Ashley is a Rotten Tomatoes–approved critic and CBR MTV writer specializing in pulp comics, the DC Universe, and genre storytelling. With a passion for westerns, sci-fi, horror, and thrillers, he brings both critical analysis and fan enthusiasm to his coverage. A lifelong pop culture fan, Ashley writes features, reviews, and commentary that highlight the best fiction has to offer.

Despite being a divisive era for DC Comics, the New 52 produced some fantastic events that deserved better, from Multiversity to Forever Evil. In fact, while DCYou ruined its potential, the rebooted universe rarely missed when it came to its epic stories, never afraid to upset the status quo. In 2013, Geoff Johns, David Finch and Richard Friend gave fans an incredible saga that should have lasted much longer.

When fans look back on DC's New 52, there's always a mix of opinions, with some championing its bold direction, others calling it the worst era in modern comics. Despite its divisive legacy, there are some stories and ideas most readers can agree were a great change of pace. In 2013, Forever Evil set up what could have been the greatest subversion of superhero stories since the '80s, but time constraints prevented it from reaching its full potential.

Forever Evil Was A Genius Idea Never Allowed to Flourish

Beginning in 2013, Geoff Johns, David Finch, and Richard Friend unveiled one of the best ideas of the New 52 in Forever Evil. The core idea revolved around the invasion of Earth Prime by the Crime Syndicate of Earth-3, trapping the Justice League to allow them to conquer the world. Realizing they too are at risk, the world's villains play the reluctant role of hero, joining forces under the leadership of Lex Luthor to fight back. Inevitably, as happens with every major event, things were set back to normal in no time, just with a few alterations to the JLA roster.

The ending of Forever Evil could have led the way into a bold new era for DC, one where villains become the new establishment, and heroes are the underdogs. This shouldn't have been an event, but rather a prolonged new status quo, not unlike the mid-90s' use of "death of" stories to shake things up. It could have been a fascinating change of pace to finally see major heroes reduced to fugitives for a while, building their own resistance for an epic comeback. On top of great stories for the good guys, it would have been the perfect time to focus on villain solo stories. Readers could have seen Bane stay in the Batman suit, or Lex Luthor turn Metropolis against Superman.

Instead, DC transitioned into bringing these key villains into the fold, allowing Lex Luthor, Killer Frost, and Captain Cold to barter their way onto the Justice League. The closest readers got to the concept reaching its full potential was the Sinestro ongoing series. Yet, it wasn't anything that fundamentally altered the status quo. The event itself only lasted seven months, and its influence over the core publishing schedule felt more like a handful of one-shots than a real shake-up. The company could have led the way in ushering in a whole new perspective for superhero comics if they'd invested in inverting the power dynamic with no end in sight. By attaching it to an event, readers knew there was a countdown.

Publishers Need to Get Better At Writing Villain Solo Stories

From time to time, publishers like Marvel and DC have endeavored to cast their greatest villains into their own solo stories. What has almost always been missing is the feeling that these series really matter, often relegating them to miniseries that barely affect continuity. Forever Evil offered the opportunity to finally invest in these stories, and do a better job at exploring the worst bad guys from their point of view. When reading graphic novels like Batman: Vengeance of Bane (Chuck Dixon and Graham Nolan), there's ample proof these characters can carry forward their own adventures. The same is equally true of Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo's Lex Luthor: Man of Steel.

One of the ongoing problems with writing villain stories is the tendency of writers to cast them as misunderstood antiheroes. In fact, all too often promising stories wind up being redemption arcs, making for good adventures but completely underwhelming the characters' appeal completely underwhelming. There was a chance to tell the stories of adversaries like Bane, Luthor, Black Manta and Black Adam in a serious, long-form structure for the first time, and the company didn't follow through. Here, authors like Geoff Johns, Scott Snyder and Grant Morrison could have put a new spin on the darker side of DC.

The New 52 promised readers a fresh era, asking them to expect the unexpected and invest in fresh and daring new stories. What fans actually got tended to be closer to a minor reimagining of the same old formulas, just with darker directions and slight retcons to history. Forever Evil is a shining example of this lack of commitment: A saga that upset the status quo, but put it on a timer, losing the edge of actually taking a risk. If the audience was willing to go along with a full universe reboot, they would have stuck it out with a change to the hierarchy of power.

Absolute Batman Proves Forever Evil Could Have Worked

As Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta's Absolute Batman redefines superhero comics, there's proof positive that this idea could have worked. This version of Bruce Wayne operates from the shadows of society, lacking the wealth and resources of his Prime Earth counterpart. The heroes in this world are the underdogs, fighting an uphill battle against a world that exists under the thumb of seemingly unbeatable enemies. The new direction was perfect for the 2020s, an era increasingly defined by populism, anti-establishment sentiments, and the desire to strike back against the system. In that sense, the Absolute Universe is fulfilling the promise of the New 52.

People love seeing worlds like the DCU and MU from new perspectives, and nowhere is this achieved better than through the eyes of bad guys. While readers watch the underdog Bruce Wayne fight billionaire villains, Forever Evil has turned into the biggest missed opportunity of DC's New 52.