Since the dawn of DC in 2023, DC Comics, now an absolute universe, has leaned violently towards reinvention. Whether Joshua Williamson runs in both Green Arrow and Superman, to Tom King’s run in Penguin and Wonder Woman, the DC All-in initiative will only continue its quality. Absolute Batman #1 by Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta has become the bestselling comic of 2024, proving that readers are hungry for bold new take on classic heroes.
But long before the absolute line, DC experimented with another, more fundamental reinvention: the Blue Stim’s Justice League: Gods and Monsters (2015).
Universe without icons
Originally conceived by Batman co-creator Bruce Tim: the animated series that produced the DC Animation Universe, also known as Timmverse, Gods and Monsters, was mostly made in response to the new 52, where DC soft reboots remained split, going back after various changes and years of continuity. They were inspired by the time Flash and Green Lanterns moved from the Golden Age to the Silver Age (they held their names and gimmicks and drove away everything else). Tim felt keenly that the same treatment could be applied to everyone in the DC universe.
These were not ambitious icons. They were brutal enforcers with blood in their hands.
It was shocking and intentionally. The design abandoned the familiar S-Shield and Bat-Symbols, forcing viewers to stand up to these heroes without the comfort of nostalgia.
Before the times
Looking back, Gods and monsters were hoping for much of what controls superhero media today. Like the boy, invincible, or Zack Snyder’s Superman, it asked: what if our heroes were feared instead of being loved?
A direct animated film, a three-part shorts series, a series of one-shot comics, Justice League: God and Monsters were never caught up in a continuous franchise, but they still far surpassed their era.
It is a story about rejecting irony as much as entertaining irony.
In this other universe where Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are not Clark Kent, Bruce Wayne, and Diana Prince, Justice League is an autonomous and brutal force that maintains order on Earth and has a mix of public receptions. The film begins with the origins of Herman Guerra/Superman (voiced by Benjamin Bratt), who was taken away by Earth’s rocket as a child of Crypton and adopted and raised by a Mexican immigrant farmer family.
As the league is trying to investigate the murder mystery they are framed as the main perpetrators, we can explore other origin stories of the flashback. In other words, Batman (Michael C. Hall) means Batman (Michael C. Hall) as Van Pilker Clangustrom, who maintains his alter ego’s detective skills to Wonder Woman (Tamara Taylor), the princess of the fourth world who escaped from her tragic past. The original counterpart has some subtle visual nods, but the design of this new league is so different that it’s the first one being Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, a bloodless version.
Justice League: Gods and Monsters were made before that, as adult-oriented superhero media has been continuously successful recently. And while unfavourable for the quest for a super-powerful figure ridiculed for their brutal sense of justice, it never progressed as a continuous asset beyond 2015.
Why is this important?
Of the three leaguers, Superman’s arc is the most intense hit as it reflects our own cultural tug of war around the characters. From Zack Snyder’s gross take to the rogue franchise, audiences have been fascinated by darker, more cynical Superman for the past decade. God and the monsters have anticipated this trend, giving us a version raised by immigrant farmers who distrust authority and are wrathful of the Cryptonian bloodline.
It’s not just atrocities that set him apart. When he finally discovers who he is, it is the choice he makes. Instead of succumbing to pedigree or res, this Superman rejects fate and chooses to become a hero on his own terms. The idea is not inherited, and its identity feels equally relevant, especially with James Gunn’s newly released Superman.
What can DC learn now?
At the moment today’s multiverse is saturated, God and monsters feel like a prototype of what the absolute universe is trying to achieve. Each absolute title rethinks classic heroes of a new era, as TIMM did, only without the safety net of Elseworlds branding.
God and Monster could actually show how different the versions of the DC Universe were, through the three Chronicles Shorts that originally aired not only in feature films, but also in the now-deprecated Mashinima. Each of these shorts explores the leaguer’s solo adventures, indicating the different kinds of stories this universe can introduce.
Sometimes that’s when Batman investigates the house of horror. Or, it’s Wonder Woman who is fighting the evil organization that unleashes super weapons in the form of giant combat robots. If God and Monsters were ongoing, who is this universe’s Flash or Green Lantern? And if Batman already exists, Bruce Wayne is still there, and what is his role in this alternative reality?
If DC is absolutely serious as a long-term imprint, then Gods and Monsters offer clear lessons. Rethinking must exceed surface level changes. They need to tell stories that are bold, deeply personal and not afraid to challenge how they view these characters.
Provided by DC Comics.
lastly
So there is a universe of cancer movies. This goes through an early stage (pretty ironically) entitled “Gods and Monsters.” And of course, the absolute universe mentioned above is roaring violently. Between these two, we’ve seen a vivid version of DC characters with leaps and boundaries that differ from the original comic book concepts, but there’s a spark that exemplifies what each of these things really embodies.
Still, no matter how many versions of the DC Universe there are always gods and monsters, but most importantly, there are always heroes. If Absolute wants to succeed, you need to remember what God and Monster proved 10 years ago. Reinventing is not just about redesigning costumes, but about asking the hero’s most difficult questions and changing the answers forever.
