Hello All, I have been reading the recent DC Crisis series and after reading issue 6 I am as confused as ever! What the heck is actually going on in this series, I am completely lost! All these earths and all the characters, I don't know whicj way is up! HELP!

Oh dear gawd...where to begin....

Start here:

http://www.comicbookdb.com/title.php?ID=47

Then here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multive...omics)#History

This might help:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Identit...s_%28comics%29

You must have started reading comics after the original Crisis on Infinite Earths. In a nutshell, before 1985 or so the DC Universe was actually a multi-verse with Earth-1, Earth-2, Earth-3, Earth-Prime, Earth-S, etc., etc., etc. There was Superman of Earth-1 & Superman of Earth-2, Flash of Earth-1 & Flash of Earth-2, etc., etc., etc. In order to simplify continuity and make things better, Crisis condensed all of that continuity into 1 universe and ret-conned major DC characters. After the Crisis mini-series was out, DC published "History of the DC Universe" which was actually the new reconfigured "history" from which the DC titles were launching. This new Crisis re-introduces that multi-verse in preparation of reshaping the DC universe yet again. I'd certainly recommend picking up the original Crisis series. Have fun.

But whether or not a full blown DCMultiverse returns is up in the air. I don't think it will . I think aspects will return and aspects of current Earth will go away but what do I know....

I have been more of a Marvel zombie for over 30 years, so I am not that knowledgable with the DC Universe. I read Superman/Batman on and off for years but that was about it until the new Crisis came along. Sounds like alot of confusion here! Should I get the original Crisis trade paperback to learn more?

I certainly think that will answer many of your questions for this Crisis. It'll open a slew of new ones for that Crisis, however.

Just follow crisis counseling and you'll get a lot of info
http://www.newsarama.com/forums/show...threadid=65992

I do have a question about the Multiverse. I don't remember reading Pre-crisis stuff but Iwanted to know how it was presented. Was there just an uinderstanding that what you were reading was on another Earth or did the issue specifically say it was somethign elses. You know what I mean? I hope I'm asking this right...

I'm not sure I get your question, but the general understanding was that most stories took place on Earth-1 (the "modern day' earth). Everyone seemed to know that the stories where the heroes were older was Earth-2, and generally, we would be told that either on the first page in narration, or something. I can't remember if Infinity Inc. said that every issue, but I think the little blurb on the first page, or first splash page, said that they were the sons/daugthers/proteges of the JSA, so everyone knew it was Earth-2, etc.

Does that help?

What Laertes said. The biggest use of the alternate dimensions, that I remember at least, was the yearly JLA/JSA team-up and they'd always explain what was going on at the beginning.

If there wasn't any interaction between a story and the "real" DCU, it usually wasn't mentioned. The original Shazam! series never said that it took place in a different dimension, they just didn't mention everyone else. When the JLA went there for some reason, then they said "Oh yeah, these Fawcett characters live on Earth-?" (Was it Earth-S? I forget.)

It wasn't actually too confusing.

After the Multiverse concept was introduced, yeah, there was generally a little caption that would read something like, "The Daily Star? Lois Lane Kent? Never fear, brave reader, for this story takes place on Earth-Two, a world similar to that of "our" Superman, but occupying a different vibrational frequency", blah blah blah.

In titles like Infinity Inc. or All-Star Squadron, which mostly took place on Earth-2, they probably didn't do that as often.

A lot of the earlier (pre-70s) Multiverse stories are in the Crisis on Multiple Earths TPBs--you should check those out in your LCS/bookstore if you're interested.

Yeah, it was Earth-S. Earth-X had the Freedom Fighters (who actually left Earth-2 to go help fight the Nazis), etc.... I'm a DC/multiverse geek.

Ooooh, ok. Thanks guys. I've been on and off with comics since I was a kid but like I said I don't remember reading stories that mentoined this stuff.

Well IC just ended this past week and I read every issue and I am STILL wondering what the heck went down! I mean this crap is really confusing and this is suppose to shape the future for the DC Universe? Shape it in the form of crap or what? I am going to try Civil War at Marvel and see how that is..These 3.99 books BETTER be worth it in the future...