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New History of the DC Universe (2025-) #1
In celebration of 90 years of DC, super fan and writer Mark Waid turns backtime to the very beginning of the DC Universe in a four-issue miniseriesdrawn by some of DC’s greatest artists and told by the newest chronicler oftime, Barry Allen, the Flash! In our debut issue, Barry takes us from the verybirth of the DC Universe to the rise of the Justice Society. The Golden Age ofheroes begins here!
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Published June 25, 2025
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About the author
Mark Waid
3,201 books1,290 followersMark Waid (born March 21, 1962 in Hueytown, Alabama) is an American comic book writer. He is best known for his eight-year run as writer of the DC Comics' title The Flash, as well as his scripting of the limited series Kingdom Come and Superman: Birthright, and his work on Marvel Comics' Captain America.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
August 2, 2025
New History of the DC Universe #1
Mark Waid takes on the monumental task of timelining the entirety of DC Comics history, a feat that hasn't been attempted since Marv Wolfman and George Pérez completed their take with History of the DC Universe (1986). A lot has happened since then, many reboots, relaunches and Crisis-type events, so Waid's enterprise is undoubtedly ambitious. Working alongside artists Todd Nauck and Jerry Ordway, Waid compiles various creation mythologies as seen in numerous comics for this first issue. Starting with the Dawn of Time and the creation of Perpetua and her sons, the Monitor, the Anti-Monitor and the World Forger, Waid attempts a linear chronological recreation of all known cosmic and ancient beings and deities. Covering the Endless, the creation of Hell, the Lords of Order and Chaos to the formation of New Genesis and Apokolips, Waid's extensive research shows. Naturally, this is a pretty dry read since it's a lot of prattling off facts, and the lack of creativity with respect to the artistic layouts don't help keep the book feeling fresh. I feel like the template for this kind of comic was best established in the Grand Design books that Marvel released some years ago, whereby some degree of narrative building was attempted. This "story" is a narration by Barry Allen/The Flash, who has witness more of the Multiverse than anyone else alive, and as such makes it his duty to document events as known. Though apart from the introduction, readers will be forgiven for forgetting that this all in Barry's narration since it really just reads like Waid's writing.
Nonetheless, the research going into this book is impressive and commendable. Dave Wielgosz compiles Waid's notes into a substantial index at the back of the issue that cites all the various comics that were referenced - and the sheer quantity of comics from all eras of publication are truly remarkable. Despite this being a bit of a dry read, I still enjoyed getting the contextualization of DC history framed this way.
Mark Waid takes on the monumental task of timelining the entirety of DC Comics history, a feat that hasn't been attempted since Marv Wolfman and George Pérez completed their take with History of the DC Universe (1986). A lot has happened since then, many reboots, relaunches and Crisis-type events, so Waid's enterprise is undoubtedly ambitious. Working alongside artists Todd Nauck and Jerry Ordway, Waid compiles various creation mythologies as seen in numerous comics for this first issue. Starting with the Dawn of Time and the creation of Perpetua and her sons, the Monitor, the Anti-Monitor and the World Forger, Waid attempts a linear chronological recreation of all known cosmic and ancient beings and deities. Covering the Endless, the creation of Hell, the Lords of Order and Chaos to the formation of New Genesis and Apokolips, Waid's extensive research shows. Naturally, this is a pretty dry read since it's a lot of prattling off facts, and the lack of creativity with respect to the artistic layouts don't help keep the book feeling fresh. I feel like the template for this kind of comic was best established in the Grand Design books that Marvel released some years ago, whereby some degree of narrative building was attempted. This "story" is a narration by Barry Allen/The Flash, who has witness more of the Multiverse than anyone else alive, and as such makes it his duty to document events as known. Though apart from the introduction, readers will be forgiven for forgetting that this all in Barry's narration since it really just reads like Waid's writing.
Nonetheless, the research going into this book is impressive and commendable. Dave Wielgosz compiles Waid's notes into a substantial index at the back of the issue that cites all the various comics that were referenced - and the sheer quantity of comics from all eras of publication are truly remarkable. Despite this being a bit of a dry read, I still enjoyed getting the contextualization of DC history framed this way.
July 30, 2025
Primeiro de uma série em quatro volumes de uma iniciativa bem maluca de organizar toda a história do Universo DC em linha cronológica, desde o Big Bang, os Perpétuos e tudo o mais. O primeiro volume termina com o aparecimento do Caçador de Marte e a vinda de um certo bebê kryptoniano para a Terra.
Curioso ver heróis, vilões e momentos históricos que eu nem fazia ideia que já tinham aparecido. No entanto, é uma organização narrativa bastante enciclopédia, com referências no final para mostrar de onde cada informação foi tirada, quais são os quadros que serviram de inspiração e tudo o mais. Quem busca uma narrativa mais tradicional, talvez não curta muito.
No entanto, a arte é bastante bonita, se baseando nos quadrinhos antigos, mas mantendo um padrão de qualidade bastante atual. As referências são claras, organizadas e visuais para quem tiver curiosidade ou quiser consultar. Além disso, quem gosta da parte histórica dos quadrinhos vai curtir bastante.
Curioso ver heróis, vilões e momentos históricos que eu nem fazia ideia que já tinham aparecido. No entanto, é uma organização narrativa bastante enciclopédia, com referências no final para mostrar de onde cada informação foi tirada, quais são os quadros que serviram de inspiração e tudo o mais. Quem busca uma narrativa mais tradicional, talvez não curta muito.
No entanto, a arte é bastante bonita, se baseando nos quadrinhos antigos, mas mantendo um padrão de qualidade bastante atual. As referências são claras, organizadas e visuais para quem tiver curiosidade ou quiser consultar. Além disso, quem gosta da parte histórica dos quadrinhos vai curtir bastante.
August 19, 2025
I wasn't sure what to expect with this book. What we get is a very dense history of the DC universe as the name suggests. The art was quite nice and went along with the details nicely. However, this felt more like a condensed DK book/encyclopedia than a comic. Perhaps as a collected edition I would enjoy this more but as a single issue this was very dry and just not my thing. I will not remember most of what was in this book. I do see the appeal and allure to a book like this but again, just isn't for me.
October 26, 2025
—Endless & New Gods
August 1, 2025
I found it moderately disappointing. The first half is the history the second half appears to be more the comic book lists and first appearances.
June 28, 2025
Really a fascinating read. It’s great to see how expansive DC is
August 11, 2025
Back in the early 80's DC issued a two-part History of the DC Universe in what was then referred to as the Prestige format. This was to reflect the recently finished Crisis on Infinite Earths and the changes it had wrought on the DC Universe Since then there have been so many crisis, major events and reboots that I guess the powers that be decided it was time for a new history. However this history is appearing in the normal comic book format, though the issues have a larger page count than normal. it appears it will run four issues. To be honest I am not even sure the prestige format is used anymore which means this method makes sense.
As a history of the DC Universe this is pretty good. It starts at the beginning, not necessarily of time, but when the first living entities started to appear. We are afforded brief looks at many of the characters who appeared in these earlier days. This includes some from the middle ages, and earlier, as well as many of DC's western heroes. Of course quite a lot of this issue is devoted to the heroes who appeared in the forties. The story goes up to the time that the JSA disappeared, rather than reveal their civilian identities to the US government. Apparently some tried to take the JSA's place while the government brought together a group of scientists with the intent of having them create new heroes. Interestingly there were four scientists, Dr. Niles Caulder, Will Magnus, Professor Martin Stein and Simon Stagg. All would play important parts later in this history. At the end we see the arrival of J'Onn J'Onzz of Mars on Earth and a rocket being sent from an exploding planet, Krypton. This is probably a good place to end part one.
There are also several text pages which outline the history of the DC Universe and probably give more detail than is contained in the comic story. There are also issues of comics given where appropriate. This is a valuable resource for anyone wanting to check out the original stories, though that may be problematic where some of the older material is concerned.
So all in all an excellent book. Admittedly there are likely some comics fans who really don't care for this putting everything in its historical context. As you can gather I am not one of them. There was one thing that intrigued me. When it listed the members of the Seven Soldiers of Victory it stated that The Green Arrow and Speedy were time-displaced. This gives rise to a question on the Earth-One and Earth-Two situation. Of course the title does indicate that we are dealing with a universe and not a multiverse, so I guess I am just going to have to see how that all plays out. As well there were some Golden Age heroes that I don't recognize, but since we are dealing with the heroes of five earths then that might explain things. I may consider myself fairly knowledgeable in regards DC Comics but I make no such claims for the heroes of the Charlton, Quality and Fawcett universes. However for someone who wants to get a primer on DC Comics this is a pretty good start. Happy reading.
As a history of the DC Universe this is pretty good. It starts at the beginning, not necessarily of time, but when the first living entities started to appear. We are afforded brief looks at many of the characters who appeared in these earlier days. This includes some from the middle ages, and earlier, as well as many of DC's western heroes. Of course quite a lot of this issue is devoted to the heroes who appeared in the forties. The story goes up to the time that the JSA disappeared, rather than reveal their civilian identities to the US government. Apparently some tried to take the JSA's place while the government brought together a group of scientists with the intent of having them create new heroes. Interestingly there were four scientists, Dr. Niles Caulder, Will Magnus, Professor Martin Stein and Simon Stagg. All would play important parts later in this history. At the end we see the arrival of J'Onn J'Onzz of Mars on Earth and a rocket being sent from an exploding planet, Krypton. This is probably a good place to end part one.
There are also several text pages which outline the history of the DC Universe and probably give more detail than is contained in the comic story. There are also issues of comics given where appropriate. This is a valuable resource for anyone wanting to check out the original stories, though that may be problematic where some of the older material is concerned.
So all in all an excellent book. Admittedly there are likely some comics fans who really don't care for this putting everything in its historical context. As you can gather I am not one of them. There was one thing that intrigued me. When it listed the members of the Seven Soldiers of Victory it stated that The Green Arrow and Speedy were time-displaced. This gives rise to a question on the Earth-One and Earth-Two situation. Of course the title does indicate that we are dealing with a universe and not a multiverse, so I guess I am just going to have to see how that all plays out. As well there were some Golden Age heroes that I don't recognize, but since we are dealing with the heroes of five earths then that might explain things. I may consider myself fairly knowledgeable in regards DC Comics but I make no such claims for the heroes of the Charlton, Quality and Fawcett universes. However for someone who wants to get a primer on DC Comics this is a pretty good start. Happy reading.
July 17, 2025
Un poco/bastante DECEPCIONANTE descubrir que Chris Samnee solo se encarga de las portadas. Al final Jerry Ordway y Todd Nauck realmente no tienen mal identidad gráfica. Pero en el empeño de una nueva oportunidad de reevaluar y resumir la historia ficticia del Multiverso DC, esto es quedar MUY por debajo de lo pretendido. Más si tenemos en cuenta la fantástica Enciclopedia que Mark Waid realizó para la distinguida competencia junto a Javier Rodríguez (vaya, también en la nómina de DC)... Supongo que no ven esto más que como un trámite para redirigir a nuevos lectores o alguno que se haya rezagado en los últimos años editoriales de la compañía. El pretexto argumental para que alguien se ponga a recontar la historia de DC de forma cronológica podría dar para una digna metanarrativa como lo fue lo de Franklyn Richards y Galactus en un agonizante Universo Marvel. Barry Allen se encuentra en su jubilación (no lo parece para nada tal como lo dibujan). Y siendo uno de los seres que más han estado a lo largo y ancho del espacio y tiempo de este Multiverso, más se siente en necesidad de poner por escrito todo el saber e historias que llevan desde el origen de la creación hasta las eras heroícas.
Mucho cuadro de texto sin demasiado juego gráfico en consonancia limitan mucho el que esto no resulte algo anecdótico.
Mucho cuadro de texto sin demasiado juego gráfico en consonancia limitan mucho el que esto no resulte algo anecdótico.
September 7, 2025
One problem with this comic series it that it is too short, and can therefore only give a superficial overrview of DC history. It has only four issues. Mark Waid also wrote the History of the Marvel Universe, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4....
That had six issues and far smaller text, so it had lots more information. DC history is at least as complex as Marvel history (and far more convoluted), so this is a bad thing, though Waid does the best he can with the space he has.
On the other hand, the art here (by the classic artist jerry Ordway and Todd Nauck, of whom I know nothing) is better than in the History of the Marvel Universe. It is not quite as good as in the original History of the DC Universe https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6..., which had gorgeous Gerge Perez art, but still quite good.
There are some strange retcons here. E.g. the comics about the second Shining Knight (in terms of publishing history) Ystina by both Morrison and Cornell said that he came from a different and earlier Camelot than the first Shining Knight, Justin. Here they are said to have come from the same Camelot and the first Shning knight is also made the first in terms of internal chronology. Perhaps Waid or the editorial thought that having two Camelots (in the same universe to boot) was too complicated.
That had six issues and far smaller text, so it had lots more information. DC history is at least as complex as Marvel history (and far more convoluted), so this is a bad thing, though Waid does the best he can with the space he has.
On the other hand, the art here (by the classic artist jerry Ordway and Todd Nauck, of whom I know nothing) is better than in the History of the Marvel Universe. It is not quite as good as in the original History of the DC Universe https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6..., which had gorgeous Gerge Perez art, but still quite good.
There are some strange retcons here. E.g. the comics about the second Shining Knight (in terms of publishing history) Ystina by both Morrison and Cornell said that he came from a different and earlier Camelot than the first Shining Knight, Justin. Here they are said to have come from the same Camelot and the first Shning knight is also made the first in terms of internal chronology. Perhaps Waid or the editorial thought that having two Camelots (in the same universe to boot) was too complicated.
July 7, 2025
Usually I right a lot of notes about each issue so I can just reference my notes instead of re-reading the entire issue…but that feels counter intuitive when it comes to this series. This is absolutely brilliant and put together like a history textbook of the dc universe, going through and highlighting every obscure character I’ve never heard of…WHILE PROVIDING SOURCES IN the BACK! This is a creative marvel and wonderful undertaking from a very clearly passionate team and I am so glad they are doing this. If I ever wish to revisit this series, all I need to do is crack open the book and use it as a reference guide.
July 25, 2025
Now this is a momentous undertaking. Obviously this builds on the original groundwork laid in the "History of the DC Universe" comic from a few decades ago, but it's still impressive how coherent this all feels while also showcasing just how silly the golden age era of superhero comics were.
And there's an entire reference section! Thank god, this is going to come in useful down the line - to a lot of people, I'm sure.
And there's an entire reference section! Thank god, this is going to come in useful down the line - to a lot of people, I'm sure.
July 6, 2025
I enjoy comic series like this and this one is no exception with an exhaustive illustrated history adding in up to date characters and stories happening in the DCU we get right up to Krypton exploding after a rocket carrying a baby is sent to earth. A nice companion time line is in the back of books pages detailing the title, issue, and year a given hero or event happened.
July 8, 2025
A Masterful Chronicle for a Unified Era
In 2025, DC Comics released The New History of the DC Universe, a spiritual successor to the classic 1986 History of the DC Universe by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez. But where the original tried to stitch together the post-Crisis world, this new volume boldly embraces the legacy, complexity, and continuity of the DC Omniverse—while finally offering something long overdue: clarity with heart.
In 2025, DC Comics released The New History of the DC Universe, a spiritual successor to the classic 1986 History of the DC Universe by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez. But where the original tried to stitch together the post-Crisis world, this new volume boldly embraces the legacy, complexity, and continuity of the DC Omniverse—while finally offering something long overdue: clarity with heart.
November 5, 2025
LORE DROP of DC. Reads more like an encyclopedia, I would have given it 5 stars alone for the RESEARCH the authors did. It was a lot.
4 stars tho because it kinda just goes through it pretty fast, and doesn’t give in depth lore. It’s more like the surface of the surface level. Nonetheless, fun read for the lore.
4 stars tho because it kinda just goes through it pretty fast, and doesn’t give in depth lore. It’s more like the surface of the surface level. Nonetheless, fun read for the lore.
July 7, 2025
Waid, Nauk, and Ordway do an amazing job with this book. Not only is a beautiful comic, it is densely pack with DC rich history. It is a daunting task to map our the current DC continuity, but the do it.
November 7, 2025
Cómo alguien que apenas está iniciando en el universo DC fue una guía bastante completa, aunque este primer capítulo fue abrumador.
No creo que vaya a leer de una vez el segundo, apenas ando procesando.
No creo que vaya a leer de una vez el segundo, apenas ando procesando.
November 28, 2025
2 étoiles pour le travail important réalisé pour créer une chronologie cohérente. En termes de narration par contre, ça devient vite ennuyeux, on ne fait que passer d'un fait à un autre sans lien, le but étant d'introduire le maximum de personnages possibles.
June 25, 2025
I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought. can't wait for the next issue!
June 27, 2025
i love continuity porn <3
June 30, 2025
Interesting read. I had not known almost all these old stories or origins.
July 6, 2025
So cool.
A very cool book. Lots of rich history here. I loved it. Looking forward to the hardcover collection for sure. Can't wait for more!
A very cool book. Lots of rich history here. I loved it. Looking forward to the hardcover collection for sure. Can't wait for more!
July 18, 2025
I didn't think this would be a documentary. I am out!
August 11, 2025
That was awesome. Perfect reference material. Its already made reading the New Gods easier
August 31, 2025
The art is wonderful
October 10, 2025
i somehow learned everything but nothing… #yolo
October 20, 2025
Wow. Barry's just like me fr, archiving and documenting just about everything
November 10, 2025
Beyond cool that this exists
November 21, 2025
I’m enjoying this walk down memory lane and I’m learning quite a bit.
January 26, 2026
At times, can be tedious, but the DC history is convoluted and changed so many times.
June 26, 2025
Sorry, but this was awful. Seemed to try and shoehorn in events not needed while perpetuating factual/anachronistic errors. “Long before human history” but already showing Michael, Lucifer and Hell. Then, on the same page as “long before”, The Black Racer is shown using skis and ski poles. Sorry, too much “human” stuff prior to earth even having existed. I won’t even get into the art.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews