When Does "DC: The New Frontier" #2 "Strange Adventures" (2004) Take Place?
"DC: The New Frontier" #2 "Strange Adventures" is a superhero comic-book written by Darwyn Cooke and released February 18th, 2004.
It takes place on the fictional DC Comics Universe timeline in the year:
We know this because the first scene of "Gods and Monsters" (the fourth "chapter" of the series) introduces J'onn J'onzz, the Martian Manhunter, and a later scene includes some time and place setting free-floating text reading: "GOTHAM CITY- 1955". J'onn's internal monologue textboxes on the same page includes the phrase "For several weeks now" so, unless it's January, both this later scene and the opening scene take place in 1955 AD.
1955 AD - 1958 AD (or 1968 AD)
We know this because the first scene of "Gods and Monsters" (the fourth "chapter" of the series) introduces J'onn J'onzz, the Martian Manhunter, and a later scene includes some time and place setting free-floating text reading: "GOTHAM CITY- 1955". J'onn's internal monologue textboxes on the same page includes the phrase "For several weeks now" so, unless it's January, both this later scene and the opening scene take place in 1955 AD.
The second scene depicts the early years of American involvement in Vietnam (then part of what was called Indochina by the West) before a full war commitment was made so it must be between 1950 AD and 1965 AD.
Two pages skip through 1956 AD to 1957 AD with three time and place setting text bullets: "CENTRAL CITY- 1956", "RUSSIA- 1957", "WASHINGTON- 1957", and "GOTHAM CITY- 1957".
The second half of the issue makes up the story's fifth "chapter" ("Fun City") and, although there's no time setting text nor years mentioned by any characters this time, a dark-skinned boxer is present who the Las Vegas venue announcer only refers to as "Clay". This is clearly the world-famous twentieth century boxer Muhammad Ali as his birth name was Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. when he was born in 1942 AD. The announcer also clearly states that his championship-holding opponent is "38, he's 12 years older than the contender", making Ali 26 years old.
38 - 12 = 26.
&
1942 + 26 = 1968.
If Ali was born the same year in this universe, this chapter should take place in 1968 AD. HOWEVER, this throws off the chronological straight line of the entire comic-book series. Either Muhammad Ali was born earlier in the DC Universe or he has lied about his age to compete in this boxing match.
In a later scene implied to be the same night as the after-party of the boxing match, Hal Jordan is told he has a job interview set up for "next week". That job interview is depicted in the next issue, "DC: The New Frontier" #3 (2004), in an early scene that must take place before a later scene which dialogue places in 1958 AD.
This comic-book was retroactively collected into a "DC: The New Frontier" volume 1 paperback as well as a complete hardcover.
It is a chronologically midway comic in the DC Comics Universe multiverse timeline. It can be read after the previous issue, "DC: The New Frontier" #1 (2004) or after the "Justice League: The New Frontier Special" (2008) one-shot.
