DC Universe Online: Legends is a comic book limited series published by DC Comics. It debuted on February 2, 2011, and is an expansion of the story of the DC Universe Online MMORPG video game. The series was written by the game's story co-writer Marv Wolfman and Tony Bedard with Tom Taylor penning issues 16 and 17. Originally announced as a 52-issue yearlong weekly series, it was instead solicited as a biweekly series slated to have 26 issues. Although, solicitations for DC Universe Online: Legends, along with many other comics, were dropped from the DC Comics website and Diamond/Alliance pre-order catalogs beginning September 2011 as part of DC's new continuity reboot, the remaining issues returned to the publisher's lineup with the October 2011 solicitations. By August 2012, three paperback books were published collecting the series.
Story
Premise
Released just under a month after the launch of DC Universe Online, Legends will tie directly into the gameplay and stories that develop in the online world. DC Universe Online is set in the present day, but the opening cinematic sequence takes place in a gritty, war-torn future depicting a final battle between the world's greatest heroes and villains.
This battle takes place in the ruins of Metropolis, and features the deaths of several well-known DC Comics characters. The battle culminates with the death of Superman at the hands of Lex Luthor, leaving him and the Joker as the survivors. Luthor stands back to proclaim his victory, only to see Brainiac's warfleet fill the skies. So far, the comic has served to expand upon the events of Brainiac's return to Earth, and has yet to visit the present-day DC Universe.
Universe
While the game, and consequently the comic, have shown a universe largely similar to the pre-Flashpoint DC Universe, it is unknown if this is meant to be that DCU or if this is another world in the DC Multiverse. Notable differences exist, such as the absence of Damian Wayne, Dick Grayson and Tim Drake still operating as Nightwing and Robin, Bane's continued use of the Venom steroid, as well as the absence of all other corps of the emotional spectrum, save for the Green Lantern Corps and Sinestro Corps - and the Red Lantern Corps in the Game as a Duo-PvE-Mission. Certain key events from the pre-Flashpoint DC Universe are still referred to as history in the world presented in the game, including the Crisis on Infinite Earths, The Death of Superman, and the Breaking of the Bat.
Notes
