it has the luxury of going into further depth with them in the team book than most team books do.

Exactly, and in doing so, it has a neat metatextual tool to really pick at DC's own history. the characters wrestle with the mantle of the legacies they've adopted, and are used to explore what made some of those old characters great, and to find value in a lot of what was otherwise forgotten or underrated.

That's interesting because I've been wondering how they handled the introduction of Superman and Batman as later characters. They were two of the very earliest superheroes created, but if they're arriving later in the timeline then you have to do something else to establish their primacy in the canon. Sort of like Gretzy arriving in Hockey's history well along into the game and then blowing past many of its most hallowed records within the first couple seasons. If Batman's arriving after Wildcat et al, then he's got to really be distinctive even among the superhero community to be THE BATMAN.

Ple, have you been happy with Nightwing: Year One? I've seen your grbbble a bit in DC Watchtower comments, but would be curious to hear your thoughts.

Ple, have you been happy with Nightwing: Year One? I've seen your grbbble a bit in DC Watchtower comments, but would be curious to hear your thoughts.

Yep. I have a theory that Dixon should be restricted to writing retcon origin stories, because that's really his strength.

I'll only have deeper thoughts, if I have them, when it's done.

If Batman's arriving after Wildcat et al, then he's got to really be distinctive even among the superhero community to be THE BATMAN.

A lot of it is that the capes were pretty much quiet for decades after the JSA got shut down in the McCarthy hearings, and while a few were creeping around still, they mostly kept to the shadows. Then Superman appeared and heralded a whole-new era.

Batman and Superman are generally held in high regard by all the heroes around them because they are seen as being that good, even by the old-timers in the JSA, although Bats gets on a lot of people's nerves from time to time, particularly the Golden Age Green Lantern's. (And incidently, Wildcat was one of Batman's teacher's.)

(And incidently, Wildcat was one of Batman's teacher's.)

I knew that! But I didn't know about the McCarthy hearing element, which is a good twist and really sets up the whole new era.

I knew that! But I didn't know about the McCarthy hearing element, which is a good twist and really sets up the whole new era.

Yeah, they kind of figured out that's what happened along the way, admittedly, but once they did, it stuck.

JLA: Year One did a pretty good job of establishing the old timers keeping an eye on the new kids and deciding whether or not they were interested in giving them an OK or not. Black Canary, of course, is the daughter of the original, but the rest of the JLA didn't know their predecessors at all. It also hinted that Vandal Savage had put a good deal of effort into making sure superheroes didn't get a new foothold for a few decades, but ultimately, they couldn't be kept down.

Bwah! There is going to be a Puppet!Angel cover for the Angel:Cursed mini.

Another question - how many different comics are there now set among police who work in a superhero world?

'Cuz it seems like there are dozens.

Also, does it seem a little zeitgeisty that the Fantastic Four have been bubbling up to the surface in a variety of platonic shadows recently? Both the Venture Brothers and The Incredibles specifically referenced FF well before the curent movie.

Another question - how many different comics are there now set among police who work in a superhero world?

Hmmm, Gotham Central and Powers, for two.

And they're both good. Are there others?