By [ad_1]
WARNING: This article contains spoilers for Infinite Frontier #1-2 by Joshua Williamson, Paul Pelletier, Jesus Merino, Xermanico, Norm Rapmund, Romulo Fajardo Jr & Tom Napolitano, and a number of recent issues released by DC Comics, all on sale now.
Recent comic books published by DC have all included an ominous list of questions close to the final page. These queries, posed by D.E.O. Director Bones, are various multiversal mysteries that have yet to be solved and seem set to define the Infinite Frontier era.
Bones is concerned about the multiverse, believing that the mysteries it holds poses a potential threat, and it’s his job to be prepared. Here’s what’s already been revealed about each of these questions, and how they may be answered.
Oracle’s New Team
The first question Bones asks is “What team is Oracle forming and why?” The answer to at least the first part of that question is simple. Oracle is forming the Batgirls. Barbara Gorden recently swapped being Batgirl for her old role as Oracle. However, the heroic mantle will be carried on, with Stephanie Brown and Cassandra Cain both returning as their own Batgirls.
The “Batgirls” storyline from Future State: The Next Batman, by Vita Ayala, Aneke, Trish Mulvihill and Becca Carey showed that this emerging team endures into Gotham’s dark future. Also, “Wildcard” from Batman: Urban Legends #5 by Marguerite Bennett, Sweeney Boo, Marissa Louise and Becca Carey suggests they could have another recruit in the form of Ryan Wilder.
Gotham’s Fear State
“What is Fear State?” is Bones’ next question. Fear State is the next big Bat-Family event and the culmination of everything that’s been happening in the ongoing Batman series from James Tynion IV and Jorge Jimenez. This story is also connected to the dire world of “Future State,” specifically the rise of the Magistrate.
Infinite Frontier #0 set Gotham on the explosive path to Fear State when Arkham Asylum was attacked. This afforded Scarecrow the opportunity to fake his death when he was, in reality, secretly helping the Magistrate. With this event set to cross into multiple Bat-Family titles including Nightwing, Catwoman, and the new I am Batman, Gotham’s looming police state is set to drown Gotham in fear.
Superman’s Authority
Superman and the Authority by Grant Morrison and Mikel Janín is the next topic on the D.E.O.’s list, specifically why Superman is forming a new version of the brutal team. The Man of Steel hasn’t had the best history with this team in the past, making his involvement all the more mysterious…and concerning.
Writer Grant Morrison has teased that the Clark Kent in this new series leans more towards the “radical” version from his Action Comics run. With Superman approaching an international incident that could see him exiled from Earth, perhaps the Man of Steel feels that, to do what’s right, he has to bend the rules a little.
Jonathan Kent’s Superman
Superman: Son of Kal-El by Tom Taylor and John Timms will answer the next question on the list: whether Superman’s son Jon can live up to his father’s legacy. With DC’s newest Superboy having aged rapidly in recent years, the question of whether he’s worthy of his father’s mantle is a question that keeps coming up.
It seems that Jonathan Kent is yet another hero hurtling towards their “Future State” destiny, with that event showing Jon’s Superman joining the Justice League, teaming up with the future Wonder Woman and making his own mark in Metropolis. If the futuristic story is any indication, Jon will do just fine as the new Superman, at least for the time being.
Wonder Woman and the Godsphere
Wonder Woman is currently missing from the DC Universe, trapped in the Godsphere, and the D.E.O. wonders if she’ll ever escape. After declining the Quintessence’s offer to join their ranks, Diana journeyed to Valhalla and saved the dying Yggdrasil, the World Tree.
However, Wonder Woman’s quest is far from complete. Venturing on to restore Olympus, it looks like Diana will have to save numerous different mythologies from menacing threats if she hopes to make her way home. With the help of Deadman, and trusty new friend Ratatoskr, she’s already on her way.
The Flash’s Crisis
The question of whether the Flash can outrun his past was answered in The Flash 2021 Annual by Jeremy Adams, Fernanda Pasarin, Brandon Peterson, Hi-Fi, Michael Atiyeh and Steve Wands. Wally West, having been on a time tour of Speedsters from the past, present, and future came face to face with his biggest regret.
His journey ended at the dreaded moment from Tom King and Clay Mann’s Heroes in Crisis where he accidentally killed the heroes at Sanctuary. Finding out that he wasn’t the reason for their deaths, he came to terms with his role in the tragedy and made the decision to return to the role of the Fastest Man Alive once again.
Roy Harper’s Return
One of the heroes killed during Heroes in Crisis was Roy Harper, former sidekick to Green Arrow and friend to Wally West. His death hit Wally the hardest, which makes it all the more curious why he’s currently alive and well in the DCU.
The reason for his unexpected return to the living has yet to be fully explained, and there are a few details that deepen this mystery. One is that nearly everyone still believes that Roy is dead. Another comes from The Flash 2021 Annual, where Roy was, oddly, the only hero not frozen in time when Wally visited the fatal moment.
The Heroic Black Lantern
The answer to the mystery of Roy may lie in the answer to another question. At the end of Infinite Frontier #1 by Joshua Williamson, Xermanico, Romulo Fajardo, Jr. and Tom Napolitano, Roy was revealed to be the new Black Lantern. Since all Black Lanterns are dead, this suggests that, despite his new lease on life, Roy may still be deceased.
Even more interesting is what happened when Roy tried to activate the ring. He saw a vision of Darkseid’s plan and became something more like the monstrous Black Lanterns of Blackest Night. This vision also saw Roy called away by Darkseid, something that has happened to others, most notably Flashpoint Batman.
About The Author
[ad_2]
