How do DC's New Golden Age and Dawn of the DCU intersect?

Justice Society of America #1 cover art (Image credit: DC)

DC is on the cusp of launching what appears to be two new editorial eras or initiatives, one of which - Geoff Johns's New Golden Age - begins November 8 with The New Golden Age #1 one-shot special, and spins out of the recently concluded Flashpoint Beyond limited series. This era also includes a new Justice Society of America series and Stargirl: The Lost Children limited series.

Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #7 cover (Image credit: DC)

The other, still somewhat mysterious Dawn of the DCU likely begins in earnest in February, following the December conclusion of Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths.

If you're a DC reader wondering how The New Golden Age and Dawn of the DCU overlap and/or intersect, the answer seems to be they don't. Although, with all things involving DC continuity, it's slightly more complicated than that.

While the New Golden Age #1 jumps around in time to various DC eras, including the 1940s and the far-flung future, the title of the special by Johns and artists Steve Lieber, Jerry Ordway, Diego Olortegui, and Mikel Janin refers to a period 18 years in the future of the DC Universe.

The New Golden Age #1 cover (Image credit: DC)

Justice Society of America #1 by Johns and Janin then opens 26 years in the future.

Stargirl: The Lost Children by Johns and Todd Nauck, which seems to deal head-on with the reintroduction of the retroactive Golden Age heroes the Thirteen into the DCU continuity, takes place in the present-day DCU.

But we said it was more complicated than that. As readers of DC's solicitations know, in the early issues of Justice Society of America, a JSA hero from 26 years in the future - the Huntress - returns to the present-day DC to interact with current Justice Society members to solve a time-spanning mystery surrounding the legacy team.

Justice Society of America #2 cover (Image credit: DC)

"The stories we’re telling span DC’s history from the 20th century to the 31st," Johns tells Newsarama. "Justice Society of America #1 will follow The New Golden Age #1’s lead and introduce a new generation of JSA members, centered around a new legacy character to join the team.

"Stargirl: The Lost Children will take a look at the first generation of sidekicks, what their legacies meant outside of their mentors, and who these new 'forgotten' teenage heroes are and how they vanished without a trace."

The New Golden Age #1 goes on sale November 8, Stargirl: The Lost Children goes on sale November 15, and Justice Society of America #1 goes on sale November 29.

The Justice Society of America is one of the best superhero teams of all time.

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I'm not just the Newsarama founder and editor-in-chief, I'm also a reader. And that reference is just a little bit older than the beginning of my Newsarama journey. I founded what would become the comic book news site in 1996, and except for a brief sojourn at Marvel Comics as its marketing and communications manager in 2003, I've been writing about new comic book titles, creative changes, and occasionally offering my perspective on important industry events and developments for the 25 years since. Despite many changes to Newsarama, my passion for the medium of comic books and the characters makes the last quarter-century (it's crazy to see that in writing) time spent doing what I love most.