2008 marks the end of two imprints: Wildstorm publishes World's End to conclude the series, while Milestone's assets become part of the DC Universe proper.
Barry Allen returns from the dead in DC Universe #0, just in time for Final Crisis. This massive storyline, billed as "the day evil won", sees Darkseid invade Earth, and kill and enslave many heroes and villains. Spawning several tie-in miniseries, it ends the next year with most of the New Gods, including Darkseid, dead. Batman is sent adrift in time, believed dead by his friends in the present.
The War of Light rages on, introducing the Orange, Blue, Indigo and Red Lantern Corps. Superman starts the New Krypton era, where the restoration of the bottle city of Kandor leads to an all out conflict between Earth and its new sister planet, New Krypton.
The highly succesful sequel to Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, opens in July. It has the best opening superhero for a comic book movie, and wins two Academy Awards including one for the late Heath Ledger as the Joker.
Creators[]
The following creative talent passed away in the year 2008:
- Berta Dominguez D.
- Carlos Meglia
- Creig Flessel
- Dave Stevens
- Frank Turner
- Ivan Dixon
- Jerry Serpe
- Jim Mooney
- Maddie Blaustein
- Malcolm Cooke
- Michael Turner
- Stephane Peru
- Steve Gerber
- Steve Whitaker
Titles
The following comic titles debuted with a 2008 cover date:
- Air (Volume 1)
- Ambush Bug: Year None (Volume 1)
- American Splendor Season Two (Volume 1)
- Army @ Love: The Art of War (Volume 1)
- Bat Lash (Volume 2)
- Batgirl (Volume 2)
- Batman: Death Mask (Volume 1)
- Batman: Gotham After Midnight (Volume 1)
- Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam! (Volume 1)
- Black Cherry Bombshells (Volume 1 (Digital))
- Casey Blue: Beyond Tomorrow (Volume 1)
- Chuck (Volume 1)
- Countdown Special: Atom (Volume 1)
- Countdown: Arena (Volume 1)
- DC Special: Cyborg (Volume 1)
- DC Special: Raven (Volume 1)
- DC Super Friends (Volume 1)
- DC/Wildstorm: Dreamwar (Volume 1)
- DCU: Decisions (Volume 1)
- El Diablo (Volume 3)
- Ferryman (Volume 1)
- Final Crisis (Volume 1)
- Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds (Volume 1)
- Final Crisis: Revelations (Volume 1)
- Final Crisis: Rogues' Revenge (Volume 1)
- Final Crisis: Superman Beyond (Volume 1)
- Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash (Volume 1)
- Friday the 13th: Bad Land (Volume 1)
- Fringe (Volume 1)
- Gears of War (Volume 1)
- Greatest Hits (Volume 1)
- Hellblazer Special: Chas (Volume 1)
- House of Mystery (Volume 2)
- Huntress: Year One (Volume 1)
- Joker's Asylum (Volume 1)
- Legion of Super-Heroes (Volume 5)
- Lost Boys: Reign of Frogs (Volume 1)
- Madame Xanadu (Volume 2)
- New Dynamix (Volume 1)
- Northlanders (Volume 1)
- Number of the Beast (Volume 1)
- Rann-Thanagar: Holy War (Volume 1)
- Reign in Hell (Volume 1)
- Salvation Run (Volume 1)
- Secret History of The Authority: Hawksmoor (Volume 1)
- Secret Six (Volume 3)
- Storming Paradise (Volume 1)
- Superman and Batman vs. Vampires and Werewolves (Volume 1)
- Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen Special (Volume 1)
- Supernatural: Rising Son (Volume 1)
The following Comic titles were last published with a 2008 cover date:
- 52 Aftermath: The Four Horsemen (Volume 1)
- All Star Batman and Robin, the Boy Wonder (Volume 1)
- All-Star Superman (Volume 1)
- American Splendor Season Two (Volume 1)
- American Virgin (Volume 1)
- Army @ Love (Volume 1)
- Bat Lash (Volume 2)
- Batman: Death Mask (Volume 1)
- Bionicle: Ignition (Volume 1)
- Black Adam: The Dark Age (Volume 1)
- Casey Blue: Beyond Tomorrow (Volume 1)
- Checkmate (Volume 2)
- Cipher (Volume 1)
- Countdown Presents: Lord Havok and the Extremists (Volume 1)
- Countdown Presents: The Search for Ray Palmer (Volume 1)
- Countdown Special (Volume 1)
- Countdown Special: Atom (Volume 1)
- Countdown (Volume 1)
- Countdown to Adventure (Volume 1)
- Countdown to Mystery (Volume 1)
- Countdown: Arena (Volume 1)
- Crime Bible: Five Lessons of Blood (Volume 1)
- Crossing Midnight (Volume 1)
- DC Special: Cyborg (Volume 1)
- DC Special: Raven (Volume 1)
- DC/Wildstorm: Dreamwar (Volume 1)
- DCU: Decisions (Volume 1)
- Death of the New Gods (Volume 1)
- Deathblow (Volume 2)
- Exterminators (Volume 1)
- Faker (Volume 1)
- Final Crisis: Rogues' Revenge (Volume 1)
- Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash (Volume 1)
- Friday the 13th: Bad Land (Volume 1)
- Gotham Underground (Volume 1)
- Green Lantern Secret Files and Origins (Volume 1)
- Hawkman Special (Volume 1)
- Huntress: Year One (Volume 1)
- Infinity Inc. (Volume 2)
- JLA Classified (Volume 1)
- JSA Classified (Volume 1)
- Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus (Volume )
- Justice League Unlimited (Volume 1)
- Kikaider 02 (Volume 1)
- Lost Boys: Reign of Frogs (Volume 1)
- Loveless (Volume 1)
- Metal Men (Volume 3)
- Metamorpho: Year One (Volume 1)
- Midnighter (Volume 1)
- New Dynamix (Volume 1)
The following One Shots were published with a 2008 cover date:
- Adam Strange Special #1
- Astro City Special: Beautie #1
- Burnout (graphic novel)
- Countdown Presents: The Search for Ray Palmer: Gotham by Gaslight #1
- Countdown Presents: The Search for Ray Palmer: Red Rain #1
- Countdown Presents: The Search for Ray Palmer: Superwoman/Batwoman #1
- Countdown Special: Eclipso #1
- Countdown Special: Jimmy Olsen #1
- Countdown Special: Kamandi #1
- Countdown Special: OMAC #1
- DC Universe Halloween Special #1
- DC Universe Special - Justice League of America #1
- DC Universe Special: Reign in Hell #1
- DC Universe #0
- DCU: Last Will and Testament #1
- Energy & Safety Adventures with the JLA
- Energy and Safety Adventures: Superman and Friends
- Energy and Safety with the Justice League
- Final Crisis Sketchbook #1
- Final Crisis: Rage of the Red Lanterns #1
Characters
Selected 2008 character debuts. See all.
- Larfleeze (New Earth)
- Atrocitus (New Earth)
- Thara Ak-Var (New Earth)
- Black Beetle (New Earth)
- Bro'Dee Walker (New Earth)
- John Nichol (New Earth)
- Diro Yat (New Earth)
- Scar (New Earth)
- Indigo-1 (New Earth)
- Gog I (New Earth)
- Joseph Rotkowski (Wildstorm Universe)
- Michael Templesmith (Wildstorm Universe)
- Guy Dax (New Earth)
- Zebulon McCandless (Wildstorm Universe)
- Miri Riam (New Earth)
- Dodger (New Earth)
- Gaia Rothstein (Wildstorm Universe)
- Alex Merkel (New Earth)
- Thrush (Wildstorm Universe)
- Insect Queen (New Earth)
- David Reid (New Earth)
- Duel Eknham (New Earth)
- Genocide (New Earth)
- Kraken (New Earth)
- Falconette (Wildstorm Universe)
- Edward Dane (Wildstorm Universe)
- Bleez (New Earth)
- Redeemer (Wildstorm Universe)
- Frederick Fawkes (Wildstorm Universe)
- Slyxx (Wildstorm Universe)
- Marla Elliot (New Earth)
- Auerbach (New Earth)
- Sloth, son of Trigon (New Earth)
- Gluttony, son of Trigon (New Earth)
- Chimera (Wildstorm Universe)
- Colin Wilkes (New Earth)
- Wrath, son of Trigon (New Earth)
- Midnight Rider (Wildstorm Universe)
- Radiant, Spirit of Mercy (New Earth)
- Vice (New Earth)
- Norchavius (New Earth)
- Greed, son of Trigon (New Earth)
- Envy, son of Trigon (New Earth)
- Red Volcano (New Earth)
- Lust, son of Trigon (New Earth)
- Titus (New Earth)
- Jenna Duffy (New Earth)
- Archimedes Sin (Wildstorm Universe)
- Harold Cosgrove (Wildstorm Universe)
- Lycus (New Earth)
Teams
Selected 2008 team debuts. See all.
- Black Lantern Corps (New Earth)
- Alpha Lantern Corps
- Red Lantern Corps (New Earth)
- Paladins (Wildstorm Universe)
- Indigo Tribe (New Earth)
- Justice Society International (New Earth)
- Circle II (New Earth)
- Gargareans
- Super Young Team
- Club of Villains
- Blue Lantern Corps (New Earth)
- Justice Arcana
- Dark Arcana
- Last Line
- Gorilla Knights (New Earth)
- The Ichor (New Earth)
- Sons of Trigon (New Earth)
- Crusaders (New Earth)
- New Rogues
- The Big Three
- Dreambound
- Quintet
- Wonderland Gang (New Earth)
- Cyborg Revenge Squad
- Big Science Action
- Dogpound
- Titans East III (New Earth)
- Silicon Syndicate
- Echo Initiative
- Sprang Bridge Soldiers
- Ambush Bug Revenge Squad
- Freedom Fighters (Blue and Gold)
- Lord's Resistance Army (New Earth)