alt title(s): DCU; DC Comics; DC Universe
The DC Universe has been spawned from over seventy years of comics, all in the same continuity, from DC Comics.
Way back when, someone thought it'd be a good idea for all the various
Super Hero characters created at DC to share the same world. This led to a massive headache for those who had to keep it all straight.
Generally speaking,
The DCU is set apart (from the
Marvel Universe, anyway) by a marginally more lighthearted tone, a congenial "community" of superheroes, clear-cut division between heroes and villains, and a general populace that is more or less trusting of its caped watchmen. How true this is has gone up and down over the decades.
When
The DCU appears on TV or in the movies, it is often cut up to fit its format. If a series follows only one superhero, none of the others are mentioned. Other places and people may be named to catch the comic-savvy (see
Continuity Nod). This used to be due to licensing issues. However, Time Warner purchased DC Comics outright, many believe just to acquire the DCU and its iconic characters for their own use. Now, almost all DC projects are done by one Time Warner company or another.
Comics fans are very concerned about continuity, by and large. To them, any non-comics DCU events are considered non-
canon, and with good reason.
See Also:
Marvel Universe
The defining characteristics of
The DCU:
Comics series and characters set in
The DCU:
TV series set in (parts of)
The DCU:
Superman-based (mostly in Metropolis, but given ol' Kal-El's range all bets are off):
Batman-based (in Gotham City, with rare field trips):
Justice League Of America-based:
- Superfriends (Along with its many sequels and permutations.)
- Legends of the Superheroes (A short-lived 1970s series which attempted to bring the campy style of Batman to the JLA, and failed miserably.)
- Justice League of America, a failed Pilot Movie based around the post-Justice League International incarnation of the team.
- Justice League (Crawling with minor and obscure heroes and villains, especially in the Unlimited seasons.)
Other single characters:
Other comic series:
Other TV series:
- Aquaman (Failed pilot)
- Wonder Woman
- Shazam! (Not actually the hero's name. His name is Captain Marvel. The wizard who gave Billy Batson his powers is named Shazam. However, no series using the character can use the "Captain Marvel" name because Marvel Comics has its own character with that name and regularly publishes comic book series with that name. He was featured in a 1974 live-action series, 1981 cartoon (both produced by Filmation), and a planned 2008 cartoon.))
- Swamp Thing (1990 live action series, 1991 cartoon, plus movies made in 1982 and 1989)
- Static Shock (Originally a Milestone title)
- Isis (Originally by virtue of crossovers with Shazam, though DC did eventually publish a short-lived Isis comic book. More recently, they've added a DCU version of the character as Black Adam's consort and, eventually, wife, though they killed her off not long after.)
Other team shows:
- Teen Titans The last season is full of the same mix, albeit focusing on the TT and Doom Patrol characters. This may or may not also be in continuity with the DCAU below, despite its very different look and style, and fan debates over this continue as the Word Of God has been lacking, instead giving what amounts to the continuity version of a Ship Tease.
- Legion Of Super Heroes
A subset of
The DCU is the
DC Animated Universe (AKA the "Timmverse" or the "Diniverse"), consisting of
Batman The Animated Series and every other series that takes place in the same universe. It has its own
canon, with more than one
Cross Over between series, and is best known for its distinctive artstyle, based on the works of Paul Dini and Bruce Timm. This universe has ended with the final season of
Justice League Unlimited. However, there will be additional original video productions by the same team, such as an adaptation of the famous
Teen Titans story, "The Judas Contract."
Series in the DCAU:
