Warning: contains spoilers for Infinite Frontier #0!
DC's version of the MCU's "Blip" has officially begun with Infinite Frontier. DC is changing how its universe works, but it has some consequences. After the events of Dark Nights: Death Metal, the DC Multiverse has been reformed as an Omniverse, where all previous stories have been returned to continuity. Characters that had previously died have returned, but instead of only readers being aware of returning, the characters know it too.
Avengers: Infinity War ended with Thanos snapping away half of the population of the universe. Then in Avengers: Endgame, the Avengers pulled off the "Time Heist" leading to an event known as the Blip. The half of the population that had disappeared returned five years later, though to them no time seemed to have passed. They were unaware of what happened, but nonetheless, they had been gone. Now, DC's characters are in a similar position. Some of them were killed or written out of their existence, and now they have suddenly been written back in. The difference is that they seem to know that they were in fact dead, unlike the people in the MCU.
Infinite Frontier #0, written by Joshua Williamson, James Tynion IV, and Scott Snyder, features a broad range of glimpses into the new lives of some of DC's biggest characters under the newest universe continuity change. One particular section, focused on Green Arrow and Black Canary - illustrated by Alex Maleev - raises a few questions about this universe going forward. Roy "Speedy" Harper, who was accidentally killed by Wally West in the Sanctuary explosion, has returned. This isn't an ordinary return of a hero, however. Typically, when heroes are brought back it is in a new series as a fresh start. They are given a new origin story, have their origin retold, or they just jump right into a new adventure - with only fans knowing that there is any kind of difference. This time is different and it fits moreso along the lines of the Reign of the Supermen! arc from 1993. Like Superman, Speedy knows that he was dead.
Speedy is noticeably disoriented, knowing he died and came back, but not knowing why. He is unable to bring himself to contact anyone and let them know of his return. This then leads to a few questions: will everyone who is returning know they were dead? Will having died make them live a different kind of life life? This could allow for some very compelling stories different from anything fans have read before. If a hero died, it may be possible to make them second guess their ability to keep fighting or to have romantic or platonic relationships with others. Also, how will their loved ones react to suddenly having them back, just to potentially lose them again if they keep living a hero's lifestyle? Hard questions will most likely be raised that will demand answers. Furthermore, what about villains?
Villains have reformed before, but in some arcs villains have been pushed to be more evil. The Joker initially appeared reformed in Batman: White Knight, but had previously killed Robin brutally in New 52 - and neither of these were the exact same Joker in the same universe. If a villain has died or experiences a kind of shift with the new universe, how might this Blip affect them? DC Love is a Battlefield #1 has shown that Harley and Poison Ivy potentially join forces with Batman, so redemption for villains isn't impossible. However, what if a villain were unsatisfied with how they went out and decided to do something worse to attain their goals? They could think that - having already died - they don't have anything more to lose. There is a lot of potential for DC's Blip to raise these questions and explore many other possibilities, which leaves fans truly not knowing exactly what to expect from this upcoming relaunch.