DC All-In Special #1: DC is BACK (er, Again)!

It’s time, once again, to hit the “reset” button on the DC Universe, courtesy the DC All-In
Special. Fortunately, nobody is attempting to reboot continuity (not even softly) yet again; this
one-shot represents the beginning of a new publishing initiative that promises to be new-reader
friendly and provide all-new, all-different jumping on points. But what does that mean? And what
does the future hold for the revitalized DCU?
Writers Joshua Williamson and Scott Snyder – no strangers to the larger Byzantine continuity of
the DCU – write a story that, somewhat predictably, offers a fresh sense of renewal and hope
even amid a creeping dread in the form of Darkseid’s latest threat. However, it should be said
that this “new morning sun” approach to the DCU has been done before, and recently – in
Infinite Frontier, as well as Rebirth a few years before that. With that in mind, it’s hard to feel that
the hopefulness Williamson and Snyder are attempting to conjure up is particularly earned,
rather than just going through the motions. Yes, things got bad in Absolute Power, and yes, that
reinforces the need for a Justice League and for the heroes to all work together again – but if
you’re reading this comic and feel like you’ve read this plot before (and recently, no less), you
aren’t wrong. The respective Rebirth and Infinite Frontier one-shots that kicked off those eras
played all the same notes.
Where the All-In Special does go right, though, is in its far more intriguing flip side, which
features stellar art by Wes Craig and a Darkseid-focused tale that sees him attempting to bond
with the Spectre in his latest bid for power. That sets off a chain of events that not only dovetails
with the flip side of the comic, but also sets up the new Absolute universe, which promises to be
more than just “DC’s answer to Marvel’s Ultimate line.” (Although maybe it is that just a smidge.)
Craig’s art, rough-hewn and craggy, is the perfect vessel for a Darkseid-centric tale; his figures
are imposing and blocky without feeling static and lifeless. There’s a darkness permeating his
art that perfectly encapsulates the world of Apokolips and beyond. It deliberately stands in
contrast to Daniel Sampere’s crisp, clean linework in the first story, evoking the renewed sense
of brightness and hope the story yearns for.
That yearning for something better, something more, permeates Williamson and Snyder’s tale
throughout. But while not quite feeling hollow, that sense of hope doesn’t feel quite earned,
either, whether it’s Booster Gold being wrong about the future (again, see 52) or Darkseid
popping up to wreak mayhem, it’s clear we’ve already deja’d this vu. That doesn’t mean the All-
In Special should be skipped, because it’s generally fun and sets the tone for what’s to come
next in the DCU in a way that feels refreshing. It could be said, though, that the DCU didn’t
necessarily need a restart this go-around – that doing so for its own sake just cheapens the
intended experience.