DC Comics just brought back a controversial piece ofSupermanlore, which once more raises the question of whetherWatchmenis canon in the DC Universe. Further, astute fans have suggested thatthe return of “The Supermen Project” could reflect things fans are about to see on-screen in James Gunn’s highly anticipatedSupermanfilm.
New History of the DC Universe#1, written by Mark Waid, with art by Todd Nauck and Jerry Ordway, is an ambitious undertaking, which seeks to streamline and redefine, as its title suggests, DC’s fictional history.
Among the most profoundly important details included in the issue? The reintegration of “The Supermen Project,” from 2017’sDoomsday Clock, into continuity.
DC’s “New History” Confirms “The Supermen Project” Plays A Pivotal Role In Its Superhero Lore
New History of the DC Universe#1, Written By Mark Waid; Art By Todd Nauck And Jerry Ordway; Available Now From DC Comics
The Supermen Project, which has just been brought back into DC’s official canon byNew History of the DC Universe#1, was introduced in the 2017 seriesDoomsday Clock, which was divisive at the time, and remains so to this day, for attempting to bringAlan Moore’s monolithicWatchmeninto DC continuity.
New History of the DC Universestill has three issues to go, so it remains to be determined if it will elaborate further on the Superman Project.
The canonicity of the crossover’s events, and ofWatchmen’splacewithin the context of DC lore, has wavered ever since; at the very least, now, the company has returned to one thing from the series,the Supermen Project, a government experiment which resulted in the creation of several heroes and villains.
New History of the DC Universestill has three issues to go, so it remains to be determined if it will elaborate further on the Superman Project. That said, readers have already eagerly connected some dots between this lore-drop andJames Gunn’s rebooted DC cinematic universe, though the evidence so far is only circumstantial.
Bringing Watchmen Into The DC Universe Didn’t Exactly Work Out, But The Effort Looms
Forecasting How “The Supermen Project” Will Appear In DC Lore
In a way,Doomsday Clockwas a full-circle moment for DC andWatchmen.Moore’s story was originally pitched using DC-owned characters, before evolving into a stand-alone series, one that changed the landscape of the superhero genre forever. Thirty years later, the integration of Moore’s characters into the DC Universe was ambitious, but received mixed reactions from readers.
While the namedrop of Project Supermen doesn’t portent a wholesale return of theDoomsday Clockarc into DC continuity, it does display thattrusted DC Comics author Mark Waid recognized something of value for the earlier series, and plucked it out to use in his consolidated history of the DC Universe.
What that amounts to, however, is a tease, one that suggests there is much more to come for the Supermen Project, on the page, and also perhaps on screen. With the rebooted DC cinematic continuity officially starting withSuperman, the possibilities are wide open for the Superman Project after that.
