How I think DC can do 5G right following the firing of Dan Didio

[Swanktub]

Hello, I tried to write an essay on what DC needs to do in order to make Generation Five a success. However it ended up turning into a half essay half fantasy version of DC. I put it on a WordPress, but I've pasted it below too. I would love to hear what people think, and hear other people's ideas for what they want DC to do. The post was too big to fit here so I have posted the link.


How I think DC Comics can do Generation Five (5G) right in the Wake of Dan Didio’s Firing -

https://callofthecomics.wordpress.co...didios-firing/


How I think DC Comics can do Generation Five (5G) right in the Wake of Dan Didio’s Firing.
Part 1:

During Dan Didio’s term as publisher and co-publisher of DC Comics I believe his greatest weakness was his reluctance to utilise DC’s legacy characters. This can be seen in both The New 52 and DC’s current output post-Rebirth. Watching the ‘NYCC 2018: DC Nation Panel’ (ComicsBeat has a good summary of the panel here: https://www.comicsbeat.com/nycc-18-d...tes-nightwing/) We hear Didio talk about how Dick Grayson ages with the audience, and as a result ages up Batman to the point of retirement. While some fans view this as Didio personally hating legacy characters (which isn’t too hard to believe based on the storylines Wally West and Dick Grayson had to endure during his time as a publisher), this was likely Didio’s way of trying to preserve the core DC heroes which are the most important assets to the company (such as Bruce Wayne, Diana, Clark Kent and Barry Allen). However with the upcoming DC relaunch currently referred to as Generation Five, DC’s plan was to replace all of its major superheroes with mostly newer ones or lesser known characters. Based on the rumours from BleedingCool.com we are to believe that Luke Fox will become the new Batman, Donna Troy to become Wonder Woman, Captain Boomerang Jr to become the new Flash, the GL: Far Sector lead to become the main Green Lantern and Jonathan Kent to become Superman. This appears to contradict DC’s previous goal of not aging up their primary heroes, while also continuing to neglect it’s most popular legacy characters (aside from Donna Troy as Wonder Woman because that would be incredible). Following Didio’s firing hopefully Generation Five will be fixed in order to take advantage of DC’s great roster of legacy characters, and if they don’t then maybe Dan Didio was just the fall man for the failures of his higher ups.

In 2016 DC launched their publishing initiative led by DC’s former Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns, DC Rebirth. The purpose of Rebirth was to revitalise DC comics characters by focusing on the aspects that have made them so popular, while creating new stories focusing on these defining aspects and qualities. This allowed DC to modernise their characters while keeping them true to what has kept them relevant and popular for so many years. An example of this is Superman in Rebirth. Superman has always been portrayed as a role model. Someone who has all of the power in the world and spends his time and effort, while using it selflessly to help others. Superman is written to believe in humanity and the good in people over all other things. This results in him being referred to as a boy scout due to his naivety and constant belief in doing the right thing. This can make him appear ‘lame’ to younger readers as he appears to be just a big ‘goody two-shoes’ to those who are not a fan of the character. In Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason’s run on the character during DC Rebirth, they focused on Clark Kent as a father to his son Jonathan Kent. By focusing on Clark Kent as a father and family man the character stayed true to his characterisation as a positive role model while also giving him a specific character to be a role model to. Older fans could relate to Clark trying to be a role model and teaching his son to be the best man possible, while younger fans could relate to Jonathan as a young boy looking up to his father. Some fans would be able to view him as both. Fans of Lois Lane got to watch her become a mother, and see her as being intelligent, without having to dumb down other characters. This series was entertaining as it portrayed family drama in a superhero world while providing great role models for young and old. Wonder Woman’s series showed that her compassion will always be her greatest strength even when she is a super strong Amazonian. And Batman’s series continued to show a character always struggling to overcome his trauma and fighting to be a hero. Rebirth increased sales all around due to the fact that the books were of high quality and not just new #1’s that speculators wanted to pick up. This resulted in reasonably sustained numbers that Marvel and DC have struggled to maintain throughout the 2010’s with constant relaunches. By focusing on what has made these characters endure the test of time while mixing in new elements is why Rebirth was such a massive success amongst DC fans.

In order for Generation Five to be a success, DC Comics need to focus on the long lasting legacy of their long term heroes if they want to replace them or age them up. I believe that the best way to do this is by including the original heroes in mentorship roles with a mixture of legacy characters and a few new original characters taking over the main roles. An increased focus on the Justice Society of America would be a great way to include the core heroes with the legacy heroes stepping up to inherit their roles. An updated JSA could even have our current heroes be our current heroes mentoring the new ones. By focusing on the aspects of the heroes that have stood the test of time, DC can have their cake and eat it too.

[Swanktub]

Below I would like to illustrate the ways that I think some of my favourite DC characters should be portrayed in 5G.

The Bat-Family:

Dick Grayson:
Due to the excess of characters in the Bat-Family there is no need for a new character to be made to fill the role of Batman, as there are already many great candidates. The most logical pick for Batman would be Dick Grayson, however I would like to see Dick take on a new role similar to the one he played in the Grayson series written by Tim Seely and Tom King. I envision Grayson as the Nick Fury of the DC universe. An older Dick Grayson taking on the role as a high ranking secret agent, or director of Spyral. I also envision Dick being married to Barbara Gordon.

Batman:
Due to Batman’s presence on both the Justice League and in Gotham City, I believe two separate characters should take on these roles. Due to the rumours of Luke Fox as Batman I believe that he should become the international superhero who gets involved in the Justice League. I don’t believe they should change his name to Batman, but rather expand on his marketing and use his title of Batwing. Hopefully DC would use the Justice League to increase his standing in the superhero community. Luke Fox has the intelligence to be Batman and the fighting skills to take on the mantle. Luke’s tech and fighting skills would make him a very competent version of the caped crusader.

For Gotham’s Batman I would like to see Tim Drake take on the role of Batman. I feel that he would be an interesting younger Batman who can embody the Detective side of the character. Tim Drake has been a fan favourite for a long time and he would very much have earned the right to be Batman after being arguably Bruce’s best sidekick. Personally I would like to see Cassandra Cain become the new Robin alongside this version of Batman. Watching Tim in a mentor role training Orphan to become the next Robin is something that for some reason I just really want to see. With Tim’s detective skills and Orphan’s combat skills I think that they would be a very entertaining duo that would compliment each other well. This would also allow Tim to take on the mentor aspect of Batman.


Bruce Wayne:
As for Bruce Wayne himself I would like to see him retired and married to Selina Kyle. A version of Bruce based on a younger, happier version of the Bruce Wayne from Batman Beyond would be a fun mentor to have watch over the Bat-Family. I would like to see Helena Wayne introduced as the daughter of Bruce and Selena. This way Bruce could be given a happy ending, while being able to keep him involved in DC storylines. Bruce Wayne’s journey has always been about his inability to overcome the tragedy that happened to his family, however with a worthy group of successors, Bruce could step back and be finally achieve happiness with his new family.



Barbara Gordon:
I believe that Barbara Gordon’s best fit in the DC Universe is as Oracle. Oracle is important for the representation of disabled people in comics, while being a genuinely well developed character with a lot of depth. Oracle being the new leader of a DC version of SHIELD would also be another interesting take on the character and allows for her relationship to Grayson to be focused on as they work together. The key to making Oracle interesting is to show off her intelligence and leadership skills. As the leader of an agency she could lead her own Birds of Prey strikeforce team.

Stephanie Brown:
Stephanie Brown is another character that I would like to see return to having a larger role. Whether as Batgirl, Batwoman, Spoiler or Catwoman, Stephanie would be an interesting character to see in a grown up and expanded role. While I am not that familiar with the character, I have seen a lot of love for her in the comment sections of fansites.

Damian Wayne:
With Dick Grayson in a new role the natural successor to the Nightwing mantle would be Damian Wayne. This is because of his time spent as Dick Grayson’s sidekick and allows for Damian to grow up a little while still keeping him in his early-mid teens. Damian could take on an edgier title while still being heroic. Damian in the Nightwing role would also allow for a new role for Jonathan Kent as Flamebird. Nightwing and Flamebird are the legendary Kryptonian heroes. By having Jon become Flamebird we end up with a call back to older DC continuity and a new mantle for the two Super Sons.

Red Hood has one of my favourite character designs in comics and one of the most interesting backstories, however I have never been able to get myself to enjoy Scott Lobdell’s run on the character. I don’t think that Jason and Bruce should forgive each other. Jason is a murderous anti-hero, and Bruce believes that killing crosses the line. Jason Todd should be the ‘What if?’ version of Batman. His reason for being the Red Hood is based on his childhood trauma, however he has no problem with killing criminals in order to keep people safe. I would love to see a storyline of the Red Hood in Bludhaven or a crime infested city of his own where we could slowly see him take over the criminal underground and see his morals pushed to their limits.

Superman Line:

Jonathan Kent:
The current rumours suggest that Jonathan Kent will be taking over the role of Superman. I believe that this is just silly. The whole appeal of Jonathan Kent was to see Superman raise his young, enthusiastic and innocent son. However as soon as Brian Michael Bendis took over the book, Jonathan was taken into space by his grandfather (who for some reason Clark isn’t suspicious of despite the fact that he was the villainous Mr. Oz last time they met) and aged up to the point that he is a teenager. The characterisation of Jonathan was also completely changed. After Event Leviathan I had to cancel all of my Superman books because this was just too frustrating. I really want young Jon to be saved by the teenage Jon in Legion of Superheroes through time travel. Ideally I would like to see Jon as the sidekick of the new Superman, or in his own Superboy or Flamebird book.

Superman - Conner Kent:
In my hypothetical Generation Five I would love to either see Connor Kent take over the mantle of Superman, or an Earth Prime version of Earth-2’s Val-Zod. A young adult Connor would follow the idea of trying to be a role model for Jonathan Kent as Superboy. While Connor isn’t as perfect as Clark, watching him try to be a better person in order to be a role model and big brother for Jon would be a new, but familiar take on the character.

Lois Lane:
While I haven’t read it yet, I have heard great things about the current Lois Lane series. A series focusing on her reporter and investigative skills would be an awesome thing to continue.

Superman - Val-Zod
By using a new version of Val-Zod, DC would have essentially a clean slate. They would be increasing their ethnic diversity by using a black Superman, while using an already popular design. In an ideal world Tom Taylor would be able to return and develop this character into the new Man of Steel. Perhaps Connor Kent could be the Superman of Action Comics and Val-Zod as the Superman of the Superman book.

Clark Kent:
During Generation Five I think that it would be an interesting mystery to set up with a missing Clark Kent. In his absence a new hero would have to step up to the task whether it is Connor or Val-Zod. If Clark is missing I would love for it to be Apokolips related, with Darkseid holding Clark captive. This could lead to a big showdown between Darkseid and the Kryptonians to save Clark.

Supergirl
When it comes to Supergirl I don’t know where I would put her. I’ve never really read any of her stories. With the power vacuum of Superman missing, maybe she would become a more important hero. Perhaps she could become Superwoman as she would be a grownup. Due to the lack of experienced Kryptonians she could even take a place on the Justice League.




Wonder Woman:

Due to Diana’s immortality she could easily be kept as Wonder Woman. However the BleedingCool rumours suggest that Donna Troy would become the new Wonder Woman. This is in my opinion a great option for the character as she has been Diana’s protege for a long time. Many long time fans would love to see the character step up into a larger role. Another candidate for the new Wonder Woman could be Nubia. Just like Val-Zod, Nubia would increase diversity in the Justice League while also using an older character with room to be fleshed out and developed. An excuse for why Diana is no longer the current Wonder Woman could be that she has been called back to Themyscira to be the new queen, or even depowered. The key to making a new Wonder Woman true to the mantle is to show she is both strong and compassionate and that you don’t have to sacrifice one for the other.

[Swanktub]

The Flash:

In my opinion Wally West is the best Flash. He’s the Flash with the best sense of humour and the best characterisation. Instead of developing Wally further in recent years, DC has tried to make Barry more like Wally. A book centred on Wally could focus on Wally trying to train his children up to be new Flash and a new heroic Turtle. I’m personally not interested in Captain Boomerang’s son becoming the new Flash in the slightest. I would also like to see Wallace West of the Teen Titans get a name change so that he can still exist separate to Wally and avoid some of the confusion that goes with the two characters having the same name. Wallace West would be best still in the Teen Titans. DC would be smart to use Barry Allen in a JSA book. Barry could be training Jesse Quick to be one of the next big speedsters. DC could also have a team book called The Speed Force that features several DC speedsters.

Green Arrow and Black Canary:
Due to the drop in sales in Green Arrow and the rise in popularity for Black Canary I believe they would be best used in a team up book. An older, more sarcastic Oliver would be fun to read, and Black Canary can kick ass at any age. I feel that a series by either Tom Taylor or Gail Simone with Otto Schidt on art would just write itself.

Green Lantern(s):

The problem with the Green Lanterns is that there are so many good characters for them to use as the lead. Hal Jordan is the classic, John Stewart is the coolest (you can’t change my mind), Kyle Rayner was great in the 90s run and the pair of Jessica and Simon was pretty good. The new Far Sector Green Lantern has been possibly my favourite Green Lantern ever. However a big part of that is N.K. Jemisin’s writing and Jamal Campbell’s art. If DC chose to use Jo as the new GL going forward I would want this creative team returning to keep up the momentum of this great new character. A Green Lantern Corps series would be great, however many writers struggle to balance between all of the characters.


While I could go on and on, I don’t want to lose my original point. DC has so many great legacy characters that can be expanded upon. I hope DC doesn’t get too carried away creating new characters and remembers that they have many great legacy characters to use. I also hope that DC doesn’t lose focus on what makes these characters and heroic mantles so interesting in the first place. I am both excited and super nervous of the upcoming relaunch as I know it could go amazing or terrible. While I don’t believe AT&T would shut down DC comics due to it being an IP farm, I can see them shrinking it down to less titles a month resulting in less opportunities for comic book creators. Maybe AT&T would license their characters out to BOOM! Studios if things really did fall apart. If you have read this far, thank you, I know this was a lot of waffle but it felt good to write my thoughts down. Hopefully DC can stick the landing and remember what aspects make their characters great in the first place. I also hope they remember to keep the original characters (Bruce, Clark and Diana etc.) involved so that we don’t end up with another All-New All-Different Marvel.

[Digifiend]

Below I would like to illustrate the ways that I think some of my favourite DC characters should be portrayed in 5G.

The Bat-Family:

Batman:
For Gotham’s Batman I would like to see Tim Drake take on the role of Batman. I feel that he would be an interesting younger Batman who can embody the Detective side of the character. Tim Drake has been a fan favourite for a long time and he would very much have earned the right to be Batman after being arguably Bruce’s best sidekick. Personally I would like to see Cassandra Cain become the new Robin alongside this version of Batman. Watching Tim in a mentor role training Orphan to become the next Robin is something that for some reason I just really want to see. With Tim’s detective skills and Orphan’s combat skills I think that they would be a very entertaining duo that would compliment each other well. This would also allow Tim to take on the mentor aspect of Batman.

Barbara Gordon:
I believe that Barbara Gordon’s best fit in the DC Universe is as Oracle. Oracle is important for the representation of disabled people in comics, while being a genuinely well developed character with a lot of depth. Oracle being the new leader of a DC version of SHIELD would also be another interesting take on the character and allows for her relationship to Grayson to be focused on as they work together. The key to making Oracle interesting is to show off her intelligence and leadership skills. As the leader of an agency she could lead her own Birds of Prey strikeforce team.

Stephanie Brown:
Stephanie Brown is another character that I would like to see return to having a larger role. Whether as Batgirl, Batwoman, Spoiler or Catwoman, Stephanie would be an interesting character to see in a grown up and expanded role. While I am not that familiar with the character, I have seen a lot of love for her in the comment sections of fansites.

Wonder Woman:

Due to Diana’s immortality she could easily be kept as Wonder Woman. However the BleedingCool rumours suggest that Donna Troy would become the new Wonder Woman. This is in my opinion a great option for the character as she has been Diana’s protege for a long time. Many long time fans would love to see the character step up into a larger role. Another candidate for the new Wonder Woman could be Nubia. Just like Val-Zod, Nubia would increase diversity in the Justice League while also using an older character with room to be fleshed out and developed. An excuse for why Diana is no longer the current Wonder Woman could be that she has been called back to Themyscira to be the new queen, or even depowered. The key to making a new Wonder Woman true to the mantle is to show she is both strong and compassionate and that you don’t have to sacrifice one for the other.

The rumours suggest Nubia is WW, not Donna. Doomsday Clock showed a black Wonder Woman.

If Cass is Robin, and Babs is back in the wheelchair, then Steph's the only candidate for Batgirl who's had the mantle before.

[Godlike13]

Nightwing and Oracle taking over Spyral sounds pretty cool. Unfortunately I just know the ideas for them in 5G are probably going to be far more mundane.

[Aahz]

Nightwing and Oracle taking over Spyral sounds pretty cool.

Spyral doesn't exist, it was destroyed together with all the other spy organizations in Event Leviathan.

[Godlike13]

So its open for new leadership.

[WallyWestFlash]

The Flash:

In my opinion Wally West is the best Flash. He’s the Flash with the best sense of humour and the best characterisation. Instead of developing Wally further in recent years, DC has tried to make Barry more like Wally. A book centred on Wally could focus on Wally trying to train his children up to be new Flash and a new heroic Turtle. I’m personally not interested in Captain Boomerang’s son becoming the new Flash in the slightest. I would also like to see Wallace West of the Teen Titans get a name change so that he can still exist separate to Wally and avoid some of the confusion that goes with the two characters having the same name. Wallace West would be best still in the Teen Titans. DC would be smart to use Barry Allen in a JSA book. Barry could be training Jesse Quick to be one of the next big speedsters. DC could also have a team book called The Speed Force that features several DC speedsters.

Green Arrow and Black Canary:
Due to the drop in sales in Green Arrow and the rise in popularity for Black Canary I believe they would be best used in a team up book. An older, more sarcastic Oliver would be fun to read, and Black Canary can kick ass at any age. I feel that a series by either Tom Taylor or Gail Simone with Otto Schidt on art would just write itself.

Green Lantern(s):

The problem with the Green Lanterns is that there are so many good characters for them to use as the lead. Hal Jordan is the classic, John Stewart is the coolest (you can’t change my mind), Kyle Rayner was great in the 90s run and the pair of Jessica and Simon was pretty good. The new Far Sector Green Lantern has been possibly my favourite Green Lantern ever. However a big part of that is N.K. Jemisin’s writing and Jamal Campbell’s art. If DC chose to use Jo as the new GL going forward I would want this creative team returning to keep up the momentum of this great new character. A Green Lantern Corps series would be great, however many writers struggle to balance between all of the characters.


While I could go on and on, I don’t want to lose my original point. DC has so many great legacy characters that can be expanded upon. I hope DC doesn’t get too carried away creating new characters and remembers that they have many great legacy characters to use. I also hope that DC doesn’t lose focus on what makes these characters and heroic mantles so interesting in the first place. I am both excited and super nervous of the upcoming relaunch as I know it could go amazing or terrible. While I don’t believe AT&T would shut down DC comics due to it being an IP farm, I can see them shrinking it down to less titles a month resulting in less opportunities for comic book creators. Maybe AT&T would license their characters out to BOOM! Studios if things really did fall apart. If you have read this far, thank you, I know this was a lot of waffle but it felt good to write my thoughts down. Hopefully DC can stick the landing and remember what aspects make their characters great in the first place. I also hope they remember to keep the original characters (Bruce, Clark and Diana etc.) involved so that we don’t end up with another All-New All-Different Marvel.

Great ideas. I really like them. Especially what you did with the Bat characters were really good. New and exciting roles for the existing characters while still keeping them to their cores.

[vasir12]

The rumours suggest Nubia is WW, not Donna. Doomsday Clock showed a black Wonder Woman.

If Cass is Robin, and Babs is back in the wheelchair, then Steph's the only candidate for Batgirl who's had the mantle before.

More like speculation really. No insider site has suggested Nubia was the replacement

[Digifiend]

Who else could it be? Whoever it is has dark skin, so it can't be Donna, Cassie, or Artemis.