# Elseworlds
**Elseworlds** is a publication imprint of [DC Comics](https://www.edgepedia.org/dc-comics) for comic book stories set outside the company's main continuity, placing familiar heroes and villains in new times, places, and genres, such as a Victorian-era Batman hunting [Jack the Ripper](https://www.edgepedia.org/jack-the-ripper) or a Superman raised in the Soviet Union[1](https://www.dc.com/blog/2023/11/03/explaining-elseworlds-exploring-dc-s-extraordinary-imprint). Because the stories stand outside traditional continuity, readers need no prior knowledge of the [DC Universe](https://www.edgepedia.org/dc-universe) to follow them[1](https://www.dc.com/blog/2023/11/03/explaining-elseworlds-exploring-dc-s-extraordinary-imprint). The imprint ran from around 1989 until roughly 2005, was revived with a new lineup announced at New York Comic Con in October 2023, and has since expanded into an annual publishing program and a label for DC Studios media outside the main film universe[2](https://www.dc.com/blog/2023/10/10/nycc-2023-dc-announces-the-return-of-elseworlds-in-2024) • [3](https://boristheses.unibe.ch/1000/8/13hoppeler_s.pdf) • [4](https://www.dc.com/blog/2026-03-17/dc-expands-its-elseworlds-line-with-new-series-in-2026).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Publisher | DC Comics; an imprint for out-of-continuity stories featuring DC characters in new settings[1](https://www.dc.com/blog/2023/11/03/explaining-elseworlds-exploring-dc-s-extraordinary-imprint) |
| Origin story | *Batman: Gotham by Gaslight* (1989), Batman versus Jack the Ripper in Victorian Gotham; its success inspired the imprint, and reprints carried the Elseworlds label[1](https://www.dc.com/blog/2023/11/03/explaining-elseworlds-exploring-dc-s-extraordinary-imprint) |
| First logo comic | *Batman: Holy Terror* (1991), by Alan Brennert and Norm Breyfogle, with Bruce Wayne as a reverend in an alternate America[2](https://www.dc.com/blog/2023/10/10/nycc-2023-dc-announces-the-return-of-elseworlds-in-2024) |
| Landmark titles | *Kingdom Come*, *Superman: Red Son*, *Justice League: The Nail*, *Batman & Dracula: Red Rain*[2](https://www.dc.com/blog/2023/10/10/nycc-2023-dc-announces-the-return-of-elseworlds-in-2024) |
| Hiatus | Publication of Elseworlds storylines ended around 2005[3](https://boristheses.unibe.ch/1000/8/13hoppeler_s.pdf) |
| Revival | Announced at New York Comic Con, October 2023; new titles scheduled from 2024[2](https://www.dc.com/blog/2023/10/10/nycc-2023-dc-announces-the-return-of-elseworlds-in-2024) |
| Other media | DC Studios applies the Elseworlds label to projects outside its main shared universe; the Arrowverse used "Elseworlds" as the title of its 2018 crossover[1](https://www.dc.com/blog/2023/11/03/explaining-elseworlds-exploring-dc-s-extraordinary-imprint) |
## Concept
An Elseworlds story takes place outside DC's regular continuity, which frees writers and artists to change a character's era, location, or circumstances without affecting the main line of comics[1](https://www.dc.com/blog/2023/11/03/explaining-elseworlds-exploring-dc-s-extraordinary-imprint). DC itself notes that, technically, there is no difference between an Elseworlds story and any story set on another world in the DC multiverse; series such as *DCeased* and *Dark Knights of Steel* could have carried the imprint, and *Dark Knights of Steel* later returned under the revived Elseworlds line[1](https://www.dc.com/blog/2023/11/03/explaining-elseworlds-exploring-dc-s-extraordinary-imprint).
The format differs from Marvel's comparable *[What If](https://www.edgepedia.org/what-if-comics)...?* series in scope. *What If...?* typically bases a story on a single point of divergence from regular continuity, while most Elseworlds stories take place in entirely self-contained continuities whose only connection to canon is the presence of familiar DC characters[5](https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Elseworlds).
## Precursors: Imaginary Stories
DC experimented with out-of-continuity tales long before the imprint existed. The 1942 issue *Superman* #19 contained "Superman, Matinee Idol," a tongue-in-cheek story clearly not meant to be in continuity, and when it was reprinted in 1966's *Superman* #183 it was called DC's first "imaginary story"[1](https://www.dc.com/blog/2023/11/03/explaining-elseworlds-exploring-dc-s-extraordinary-imprint). Throughout the Silver Age, DC published Imaginary Stories that subjected heroes to unusual status quo changes, among them "The Amazing Story of Superman-Red and Superman-Blue" in 1963's *Superman* #162, in which Superman split into two heroes who solved most of his problems[1](https://www.dc.com/blog/2023/11/03/explaining-elseworlds-exploring-dc-s-extraordinary-imprint).
## History
**Origins, 1989 to 1991.** *Batman: Gotham by Gaslight*, a one-shot by Brian Augustyn and [Mike Mignola](https://www.edgepedia.org/mike-mignola) published in 1989, placed the Dark Knight in Victorian times against Jack the Ripper; its success inspired DC to create the Elseworlds imprint, and reprints of the story carried the label, which technically makes it the first Elseworlds title[1](https://www.dc.com/blog/2023/11/03/explaining-elseworlds-exploring-dc-s-extraordinary-imprint). DC's own imprint history places the establishment of Elseworlds in 1989[6](https://www.dc.com/blog/2026-01-26/black-labels-and-wild-storms-a-brief-history-of-dc-s-imprints), while the announcement of the revival dates the original line's establishment to 1991 with *Batman: Holy Terror* by Alan Brennert and Norm Breyfogle, the first comic to feature the Elseworlds logo[2](https://www.dc.com/blog/2023/10/10/nycc-2023-dc-announces-the-return-of-elseworlds-in-2024). For the next two decades, Elseworlds served as the host for stories featuring DC heroes in settings outside regular continuity[2](https://www.dc.com/blog/2023/10/10/nycc-2023-dc-announces-the-return-of-elseworlds-in-2024).
**The 1990s peak.** DC regularly published Elseworlds stories throughout the 1990s, and in 1994 every major superhero annual ran an Elseworlds tale for its respective hero[7](https://www.toonsmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Encyclopedia-of-Comic-Books-and-Graphic-Novels.pdf). The period produced the imprint's best-known works: *Kingdom Come* by [Mark Waid](https://www.edgepedia.org/mark-waid) and [Alex Ross](https://www.edgepedia.org/alex-ross), an alternate future of the DC Universe; *Batman & Dracula: Red Rain* by [Doug Moench](https://www.edgepedia.org/doug-moench) and Kelley Jones; *Superman: Red Son* by Mark Millar, Dave Johnson, and Kilian Plunkett, in which Superman's rocket lands in Soviet territory; and *Justice League: The Nail* by Alan Davis, in which one flat tire prevents the Kents from finding baby Kal-El, leaving a world without Superman[2](https://www.dc.com/blog/2023/10/10/nycc-2023-dc-announces-the-return-of-elseworlds-in-2024) • [1](https://www.dc.com/blog/2023/11/03/explaining-elseworlds-exploring-dc-s-extraordinary-imprint).
**Decline and hiatus.** The imprint sputtered to a halt by 2005, after a steady stream of titles from 2000 to 2004 that included *JLA: Age of Wonder*, *JLA: Another Nail*, and *Superman: Red Son*[7](https://www.toonsmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Encyclopedia-of-Comic-Books-and-Graphic-Novels.pdf). A scholarly history of comics continuity likewise records that around 2005 DC terminated the publication of Elseworlds storylines[3](https://boristheses.unibe.ch/1000/8/13hoppeler_s.pdf). The idea of alterity explored in these tales, however, became a staple of comics publishing more broadly[7](https://www.toonsmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Encyclopedia-of-Comic-Books-and-Graphic-Novels.pdf).
## The revival, 2023 onward
At New York Comic Con on October 12, 2023, DC announced the return of the Elseworlds line, with new titles scheduled to publish in 2024[2](https://www.dc.com/blog/2023/10/10/nycc-2023-dc-announces-the-return-of-elseworlds-in-2024). The first wave combined all-new series with sequels to current DC books that fit the out-of-continuity aesthetic[2](https://www.dc.com/blog/2023/10/10/nycc-2023-dc-announces-the-return-of-elseworlds-in-2024):
- *Gotham by Gaslight: The Kryptonian Age*, a 12-issue series by Andy Diggle and Leandro Fernandez, expanding the Victorian DC Universe with a 19th-century [Justice League](https://www.edgepedia.org/justice-league)[2](https://www.dc.com/blog/2023/10/10/nycc-2023-dc-announces-the-return-of-elseworlds-in-2024).
- *Batman the Barbarian*, a six-issue series written and drawn by Eisner Award-winner Greg Smallwood, retelling Batman's origin on a medieval Earth[2](https://www.dc.com/blog/2023/10/10/nycc-2023-dc-announces-the-return-of-elseworlds-in-2024).
- *Dark Knights of Steel: Allwinter*, a six-issue series by Jay Kristoff and Tirso Cons, a Norse-myth-inspired sequel set in [Tom Taylor](https://www.edgepedia.org/tom-taylor)'s *Dark Knights of Steel* fantasy world[2](https://www.dc.com/blog/2023/10/10/nycc-2023-dc-announces-the-return-of-elseworlds-in-2024).
- *Green Lantern: Dark*, a seven-issue series by Tate Brombal and Werther Dell'Edera, following a female [Green Lantern](https://www.edgepedia.org/green-lantern) on a post-apocalyptic Earth[2](https://www.dc.com/blog/2023/10/10/nycc-2023-dc-announces-the-return-of-elseworlds-in-2024).
- *Batman: Nightfire*, a six-issue series by Clay and Seth Mann[2](https://www.dc.com/blog/2023/10/10/nycc-2023-dc-announces-the-return-of-elseworlds-in-2024).
- *DC vs. Vampires: World War V*, a 12-issue sequel by Matthew Rosenberg and Otto Schmidt[2](https://www.dc.com/blog/2023/10/10/nycc-2023-dc-announces-the-return-of-elseworlds-in-2024).
DC executive editor Ben Abernathy framed the revival around the line's long role in DC publishing: "Out-of-continuity stories have always been a pillar of DC publishing, granting creators the ability to explore all the wild corners of the DC Universe"[2](https://www.dc.com/blog/2023/10/10/nycc-2023-dc-announces-the-return-of-elseworlds-in-2024).
**Expansion into 2026.** The line continued to grow. A March 2026 announcement unveiled the next wave: *Supergirl: Survive*, in which teenage Kara Zor-El and infant Kal-El are launched into a hostile universe as Krypton burns; *Superman: Father of Tomorrow*, written by Kenny Porter with art and covers by Danny Earls, launching May 27, in which Jor-El rather than his newborn son crash-lands in Kansas and becomes Earth's greatest protector; and *Dark Knights of Steel II*, the return of the fantasy epic[4](https://www.dc.com/blog/2026-03-17/dc-expands-its-elseworlds-line-with-new-series-in-2026). DC described the imprint as its signature line for Super Hero stories set outside the main DC Universe[4](https://www.dc.com/blog/2026-03-17/dc-expands-its-elseworlds-line-with-new-series-in-2026).
## Elseworlds beyond comics
The name has spread to other DC media. According to [DC Studios](https://www.edgepedia.org/dc-studios) co-CEOs [James Gunn](https://www.edgepedia.org/james-gunn) and [Peter Safran](https://www.edgepedia.org/peter-safran), any DC media project taking place outside their new shared universe will carry an Elseworlds label, helping viewers distinguish which stories belong to which continuity[1](https://www.dc.com/blog/2023/11/03/explaining-elseworlds-exploring-dc-s-extraordinary-imprint). The Arrowverse television franchise used "Elseworlds" as the title of its 2018 crossover event, in which psychiatrist John Deegan uses the Book of Destiny to rewrite reality; because that crossover is canon to the Arrowverse, it is not technically an Elseworlds story, though the title fits the reality-reshaping plot[1](https://www.dc.com/blog/2023/11/03/explaining-elseworlds-exploring-dc-s-extraordinary-imprint).
## Legacy
Several Elseworlds stories influenced DC's main continuity. Elements of *[The Golden Age](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-golden-age-comics)* by James Robinson and Paul Smith were incorporated into mainstream continuity after the story proved popular[1](https://www.dc.com/blog/2023/11/03/explaining-elseworlds-exploring-dc-s-extraordinary-imprint). *Gotham by Gaslight* spawned a sequel, *Batman: Master of the Future*, and a third entry, *Batman: Gotham by Gaslight – The Kryptonian Age*, and is regarded as one of the most impactful Elseworlds series even where its status as the best is debated[8](https://www.dc.com/blog/2024/06/13/dc-s-multiverse-atlas-six-exciting-elseworlds-stories). The imprint's approach, familiar characters reimagined in radically different contexts, has been described as having found widespread acceptance and become a staple of comics publishing[7](https://www.toonsmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Encyclopedia-of-Comic-Books-and-Graphic-Novels.pdf).
## References
1. [Joshua Lapin-Bertone (November 3, 2023). Explaining Elseworlds: Exploring DC's Extraordinary Imprint. DC.com.](https://www.dc.com/blog/2023/11/03/explaining-elseworlds-exploring-dc-s-extraordinary-imprint)
2. [DC Publicity (October 2023). NYCC 2023: DC announces the return of Elseworlds in 2024. DC.com.](https://www.dc.com/blog/2023/10/10/nycc-2023-dc-announces-the-return-of-elseworlds-in-2024)
3. [Continuity in Comic Books and Comic Book Continuity (dissertation, University of Bern).](https://boristheses.unibe.ch/1000/8/13hoppeler_s.pdf)
4. [DC Publicity (March 17, 2026). DC Expands Its ELSEWORLDS Line With New Series in 2026. DC.com.](https://www.dc.com/blog/2026-03-17/dc-expands-its-elseworlds-line-with-new-series-in-2026)
5. [Elseworlds, DC Database.](https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Elseworlds)
6. [Alex Jaffe (January 26, 2026). Black Labels and WildStorms: A Brief History of DC's Imprints. DC.com.](https://www.dc.com/blog/2026-01-26/black-labels-and-wild-storms-a-brief-history-of-dc-s-imprints)
7. [Encyclopedia of Comic Books and Graphic Novels.](https://www.toonsmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Encyclopedia-of-Comic-Books-and-Graphic-Novels.pdf)
8. [Joshua Lapin-Bertone (June 13, 2024). DC's Multiverse Atlas: Six Exciting Elseworlds Stories. DC.com.](https://www.dc.com/blog/2024/06/13/dc-s-multiverse-atlas-six-exciting-elseworlds-stories)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Literature and written works › Creative written works and worlds › Graphic, illustrated, and Asian-format fiction › Graphic novels › Graphic novels by publisher and imprint*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license