The Fractured Tabula Rosa: The Continual Cycle of Reboot and Retroactive Continuity of the DC Universe

A recuring conversation in comic book discourse is the notion of continuity, and especially the reboot. While the concept of the reboot implies a blank slate with no back story, does the reboot still stand if the previous slate becomes retroactive continuity? In this paper, I will be looking into the theoretical framework of both reboot narratives and retroactive continuity to explore the DC Comics Crisis events and the perspective of the characters. Primarily, the work of William Proctor, Douglas Wolk and Daniel Stein will be examined, specifically in the context of DC Comics Continuity. Infinite Crisis and the Rebirth initiative will both be examined to determine whether the DC continuity has every truly been rebooted. Is there such a thing as a fresh start within the DC Universe?