Issue Description

After the INFINITE CRISIS and before One Year Later, the DCU spent a year without Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. A year in which those heroes were needed more than ever as the fate of the world hung in the balance. Who stood up in their absence? And who sat out? The story of DC's most eventful year ever can now be told as four of the hottest writers in comics - Grant Morrison, Geoff Johns, Greg Rucka, Mark Waid - deliver an unprecedented weekly tale of death, danger, romance, intergalactic terror and the never-ending, universal meaning of heroism. Joined by storyteller Keith Giffen and cover artist J.G. Jones, 52 features art for the first month by Joe Bennett, Ruy Jose, and Jack Jadson. Also, starting in Week #2: 'The History of the DC Universe,' a 10-part backup feature by Dan Jurgens and Art Thibert that takes you on a tour through the legendary past of the DCU. 52: A year without Superman; a year without Batman; a year without Wonder Woman...but not a year without heroes.

Week 2, Day 1:

Ralph Dibny goes to his wife's grave to find out what has been written on her tombstone. He meets with the groundskeeper, a young man who is a big fan of the Elongated Man. As Ralph tries to work through the mystery of why someone would mark Sue's grave, he reveals that he believes it's a message left especially for him, but does not know why.

Booster Gold has taken a malfunctioning Skeets to Will Magnus for repairs, but even the expert on tomorrowtech can't find any damage. When Skeets comes back online, it decides that its problems must be a glitch - or else someone is messing with the very fabric of time. When Booster Gold calls Magnus the world's foremost authority on android A.I., Magnus reveals that he isn't - but that this great scientist is in Haven for attempting to start a war between two parallel worlds.

Magnus travels to Haven to meet with the true authority, T.O. Morrow, who reveals that a number of scientists have disappeared. He believes that Doctor Sivana, I.Q., Doctors Death, Tyme and Cyclops have been rounded up and advises Magnus to watch his step before he too goes missing.

Week 2, Day 3:

The Question breaks into Renee Montoya's apartment and finds her in a rather compromising position with a girlfriend. Renee wakes up and tries to shoot the intruder, but he disappears, leaving only a cryptic note that reads: "520 Kane St." with his question mark signature.

Week 2, Day 4:

Booster Gold uses Skeets' historical record of disasters to further his superhero career. This time Skeets finds a falling jetliner, but it's coordinates are off. Booster manages to use the powers of his suit to stop the plane from crashing, and guides it to the ground, but a newspaper clipping shows another one of Skeets' glitches. While Booster managed to save Flight 2824, hundreds died on Flight 2428.

Renee goes to 520 Kane St. to see what the Question has in store for her. After a scuffle, Question offers Renee a job - $200 a day plus expenses to keep watch over the abandoned building at 520 Kane. Before Renee can ask any questions, Question disappears.

Week 23, Day 6:

Cassie Sandsmark (Wonder Girl) leads a live webcam ritual prayer in a shrine to Superboy. Cassie is confronted by an irate Ralph Dibny, who believes that she left the message on his wife's gravestone. Dibny discovered that the message, an upside down 'S' means "resurrection" in Kryptonian.

History of the DCU Part 1:

With Donna Troy as the narrator, the reader is lead through a short history of the pre-crisis DC Universe.

52 (2006)

Publisher

DC Comics

Volume Description

52 was a 52-part limited series, published weekly for one year, chronicling the events that take place during the missing year after the end of Infinite Crisis. None of the DC "Big Three" (Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman) are featured in costume in the pages of 52.

While DC had used the weekly format before, (most notably with Action Comics in April 1988), 52 was their first attempt to launch a new title as a weekly. Set in the time between the end of "Infinite Crisis" and the "One Year Later" story lines, 52 dealt with the events of the missing year - a year without Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, The title was masterminded by writers Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka and Mark Waid, with Keith Giffen producing art breakdowns. Its weekly publication meant several artists had to handle the art, starting with Joe Bennett on the first four issues. A massive saga, spanning the whole DC Universe (and beyond), 52 introduced several new heroes and villains, including a new Question and Batwoman, before the big reveal of a new multiversse of fifty two realities, each containing an alternate Earth.

The story had a huge impact on the DC Universe, affecting everything from Black Adam's World War III spin off, to Booster Gold's post - 52 reality - spanning adventures. It also led into countdown to final crisis and left the DC Universe a dramatically different place.

Issues #1-13 are collected in 52 Vol 1 TPBIssues #14-26 are collected in 52 Vol 2 TPBIssues #27-39 are collected in 52 Vol 3 TPBIssues #40-52 are collected in 52 Vol 4 TPB

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