DC Universe: Trail of Time

DC Universe

by Jeffrey J. Mariotte, Jeff Mariotte

Clark Kent is living in a dark world where he has no powers and no memory of ever being anything other than human. His world is controlled by mystical forces no one can challenge, with the triumvirate of Vandal Savage, Mordru, and Felix Faust calling the shots. The Demon Etrigan and Phantom Stranger approach Clark and tell him that he is really Superman, that alterations made more than a hundred years ago to the time stream are causing space-time fluctuations that will result in this particular reality becoming the sole reality, unless something is done. Since Superman is powerless in this reality, and since the alterations were made in the past, the three heroes have to travel into the past,specifically into the American Southwest of the 1870s, where Jonah Hex, Bat Lash and other DC Western heroes help them set things right again.

Genres: Comics, Dc Comics, Superheroes, Fiction, Audiobook, Science Fiction, Fantasy

368 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published February 1, 2007

About the author

Also writes as Jeff Mariotte

Jeffrey J. Mariotte is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than 70 novels, including the Cody Cavanaugh western series, historical western epic Blood and Gold: The Legend of Joaquin Murrieta (with Peter Murrieta), thrillers Empty Rooms and The Devil's Bait, supernatural thrillers Season of the Wolf, Missing White Girl, River Runs Red, and Cold Black Hearts, horror epic The Slab, and the Dark Vengeance teen horror quartet. With wife and writing partner Marsheila (Marcy) Rockwell, he wrote the sf/horror/thriller 7 SYKOS and Mafia III: Plain of Jars, the authorized prequel to the bestselling video game. His most recent release is the short story collection Byrd's Luck & Other Stories, comprising five "traditional" Western tales and five horror-Western stories, two of them brand-new for this edition.

He also writes occasional nonfiction, short fiction (some of which is collected in Nine Frights), and comic books, including the long-running horror/Western comic book series Desperadoes and graphic novels Fade to Black and Zombie Cop. With Marsheila Rockwell, he has published several short stories and is working on more. He has worked in virtually every aspect of the book business, as a writer, editor, marketing executive, and bookseller.

Learn more at www.jeffmariotte.com, and follow him at https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyJMari... and @JeffMariotte on Twitter.

Also writes as Jeff Mariotte

Reviews

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Superman and Lois Lane are featured on the cover of this book, but there are many other DC characters who play a part in it, including (but not limited to) The Demon, Phantom Stranger, Johnny Thunder, Jonah Hex, Bat Lash, Vandal Savage, etc. It's a complex story of might-have-been and what-if with a very disparate mix of characters and unusual situations (even for comics). It's all more than a bit convoluted and confusing, but the part I had the most trouble with was the mix of magic and science, which didn't work well for me. I enjoyed seeing the characters and how they reacted to one another, and there were some very clever bits and pieces, but the story itself never gelled for me.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Graphic Audio makes pretty good audio books. More than just one or two people reading the text it is "A Movie In Your Mind!" with a huge cast.

[B.J. Ellison · Rating 3 out of 5]

pure comic book craziness :)

[Fraser Sherman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Open with Clark Kent in a strangely dystopian, totalitarian Metropolis. After Lois is murdered working on a story, the Phantom Stranger tells Clark this is an artificial timeline under a red sun created by three sorcerers: here, he doesn't exist and without his inspiration, neither do many other heroes. And soon, the sorcerers will fuse this with the real world and replace it ...
This works well for me, partly because I enjoy seeing so many familiar faces from the comics: Zatanna, Etrigan, Vandal Savage, Jonah Hex, El Diablo and others. And Mariotte has a good sense of Superman. It only gets four stars because of some quibbles (the Kiowa warrior Keh-wo-no-tay didn't go by Scalphunter in the comics and the racist overtones make me wince).

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok. Not great, not bad. I've never read much of dc's western stories so I don't know much about Jonah hex and his friends, but at times that side story didn't feel like it really belonged in the book. It didn't add much. The mystical parts were far more interesting.

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm begrudgingly giving it three stars, because it was a pleasant enough time Easter of a book. The resolution, however, was almost comically anticlimactic and dull. (Spoilers: Superman couldn't do a thing, so he just tried again later and just did it then.)

[Derek Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An else-world type story. I enjoyed the portrayals of pretty much everyone, and it was nice to see some heroes and villains that you don't see a whole lot.

[Max Z · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid story and knowledge of DC universe by the author. Great audio production.

[Randy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three wizards split the world into two lines during the time of Camelot: one a red sun dominated world where heroes never developed and the trio divided it to rule through puppets and the normal time line. Now fifteen hundred years later the two are coming together and will wipe out the normal line.

Superman, The Phantom Stranger, and Jason Blood, bonded with the demon Etrigan, come together to stop it. Looking for large human sacrifice needed to complete the ritual, they begin a hunt through time to sites of all the great wars, the plagues, and other pestilences. Assisted by Zatanna and Dr, Occult, they narrow down the field.

Mt favorite parts were the chapters labeled May, 1872, in which four of DC's western characters, Jonah Hex, El Diablo, Scalphunter, and Bat Lash, with a short assist by Johnny Thunder, come together in a small town. All realize it is no accident they are there at the same time.

Our superheroes are headed for the same time period.

Showdown with the three wizrds.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the DCU, I love the Trenchcoat Brigade, the magical/Vertigo characters, and the Old Western characters. This book offers all three and yu just have to put up with the Big Blue Boy Scout. Luckily, there's enough Lois Lane to give him some character. Here's a nice summary of the action: evil mystics/magicians create another Earth with a red sun that they rule and try to merge the two until theirs is the only one and the merging point is in the Old West.

The characterization oand the character's voice are strong and the plot works together well. Waiting for the characters to come together makes the introduction dawdle on, but the intercutting between the action in different times and places makes it seem faster, but you also hope to get back to another place/part with more action.

[Jacob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, technically I did not read this book as I just recently finished listening to a fully dramatized audio book version of it at work. I do own a personalized signed copy of the book by the author and I do try to pick up everything with his name on it. The audio book was outstanding and I'm hopeful I'll pick up more DC Comic audio books like it in the future.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trail of time is a enjoyable book, the old west steals the story with Jonah Hex and other classic character. To my knowledge their are only three books in the series. DC please write more

[Timo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Frustratingly screwed up story. Hard to follow.

[Matt Randall · Rating 3 out of 5]

A western/superhero book with a ton of magic...not my cup of tea. I guess I can get behind the idea of power rings and flying people more then spells and incantations.