Warning: Spoilers for Titans: Beast World – Waller Rising #1!
DC Comics may be preparing to bring the Milestone universe back into the main DC canon. Milestone Media was first founded in 1993 as a subsidiary of DC Comics, promoting Black superheroes through Black creators. Despite being a part of DC Comics — and occasionally merging its most popular characters, like Static, with the DCU — Milestone has never been part of the DC Universe’s current iteration, existing instead in DC’s multiverse as Earth-93, or the Dakotaverse.
DC may finally be ready to fully integrate Milestone characters into its main universe, judging by the ending of Titans: Beast World – Waller Rising #1 by Chuck Brown and Keron Grant. This one-shot takes place during the Beast World event plaguing the DC Universe, and it stars Amanda Waller’s nephew and best Suicide Squad member, Archie Waller — otherwise known as Deadeye.
As he reluctantly works for his scheming aunt, he’s given a compelling proposition from Vixen to join a special team — or something like a team, as she calls it “a beginning.” Along with DC regulars like John Stewart and Jo Mullein, those included in the horde are Milestone favorites like Static and Icon.
Static Shock’s Coolest Character Makes Comics Debut in Milestone Special
One of the original fan-favorite characters from the Static Shock animated series, Anansi, is about to make his comics debut in a team-up with Static.
DC Teases a New Team Featuring Milestone Characters
Amanda Waller forces her nephew to pursue a mission chasing Doctor Hate, the man who put the Beast World arc in motion by killing Beast Boy, allowing him to be rechristened as Garro. Amanda Waller actually put Hate on course to target the Titans in the first place, which quickly spins out of control; Hate possesses a Phantom Zone projector, and since both Earth-2’s Val-Zod and Lois Lane has been trapped there during Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent, Hate takes the opportunity to kidnap Val-Zod. Doctor Hate’s plans for the Kingdom brings together Batwing and Vixen for a reluctant team-up with Black Manta. Hate also gains the attention of heroes like Queen Nubia and Dr. Mist.
By the end, Hate is back in Waller’s hands, but Archie isn’t too happy when he realizes that Amanda sent him to destroy a sentient paradise. Later, he notifies Vixen that he fears his aunt is up to something and that he suspects she had something to do with Beast Boy’s fall. Vixen agrees, adding that she and Nubia had the idea that all the heroes who were on Doctor Hate’s tail should stick together to keep an eye on both Amanda Waller and the Kingdom. Archie thinks this is a Justice League recruitment, but Vixen reminds him the Justice League is dead — meaning this is a new team altogether, bring together iconic Black heroes from across the DC multiverse.
Is Milestone Officially in the DC Universe Now?
Like others in the page that teases this new team-of-sorts, the Milestone heroes are obscured in the shadows, but those who recognize them will surely notice who they are. For instance, a silhouetted caped figure sporting a circle on his chest has a striking resemblence to Icon. This teaser for the re-introduction of Milestone characters into the main DC canon comes at an interesting time: earlier this year, during Milestone’s Icon vs. Hardware miniseries, the Brainiac of Prime Earth made a key appearance. DC Comics seems to be slowly interweaving characters from the Milestone universe into its Prime Earth, and this new teaser seems to suggest the inevitable and perhaps even imminent melding of two worlds.
TITANS: BEAST WORLD – WALLER RISING #1 (2023) | |
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Titans: Beast World – Waller Rising #1 is available now from DC Comics.
