DC Comics hasn't had a good time when it comes to telling alternative universe stories with Marvel Comics telling their stories with Ultimate Marvel that had success like Ultimate Spider-Man Ultimate Fantastic Four Ultimates X-Men and Ultimates. Dc saw this and want to do something with their characters with ones like Batman Superman Wonder Woman Etc.
DC Want to give a try however with so many delays leadership creative control and issues being unmade they were at a difficult crossroads. Now i would have loved to see DC try to make an AU Take like Marvel did before, but they try with two tries but never got to where marvel did with ultimate marvel.
All Star (2005-2008)
All-StarAll-Star line first start with All-Star Superman written by Grant Morrison and Artwork done by Frank Quitely the series received positive feedback. That was the first attempt to tell a different take on the character itself and widely praised by fans and critics alike.
However the series would never have a sequel following the disasterous all star batman and robin written by frank miller and art by jim lee.
They were gonna do Jon Stewart Green Lantern Batgirl and Wonder Woman however never got off the ground only for them to be cancelled as Geoff Johns J. G Johns Adam Hughes Brian Azzarello Cliff Chiang were unable to work on them and busy on different series at the time. Leading for the series to be canceled and replace by another.
Earth One (2010-2020)
Just after The failure of all star line DC announced Earth One and the graphic novels that would be release in 2010 such as Superman Earth One Batman Earth one and released between October 2010 and July 2012 for the release date of the dark knight rises. The series featuring re-imagined and modernized versions of the company's superhero characters from the DC Universe. Those characters include Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and the Teen Titans, as well as others whose characteristics and origin stories are revised and altered to suit the 21st-century audience. Unlike the original DC Universe in comic books, the shared universe has yet to cross over its common plot elements, settings, and characters. The reality of Earth One is designated as Earth-1 as part of the DC Multiverse. Around that period Volume two of Superman Earth one was confirmed along with batman earth one's additional volumes back in October. Wonder Woman Earth One Volume One was in developed in the next couple of years between 2013-2016 Teen Titans Earth one was released back in November 2014 Superman earth one V3 was out in February 2015. While dc was trying to release them the creators behind the scenes took longer with making the series with delays like Batman Earth One v2 that was being postponed. Graphic Novels for Flash and Aquaman were yet to come out and being developed and written by Francis Manapul and J. Michael Straczynski who happened to write Superman Earth One series.
Teen Titans Earth One V2 was released between in April and August 2016 at that time Wonder Woman Earth One was released the too in 2016. Just as the series was thought to be done only to get revived in July 2017 that was Green Lantern Hal Jordan received his graphic novel that was released the next year in March 2018 before Wonder Woman Earth One Volume 2. Oddly enough Teen Titans Earth One felt like the reimagined of the x men or runaways. But Volume 3 was expected to be announced and later debut and get pushback because of Geoff Johns and Gary Frank's work on DC Rebirth and Doomsday Clock. Yet Volume 2 of Green Lantern Earth One was supposed to be release but got a delayed release for August 2020 while that Volume 3 of Batman and Wonder Woman Earth One were released between March 2021 and June 2021, in a pre-recording video from DCfandome, Jim lee dc current publisher and CCO told that more graphic novels are in development however with so many delays in January 2021 DC to cancelled Aquaman Earth One and Manapul left the company and the project was abandoned. So after Dc Earth one was having a hard time with it's Schedule that Jim Lee told that Dc are still publishing Earth One series being not a super regular schedule and because the creators were given enough time to tell their stories and when they finish the project they can expect to take them package the comics and deliver them. This was reason why they were trying to do original graphic novels and taking enough time to have them ready wanting to be selective that dc as producing and reach the widest audience.
Legacy
All Star and Dc Earth One had a lot of potential when they were telling stories and i did readed all star superman from grant morrison and out of continuity story where it takes inspiration from classic superman stories in the past and saying that it could be part of fran miller's all star batman and robin series which felt pretty odd and with jim lee busy on wildstorm series and other writers and publishers busy due to schedule conflicts that led the series to be replaced. As for DC Earth one series, i think that when looking back at DC Earth One series they were to be like Marvel's Ultimate Series that they miss the point that was due to the creators writers and artists who know how to tell a story write the characters and craft it together and given enough time to make them and have brought on creators who didn't know about the lore like Ultimate X men that Mark Millar had admit to it before and never reading a x men comic. Dc Earth One had trouble with their schedule and not getting other well known creators who know about the source materials and wouldn't have written themselves and getting it together. The series want to update and revised the stories in a modern story telling after Dc All Star line try to revamp the characters that they show Bruce Wayne being a inexperience in his first year as Batman. The Teen titans are no longer sidekick superheroes instead are subject experiments by S.T.A.R Labs and Lex Luthor is reimagined as a married couple rather than being just one man. With it's fair share of trying revamp and re-imagining of the characters it's ashame that their first attempt had it's ups and downs let's hope they can try again. Perhaps i'll read their stories and give out my thoughts on it.
