One of the things DC Comics is best known for is its long history of relaunching their comics universe through a series of major “crises,” dating back to 1985’s Crisis on Infinite Earths, making characters’ continuities a true minefield to navigate through. However a new book by Randall Lotowycz, The DC Book of Lists, published by DC Comics, attempts to explain 80+ years of confusing continuity and crises, all through a series of lists.
DC Comics have never shied away from rebooting their universe, but what makes their newest Infinite Frontier era so interesting is that it has established that all prior crises and continuities actually happened, and were basically real-time “reboots” of their universe. In the recent Dark Crisis #0 FCBD Special Edition issue a group of children are touring the museum at the Hall of Justice, where there is photographic evidence of the Justice League teams from each prior era of the DC Universe, which makes The DC Book of Lists all the more important now, because fans actually need to know what has happened in prior timelines!
1985’s Crisis on Infinite Earths redefined the entire DC Universe and franchise, and since then the concept of the DC Multiverse has been warped multiple times, first established as a massive unending multiverse, and then being condensed into one single universe, before being split into 52 universes during The New 52. Now, in Infinite Frontier, the Multiverse is endless once again, but the Great Darkness is coming and the Justice League has just been killed, leading into the next major event Dark Crisis. According to DC Comics Randall Lotowycz’s book The DC Book of Lists is 250+ page guide to all-things DC, offering a unique way at looking at the obscure backgrounds, reincarnations, and events of the past 80+ years of publishing history. Told through a series of more than 100+ lists, The DC Book of Lists is a great read because not only can it help new and legacy readers gain a better understanding of the history of the DC Universe, but it also lists hilarious things that a fan might not even think to image, like listing all of the major cats throughout DC publishing history, or a collection of the Green Arrow’s weirdest arrows.
This is not the first time that Randall Lotowycz has taken on the monumental task of capturing DC Comics continuity in writing, as he also created the popular DC Comics Super Heroes and Villains Fandex Deluxe Edition, so clearly he has experience wrangling together years of publishing history into a readable format. Labelled “a multiverse of legacies, histories, and hierarchies,” and explained as, “An official, richly illustrated celebration of DC’s past, present, and future,” this fun book of lists will surely fit in in nicely next to the incredibly helpful 2021 edition of the DC Comics Encyclopedia. Other lists in The DC Book of Lists include the characters with the best tattoos, all the times Superman and the Flash have raced, the many different types of Kryptonite, and the different characters Harley Quinn has lusted after. From the everyday to the out-of-control, Lotowycz’s lists offer a unique perspective on one of the longest running media franchises in the entire world, hopefully offering some clarity to fans confused by the multiple continuities and crisis throughout DC’s history.
While it may seem impossible to reasonably streamline 80+ years of contradicting timelines and character growth, Randall Lotowycz has certainly tried his best, and any fan of DC Comics, especially those confused by the crises starting with Crisis on Infinite Earths, will surely like this new helpful book of lists.
The DC Book of Lists debuted in book stores on May 3rd, so make sure to go pick up a copy!
