DC Universe Online: Legends

This article is about the tie-in DC Comics series to the online game. For the online game itself, see DC Universe Online.

DC Universe Online: Legends
Variant incentive cover to DC Universe Online: Legends #1 by Ryan Sook.
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
Schedule	Biweekly
Format	Limited series
Genre	Superhero
Publication date	February 2011 - March 2012
Number of issues	26
Main character(s)	DC Universe
Creative team
Writer(s)	Marv Wolfman Tony Bedard Tom Taylor
Artist(s)	Howard Porter Adriana Melo Norman Lee Mike Miller Bruno Redondo

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 is 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,^[1], it was instead solicited as a biweekly series slated to have 26 issues.^[2] Solicitations for DC Universe Online: Legends, along with many other comics, have been dropped from the DC Comics website and Diamond/Alliance pre-order catalogs beginning September 2011 as part of DC's new continuity reboot, but the remaining issues returned to the publisher's lineup with the October 2011 solicitations.

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.^[2] 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 DC Universe largely similar to the current in-publication DCU, it is unknown if this is meant to be the actual DC Universe-proper 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 and Sinestro Corps. Certain key events from the mainline 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

1. ^ DC Universe Online Becomes Legendary on IGN
2. ^ ^{a b} WOLFMAN, BEDARD, BENES LAUNCH "DCUO LEGENDS" at CBR