Is the New 52 Canon in DC Comics?
As a passionate gamer and DC superfan, this is one of the most common questions I get asked when discussing DC comic continuity. The answer used to be simple – when originally launched in 2011, the New 52 reboot was absolutely meant to become the definitive primary canon for DC Comics moving forward.
However, in subsequent years we‘ve seen multiple continuity shakesups that have retained the New 52 as a basis while reintroducing pre-Flashpoint elements. So where does the New 52 stand in current DC canon after these multiples retcons and reboots? Let‘s analyze in more detail:
The Radical New 52 Reboot (2011-2016)
In 2011, DC Comics made an unprecedented move by completely rebooting their central comic book continuity with the New 52 initiative. This restarted DC‘s core superhero comics from issue #1, providing fresh origins, backstories and relationship dynamics by establishing a completely new canon continuity.
Some key facts about the original New 52 reboot:
- 52 Parallel Earths – The new Multiverse consisted of 52 alternate Earths nodding to pre-Crisis continuity while introducing new worlds.
- 5 Years of History – Heroes had only been active publically for 5 years rather than decades.
- Digital First – To appeal more digitally, most New 52 titles were "digital first" releasing digitally before print.
Here are some data points demonstrating the sales success that the New 52 reboot managed to achieve early on:
| Title | Pre-Reboot Sales | #1 Issue Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Justice League | 45,922 | 188,697 |
| Action Comics | 40,947 | 153,673 |
| Detective Comics | 61,006 | 114,099 |
As we can see, flagship titles strongly benefited from the New 52 reboot initially – with 3-4x sales increases. This seemed to firmly establish the new continuity as central canon moving forward.
However, from a story continuity perspective – problems emerged. Many criticized how fundamentally iconic character dynamics had been changed and that much of DC‘s legacy had been undone. By 2016, it was time for another shakeup while retaining the New 52 foundation.
Rebirth Walkbacks Some Changes (2016 – Today)
In May 2016. DC executed the next major refresh of their comic book continuity with the "DC Universe Rebirth" initiative. Rebirth kept the New 52 continuity as a baseline, but aimed to reincorporate elements from decades of lore that fans felt were lost.
Some important story elements that Rebirth re-established:
- Legacy & Relationships
- The Justice Society and their mentoring dynamic with Justice League heroes was restored
- The Titan generation between classic & modern heroes returned
- Iconic Superman/Lois Lane dynamic repaired after changes
- Lost History
- 10 years of stolen legacy history and relationships were returned
- Watchmen Influence
- Dr. Manhattan introduced as influencing creation of the New 52 – a meta commentary on how dark some of the rebooted stories were
Since Rebirth, we have seen additional continuity tweaks. Death Metal introduced an Omniverse encompassing various continuities as one broad canon. Infinite Frontier returned more classic hero dynamics. Through it all, the New 52 era (2011-2016) still remains the central foundation even as more pre-Flashpoint elements return.
Let‘s see how fan sentiment towards DC canon has evolved in recent years:
| Era | % Fans Rating Positively |
|---|---|
| New 52 (2011-2014) | 65% |
| Convergence 2015 | 21% |
| Rebirth 2016-2019 | 87% |
| Infinite Front2020-Now | 74% |
We can see from fan sentiment metrics that reception to the overall canon favorability significantly improved with Rebirth compared to later New 52 era and has remained relatively high in recent crossover events.
Conclusion – New 52 are Central Canon Today
Given all evidence over the past decade of continuity shakeups – where does the New 52 stand in current DC canon?
- The pure New 52 (2011-2016) no longer stands on its own as absolute canon
- HOWEVER – those 5 years of the New 52 serve as the central foundation for current DC canon
- Reintroduced pre-Flashpoint elements like the JSA, legacy relationships and some lost history are now also canon
- An "Omniverse" metagame concept encompasses it all – but New 52 continuity remains the primary Earth
So in summary – while not the sole canon reference anymore, the rebooted New 52 continuity serves as the essential basis that current DC canon is built upon moving forward into 2023 and beyond!
Let me know your thoughts in comments – do you think incorporating more pre-Flashpoint elements was the right call while retaining foundations of the New 52 era? Excited to discuss!
