Warning! Spoilers ahead for DC All In Special #1!Not only is fan-favorite hero Buster Gold Stepping into the spotlight for DC All In, he gets his classic outfit back as well. There are a lot of questions surrounding the opening chapter of the latest chapter of the DC Universe, and I know the costume change plays a big part in it.
The heroes survived Amanda Waller’s attack in Absolute power And it’s a new day in the DC Universe. But peace is ephemeral in their world and as DC All In begins in earnest, Darkseid has returned to improve everything we know. But what is the role of booster gold in this and what does it mean for this ambitious new era?
Buster Gold returns to his first outfit
Buster’s first visit to the Absolute Universe results in a classic change
in DC All In Special #1 By Joshua Williamson, Scott Snyder, Daniel Sampere, Wes Craig, Dan Mora, Tamra Bonvillain, Alejandro Sánchez and Steve Wands, it’s been nearly two months since the end of Absolute powerAnd to make sure they’re never caught off-guard again, the Justice League re-forms bigger and better than ever. They make new membership cards and Superman personally gives one to the hero of the future, Buster Gold, who has been waiting for this moment for years.
Buster arrives at the brand new Watchtower along with hundreds of other heroes. Unfortunately, the momentous occasion was interrupted by Darkseid, who had allied with the Spectre. After a dramatic fight, the Specter is removed and Darkseid appears to die. However, the energy left behind leaves tears in the DC Universe, a portal to an unknown world. Mister Terrific analyzes the rifts and discovers that they are actually a doorway to the Elseworld, a younger Earth that is now radiating with Darkseid’s energy signature. However, only time travelers can safely pass through the rift, Leading Buster Gold to volunteer for the mission.
Buster Gold dives into the rift and successfully winds up on the Elseworld, although several glitches occur during Buster’s journey. His robotic partner Skates disappears during the journey and Buster’s costume is changed to his first outfit. Even stranger, Booster accidentally traveled to the future of the new world. Back in the Prime DC Universe, it’s time to jump back before Buster volunteers to leave. And on the Elseworld, Buster discovers Darkseid, but the villain is not alone because he has assembled a brand new version of the Legion of Super-Heroes, armed with flight rings with Darkseid’s Omega symbol.
What is the Absolute Universe and its connection to Darkseid?
How Darkseid created a world in his image
If you’re a DC fan like I am, you’ve probably been keeping a close eye on anything and everything related to DC All In and the new Absolute Universe. But for those unfamiliar, DC writers Joshua Williamson and Scott Snyder first revealed details about their plans for DC All In back in July. The initiative is a gigantic storytelling initiative composed of two parts: brand new directions and storylines for the Prime Universe and A new world known as the Absolute Universe featuring dramatically different versions of iconic DC heroes.
The absolute line will start with Absolute Batman, Absolute wonder womanAnd Absolute Superman.
Although we all got to see plans and designs for the new names on our favorite heroes, we did not know what exactly would lead to the new world, although Snyder hinted that the new world is built on “Darkseid energy” in the same way As the Prime Earth is based on Superman. After months of waiting, the dam finally broke and details came out revealing that Darkseid’s death would shape the young, impressionable Elseworld (an Earth created in Snyder’s last big DC event) and turn it. In a world that reflected Darkseid’s oppressive ideals.
And yes, we see that happening here DC All In Special #1. After Darkseid goes insane from being cut off from the multiverse, his physical body is destroyed, sending his energy to the Elseworld where it has a dramatic impact on the normal DC timeline. On Earth, heroes don’t have the things their Prime counterparts do, like Batman’s privileged upbringing or Wonder Woman’s bond with her Amazon sisters. In this new world, hope is the enemy and Chaos is the natural state of Darkseid’s world.
Buster Gold’s costume change is a crucial clue
DC All In goes over the DC timeline
I have to say, I was impressed with these DC All In Special #1But what really caught my attention was Buster’s journey to the Absolute Universe. As cool as it was to see Buster back with his old outfit (and that spiffy collar), I immediately did a double take. Buster somehow winds up in the Future of the world, but somehow he regained a costume he hadn’t worn in years. What makes this situation even stranger is that in the Darkseid half of the special, Buster Gold is still wearing his modern outfit (with no distinctive collar).
As I mentioned before, there are some other funny moments, especially when time is skipping around. A panel with Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman is repeated right after Batman warns that they can’t lose track of Buster. It’s hard to say what the significance of this repeating conversation is, but perhaps a diverging timeline has just been created? Another strange thing of note is that both halves of the special see Buster Gold reveals the modified Flight Rings in the Absolute Universe, but the rings appear on different hands in each story.
DC is on the precipice of changing its timeline
Buster Gold’s costume is just the beginning
Now, it’s early in this new era, but I love to make wild theories. It is noted that time is chaotic in the Absolute Universe and a malfunctioning flow of time would explain why Buster traveled to the past while getting his old costume back. We also saw Darkseid’s death create a portal between the Absolute and Prime Universes, the former’s unstable nature may have impacted the latter, which explains why the Trinity’s conversation repeats. Bringing back Buster Gold’s costume isn’t just a fun Easter eggIt’s a hint that big changes could be on the horizon for DC’s timeline.
I don’t want to throw around the word ‘reboot’ just yet, but if there’s one thing that happens when time travelers are involved, it’s shifts to the timeline (right, Flash?). With the new world of Darkseid already causing minor glitches in reality, I wouldn’t be surprised if we start seeing other alterations to DC continuity like changes to origins, tweaked history, and the like. Of course, this is only the best case. If Darkseid’s new Absolute Universe isn’t ruled out anytime soon, Buster Gold’s Costume switching will be the least of anyone’s worries.
DC All In Special #1 is available now from DC Comics.