If You Wrote Comics: Milestone Characters

[The Dying Detective]

In light of the displeasure of the delay though I it would be fun to pass the time by playing a game of pretend and we are going to pretend that DC Comics gave the readers full reign over the Milestone characters all the heroes, villains, and supporting characters. So as always let loose, live, have fun, and maybe try and find a new direction or two for the Milestone characters.

[Ascended]

In light of the displeasure of the delay though I it would be fun to pass the time by playing a game of pretend and we are going to pretend that DC Comics gave the readers full reign over the Milestone characters all the heroes, villains, and supporting characters. So as always let loose, live, have fun, and maybe try and find a new direction or two for the Milestone characters.

Over 24 hours and no one has any ideas for Milestone? For shame, CBR!

Though, honestly, I'd really just want to see more of what we got in the 90's. Those characters were ahead of their time and, in my opinion, don't really need to be changed or adjusted. They just need to be friggin published!

But if I were to take over any of them, I'd love to get my hands on Icon.

I think I'd keep the notion of telling the story mainly from Rocket's PoV, allowing Icon himself to remain somewhat mysterious and larger than life. I always thought we should see more of Icon's secret identity, and I'd work that in a little more, but I'd try to give it a vaguely surreal aspect where it only raises more questions about the guy, rather than making him seem more relatable.

I'd also explore the idea that America has radicalized itself. I read a study recently exploring the similarities between mass shooters and suicide bombers, the political extremes of the alt-right and SJW, and how both groups have similar radicalized ideologies found in Middle Eastern terror groups. It was rather unsettling and scary, but I can't completely discount their findings (even if I don't completely agree, either). The idea that we've become just as extreme and hateful and intolerant as the terrorists we sought to stop almost twenty years ago has, unfortunately, some merit to it. And I think the conflicting political opinions of Icon and Rocket, combined with the "Golden Age Superman" vibes of the original stories that kept focus on the "little guy", offer a chance to take a look at our broken culture, how we've turned against each other, and how we've (at least started) to become the thing we sought to stop.

Without doubt such an Icon title would piss off tons of people and no publisher would touch it. BUT, if I had full creative control and no fear of repercussions from management? What the hell, let's see how much nerdrage I could generate.

[The Dying Detective]

Over 24 hours and no one has any ideas for Milestone? For shame, CBR!

Though, honestly, I'd really just want to see more of what we got in the 90's. Those characters were ahead of their time and, in my opinion, don't really need to be changed or adjusted. They just need to be friggin published!

But if I were to take over any of them, I'd love to get my hands on Icon.

I think I'd keep the notion of telling the story mainly from Rocket's PoV, allowing Icon himself to remain somewhat mysterious and larger than life. I always thought we should see more of Icon's secret identity, and I'd work that in a little more, but I'd try to give it a vaguely surreal aspect where it only raises more questions about the guy, rather than making him seem more relatable.

I'd also explore the idea that America has radicalized itself. I read a study recently exploring the similarities between mass shooters and suicide bombers, the political extremes of the alt-right and SJW, and how both groups have similar radicalized ideologies found in Middle Eastern terror groups. It was rather unsettling and scary, but I can't completely discount their findings (even if I don't completely agree, either). The idea that we've become just as extreme and hateful and intolerant as the terrorists we sought to stop almost twenty years ago has, unfortunately, some merit to it. And I think the conflicting political opinions of Icon and Rocket, combined with the "Golden Age Superman" vibes of the original stories that kept focus on the "little guy", offer a chance to take a look at our broken culture, how we've turned against each other, and how we've (at least started) to become the thing we sought to stop.

Without doubt such an Icon title would piss off tons of people and no publisher would touch it. BUT, if I had full creative control and no fear of repercussions from management? What the hell, let's see how much nerdrage I could generate.

Scary stuff indeed but how would icon tackle such extreme thing would you like to do a comic where Icon just beats the enemies similar to what Superman did in World War II where Superman defeated Stalin and Hitler then dumped them at the League of Nations and end of story and problem.

[ed2962]

It's hard cuz stuff like Icon and Static I think were fine the way there were. I was interested in Hardware but I'm not super familiar the character enuff to do an interesting take on him. Blood Syndicate I haven't read.

Maybe I'd give Rocket a solo series. Try to balance between the social issues and crazy super hero stuff. Maybe her job working with kids or something? Her support cast could grow from that setting.

[The Dying Detective]

It's hard cuz stuff like Icon and Static I think were fine the way there were. I was interested in Hardware but I'm not super familiar the character enuff to do an interesting take on him. Blood Syndicate I haven't read.

Maybe I'd give Rocket a solo series. Try to balance between the social issues and crazy super hero stuff. Maybe her job working with kids or something? Her support cast could grow from that setting.

There's not shame in doing all ideas are encouraged here. And your idea sounds like a solid one Rocket never got a solo title even when Milestone was active anyway.

[Photon Torme]

I wish Milestone and Malibu had merged somehow. I think That'd be a very cool universe.

[The Dying Detective]

I wish Milestone and Malibu had merged somehow. I think That'd be a very cool universe.

Nothing is really out of bounds here so why not huh? Then again i did limit this to Milestone characters so yeah.

[DrNewGod]

Keep Milestone imprint in it's own universe.

[MajorHoy]

In light of the displeasure of the delay though I it would be fun to pass the time by playing a game of pretend and we are going to pretend that DC Comics gave the readers full reign over the Milestone characters . . .

DC doesn't own/control the Milestone characters, does it?

[The Dying Detective]

DC doesn't own/control the Milestone characters, does it?

They kind of do if they can use them even in shows like Young Justice and Static Shock. But there might be clauses involving the late Dwayne McDuffie's surviving relatives considering how the delay is seemingly tied to the dispute between DC and McDuffie's widow I believe?

[vasir12]

Nothing much I'd change with Static. TBH, I think his cartoon iteration was his best one and I'd like to see that version of him in the comics. I want Virgil to have the potential to be the most powerful but he'd need to grow up to realize that.

I liked the ideas above for Icon and Rocket. Keep having Rocket as the focus with a good side plot being her uncovering Icon's layer of mysteries.

Blood Syndicate is a tuff one. I actually really liked the original comic but I'm not sure how that version would work today. Gangs are still gangs but todays gangs work kinda differently than the 90s type. I guess they can be a suicide squad type group only they're mostly in it for themselves.

Now the Shadow Cabinet wasn't something I all the way liked. Some of the characters were cool, but they seemed a little to gray for the main superhero team. And them following D's orders was bleh, but I suppose it wouldn't be the Shadow Cabinet without that. I want them to ask more questions though and take some initiative to figure things out for themselves.

I never really cared for Hardware. Maybe we can start with giving him a half decent costume.

[skyvolt2000]

DC doesn't own/control the Milestone characters, does it?

Dc can publish Milestone but Milestone still owns the rights.

Take Icon-who has been around since the Civil War-you can do a story with him and JSA back in World War 2. And later reveal he was a founder of the JSA but choose to not continue being a hero.

Since it was something he was NOT interested in his original series. So your original JSA is still there without really changing anything afterwards.

If you wanted to establish Static as a trainee of Batman or a founding member of Young Justice-they could.

DC has the permission to rewrite Milestone history to a point. I don't think they could change origins. So the BIg Bang had to happen.

[The Dying Detective]

Nothing much I'd change with Static. TBH, I think his cartoon iteration was his best one and I'd like to see that version of him in the comics. I want Virgil to have the potential to be the most powerful but he'd need to grow up to realize that.

I liked the ideas above for Icon and Rocket. Keep having Rocket as the focus with a good side plot being her uncovering Icon's layer of mysteries.

Blood Syndicate is a tuff one. I actually really liked the original comic but I'm not sure how that version would work today. Gangs are still gangs but todays gangs work kinda differently than the 90s type. I guess they can be a suicide squad type group only they're mostly in it for themselves.

Now the Shadow Cabinet wasn't something I all the way liked. Some of the characters were cool, but they seemed a little to gray for the main superhero team. And them following D's orders was bleh, but I suppose it wouldn't be the Shadow Cabinet without that. I want them to ask more questions though and take some initiative to figure things out for themselves.

I never really cared for Hardware. Maybe we can start with giving him a half decent costume.

Some of the weirder aspects of Hardware was how he seemed to look like ape for some reason.

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

Hardware always reminded me of Steel so I thought about merging them or playing them off each other.

[lemonpeace]

I would go forward with the Milestone 2.0/Earth M concepts the announced. While I would have loved for DC to have let the milestone characters be in the DC universe but it's probably the smarter move because DC would probably **** it up. I would however make Love Army able to operate across Earth-M & Earth-0. Dark Knights Metal doubled down on the every universe needs a Superman, Batman, etc so I would emphasize Icon and Hardware as the Batman and Superman analogues of their universe and use it as a chance to explore how different these heroes' (sups and bats) experience would be as non white straight guys. Speaking of sexuality, I would make Icon more sexually fluid because he's an alien. I never understood why alien characters tend to fall neatly into our social norms. I wouldn't make it the cornerstone of his character, I would save it for a couple issues in and address it in a story called "bi-con" because I'm a child and that title's hilarious to me. I wouldn't change much about Hardware but i would drop Technique. Also, I would start to move Rocket away from her Icon partnership a bit so she can stand on her own two. I would take a handful of the older milestone characters and not reboot them in milestone 2.0. Instead I would take them and introduce them over in the main DC universe; particularly Wise-son. Going back to the idea of alternate universe counterparts, I would also use Milestone as a chance to spotlight underutilized and underappreciated characters of color from the DC universe. People like Vibe, Freedom Beast, David Zavimbe (I DEMAND JUSTICE FOR DAVID!!), etc. would be reworked for the Milestone landscape.