Sounds like "What If" issues for marvel comics.

Or "Elseworlds" stories from DC.  The whole story is canon, though.  One of Flash's enemies went back in time and changed the past (or at least we're led to believe it's one of Flash's enemies).  Flash and some reluctant heroes (and villains) team up to make things right.  When the story ends, all of the Wildstorm comics (Wild C.A.T.s, Grifter, etc.), Static Shock, and Vertigo are all part of the regular DC Universe.  All of the stories reset with new origins for many of the characters.  A lot of the old history that's been built up since the 40's to today is simply......gone.  I don't even think Batman has ever even met Superman, now.

Crazy thing about DC and Marvel.  Sometimes, it seems like they copy each other.  When DC was having its "Identity Crisis", Marvel was dis-assembling the Avengers (two team shattering events where the villain turned out to be a good guy).  When DC was having Infinite Crisis, Marvel was having House of M (two reality shaping stories).  When Marvel was having a super-hero Civil War, DC was having Crisis of Conscience (where the public didn't trust superheroes--including Superman).  Batman and Captain America both "died" but were really sent back in time while their young partners took their place.  When Batman was having his "Knightfall", Daredevil was having his "Fall From Grace".I don't know what Fear Itself is about-nobody will tell me!--but I wonder if Marvel will be doing something similar.

Books have been selling bad for a fair few years but are we comapring them to early 90s numbers?

This steamlining of the Universe is why I never get the DCU, when I try to read some of it, I get lost in it's complicated history and characters. This whole Green Lantern rings thing lately just confuses things even more, what are there now? 50 characters in with different emotion based powers? Batman has 8 or other 'bat people'.

Issue comes from over exposure, like Wolverine, he's in Uncanny X-force, Avengers, X-men (newest series), Astonishing, his own title and Uncanny as main series. He's in a few minis too as well as guest appearences. This is too much and can't be maintained. Soon to have his own X-men book (which is grossly out of character I might add). He should be in 2, a team book and his own book, to create development of the character and not stall him into a role he's been in for years. But that's his character, the go to guy, the backup. He's always been happy with that role and being lead and really, even sadder, the best characterisation of him I've read is in Avengers. ... Basically, Schism is bullcrap in characterisations.

Books are too expensive at the moment. That's true and writers could do with being less bald and/or having a beard.

Fear Itself... not sure what it is about and I'm reading the dang thing, it's not easily defined like Siege was. An ancient Norse god has arisen and is causing fear by making people who the general populace feared anyway more scary by giving them giant hammers. I don't think it's that well thought out.