes Batman during his brief tenure in Gotham before his second mini “extended vacation.”  So, to reiterate: Bruce could have started training [in 2000], come back to Gotham [in 2004], become Batman—spawning the urban legend (sort of explaining Green Lantern’s “You’re real?” reaction in Justice League #1), and [in 2005] left Gotham for further training and overseas adventure. Batman then comes back to Gotham [in early 2006]. ↩
2. ^[2] COLLIN COLSHER: Originally, as I mentioned above, I was utilizing a 12-year-by-2012-timeline. However, this is no longer the case. For better or worse (worse in my humble opinion), the high-tech super-science baby incubator caused Damian to age faster than usual, so he is actually born in 2006 instead of 2001. Batman-expert David Uzumeri has stated that “Damian could be at most four or five-years-old in the New 52 timeline but biologically ten.”  Even though I strongly disapprove with this narrative explanation, sadly, it must be true.  By my semantic reasoning, even if Damian “appears ten-years-old (in 2010/2011) when he is really younger,” Batman and company shouldn’t refer to him as a “ten-year-old,” and yet they still do. One’s age isn’t how old he looks, it is how old he actually is. Therefore, the idea that Damian’s aging process was genetically/scientifically sped up after being born in 2006 should be invalid—if Damian turns ten in 2010 (fact), then he was born in 2000. But hey, it’s just not the case. Although, I admit that shortening Batman’s “urban myth period” to a year or so does seem more appropriate and believable than having a longer 2001 to 2006 “urban myth period.” But having analyzed this topic from many possibly angles, I don’t really see any other way. ↩
3. ^[3] BATFAN REBORN: Chris Burnham quote from the CBR forum: “It’s not explicitly spelled out, but given that Damian spent some time in a gestation bubble (or whatever) I think you can use your imagination to make the timeline fit however you want it to.”  Make of it what you will…

   COLLIN COLSHER:  Originally, I thought Burnham was off his rocker. Burnham, with his commentary, is strongly hinting that the flashbacks from Inc #2 are taking place six or seven years ago. As I’ve said before, if someone is 10-years-old in 2010, then he was born in 2000. Age normally tells the number of years one has been in existence, NOT the number of years one looks due to time spent in a “gestation bubble”—but that is my world according to my view of things.  In this case, DC sees things differently and we gotta go with the flow. The “gestation bubble” is used after Damian is born to speed up his physical and mental development so that in 2010/2011 he appears as and is referenced as a ten-year-old, but in reality he is only a four or five-year-old. As mentioned above, but worth repeating: Proof that DC applied the “Damian is biologically ten-years-old, but really much younger” concept to the New 52 can be found in Batman Incorporated Vol. 2 #2, which tells us that Talia was born sometime between 1984 and 1997 and even hints that she was conceived at Live Aid 1985.  Thus, by the time Bruce hooks up with her in 2001, she could only be sixteen or seventeen-year-old university student.  Yikes.  Surely that ain’t right. In fact, for Talia’s age to make sense, the augmented development/sci-fi crazy “Damian is biologically ten-years-old, but really much younger” concept has to ring true.

   Grant Morrison was grilled by someone in the audience at a Q&A at MorrisonCon 2012 who asked him point blank about Damian’s age controversy. According to longtime Comicosity contributor/writer Matthew Santori-Griffith, Morrison apparently said he’d “never tell the story of how Damien aged so fast.” Very annoying. Is this playfulness, avoidance, or the only real straight-from-the-source reference to the fact that Damian definitely “aged so fast”? ↩

4. ^[4] PAPA SPANK!: Justice League #3 has supplemental material at the end that shows an excerpt from a book by David Graves. In this excerpt, the publisher, Historical Publishing, has added a note that says Graves’ book about the debut of the JL, called Gods Among Us, is released in 2006. This would lead one to believe that the Justice League debuts in 2006. It is also worth mentioning, however, that the name of Graves’ finalized book about the debuting superheroes is definitely called Gods Among Men (as shown in Justice League #6 and Justice League #7), NOT Gods Among Us as Historic Publishing says (in Justice League #3).

   COLLIN COLSHER: I initially had the debut of the Super Seven aka the Justice League in 2007 because that was “five years prior to” Justice League #8 (the first non-origin tale for the Justice League, 2012). However, the supplemental material about the works of author David Graves implies that the Justice League debuted in 2006. But as pointed out above, there is some confusion regarding that information. The fact that the name of Graves’ book is different in Justice League #3 versus Justice League #6-7 is highly dubious. Since Historic Publishing obviously got the name of Graves’ book wrong, it would be easy to simply say that Historic Publishing also got the year wrong, printing 2006 instead of 2007. However, the implication is that the Secret History of Atlantis book (in JL #3) has been checked out of the library in November 2011 and that the events of JL #1-6 are taking place “five years before” 2011, which would place JL #1-6 in 2006 instead of 2007. Moving this origin tale to the end of 2006 (from 2007) should not make much of a difference in the long run. ↩

5. ^[5] COLLIN COLSHER: Justice League of America’s Vibe #1 reveals that Amanda Waller has somehow managed to abduct Darkseid’s daughter and holds her in a containment cell in a secret government facility. This facility will become a sort of Guantanamo Bay prison for super-humans. ↩
6. ^[6] COLLIN COLSHER: When Superman and Batman return from Apokolips, the heroes fight Darkseid and his Parademons in Detroit. During the melee, young Cisco Ramon is endowed with superhuman vibrational powers (as seen/referenced in Justice League of America’s Vibe #1). Ramone will later become the superhero Vibe. ↩
7. ^[7] COLLIN COLSHER:  Despite Batman’s very public debut with the Super Seven (aka Justice League), most of the US populace will remain skeptical of his existence.  Even members of the GCPD will refuse to believe that the Dark Knight is real.  Batman as a legit living breathing superhero won’t truly come into mainstream acceptance for another year or so (until Gordon debuts the Bat-Signal in the second feature of Batman Vol. 2 #0). ↩
8. ^[8] COLLIN COLSHER: The term “metahuman” is a term defining anyone with superhuman or supernatural powers. This term, in the New Age, comes from the power-inducing DNA within super-humans known as “the metagene.” “Metahuman” is used first (and primarily) by the DEO (Department of Extranormal Affairs), a US government metahuman policing agency. Other similar US government agencies—such ARGUS, Checkmate, the Blackhawks, STAR Labs, the CIA, and the FBI—primarily refer to metahumans simply as “super-humans,” although there will be some instances of the use of both. Both terms will be used on this website. ↩
9. ^[9] COLLIN COLSHER: Originally, in the pages of The OMAC Project, Brother Eye gained self-awareness thanks to Max Lord and then swarmed the planet with thousands of OMACs before being defeated. This was not only devastating, but caused much of the superhero community to backlash against Batman for his involvement in creating such a horrible paranoid thing in the first place. It also resulted in the death of Max Lord at the hands of Wonder Woman. However, in the New 52 none of it went down like that. All we know for sure is that Batman built Brother I, it turned into the bastard bad Brother Eye, and then was defeated and exiled into deep space.  In fact, the first OMAC (that takes) in the New Age is Kevin Kho, who we won’t meet for another five years.  We know definitively that Max Lord, in the New Age, never learns who created Brother I.  And we know with 100% certainty that, in the New Age, Max Lord was never a part of the JLI, nor did he ever kill a Blue Beetle.  So, basically, almost all of The OMAC Project narrative has been stripped bare for the New Age. ↩
10. ^[10] COLLIN COLSHER: If Gods Among Men does indeed come out in late 2006, then author David Graves must have been writing at breakneck Harlan Ellison/Stephen King-speed to get it done so super-quickly. I would have imagined the book to have taken a bit longer to draft, but in this special case, and with the urgent prodding of his publishers, it’s not unlikely that he could have put the book out so fast. ↩
11. ^[11] DCJOKERZ17: There is a massive plot hole in DC’s timeline. In Action Comics Vol. 2 #7 (which takes place a few months before Action Comics Vol. 2 #10) Jimmy Olsen remarks that their situation is “like the Simpsons Movie and Under the Dome by Stephen King.” Action Comics Vol. 2 #1-16 is a run that’s set entirely 5-6 years ago (meaning around 2006). Under the Dome wasn’t released until 2009, so that means if we take the reference at face value then Year One for Batman must be around 2009 as well and the DC Universe is about 4 or 5 years into the future! Otherwise, we simply have to imagine a world where Under the Dome was released in the 70s like Stephen King originally wanted to do and the Simpsons Movie came out 1 or 2 years early.

    COLLIN COLSHER: I don’t know how MASSIVE this plot hole really is, but it does seem to be a plot hole indeed. I place Action Comics Vol. 2 #7 around time of the debut of the Justice League in 2006, which would make the Simpsons reference and the Under the Dome reference both incorrect. Of course, this is the fictional DCU and not our reality that we live in. Therefore, like you mentioned already, it is possible that the Simpsons movie and Under the Dome were both released earlier in the DCU. I’d lean toward that reasoning (as unfortunate as that may be) rather than sliding the entire timeline to five years in the future. But my actual response is the following: Grant Morrison doesn’t play by the rules. It’s frustrating, but nearly all of the shaky continuity in the New 52 emanates directly from the contradictory pen of Mr. Morrison. I’d chalk this one up to Morrison simply using references he shouldn’t have been using. Any way you spin it, these references do form a significant plot hole. ↩

12. ^[12] COLLIN COLSHER: As mentioned above, Dick Grayson’s debut as Robin goes here because Nightwing Vol. 3 #3 has a flashback that takes place “five years ago” from late 2011. I will extrapolate further upon my reasoning for that controversial placement. In the flashback from Nightwing Vol. 3 #3, Dick visits the circus and hangs with friends, including Raymond, who is soon to be chosen as Dick’s replacement in the Court of Owls training program. Thus, unless the Court of Owls waited a year to find a suitable replacement for Dick (and they probably wouldn’t since they chose a new Talon every ten years like clockwork), Robin should debut here and not earlier. In other words, (A) the “five years ago” flashback shows Raymond before he enters Court of Owls training and (B) Raymond most likely enters said training in extremely close proximity to when Dick becomes Robin; if (A) and (B) are truisms then the implication is that (C) Dick becomes Robin around “five years ago” i.e. “five years prior to 2011″ or 2006 aka right now. ↩
13. ^[13] SÉBASTIEN OULLETTE / COLLIN COLSHER:: The New Age timeline, while different from the timelines of old, must still take into account the training periods of the Robins.  Those periods have a significant impact on their time/tenure as Robin.  Because of the fact that Dick must have debuted as the first Robin a mere five years prior to the New 52 reboot, we aren’t left with much space. In spite of this, it does seem like each Robin has about a six month training period. Nightwing Vol. 3 #0 shows us a training period for Dick that seems like it was meant to have lasted six months, but ended early since he donned the Robin costume to aid Batman against Lady Shiva.  Thus, Dick’s training time could be closer to five months.  Red Hood & The Outlaws #0 tells us that Jason completed a full six months of intensive hellish training before hitting the streets.  We can assume Tim had similar training, maybe five months like Dick.

    HALLAM RICKETT: Damian had already been trained since birth, and thus required no Bat-Cave training period. ↩