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A review by trike
The Other History of the DC Universe by John Ridley
2.0
The idea here is better than the execution. I really want to like this more, but after a while it becomes droning and depressing. It also underscores how superheroes and our real world just don’t mix. It’s impossible to buy into the idea that these people wouldn’t intervene in events like the Iran hostage crisis, the Sandy Hook shooting, or 9/11. So having those things play out as they did in real life doesn’t mesh with this fantasy world.
Seeing alternate takes and different viewpoints of the usual superheroes is interesting, but after a while it becomes a downer with the relentless negativity. To say these people have baggage is an understatement. The first line of [b:Anna Karenina|15823480|Anna Karenina|Leo Tolstoy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1601352433l/15823480._SX50_.jpg|2507928] is “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” Here Ridley sets out to disprove Tolstoy’s contention by flattening all the trauma these characters experienced into a repetition of bad luck and bad attitudes.
Which is unfortunate, because Ridley is a terrific writer and I’ve really enjoyed his books and movies. This one just didn’t work for me.
Seeing alternate takes and different viewpoints of the usual superheroes is interesting, but after a while it becomes a downer with the relentless negativity. To say these people have baggage is an understatement. The first line of [b:Anna Karenina|15823480|Anna Karenina|Leo Tolstoy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1601352433l/15823480._SX50_.jpg|2507928] is “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” Here Ridley sets out to disprove Tolstoy’s contention by flattening all the trauma these characters experienced into a repetition of bad luck and bad attitudes.
Which is unfortunate, because Ridley is a terrific writer and I’ve really enjoyed his books and movies. This one just didn’t work for me.