DC has redefined its universe once again with the advent of the DC Omniverse, and although Grant Morrison's name isn't on the comic where it debuted - it stands on the shoulders of giant building blocks such as 52, The Multiversity, and others in which Morrison (and others) set up the principles that would later be codified into this new iteration of the DCU.
When asked about the DC Omniverse now being the lynchpin of the entire DCU, Morrison says they're "all for it" and says it's been a long process that began (for them at least) when the writer themself surprisingly appeared in their own comic book, meeting their own lead character face-to-face in 1990's Animal Man #26.
"That sort of started with Animal Man back in the day. I've been chipping away at that rock for a long time, and I finally got to do it in a limited manner with the 52 series," Morrison tells Newsarama.
"But the aim was always to recreate the infinite multiverse, which has now become the Omniverse," the writer laughs. "Because it eats up everything else."
So what is the 'Omniverse'? Well, in DC nomenclature, 'universe' is for one universe, and 'multiverse' is for multiple universes, in the past limited to a set of 52 universes. The 'Omniverse' goes further, incorporating infinite universes and timelines across all DC continuity stretching from 1938's Action Comics #1 to the present day.
The 'Omniverse' was introduced in Dark Nights: Death Metal #7, and is in essence multiple multiverses, and where everything a DC character ever appeared in is connected with its own defined universe.
While the idea of a multiverse isn't just a DC invention, Morrison says that DC's comic books - even before Morrison's work there - have embraced the idea, or at least left room for different versions of characters to be later integrated into a multiverse.
"My dream was always to have that infinite canvas, and I think that's what DC is great for," Morrison explains. "It's always been good for the multiple Earth structure. There's always these alternate versions of characters, and there's nothing more exciting. There's the zombie Batman, any of those ridiculous flavors. There's just a kind of childlike thrill to it."
"I'm happy to see that they've embraced that moving forward and are expanding on it."
And if you think about it, with the advent of the 'Omniverse' even Grant Morrison - thanks to their appearance in Animal Man (and also in Doom Patrol) - is now part of DC Comics as a character as well. When will we get that comic book?
Confused about what DC is now? Here's the new DC Universe explained.
