It’s sad to say it, butDC Comicshas let one of the best characters it has introduced in the last few years just slip away before they could reach their potential. It’s not the first time a hero has died before their time, but this loss is tragic, even years later.
DC Comics' “Rebirth” era was a period of optimism and hype, even after the universe was hit hard by the events ofDark Nights: Metal. If anything, that event was a boon, as it introduced a new line of characters and teams, includingone character that DC Comicshas unfortunately forgotten all about.
Sideways Was DC Comics' Best New Character Post-Metal
Introduced as Part of DC’s “New Age of DC Heroes”
AfterDark Nights: Metal, DC Comics began a new line of comics as part of its “New Age of DC Heroes” branding. These new stories followed up on the events ofMetal, many dealing with the fallout ofthe Dark Multiverse’s invasionof the DC Universe. Some books followed familiar characters, such as the Terrifics, a new team composed of Mr. Terrific, Plastic Man, Metamorpho, and Phantom Girl, or a revampedChallengers of the Unknownbook. But other titles focused oncompletely new heroes, likeThe Silencer,Damage, andSideways.
Sidewayshas been collected in the trade paperback collectionsSideways Vol. 1: Steppin' OutandSideways Vol. 2: Rifts and Revelations.
Sideways centered around a young man named Derek James, a Gotham resident, who was one of the victims when the city was torn apart by earthquakes. Derek fell into a rift that turned him into a metahuman and gave him the powers to create portals (or ‘rifts’) that allowed him to travel anywhere in the multiverse. After adapting to his new abilities, Derek had a friend create a costume for him and began his career as a hero using the name Sideways. However,Sideways' new hero life was hampered by family drama and cosmic disturbances.
…Sideways helped root out other aberrations in the universe caused by the Dark Multiverse’s invasion.
Working alongside the mysterious Tempus Fuginaut, Sideways helped root out other aberrations in the universe caused by the Dark Multiverse’s invasion. At the same time, wealthy CEO and scientist Leto Dominus took an interest in Sideways, hoping to harness the dark energy that gives him his powers to further her business interests. However,Sideways’ adventure came to a close when the series was canceled, ending the young hero’s first and only run at 13 issues (with one annual that was co-written by Grant Morrison).
Why Didn’t DC Comics Try to Do More with Sideways?
Sideways is a Young Hero Going to Waste in DC Canon
The sudden ending ofSidewaysisn’t that much of a surprise as the entire New Age of DC Heroes line was a commercial failure. Most books that carried the branding ended with relatively short runs. The only title that received support well after the line was dead wasThe Terrifics, which managed to last 30 issues (along with one annual). It’s hard to say why the imprint failed at large, though it certainly didn’t help that many of the titles appeared to be modeled after Marvel heroes (Sideways, in particular, has been noted for his similarities to Spider-Man).
…aside from these appearances, Sideways has nothing going on.
To DC Comics' credit, it didn’t completely throw Sideways away or try to pretend he never existed. Derek later popped up as a member of Young Justice, and was instrumental in bringing back a displaced Conner Kent back home to the Prime Universe. Sideways also appeared inDark Crisis on Infinite Earthsand helped save Black Adam from Pariah’s Dark Army when it came to claim the members of the Legion of Doom.Sideways also became allies with Red Canary duringLazarus Planetand helped her fight an army of living statues.
you may see the most recent Sideways appearance in Lazarus Planet: Next Evolution (2023).
But aside from these appearances, Sideways has nothing going on. He’s not part of a team, and he hasn’t had a solo story in years. He’s basically been relegated to making cameos, but even then, as time goes on, those moments where he pops up are becoming fewer and fewer. To be fair, there’s only so many characters DC Comics can spotlight at a time and there are heroes who haven’t had a book much longer than Sideways. But with everything going on in the DC All In era,now’s the best time for Sideways to make his grand return.
DC All In Was Made for Heroes Like Sideways
What Other Hero is Suited to Multiversal Problems?
One of the best parts of the current DC All In era is that DC Comics has made it clear that it wants to promote a wider range of characters, not just the big-name ones. It’s put out or announced new series and miniseries for characters like the Question, Batgirl, Metamorpho, and even Two-Face. This is an era where DC Comics is clearly willing to take more risks, so why not give another shot to a character that remains one of the most popular parts of a lineintended to bring new DC Comics characters to readers?
There’s so much that hasn’t been explored, like Sideways interacting with other Gotham-based heroes…
Not to mention, DC All In has been emphasizing broad, cohesive storytelling and at the center of it all is the multiverse. The Prime DC Universe’s neighboring Earths have been sealed away and the only world it can make contact with is the dire new Absolute Universe. Booster Gold’s already been lost trying to make contact with the new world and Darkseid is no doubt planning something awful with his twisted experiment.What the DC heroes need right now is someone experienced with multiversal travelwho isn’t afraid to go up against powerful, cosmic threats. Someone like Sideways.
Don’t forget to read theDC All In Special #1 (2024)to see Darkseid’s creation of the Absolute Universe!
DC Comics wants fans to know that it intends to honor as much of its characters as possible with its new initiative. That’s great to hear, but what would really sell that idea is by giving another chance to Sideways. There’s so much that hasn’t been explored, like Sideways interacting with other Gotham-based heroes or Derek’s antagonistic relationship with Leto Dominus (who’d make a wonderful ‘Green Goblin’ to Sideways' ‘Spider-Man’). Sideways has spent too much time on the sidelines andDC Comics should absolutely bring him back for the All In era.
Don’t Let a Good Idea Like Sideways Fall to the Wayside of History
A Second Chance Could Be Just What Sideways Needs
Maybe the New Age of DC Heroes wasn’t the right time to introduce Sideways, but that doesn’t make him a bad concept. Not every idea is appreciated when it first debuts, but years after his initial run, readers have discovered and gravitated to Sideways. It does a real disservice to the fans and the character to only keep him around for group shots. With so many stories emphasizing the multiverse, a character like Sideways could wind up becoming just as important a character as Spider-Man and theDC Universewould be a whole lot better with him around again.
