In this review of New History of the DC Universe #1, we get the beginnings of an awe-inspiring concept — the combining of the continuities throughout the DC Universe and Multiverse.
NEW HISTORY OF THE DC UNIVERSE #1
Written by MARK WAID
Art by JERRY ORDWAY and TODD NAUCK
Main Cover: CHRIS SAMNEE
Variant Covers: DAN MORA, RYAN SOOK, MIKE CHO, STANLEY “ARTGERM” LAU, SCOTT KOBLISH
Page Count: 48 pages
Release Date: June 25, 2025
This review contains spoilers
Comic continuity can be somewhat of a minefield for new readers – Where do I start? Are there particular stories I need to read to get a clearer understanding of how everything fits together? These are definitely some thoughts I had when first getting into comics many moons ago. Luckily for me though I had the help and guidance of a great owner at a Local Comic Book Store, which has sadly now gone out of business. Luckily though, for all those newcomers to the DC Universe, wordsmith and Master story teller Mark Waid (Kingdom Come, The Flash) has you covered in his brand new works New History of the DC Universe.
New History of the DC Universe #1 starts with establishing characters in the DC Universe that take on God like qualities such as Perpetua, the Monitor, The Anti-Monitor & World Forger. Then once the big bang (or the “Dawn of Time” as it is known in the DC Universe) has occurred, Waid then brings in characters mostly associated with Neil Gaiman’s work “Sandman”, such as Destiny, Death & Dream. It would seem at this point that Waid is trying to lay the foundation of traits that the beings of the Universe shall possess and carry with them in their own stories that makes the characters of the DC Universe so captivating.
Waid then goes on to describe the creation of the Heavens and Hell and the characters that are associated with each realm. After that we’re introduced to the first beings in the Cosmos, those of the guardians associated mainly with the Green Lantern corp. I got to this part of the issue and was blown away by the concept that Waid had gone for with this part of the Lore. I won’t spoil it, I’ll let you pick the issue up for yourselves!
New History of the DC Universe #1 then continues breaking down the historical occurrences within the DC Universe from that point. Waid Addresses the likes of how Atlantis became what it is. How The Green, along with the parliament of trees & World Tree known as Yggdrasil were formed. I really do like the way that Waid has managed to take all of the different takes on character origins that have been retold and adapted over the years and combined them in a way that gives us a truly coherent continuity within the history of the DC Universe.
As the history continues to be told we are introduced to the golden age heroes that made up the original JSA as well as other teams of heroes that time may have forgotten such as The Seven Soldiers of Victory. As well as other heroes from earlier times such as Sgt. Rock and Jonah Hex.
Now onto the beautiful art that has been consistent and jaw dropping throughout this issue, the combination of perfect character depiction and bright bold colours that really leap out at you from the page. Nuack & Ordway have done a stellar job of getting all the necessary characters for this part of the book all on one page, they’ve definitely had to take a few leaves from George Perez and Neal Adams’ books there! Herms & Kalisz have knocked the colouring out of the park too, I was mesmerised by the colouring from the first page!
The end of New History of the DC Universe #1 leads right into Superman’s arrival on Earth after Krypton’s destruction. In just 48 pages, Waid covers the origins and early development of the DC Universe up to the modern era. The depth of research is impressive, and a reference list at the end guides readers to the original sources—perfect for anyone wanting to explore the continuity further.
Final Thoughts
I truly believe this is a work of literary genius from Waid. Reading through it I got a real sense of Tolkien’s Silmarillion where that sets up the world of The Lord of The Rings, this incredible writing from Waid is his version of that, the deep dive into making everything make sense in an order that is easy to follow.
I also feel if this book were to be discovered by someone from the future after the destruction of mankind and all of our records that someone could truly turn this history of the DC Universe into a belief system, it really was starting to give me holy text vibes, but I welcomed it as it was extremely well thought out and made logical sense. Go out and get a copy of this book, it’s a must for a fan of the DC Universe and those looking to delve into the world(s) of DC.
