If you could go back in time and write any character you like

[superduperman]

Go back to the early seventies and write for Superman. Somehow prevent the COIE reboot. If I can incorporate modern elements into the books back then, I might be able to save it.

[SiegePerilous02]

Go back to the early seventies and write for Superman. Somehow prevent the COIE reboot. If I can incorporate modern elements into the books back then, I might be able to save it.

This would be mine. I would definitely want to prevent COIE from ever happening and salvage the DC books with modern writing and writing/artistic overhauls instead of rebooting continuity. We could shake up the characters without establishing the annoying precendent.

For Superman in particular, if we want to move him in a more serious direction, just stop writing about the sillier elements. Very few of the post-COIE changes needed a reboot to happen, with the exception of the living Kents (who I would leave dead).

Wonder Woman may have actually needed a reboot, but I'd try to map it out better. The broad iconic elements (romance with Steve, Etta's Holliday Girl role, the Amazons technology with stuff like the plane) would still be in place, just written more seriously, while doing stuff like ditching the Diana Prince ID and updating the villains. And it would be set around the time the other iconic heroes debuted so it wouldn't screw up the timeline with the JL or Donna Troy.

[Gaius]

For Wonder Woman? Probably just axe everything relating to Infinite Crisis and the buildup to it (Max Lord neck snap, OMACs). Avoid stuff like Agent Diana Prince, Nemesis, and Amazons Attack! that pretty much derailed the book until New 52.

I'd say axe Emerald Twilight for Hal but a lot of Johns run built off stuff from that so maybe just go with Hal "retiring" after Coast City gets obliterated rather than becoming Parallax.

[j9ac9k]

Let’s face it: the reason why Jon was aged up was because Westerners by nature hate children.

Wow. Um.... What??

[PCN24454]

Wow. Um.... What??

Go over to the Superman threads where they're devising ways to get rid of Jon and Damian.

[Jackalope89]

Go over to the Superman threads where they're devising ways to get rid of Jon and Damian.

Maybe don't include all Westerners in that? Please?

[PCN24454]

Maybe don't include all Westerners in that? Please?

Fair enough.

[lemonpeace]

can you steal and build off ideas that were introduced later than the era we write for? like for example, if I'm writing say 1970s Green Lantern could I introduce like Hal as Parrallax Hal or the Emotional Spectrum or Jessica Cruz, etc.?

[manwhohaseverything]

Fair enough.

They can have an opinion. As long as these characters have an audience and base. As long they make money and produce quality content. It doesn't matter what they say. These kids are damn entertaining.Jon and damian would be here to stay as long as they provide something to audience.

[Lightning Rider]

I'd love to go back and write Barry's return. It started off with some promising concepts during Blackest Night (the whole 'man out of time' concept) but quickly went off the rails with retcons and erasures.

The question would then be what to do with two Flashes. I'm not demoting Wally into a Nightwing-type role. I suppose it could go one of two ways; reinvent Central City & Keystone City and make Wally & Barry's adventures feel very distinct, or have either Wally or Barry become more of a Speed Force ghost being that handles far more crazy and high-concept adventures, while the other takes down crooks. I can see arguments for either inhabiting that role (Wally having experienced more of the Speed Force and Barry traditionally being more of a stop-the-crooks hero, but Barry has merit having died and being recently returned via the Speed Force itself).

[Gero4568]

Go back to right after Crisis and write Wonder Woman. Don't fully erase her past. Probably find a way to have Lyta Trevor's existence still make sense.

[SuperX]

Go over to the Superman threads where they're devising ways to get rid of Jon and Damian.

Um devising a way to get Jon BACK to being a younger kid, kinda blows your theory, and your opinion.

Well I sure don't, I think there is room for every character, aslong as you make them unique enough, as in make kon and Jon very different than each other

[PCN24454]

Um devising a way to get Jon BACK to being a younger kid, kinda blows your theory, and your opinion.

Not all of them. Some just want the kids gone altogether.

[Ascended]

This would be supremely unpopular to a lot of fans, especially Batman fans, but rewrite the Tower Of Babel storyline, so Batman does not have files to take down the whole JLA. The plans come from some other source. To me this was the apex (or nadir if you prefer) of the Jerk Bat-God that still has (IMO negative) repercussions today.

I'm more or less with you on this, myself. I don't mind that Bruce has plans; mind control, clones, evil alternate reality doppelgangers, evil twins, that stuff is a thing and easy to come by. In my mind, everyone on the League has seriously considered contingencies in case a peer goes rogue (for whatever reason). Anything less is irresponsible and naïve. They might not all have a "anti-Flash" gun already in the attic "just in case" but they've got a workable plan in mind. But I really hate how this moment crystalized the Batgod. He had become a near-complete a-hole before this, as DC learned the wrong lessons from DKR, but they learned the wrong lessons from Morrison too and now Bruce is a unstoppable-invulnerable-unbeatable a-hole. And I miss the guy who was damaged and troubled but still human and still a good person. Still fallible. Modern Bruce feels dead inside yet cannot be stopped. And that's a interesting character, I do like a solid dose of Millar in my Batman, but they've taken it too far and the guy who should be the most human of them all is now the least.

As for what I'd write differently if I could go back in time, I'd go back to 2011 and make sure Cyborg had a solo book with the reboot. Or at least take over the book when it did launch a few years later.

If I could manage it, I'd have kept Vic's Titans history intact (as much as I could manage, say they were friends if not team mates, whatever) and have him join the League during Darkseid's invasion. He'd be experienced, capable, and would have dealt with all the classic angst and "man or machine" stuff already. Those topics and themes would still have a role to play but would be treated as part of his origin, not his status quo.

The book would have focused largely on establishing a mythos around Vic, with new settings, supporting characters, villains, etc., with the core franchise themes built around "Man becomes God" and Descartes' "your world is a demon's lie" logic puzzle (the Matrix movies, if you don't know Descartes), with his old angst used to fuel a minor but recurring "do we ever truly defeat our demons" theme. Vic would have emotional range with a "base setting" personality essentially merging the comic version with the . On top of the new elements, I'd steal from the Titans and New Gods as much as DC would let me. Mokkari & Simyan, the Lump, and the Fearsome 5 join Vic's solo rogues gallery. Beast Boy (if DC lets me) joins Vic's supporting cast (DC didn't use him at first anyway) along with Will Magnus, Jinx as a femme fatal semi-love interest.

With so much to establish arcs are 2-4 issues things with plots that move but know when to give a moment it's heart, with a modernized Silver Age vibe sorta like Waid/Samnee's Marvel work.

[Jim Kelly]

If it's a character I love, then it's most probable that's because of the writer and artist who worked on that character. Why would I go back in time and deprive the world of their talents to substitute them for my weak efforts?

Elongated Man is my favourite character--I wouldn't want to lose Gardner Fox, John Broome, Carmine Infantino and Sid Greene from those great DETECTIVE COMICS and have this nobody Jim Kelly making a mess of it.

If I could travel back in time--I'd go to work for one of the fifth rate publishers who had poor writers and artists and bad characters--they'd be most likey to hire me. Chances are I could do a passable job--and maybe get enough experience to improve my talent, so I could create a new character of my own and slowly win the respect of my peers.