Name it the sequel to the DC CW’s Crisis on Infinite Earths, if you happen to’d like. This week’s episode of HBO Max sequence Titans—titled “Dude, The place’s My Gar,” which each delights and enrages me—took Gar “Beast Boy” Logan (Ryan Potter) on a quick journey to the present DC multiverse, from live-action to animation to actual life, the final of which occurs to be the house of sensible comics creator Grant Morrison.
Slightly background: first, right here’s how Beast Boy obtained his glimpse of those numerous Earths. He’s been linked to the Pink, a multiversal pressure that connects all animal life collectively, precisely just like the Inexperienced does for all flowers (seen within the short-lived Swamp Factor TV sequence), and never in contrast to to the Flash’s Pace Power. As such, Gar is ready to enter into its primordial nexus between universe, and get glimpses of the opposite worlds on the market.
There, he finds a pleasant montage of varied DC properties, most of which additionally had been a part of the Disaster on Infinite Earths miniseries. The sequence kicked off with the Arrowverse’s Flash, however included glimpses of the aforementioned Swamp Factor TV sequence, the DCEU’s Shazam, Smallville’s Dr. Destiny, the Animal Man hero Freedom Beast (launched earlier in “Dude, The place’s My Gar”), and the Beast Boy from the Teen Titans Go! cartoon. Gar additionally hears voices from different universes, together with Pa Kent from the 1978 Superman film, Harley Quinn from her self-titled animated sequence, and never one however three Jokers—Jack Nicholson from Batman ‘89, Joaquin Phoenix from Joker, and Cesar Romero from the Sixties Batman TV sequence.
There are solely three universes that comprise distinctive footage, the primary being Gar’s encounter with the CW’s Stargirl, performed by Brec Bassinger, naturally. It’s high quality, however the second is an enchanting and intensely satisfying look from Grant Morrison, who has penned about one million superb comics and created the idea of the Pink for DC. What makes it infinitely higher is that Morrison stares at Beast Boy by means of the portal and says, “I can see you.” It is a reference to Morrison’s run on Animal Man, one among their earliest DC sequence, and a metatextual reference to a famed, metatextual scene the place the real-life Morrison additionally spied on a fictional creation and stated the identical line. Because the cherry on high, the sketchbook they’re holding accommodates a tough drawing of the DC multiverse they designed for his or her Multiversity comedian occasion sequence in 2014.
The ultimate cameo is probably the most confounding. As Beast Boy tells the Pink to return him to his household (that means his discovered household, the Titans), it as a substitute spits him out in Doom Manor, the place he’s found by the Doom Patrol TV sequence’ Cyborg (Joivan Wade). This might imply two issues, as a result of canonically, Titans and Doom Patrol happen in numerous universes, one thing additionally confirmed by the Disaster miniseries. That is even though the Doom Patrol first premiered in a season one episode of Titans, performed by the identical actors who later portrayed them of their TV sequence. This was defined away by saying these two universes simply have remarkably related groups… however Cyborg has by no means appeared on Titans, solely Doom Patrol. So does the Titans universe even have a doppelganger of Wade’s Vic Stone? Perhaps, as a result of this Vic acknowledges Beast Boy. However the Doom Patrol universe may have a remarkably related Beast Boy as nicely, which might clarify why this Cyborg is again in (or nonetheless in) his armor.
This thriller is made infinitely messier in that this week’s Titans episode additionally revealed that Niles Caulder, creator of the Doom Patrol in each realities, had been accountable for killing Gar’s dad and mom in his quest for immortality. And let’s not neglect that, within the Titans actuality not less than, Beast Boy was a member of Doom Patrol for a time. Do the showmakers have a plan that includes each universes? Is that this all going down within the Titans-verse? Or are they only taking part in quick and free with continuity as a result of it’s each sequence’ remaining seasons they usually wish to have enjoyable?
I wish to posit this state of affairs: who cares? Perhaps it’s only a little bit of enjoyable. Moreover, the whole lot of the present live-action DC multiverse is so near being finished. Titans solely has three extra episodes to go, and Doom Patrol is on its last legs. The Arrowverse formally ends when The Flash does, which additionally solely has three extra episodes to go. And everyone knows the DCEU has been flushed down the bathroom. It merely doesn’t matter what occurs to the canon of the present multiverse as a result of it’s dying as absolutely as if there’d been one other Disaster. And when it’s reborn, it’ll be overseen by James Gunn.
Need extra io9 information? Take a look at when to anticipate the most recent Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s subsequent for the DC Universe on film and TV, and every little thing it’s essential to find out about the way forward for Doctor Who.
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