The Future of the Justice Leagues? What I’d Do With The Teams Following Forever Evil (WARNING – SPOILERS FOR TRINITY WAR)

So it’s been a while since I talked about what I’d do with the New 52 given certain situations, but this one just kinda hit me now. As most of us know, following Trinity War, there’ll be a massive event called Forever Evil. According to solicits for DC Comics in September and October, the Trinity War will end with the “deaths” of the Justice League, Justice League of America, and Justice League Dark, along with nearly all of their members, with the Secret Society of Evil going on a rampage and taking over the world in the absence of the world’s greatest heroes. Now of course, we can kinda gather that this’ll likely turn out to be a ruse of some sort by the Justice Leagues to take down the villains all at once, or that they’re simply put out of commission temporarily and find a way to return to action. Still, it makes one wonder what exactly will be the shape of these three teams following the event.

My personal vote, if it had any meaning whatsoever? I’d say have the Leagues come together to be three distinct teams of a single Justice League. They would continue working as they have been, with the Justice League operating as the #1 response team to the biggest threats to the world, the JLA as the government controlled team, and the JLD as the response team to supernatural threats, but they would also be actively assisting each other wherever possible. Heck, they could even change-up certain members, even add a couple to their ranks, then form a sort of counsel of one or two members from each team to form a leadership role for the group on a whole.

So who would I move where? Well, for starters, I think I’d move Zatanna back to the JLD for the purpose of being its team leader (because I can’t frakking stand Constantine), possibly bring Element Woman with her, bring Amethyst back to the team, and if it turns out that Doctor Light is still alive, I’d move him there too. Also, if he isn’t already, I’d make Swamp Thing a full member. I’d probably swap Cyborg and Martian Manhunter between the teams, as well as Firestorm and The Atom (remember, The Atom is a spy from the JLA right now). Finally, provided she can get away from the DOA, I’d put Batwoman on the JLA, maybe bringing along Goldrush, and I’d finally bring back Hal Jordan to the Justice League, have Shazam stay on the team, and possibly bring Vixen to the team.

I swear to God, DC, if you kill Dick Grayson…

So, with all that said, the teams would look like this…

Justice League

Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Hal Jordan, The Flash, Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, The Atom, Shazam, and Vixen

Justice League of America

Steve Trevor, Green Arrow, Katana, Hawkman, Catwoman, Vibe, Simon Baz, Cyborg, Stargirl, Firestorm, and Goldrush

Justice League Dark

Zatanna, Constantine, Frankenstein, Deadman, Madame Xanadu, Swamp Thing, Doctor Light, Element Woman, and Amethyst

…Anyway, that’s just my thoughts. Lemme know what you think below, and I will see y’all next time. Ja né!

Related articles

• Justice League of America Issue 6 (nerdsynq.wordpress.com)
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• Sdcc ’13: Dc Wages Comic-con’s “Trinity War” (drhiphop85.com)
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What I’d Do With The New 52 – Part 06: My First 52 Titles (27 – 39)

Well, here I am again, talking about what I’d do with the New 52. I’ve already gone through the first half of the books I’d have made, though I would like to make the additional note with Catwoman to restore her knowledge of Batman’s identity as Bruce Wayne. Also, I feel the need to remind that while I obviously don’t buy every book in the New 52, I have done my homework on a lot of the books and the back-stories for the characters featured in them, mostly out of curiosity. That outta the way, let’s go over the second half, and here is probably where things get interesting…

Seriously, why in the hell isn’t there a Blue Lantern Corps book? Oh sure, we do get plenty of moments of Saint Walker being a badass, but I don’t really consider that a big enough presence. Also, something that’s been bugging me about the Corps for some time now: Why is it that the Corps with the ring that can negate the effects of the Red, Yellow, and Orange rings only has like a handful of members, not one of which are from Earth (unless you count Kyle Rayner)? I’m just saying, there are plenty of characters they could introduce as members of the Corps, or pre-existing characters who could become Blue Lanterns. Heck, I was actually thinking the other day that if Simon Baz feels repetitive to fans as a Green Lantern (possessing a lot of the same traits as the other Earth-born Lanterns), why not change it up and have him join the Blue Lantern Corps after Wrath of the First Lantern is over? As for what I’d bump out for it, probably I, Vampire. Sorry to fans of that book, but I had to pick something.

And speaking of blue, Blue Beetle…Ugh, where do I start with this thing? I don’t like what they did with Jaime’s not knowing his identity in the relaunch. I don’t like that the Scarab is constantly trying to control him instead of them being equal partners, and is constantly trying to kill people. And frankly, I HATE that scene where Jaime hits Brenda and then aims his cannon at her as a way to trick the enemy. It’s no frigging wonder this book was cancelled with all that said. Also, since he’s a teen, I’d probably occasionally have him cross paths with the Titans, and possibly this next guy…or guys, rather…

First off for Fury of Firestorm (dammit, I love alliteration, lol), I’d take out the obvious racial overtones that appeared in the early issues between Ronnie and Jay, instead going the route of comedic hi-jinx for their lack of getting along. Also, I’d probably go the route of them needing to merge into the singular Firestorm from the get-go…I get the feeling these choices are influenced by my love of Kamen Rider W. lol Oh, and I’d also make the villains a bit less Die Hard rejects in how unnecessarily violent they make the book.

Yep, I’d bring back New Gods. Who would I have star in it? Why, Mister Miracle and Big fucking Barda, fighting the forces of Darkseid from behind enemy lines while keeping contact with the Justice League. I’d probably get Orion involved on occasion, too, though obviously better written than he’s gotten as of late in Wonder Woman, and would later have a crossover with Earth 2 for when they show up there. I’d probably cancel Men of War, since it kinda got lost in the shuffle of things, and I just think a Mister Miracle/Big Barda book would be too awesome to leave out is all.

Not much I would change with Green Lantern: New Guardians, except putting even more emphasis on the varying characters who appear. Also, since the book is called New Guardians, I likely would not be able to resist putting Snowflame in an issue. Likely the very first one, where it would show him in battle with Kyle Rayner on Earth or instead of the scene with the crane.

Same thing with Green Lantern Corps, can’t say as I’d change anything.

Hawk and Dove, how many different ways can I say “NO ROB LIEFELD!!!”? Also, I’d probably make Hawk a little less of a psycho, and eventually added as agents of the Birds of Prey.

Even IF I wanted to change something with Demon Knights, I still wouldn’t. Why? Well, it’s very simple: It’s because Linkara would hunt me down and put a magic gun bolt in my skull. lol

One thing I’ve realised is a major contributor to the problems with Batman Incorporated was that the new volume for the New 52 started in May of 2012, a full 8 months after the relaunch occurred. If the book had those 8 months, they could’ve done so much more. They could’ve shown more of Knight and Squire, so that Cyril’s eventual death has more impact than just a shock death to show the Fatherless was ‘fo serious, yo’, and to elevate Beryl. We could’ve seen some of the changes occurring within the group, like Dick Grayson’s decision to become Nightwing again, or David Zavimbe’s changing role in the group (since I elected to have the stuff with Luke Fox in Batwing from the beginning), and what he did otherwise. We could’ve seen stuff with Black Bat, the Outsiders, Renée Montoya, and so many others. Hell, they could’ve shown more of Ra’s al Ghul, since he initially disappeared in #2 and didn’t show up again until recently. And yes, I know that apparently Chris Burnham and a few others are going to be doing up a special for Batman Incorporated after it’s done to show more of what the characters were doing and will be doing, but it still feels like we could’ve had more. Oh, and above all else, I’d want to make sure there was more FRAKKING CONSISTENCY between this book and the other books featuring the characters in it. As for what I’d knock off to make room, I’m gonna go with Grifter and instead have that character appear in Secret Six.

Meh, can’t say as I’d change much with Red Lanterns, except that I’d probably call the book Red Lantern Corps. And now for the last three of this group of books…

…I hate the Phantom Stranger’s book so much in its current state. And frankly, I don’t understand why it started a full year after the relaunch, and why Pandora’s book is only starting next month. And frankly, there’s a lot that could be done with a trinity of books for the Trinity of Sin (as opposed to two and leaving The Question out in the cold) being released at the beginning. What specifically? Well, here’s an idea: TELL US HOW THE ALTERATION TO HISTORY WORKED! How did Pandora do it, what was changed as a result, what stayed the same, how did some things stay the same when other things changed, all these questions that people have asked since the reboot was first announced that we’re still waiting on answers for. And who better to help us discover these things than The Question? Plus, we could see and learn more about the Trinity of Sin, what they did to deserve their punishments, how they’re coping, what they’re doing to try and atone for their misdeeds. And hell, it would’ve served as much better build up toward the eventual Trinity War than we’ve gotten so far. As for what I’d cancel, I’d have to go with O.M.A.C., Captain Atom, and Static Shock, instead moving the first two to Justice League International and Static Shock to Teen Titans.

…So yeah, 39 books down, 13 to go. Check out next time when I FINALLY put the lid on this sucker. Ja né!

What I’d Do With The New 52 Part 05: My First 52 Titles (14 – 26)

I’m back again, and here to talk about the next 13 issues of what I would have planned for the New 52 if I were in charge of it. And for people wondering why the first 13 issues were so similar to what was actually done, basically I wanted to get them out of the way first. Also, just as a note, for The Flash, probably what I’d do if Barry and Wally were both in it is have Barry wear a modified version of his Blue Lantern Flash outfit, just to keep them unique in style and also to make the red on the Justice League a little lessened with Barry on there. So with that said, let’s kick this off with…

Sorry to fans of Suicide Squad, but I just feel that keeping the Secret Six around under the penning of Gail Simone would make a much better villain’s book, so I’d replace Suicide Squad with this. Would probably involve most of the previous team getting out of jail, though I’d likely sub out Bane for Harley Quinn or Giganta or somebody like that and make Scandal the leader. Maybe not right away, but pretty soon to give way for what happens later on in Talon. But speaking of Gail Simone, let’s talk about a couple other books she’s helmed…

Pretty much the same as Batgirl was originally (dammit, still need to review The Darkest Reflection), save for a few things. Yeah, what a shocker, I’d want Stephanie Brown in once or twice as a recurring character. Sorry, I just love Steph as a character so much, and her team with Barbara was amazing, and seeing the two working together would be incredible. Maybe even get Black Bat in on the fun. The other thing (again, what a shock), I WOULDN’T FIRE HER. lol

Okay, clearly I can’t have her writing 4 books at once, but I would definitely want whoever was writing Birds of Prey to have her input and whatnot. With Birds of Prey, there’s a couple of things I’d want changed. First off, put Huntress back on. There is no reason she can’t at least be a loosely affiliated member of the team. Second, PUSH THE F’ING BUTTON ON THE KURT LANCE SIDEPLOT! We are now 19 issues in, and they’re still doing this! Third, I’d probably want Goldrush on there at some point so we at least know something about her before she appears in Justice League.

Okay, once again, I need to stress that I’m not saying that the Justice League Dark we got sucked. I would never say that, This is just what I would do with the team, and what I would do can be summed up in one word: Raven. Basically, Madame Xanadu senses that Trigon is back and causing all kinds of paranormal havoc while trying to reach through dimensions, so she calls Raven, Constantine, Zatanna, Deadman, and a few others, possibly even Elongated Man since he’s a ghost detective. And speaking of Justice Leagues…

Really, the only thing I’d change with Justice League International is that I probably wouldn’t have as much of a rotating door roster on the group. That really bugged me how at the halfway point, half the team either died, got de-powered, or otherwise left the group.

Frak no, I ain’t changing anything with Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E.! And if you need to know why, look no further than Issue 3, where Frankenstein jumps into a giant spider monster’s mouth and does THIS!

‘Nuff said, moving on…

Again, wouldn’t change much about Animal Man, except I wouldn’t kill the kid and thus possibly separating the family, I would’ve likely wanted to involve Beast Boy at some point, and I would’ve wasted a lot less time getting to the crossover with Swamp Thing.

…Leave me alone, that was the best logo for Spoiler I could find. lol Anyway, I’d naturally want Bryan Q. Miller on this book, and basically have it continue from where his Batgirl run left off, with Steph becoming Spoiler again and continuing her operations along with Proxy. I imagine her attire would be similar to the Nightwing attire we saw in the last issue, except with her usual hair instead of the buzzcut. As for what I’d replace, probably Batman: The Dark Knight.

Well, this is where fans of David Zavimbe and the original arc of Batwing are gonna kill me, but I think I’d want to start off with the Luke Fox arc. Sorry guys, I just like what they’re doing here more, and I’ll hopefully be able to explain why tomorrow after Free Comic Book Day.

Not really anything I’d change plot wise with Supergirl, but…Well, I guess I’d just wanna change the costume. Maybe something akin to this…

…except that the pants would have to blend in better with the costume.

…Yes, believe it or not, I WOULD have Red Hood and the Outlaws be around. I would do a few changes, though: I’d have Lian be brought back, I’d have Chesire on the team, I would have Starfire NOT be a skank and instead just be an amnesiac, and I think I’d add Scarlet (because I otherwise have no idea what happened to her with the reboot) and a couple of anti-heroes and/or d-list villains to balance the team out.

Again, like with Batwing, I’d want to start Green Arrow off with the current arc by Jeff Lemire. While I don’t buy it since I’m not a big Green Arrow fan, I have read it in the stands, and trust me, it’s a LOT better.

Believe it or not, I would want Worlds’ Finest writer Paul Levitz to write Catwoman, pretty much as she acted in Worlds’ Finest #0. Why? Because she actually ACTED like Catwoman! I am so SICK of how Catwoman’s been in her book. I know I said that since they changed writers that it got better, but since then, it got WORSE. Want a good example of it? Check out Catwoman #18. That ONE issue is the best example I can give on what’s wrong with the book.

And that’s half the books down already. Next time, I’ll talk books 27 – 39, but tomorrow, I attend Free Comic Book Day at GameZilla! See y’all there!

What I’d Do With The New 52 – Part 04: My First 52 Titles (1 – 13)

So I’ve talked big on what I would do with the New 52 for some time now, so I think now’s a good enough time to talk about what I would do with the New 52 if I was in charge from the beginning. Now keep in mind, this is not me saying that my line-up is so superior to the current or anything like that. If you prefer the current line-up, that’s awesome. I’m simply voicing what I personally would have set-up for the initial 52 titles of DC’s relaunch. And if I feel that something worked better as it originally was, I’ll just say so and leave it as is. So, let’s start off with titles 1-13 (in no real solid order), and seeing as how it’s how I started this long-winded rant, let’s start off with…

You remember how I said that I didn’t take issue with Barry Allen? Yeah, that was a while ago, and since then, he has pretty much bored me to tears. In short, I’d either bring back Wally West as the one and only Flash, or have him and Barry work together as a team. Otherwise, as far as the actual plot is concerned, while I understand the need to build everything up for new readers, I think the story could’ve stood to be sped up.

Oh boy, where do I start? First off, I think I’d have the Daily Planet instead becoming an online newsletter type of company, instead of going out of business and being bought out because newspapers are dying. Second, if editorial mandate was responsible for Clark Kent and Lois Lane not being married or even in a relationship anymore, what I would’ve done is at least have her be his closest friend, know the truth of his identity, and be his supporter while he’s Superman. Also, I would try to have a few stories be less about smacking you about the face with the fact that Superman is an alien, and frankly just have Superman be a little more…nice, I guess? lol

Pretty much leave it as is. Really, the only thing I’d change is elements that were carried over from other books, so I’ll just address them there…which I might as well cover now.

PUT HIM BACK IN BLUE! No, I refuse to let this go! I am sick of all the frakking red these days. There was no reason to put Nightwing in red other than to make him seem edgy or some bullcrap like that. But other than that, I don’t really have much issue with the story, other than that the filler stuff we got in between Night of the Owls and Death of the Family seemed somewhat lacklustre, and while I like the character a lot, I still don’t think it’s a good idea to have Sonia Branch be his love interest.

I would’ve done more to make Batman and Robin feature equally in this book, and it would’ve been nice to see Dick Grayson and Damian have a sit-down talk before Damian teams with his father full-time, but otherwise, I’d leave Batman and Robin as is.

First off, not a fan that the canon of Teen Titans prior to this was completely and utterly erased. Alterations would of course need to be made, but otherwise the existence of the team did not need to be wiped away. Also, I would change the colour-scheme of this team. Maybe make Bunker purple and green instead of purple and red, put Wonder Girl back in her blue jeans, and I’d bring Jackson Hyde as Aqualad in, though maybe have him take on a more sea-green colour-scheme simply because THE TEAM NEEDS MORE COLOUR. Finally, The Culling? *makes throat-slit motion*

Oh, hell no, I ain’t changin’ nothin’. This was actually a situation where DC did the smart thing by not resetting Green Lantern, ‘cuz my goodness, could you imagine if they did after the last thing to happen before the relaunch? Fans would have risen up and slain them.

Again, I don’t really mind the story that was being told with Aquaman at all, but there is one thing that got kind of vexing. You know how people have made jokes for YEARS that Aquaman was useless and whatnot, leading to this book basically being the idiot’s guide to why that opinion was stupid? While I’m in favour of that, the joke kinda played itself out for WAY too long. Like, first issue of the Throne of Atlantis story arc in Justice League, and the people in the story are still making Aquaman jokes. But otherwise, the stories are just fine and work great for the character.

I’m sorry, I know I don’t shut up about this, but dammit, there is no reason Cyborg should be the only member of the Justice League who can’t get his own book. There’s plenty of ways to make it interesting, plenty of villains who could work as antagonists to him. Heck, they could even do build up toward Throne of Atlantis where we see Cyborg meeting with the heroes who form The Grid. As for what I’d replace, probably Deathstroke. Sorry guys, but there’s a reason Deathstroke is getting cancelled. Still, I suppose he could work as a great villain in this book.

Two words: Gail Simone. Even if the story of turning Wonder Woman into the daughter of Zeus and the horrific changes to the Amazons were forced and HAD to be done, Gail could make it work. I think the only bomb on her record is Fury of Firestorm, and she was only co-writing that book. Otherwise, while I don’t mind turning Wonder Woman into Zeus’ daughter all THAT much, the changes to the Amazons were too much and I would fight that to the death if I had to in order to keep it from changing.

Not much I’d change about the first arc, it’s okay. My main gripes with Justice League that I’d change are the Superman/Wonder Woman pairing, the Shazam back-up, and maybe some dialogue choices during The Villain’s Journey. In particular, one thing that annoys me to no end is how in Justice League #7, Batman tells Steve Trevor to shut down the Justice League International, that it was an embarrassment…even though he was one of the founding members of it, and respected the hell out of what Booster Gold was trying to do with his rag-tag team. Consistent continuity, please?

Okay, I get why the first arc focused on Superman’s early days, but after that, they didn’t really HAVE to have it continue to be a Superman solo book. Not that Superman couldn’t be in it or have stories in it, but I think from that point, they could’ve done stories with other characters in rotation. For example, since the first arc, has anyone seen Steel? Or heck, has Livewire even appeared since the reboot? You could do a whole arc focusing on the Supermen of America, and I would.

Pretty much the same thing here, though I’d replace the Batman part with whoever was highlighting the book at any given time. For example, there’s plenty they could do with Red Robin in a solo book. Or perhaps they could do a story where various members of Batman Incorporated have to work together WITHOUT Bruce to lead them because he’s otherwise occupied. Gates of Gotham did that, and it was pretty damned good.

So yeah, as you can see, I didn’t really change all that much with the first 13 books, though I did introduce a new one and axe an old one. Trust me, though, there’s plenty more I plan to change as time goes by, so I will see you all here next time when I look at the next 13 books I’d do for the New 52. Ja né!

What I’d Do With New 52 – Part 03: The Current Characters

Okay, these are just touching on a few characters already present in The New 52 that need some tweaking. And since I’ve already gone to great lengths talking about what’s wrong or what I’d change about them, no Red Hood, Starfire, Power Girl, or Superman here. So let’s begin with a character that has had some serious downs as of late, Wonder Woman.

Wonder Woman

Problem: Okay, as I mentioned before, I like how Wonder Woman’s new incarnation worked in Justice League: Origin. It’s not the greatest interpretation of Wonder Woman ever by far, I personally would suggest that honour goes to Gail Simone‘s. However, I should note that I don’t read her solo title, where her origins have been retconned so that she’s actually Zeus‘ bastard and the Amazons were made into pirates and rapists. I honestly didn’t think anything could ruin Diana‘s mythos anymore than Amazons Attack, but there ya go. Also, since Origin, Wonder Woman has gotten into a relationship with Superman. And honestly, I wouldn’t mind that so much, if not for the fact that they way they’re writing her now has her being just Superman’s girlfriend, and that is WRONG.

Solution: Well first off, I wouldn’t make the changes to Wonder Woman’s or the Amazons’ backstories. It just raises too many questions. However, even with the changes in place, one thing I’d do is that I’d put Gail Simone back on as writer for Wonder Woman, or at least co-writer. As for the relationship with Superman, I’m just gonna say this: They have to be EQUALS for this to work. And I’m sorry, you can make whatever argument you want, but they have not been written as equals in this relationship since it started.

Lincoln March

Problem: Okay, admittedly this isn’t so much a problem as it is me saying what needs to happen with Lincoln March for whenever he comes back…

Solution: Keep it ambiguous as to whether Lincoln March is really Bruce’s brother or not. Don’t answer the question. It works a lot better as a mystery, and plus it makes the antagonistic relationship between him and Batman all the more unique.

The Teen Titans (and The Ravagers)

Problem: The Titans of the New 52 just seem too dark and gritty. And maybe my opinion is coloured by having my first exposure to the group being the animated series, but I have have read Titans comics since, and I gotta say, this seems a bit too big of a change. I don’t so much mind the new members, but can we have some of the fun back please? Also, this bares repeating, while I haven’t read the Ravagers and might be way off here, every image I’ve seen of Beast Boy since the Ravagers started has depicted him as being really angry. Again, I prefer him as being green, but at least having him be red due to his powers coming from The Red makes sense. But the angry thing really needs to go.

Solution: Okay, I’ve mentioned this before, but the Titans and the Ravagers need to be made into a single group, or two sub-groups of the same faction with some members changed up. That way they can have a more upbeat and positive group of Titans and the dark and gritty group of Titans  that DC seems obsessed with having. Also, I’d have Beast Boy go back to being a bit more happy. Maybe through a series of events he finds himself being able to be more laid back. Oh, and one other thing, I’D BRING BACK TITANS TOWER!

Alfred Pennyworth

Problem: It looks like they’re gonna kill Alfred. If I had all day, I still wouldn’t be able to list the number of reasons that’s a bad idea.

Solution: Don’t kill Alfred…Either that, or have him return as a hologram in the Batcave. Because as silly as that would be, it would also be admittedly awesome. ^_^

Harper Row

Problem: Okay, this is kinda weird, since I actually like Harper Row as a character a lot, but I do have a single problem with what they’re doing with her, and that’s that the seem to be planning to make her Oracle.

Solution: Don’t make Harper Row Oracle. Oracle-like works, in fact it works a lot. But don’t make her Oracle.

Arsenal

Problem: Hey, I only said I wouldn’t talk about Red Hood or Starfire, I didn’t say anything about the other third of their group, and really, I haven’t talked much about Arsenal in the past, so I guess here’s my chance to. Put bluntly, Roy Harper is a character that has lost a LOT since even before the reboot. While I don’t necessarily mind the current version too much, minus that stupid fucking hat he wears, I feel that he has a lot more uniqueness as a character when he was someone who had conquered drug addictions and was caring for a child he’d fathered with a villainess, all the while being one of the Titans and later even the Justice League’s best. Cry For Justice and then Rise of Arsenal took that away from him, and now the reboot has made it so they never happened at all. Nowadays, he’s more the comic relief guy on the Outlaws that never shuts up, and while I don’t necessarily mind him all that much, it’s possible that’s just because Jason Todd and Kori being present make him seem not quite as bad as he should.

Solution: Obviously, because Roy apparently never had sex with Cheshire (in fact, I’m uncertain as to whether she even exists in the New 52), bringing back Lian would be problematic at best. However, I did think of a way to have the character appear for a short time: The Multiverse. Basically, do a storyline where Roy encounters a version of himself that’s loosely based on pre-Cry For Justice Red Arrow and have him interacting with him and Lian and change into a more positive character as a result, maybe even becoming Red Arrow. Also, lose the fucking hat, Roy. You look like a twit.

And those are my thoughts on the characters currently in the New 52, which I’m pretty sure covers all I had in mind for what I’d do so far, but if I come up with anything more, I’ll blog about it. Ja né!

What I’d Do With New 52 – Part 02: The Titles

So yeah, continuing on with what I would personally do with the New 52, here’s what I would change regarding the line-up of titles itself. And to start off, let’s go with something near and dear to my heart: The Batman titles.

They’re multiplying!!!

Problem: If I had one complaint about the Batman titles, it’s that Batman is frigging EVERYWHERE. Scott Snyder‘s Batman, Detective Comics, Batman: The Dark Knight, Batman & Robin, Batman Incorporated, Justice League and the now cancelled Justice League International. He also frequently cameos in Catwoman and Nightwing, and has on occasion cameoed in Batgirl, Batwoman, Red Hood and the Outlaws, Teen Titans, and Action Comics. Now the reason why this frustrates me is two-fold: 1) It creates a chronological mess. Basically, I have no idea which comics occur when. They can’t possibly all be happening at once, because Batman would need to be everywhere at the same time. 2) Having Batman be star in seven books (granted two are team books and he’s not THE star of those books) makes it hard for other characters to get a good run.

Solution: First off, cancel Batman: The Dark Knight. That comic kinda pisses me off for the insane, nonsensical, and on occasion even outright lying to the audience (I’m looking at you issue 9) stories that occur there, and frankly they can be told much better elsewhere. As far as Detective Comics and Scott Snyder’s Batman is concerned, I’d do one of two things: Either make Scott Snyder’s Batman into Detective Comics, OR give Detective Comics to a different character, possibly Tim Drake or The Question. Actually, regardless of that, Tim Drake DOES need a comic of his own.

Didn’t he used to be a lot more green?

Problem: Maybe it’s my imagination, but there seems to be a LOT of red on the superheroes lately. Nightwing turned red, Beast Boy turned red, the Red Lanterns have a book, and red seems to be the predominant colour for a lot of teams like the Justice League, Red Hood and the Outlaws, and the Teen Titans. Now admittedly, Beast Boy turning red makes SOME sense since he gets his powers from The Red, but I still miss when he was green.

Solution: Give Nightwing back his old blue costume and give the team books a more varied look as far as their colour schemes go. Like, for as many complaints as I’ve heard about JLI, at least the team had members of varying powers and colours.

…Why are they still their own team?

Problem: I haven’t really been reading Teen Titans or Ravagers, other than Issue 0 of Titans which I’ll get into at another time. So really, I can’t point out anything really wrong with the books, other than one thing: Why do they both exist as individual books? Why aren’t they the same title? Two members of the Ravagers were Titans prior to the relaunch, two are based on former Titans, and their story spawns from an incident in the Teen Titans book, why not just have them be one mega team?

Solution: Have a story arc where the Ravagers join the Titans, then cancel their book and just have them be in Titans. Also, can we please let BB chillax a bit? Again, haven’t read the books, but every image I see of him lately shows him being really pissed off and feral looking.

This comic SUCKS!!!

Problem: Again, read my former rants regarding Starfire, Red Hood, Arsenal, and this fucking book.

Solution: I WOULD say cancel it and pretend like it never happened, but I think I actually have a better idea, one that at least attempts to DO something with this. Wrap up this storyline involving the Untitled and have the inevitable confrontation between Jason, Kori, and Dick, THEN cancel the book, and then have the team either split with Starfire regaining her memories and rejoining Nightwing or the Titans, OR have the team become antagonists for the Teen Titans and Nightwing. Possibly even Green Arrow (‘cuz of Arsenal’s past with him). Either one works, just do one or the other ASAP.

Superman, Superman, does whatever a Kryptonian can…

Problem: Well really, I’ve got two problems. The first is similar to my issue with Batman in that Superman is in Action Comics, the Superman comics, Justice League, Scott Snyder’s upcoming Superman title, and has cameoed in Supergirl, Batman: Detective Comics, and Red Hood and the Outlaws (WHYYYYY?!?!). Now the cameos in Supergirl are fine, and I understand that Action Comics originally told Superman’s new origins while the Superman comics told what he’s doing now, but the origin’s been told, so why are there still the two books? I don’t get it. The other thing that bothers me a lot is the changes to his attitude, his personality, how they’ve retconned his marriage to Lois (which I’ll get to later), and how they’ve essentially turned Clark Kent into Peter Parker. It’s actually to the point that I’m concerned that even Snyder can’t save him.

Solution: Well, if anyone can save him, it’s Scott Snyder. However, more than that, they really need to re-establish Superman’s roots. What do I mean by that? Well, basically I mean what Linkara said about him once, that despite coming from another planet, which they’ve pretty much beat into our heads over and over lately that he’s an alien (like we didn’t know it already), at his core he is truly the most HUMAN superhero of all, that he embodies the best that humanity has to offer as was taught to him by his adoptive parents that raised him. Also, seeing as how Action Comics and the Superman comic are now telling stories around the same time period, either cancel Superman and just have the upcoming Snyder title and Action Comics, or give Action Comics to someone else. There must be SOMEONE that can carry their own title that they could give Action Comics to. Heck, the DCnU version of Steel appeared in Action Comics early on, let him give it a try.

Related articles

• NYCC 2012: Scott Snyder & Jim Lee to Launch a New SUPERMAN Series For 2013 (ifanboy.com)

Anyway, that’s all for now. Next time, I take a look at some of the characters already in the DCnU and what needs to possibly change about some of them. Ja né!

What I’d Do With New 52 – Part 01: The Gang’s All Here

A while ago, a poll was posted by DC Comics on their Facebook page asking fans what they would do/what they wanted seen done with the New 52. One of the options was to reset back to the old DCU in a Crisis on Infinite Earths-type storyline. Now, I personally didn’t vote for that, but I’m unsurprised that most fans did. In fact, it was kinda overwhelming just how many voted for it.

Shortly afterwards, like MAYBE a day after it was opened, the poll was closed, like it never existed. My own theory on that is that DC didn’t like how the poll was going and decided to axe it. Kind of a dick move, DC. And frankly, if you didn’t wanna undo the DCnU, you shouldn’t have made that an option. Then this whole thing wouldn’t have happened.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I don’t want the DCnU undone. Sure, there’s been a bit of bad, at times REALLY bad, but with the bad came the good. The Court of Owls storyline emerged in the DCnU. Hal Jordan and Sinestro‘s badass war emerged. Talon is becoming a new book. And yeah, while I wish Stephanie Brown‘s book was still around, I love Gail Simone‘s Batgirl title too. So I don’t want the DCnU undone, and that’s why I didn’t vote for that option. What I want is for some of the bad to be fixed.

So for the next little while, I’m gonna be discussing some of the changes that I would make to the DCnU if I had the chance. And to start off, following up on my rant regarding Stephanie Brown, let’s talk about some of the old heroes I would bring back.

Related articles

• What About Steph? The Superheroes That Apparently Never Were (jygersrant.wordpress.com)

Wally West, AKA The Flash

Why: Now, I don’t personally take issue with Barry Allen, but I know of a lot of people that do in that they find him to be boring, and I do have a personal preference to Wally West. He was wisecracking, intelligent, and often-times represented heart of whatever team he was on, be it the Titans of the Justice League, and for a time both simultaneously.

How: This one would be tricky since he obtained his powers when was introduced to Barry by his aunt Iris, who was romantically linked to Barry and would later marry, except that in the DCnU they were never involved. They are still friends though, so that would be a means to bring him in. If he did get his powers again, that would create a new issue of what to call him since Kid Flash is taken by Bart Allen (weird that he exists since originally he was Barry and Iris’ grandson, but whatev), but then that does leave the alias of Impulse unclaimed.

Stephanie Brown, AKA Batgirl

Why: Read my previous posts regarding the character. Otherwise, she would especially be a welcome addition to the Bat Family now, given all the really horrific, bleak, and dire storylines that have gone on as of late.

How: I’m thinking she would have to be Spoiler again, though I think I’d want to redesign her costume a bit. Maybe as a hybrid of her Spoiler, Robin, and Batgirl costumes. Aside from that, I’d have her be either a Titan, a supporting character in Batman Inc., or a partner to Batgirl.

Donna Troy

Why: Donna Troy was one of the original members of the Titans, she was at one point a stand-in as Wonder Woman, and she even later became a member of the Justice League. She was kind, compassionate, sisterly, and even motherly, although if you ever got on her bad side she knocked the shit out of you.

How: Here’s the thing, I’m guessing that Donna Troy was dropped because her backstory had become so freaking complicated that no one knew how to make it work in the newest reboot. However, there is one comic where she would work and be a welcome addition: Earth 2. Have her appear as the sister to Earth 2’s Wonder Woman who was hidden away and then have her join the JSA as the new Wonder Woman.

Cassandra Cain, AKA Black Bat

Why: First off, I’d just like to point out how much it’s bothering me that a lot of these are women. Just sayin’. Anyway, Cassandra Cain was probably the most unique and, dare I say it, most badass of the Batgirls. She’s not my favourite, but I still like her. Her character kinda got put through the ringer with the heel turn from hell that made NO sense when you actually think about it, but they did manage to restore some dignity to her by making her Hong Kong’s representative for Batman Inc. as Black Bat.

How: This is actually the easiest one, and that’s showing her doing pretty much what she was just prior to the relaunch: Operating as Batman Inc.’s representative in Hong Kong. Heck, I think they’re kinda hinting that at some point we’re gonna see a massive all out brawl involving Batman Inc. vs Leviathan, so even just showing in a few panels being badass would be sweet. The other option I had in mind is that World’s Finest are currently hanging out in Japan, which ain’t that far from her. She could cameo.

Ralph Dibny, AKA The Elongated Man

Why: Ralph Dibny was a prominent member of the Justice League that clearly everyone on the team had a lot of care for, along with his wife Sue. They were both killed off and essentially made into ghost detectives (which is actually kinda awesome sounding now that I think about it). However, given that Identity Crisis is no longer canon, it would be safe to assume that both could still be considered as alive and active in the DCnU.

How: Well, the Justice League is currently down a member (possibly two, I’m not sure), so why not bring Ralph in to fill the empty slot? Or heck, have him and Sue exist on Earth 2 and join the JSA.

Anyway, that’s enough for now. Next time, I’m gonna talk about the actual line-up of comics currently in the New 52 and what changes I would make, either as far as changing some titles, or swapping out current titles for new ones.