With The Flash running successfully all over the world, D.K. publishers bring you the one-stop guide to all things DC
KARACHI:
Every DC Comic fan out there is either waiting for a chance to go and watch The Flash movie or has already watched it numerous times, depending on their ability to get the tickets. It is easily one of the most eagerly anticipated DC movies to be released in a long time and that’s because it is not just another superhero movie, but the ultimate DC movie. However, not everyone in love with the Scarlet Speedster will have the chance to prepare themselves for the movie, for that privilege belongs only to those who get their hands on The DC Book – A Vast and Vibrant Multiverse Simply Explained.
If you want to travel the myriad worlds of the DC Multiverse and come back as a champion who knows it all, then this book is your one-way ticket to a position where you can become the master of everything DC. It is not only your one-stop guide to the DC Multiverse, but it gives you an insight into the many untapped worlds that are part of the DC Universe. Right from the creation of the world’s first superhero to the formation of the Dark Multiverse, this book covers it all.
So how does it connect to The Flash flick that’s running amok at the box office? Just take a look at the cover which might not feature The Fastest Man Alive, but follows his work that is the result of the Flashpoint. Yes, the very event where The Flash goes back in time to save his mother, but ends up changing everything for the worse, which is also the main plot of the film. With this book which clearly has ‘a vast and vibrant multiverse simply explained’ written under the title, you can get the very unique and largely unknown facts about the DC Multiverse explained in the simplest of manner so that you might be able to brag in front of your friends as well.
Authored by Stephen ‘Win’ Wiacek, this book seems like the work of a team that eats, drinks, and breaths DC Comics because otherwise, it wouldn’t have come out as a meticulously researched and expertly written guide. Packed with stunning images of all the characters and incidents mentioned in these pages, its all-colour printing will make you fall in love with DC Comics all over again. Be it the well-researched artworks or the life-like illustrations taken out from comic books, this guide has everything you need to know about the Multiverse, the DC one.
Add to that some of the finest written pieces about the DC superheroes and you have a treasure trove in your hand. Not only would you be able to find out what happens when The Flash goes back in time to save his mother but also the various changes that take place due to his misadventure. If you are lucky, then you might even get to know who the real person is behind the catastrophic event and how it was essential for that perpetrator’s life. If that’s not enough, you will also get to read about the many characters that emerge from nowhere once the event known as Flashpoints takes place.
The book isn’t just limited to the characters in the Flash’s life or doesn’t just cover the good guys who are always there to save the Universe, it brings you closer to the many supervillains who wreak havoc whenever they have nothing else to do and make the lives of their nemesis a living hell. If there is Superman here, then you will also find Lex Luthor and Brainiac; Wonder Woman will bring Cheetah; Batman will be accompanied by the Joker, and so on. You will also get to read about villains who are a threat to more than one superhero and the name Darkseid will feature in that list because he is undoubtedly the toughest enemy of the Justice League.
Talking about Justice League will inadvertently bring you to its different branches, namely the Justice League of America, Justice Society, etc. in different eras, as well as the many teams that have saved the world on countless occasions. This book features them all including the Teen Titans, the Young Justice, Birds of Prey, and even the Suicide Squad which is comprised of supervillains who come together to do something heroic.
A typical page in this book will feature the name of the superhero or the supervillain, and the name their alter ego uses, such as Clark Kent for Superman, Bruce Wayne for Batman, etc. Everything else about that character will follow next including his base of operations (Metropolis for Man of Steel, Gotham City for The Dark Knight), allegiances, superpowers (abilities in case of Batman!), mission, current status report, and essay about their origin, followed by details that are relevant to the readers. Diagrams detailing the connection of Mystic Realms to Earth as well as the timeline of every important event that took place since the creation of Existence also share space before the start of every section.
If you are amongst those who believe that the DC Multiverse is ever-evolving, then you have to know the history of the Multiverse, from the very beginning. The book’s content is divided into six sections which house details of their subjects. In ‘Forge of Creation’, the readers are introduced to the very creation of the universe and how Perpetua was relevant to that incident. ‘Justice or Doom’ talks about superheroes and some of supervillains, a few of whom might have their heart in the right place, like Catwoman, and some who are crazier than the rest … you guessed it, The Joker.
These two sections are followed by what can be termed as a science nerd’s ultimate fantasy ‘Science Unbound’ where mad scientists, radioactive rogues, and the infamous Project Cadmus are discussed at length. It also deals with the science of resurrection as well as the creation of Cyborg-type superheroes, but the most interesting detail it houses is about the Gorilla City, for which you will have to either purchase the book or take a sneak peek somehow.
‘Divine Intervention’ follows next where everyone from Shazam, John Constantine, and Swamp Thing gets mentioned whereas ‘Mysteries in Space’, feature everything from Guardians of the Universe (nope, not the one with the Raccoon!), Blue Beetle, J’onn J’onzz and Superman’s home planet Krypton which went down in flames because its authorities believed they were beyond destruction. The same chapter deals with Brainiac who was believed to be behind Krypton’s destruction while Thanagarians, The Omega Men, and Lobo are also mentioned in this section.
Through ‘Hypertime’ the final chapter of the book, you will be able to accustom yourself to Reverse Flash, the tormentor in chief of Barry Allen’s life, besides the superheroes who will make their presence felt in the future, namely Batman Beyond and the Legion of Superheroes. Don’t frown on reading words like The Multiverse, Microverse, or even the Omniverse, because the glossary has been added in this book to keep you up-to-date regarding the ever-evolving universe.
Don’t be surprised if you find out that had it not been for The Joker, the Universe would have been a different place, because he joined hands with Batman at a time when the biggest threat in the Multiverse seemed to be unstoppable and put an end to it. Also, interesting details such as Darkseid’s real name and Hank and Dove’s origin story will make you appreciate the hard work the creators put behind every character’s creation. So, if you are looking to refresh your memory regarding the Golden Age or the Crisis on Infinite Earths, or just want to understand how timelines, parallel universes, and alternate realities work, head over to this guide that seems to be more giving than the last few books published about DC Comics.
On one hand, this book gives you the insight you never knew existed while on the other, it completely forgets to credit the one guy who wrote literally every page. Instead of mentioning the name of the legendary DC figure Stephen ‘Win’ Wiacek, it mentions the name of Grant Morrison who has just penned the Foreword. Also, no offense to the writer, but at times it seems that there is too much information to absorb and that’s what might make some of the readers skip a few pages without realising that they might be missing something important.
This book is a step in the right direction for DC Comics to both combat the Marvel Cinematic Universe as well as make the readers understand that they came long before their rivals and that had it not been for them, the Comic business might not have become this profitable. The book covers the history of comic books in the best way imaginable and explores everything from characters to events in such a manner that it impresses even the ardent fans of the comic book world. It wouldn’t be incorrect to term The DC Book an invaluable roadmap to DC Comics where you can get your hands on character profiles, and relevant quotes, as well as understand the very reason for their existence.
