Kingdom Come: DC's Biggest Elseworlds Hit

During the Silver Age of American comic books (1956-1970), "Elseworlds" started as imaginary stories.Imaginary Stories were a way to tell one-off adventures with DC superheroes that were silly or featured a villain who won—something that never happened then. These stories mirrored Marvel comics.This was a way to tell one-off adventures with DC superheroes that were silly or featured a villain who won—something that never happened at the time. These stories were, in essence, similar to the Marvel.This was a way to tell one-off adventures with DC superheroes that were silly or featured a villain who won—something that never happened at the time. These stories were, in essence, similar to the Marvel.What If? comics from the same era.What If? comics from the same era.

The final Imaginary Stories issue.Imaginary Stories.Alan Moore's "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow," released in 1986, ended Superman's complex backstory before DC abandoned the Multiverse in Crisis on Infinite Earths.Crisis on Infinite Earths.As with many of his books, Moore commented on comic history and Imaginary Stories.Imaginary Stories.Moore opened the two-issue arc with a sharp introduction to Imaginary Stories.

This is an IMAGINARY STORY (which might never happen, but perhaps will) about a perfect man from the sky who does only good... This is an IMAGINARY Story... Are they all?

Initially, Batman: Gotham By Gaslight.Batman: Gotham By Gaslight.This was a one-off story. It showed a Victorian-era Batman hunting the Jack the Ripper after he appeared in Gotham City. This cool detective story set a model for many top Batman-focused Elseworlds stories.Elseworlds stories.The book became so popular that DC added it to the Elseworlds fold, making it the official first book of that imprint.

The book became so popular that DC added it to the Elseworlds fold, making it the official first book of that imprint.However, the first story with the Elseworlds logo was Batman: Holy Terror.Batman: Holy Terror.This story reinterprets the Batman origin as if Bruce were a wealthy Dickensian orphan living in a puritanical theocracy instead of a democracy.Batman: Holy Terror.There are many Elseworlds tales to explore if you start reading alternative stories. However, the biggest and most influential Elseworlds story is Kingdom Come.Kingdom Come.Kingdom Come.This story reinterprets the Batman origin as Bruce, a wealthy Dickensian orphan in a puritanical theocracy, not a democracy.

On this Earth, Superman retired. The rest of the Justice League followed, splitting up as new, younger meta-humans fought without thinking about the results of their actions.Written by Mark Waid and illustrated by Alex Ross, Kingdom Come offers an apocalyptic story about famous superheroes. It asks if these gods owe a duty to Earth's regular people.Kingdom Come.Kingdom Come.Kingdom Come’s story is epic, but the continuity-breaking, world-destroying plot needs Alex Ross's art to feel impactful. His work stands out because he uses a detailed, photorealistic style usually reserved for covers, not interiors. Ross uses big splash pages that give the story the epic scale it needs, letting the artist add visual jokes for long-time DC fans.According to Ross, his work isn't as groundbreaking as people claim.In a 2016 interview with Entertainment Weekly, he stated:Kingdom ComePublished in 1996, this four-issue story set ten to fifteen years in the future. It echoed Alan Moore's groundbreaking themes.WatchmenOn this Earth, Superman retired. The rest of the Justice League followed. New, younger meta-humans appeared, fighting each other without thinking about the results.

Mark Waid wrote this. Alex Ross illustrated it.Kingdom ComeThis story presents an apocalypse for famous superheroes. It asks if these gods owe a duty to Earth's regular people.

Kingdom ComeThe story is epic. The continuity-breaking, world-destroying plotline needs Alex Ross's art to hit hard. Ross uses a detailed, photorealistic style, usually seen on covers, for interiors. Ross uses big splash pages. This gives the story the epic scale it needs. The artist adds visual Easter eggs for longtime DC fans.

Ross says his work is not as groundbreaking as people claim.In a 2016 interview withEntertainment Weekly, he noted:

Artists before me pushed comic books past corporate superhero properties with elaborate illustration. I, a fan, wanted full books like the painted covers featuring Superman or the Hulk from the '70s.

Some find Superman stories hard to connect with because he acts like a god. The audience struggles to identify with the story, butKingdom Comefixes this issue. A pastor named Norman McCay serves asthe audience surrogatethe Spectre—an antihero and supernatural force, also a fallen angel—chooses him to act as the harbinger of the apocalypse.

The Spectre guides McCay through time and space. The pair watch old heroes accept their place, villains plot, and inter-dimensional gods see the whole thing. McCay’s common man status keeps the story grounded. He manages the Revelation narrative without making it too obvious.

Ninety's comics have strong stories. However, that era is defined as much by bad ideas as good ones. The early '90s saw Image Comics rise,Deadpool, and many edgy titles mixed into a mess.

Writer Mark Waid states,Kingdom Comereacted against the extreme, over-the-top heroes being introduced.Waid told Comicbook.com:

Much of what we reacted to was the mid-90s superhero comic feeling. People thought all the harsh, fighting new characters, lacking real humanity, were more popular and important than the old style. Your dad's heroes, Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and those older types.

Kingdom ComeDC made Kingdom Come official mainstream continuity in 2006. It was meant to be a single story, but the arc influenced DC's main line.Kingdom Cometakes placeon Earth-22, a reality that split from Earth when the Multiverse appeared after the "Infinite Crisis" crossover.

Unlike otherElseworldstitles, the world ofKingdom Comereappears in "The Kingdom." Gog, a character from the Earth-22 story, tries to kill every version of Superman across the Multiverse. Some feel it lacks the original story's quality, but it adds excitement.

One reasonElseworldsstories connect with readers is their natural arc. They function like classic stories. Kingdom ComeElseworlds works as traditional literature because it follows Joseph Campbell's hero's journey.The hero's journey."

Comic books never end. Popular characters stay the same, but an Elseworlds story has a definite ending.Elseworlds.stories have a definitive ending.Mark Waid told Comicbook.com:

Myths have a beginning, middle, and end. Robin Hood shoots his arrow. King Arthur returns to Camelot. Myths have ends. These stories offer that.Elseworlds.These types of stories have real impact. They let you give Batman's career a final end, or Superman's career a final end, closing things off. That is the appeal.

Besides the deep storytelling chances fromElseworlds.this label, the concept lets writers do almost anything. It gives them a blank slate. Beyond Kingdom Come,Kingdom Come., mostElseworlds.Elseworlds stories do not connect to the rest of the DC Extended Universe. This lets heroes, villains, and others act unexpectedly.

For instance, they canfight Dracula.team upwith Harry Houdini.track downJack the Ripper.(this happened twice), or, orexplore feudal Japan..

Outside ofKingdom Come., one of the most interestingElseworlds.stories isSuperman: Red Son.. This three-issue arcexplores what happens if Kal-El lands in Soviet Russia instead of the United States. Superman stops fighting for truth and justice; he fights for "Stalin, socialism, and the international expansion of the Warsaw Pact."

The comic shows Cold War-era DC heroes. Batman acts as a Russian dissident, and Wonder Woman is Diana of Themyscira in this continuity. Lex Luthor becomes a US hero married to Lois Lane. This is one of the most twisted and well-written stories.Elseworlds.comics

The unhappy, always grimacing Bruce Wayne is a new character fromKingdom Come -if you love him after the four-episode arc, you will like the many Batman Elseworlds stories.Elseworlds.Because Batman is essentially a regular person with a billion dollars and kung fu training, he fits into any story.

At least 45Elseworlds.comicsfeature Batman (not counting his Superman crossovers), which is more than any other DC character.

Elseworlds.stories often break from the DC narrative. They let writers and artists test out wild ideas. In what other world can a creator like Mike Mignola (Hellboy., B.P.R.D.) write a comic about a 1920s Batman fighting Cthulhu?

OtherElseworlds.Tales lean toward the experimental. Each artist plays with story and art in ways impossible for a long series.

Experiments involve major characters. Science fiction stories, horror one-offs, and westerns offer a dynamic view of beloved heroes. Superman and Wonder Woman battle in one story.One story features the Third Reich in the future.

ElseworldsElseworlds ran sporadically during its 14-year run. In 2003, however,DC stopped publishing newElseworldsstories. DC could not stop.Imaginary Stories-game forever. DC released a few more tales later. In 2010, DC issued the three-story arc calledSuperman: The Last Family of Krypton, and in 2018, the CW announced its annual crossover event withThe Flash, Arrow, andSupergirltakes place under theElseworldsumbrella.

Aside from the CW using theElseworldsstamp, DC still creates one-off stories that move away from regular continuity. They now label them under the newerBlack Labelimprint.