Unfortunately, even with these alternate universes come boundaries. These boundaries are in the form of writers and artists. Whereas these people create the sagas and colorful worlds of our favorite heroes, they also assign the look, personality, interaction, and specific adventures of each storyline. This is the trade-off readers must endure because they are only reading the books.

Normally, readers are very satisfied with their role as spectator and critic because of the high quality art and stories which entertain and enthrall. Readers wait with anxious anticipation for the next installment of the serial. And when it comes, their "fix" is satisfied until the next issue. Of course there are many readers (including yours truly), creating their own storylines to help them through the waiting period.

Younger readers tend to possess less patience, therefore require an alternate means by with to deal with the drawn out process of serialized storytelling. While, generally, they live with minimal patience and attention spans (especially in this world of ten second sound bytes and instant communications, gratification, and information), today's youth must endure the old-fashioned method of monthly installments of a non-interactive entertainment medium. Fortunately, with youth comes an active imagination coupled with practically non-existent inhibitions. Role-playing enables the players to become one with their favorite reality. This not only helps pass the time until the next issue, but also immerses the participant in the world of superheroes. Naturally, the old is being replaced by the new, so the active role-playing games are giving way to more sedentary forms of play. This includes card based role-playing games and computer/video games. While these two modern forms of imaginary play help the reader continue to bond with his/her favorite universe, their basic make-up is the result of someone else's imagination. The participant is more interactive with the comic, but it is at another's rules. Older readers are probably pushing their limit in the inhibition department even with these choreographed games, but kids shouldn't have to rely on a programmer to create the environment in which playing takes place. The takeaway from this is if you lack inhibitions get out there and run around like a maniac pretending to be your favorite character (it does wonders for the body, mind and soul).

Getting back to the universes.... The very nature of comics eventually causes entropy, which can lead to anarchy if unchecked. As the years go by (our years, not the years for the comic universe), different writers have strikingly different ideas of how to handle "their" particular superhero. This results in disparities in the characters' personality and even his/her past. Initially, DC dealt with this problem through a multi-verse to combat this problem. Different versions of the same character could be explored through the different universes within DC. This multi-verse concept collapsed with the "Crisis on the Infinite Earth's" storyline. This story neatly (well, not neatly in all cases), folded all of the various realities into one DC universe. Some characters' origins changed while others disappeared completely. When it was all said and done, the DC universe that was left was the official continuity. Sure there were other stories, but they were termed "Elseworlds" and the like. While this straightened out the messiness of multiple universes and the confusion that accompanied them, "Crisis" also narrowed down the possibilities for the characters within the DC universe. One might call it a double-edged sword. Others may call it a necessary evil. But whatever the clich� an evil is still an evil. As time (our time) passed more and more, people were dissatisfied with the narrow "official continuity" slip-streams. One of the means DC used to let off a little steam was to launch the much applauded "Animated Batman" universe. It wasn't the "real" universe, but it was just as accepted.

Time passes (our time once again), and with the coming and passing of the "Kingdom," we see that the perception of the DC comic universe has come full circle. In other words, the multi-verse is back. There is no telling where this will lead. It may result in reader frustration due to confusing tales bounding from one universe to another thus leading back full circle to where the multi-verses collapse back into one "official" reality. Until the Big Crunch of the DC multi-verses occurs there will surely be many new stories of varying versions of villains and heroes that will thrill and entertain readers for quite some time to come. This reader is very happy that now Carrie Kelly is just as real as Dick Grayson.