DC CHARACTERS IN NEED OF A REBIRTH

It seems like all we ever talk about anymore is this damn DC Rebirth thing! Well, that's because if we're not talking about that then we'll talk about why I think Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice will be the greatest thing ever!

Cuz it will be!

I have similarly high hopes for the DC Rebirth coming this summer. If it truly is a "getting the characters back to what makes them great" movement that Geoff Johns and company claim it to be, then I think we as comic book fans will be in for a real treat!

I mentioned before what characters I think are in the teaser image above. Then I started thinking, what characters are in ACTUAL need of a reboot? When Johns "rebirthed" Hal Jordan and Barry Allen, those characters had been dead or at least "good as dead" (after all this is comics) and they desperately needed new life breathed into them. Luckily, we got just that with Geoff Johns. Now, I'm not sure which, if any, of the characters during this Rebirth event Johns himself will be writing, If I had to guess, it won't be very many due to his responsibilities with DC Entertainment as a whole. But if the other writers are taking a cue from him, then what characters desperately need a rebirth? I'd like to share with you my top choices.

NIGHTWING

Confession - I have not read the Grayson series, I do have copies of it, but I've not had a chance to read it yet. So I will not talk about that series or what's come of it (despite me knowing what's happened). I will say that I think it's great that Dick Grayson as a character got to do something new and different in the comics. It's what helps keeps characters interesting. But let's face it, it was only going to be temporary right? Dick Grayson is Nightwing now. True he began life as Robin, the Boy Wonder, but I think moreso than any other character his evolution into his own hero stepping out of his mentor's shadow stuck and rightfully so. Grayson is one of DC's absolute best characters. Nightwing has always been a popular and wonderful character. While Dick has gone from sidekick, to hero, to legend, to spy (Robin, Nightwing, Batman, Grayson respectively) I think his best portrayal is as Nightwing. Just as Johns gave Hal Jordan renewed life as Green Lantern after spending so much time as the Spectre, I think it's time someone gave Grayson a new lease on comic book life as Nightwing again. Plus, while I liked the Red and Black costume in the New 52, I kinda miss the blue and black. So . . . let's rebirth that while we're at it! 

SUPERGIRL

I mentioned before how Supergirl is most likely one of the silhouetted images in the Rebirth teaser. I believe Supergirl is in desperate need of a Rebirth. With a highly successful TV show on the air right now, she's never been hotter. I mean like for real . . . ha . . . ha . . . Anyway! In all seriousness, it makes sense for Supergirl to get a Rebirth. Right now, her comic is non-existant and before then it was not a hot seller. With a brand new TV show out and connections to the larger DC TV multiverse confirmed, now is the time to bring Kara Zor-El to the forefront of the DC Universe. And the show is the perfect template to base it on. Essentially, you get all the great action from a Superman story but you mix in the drama of growing up and being in a famous person's shadow. Supergirl struggles with that both in the comics and in the real world. The show is doing a good job of giving the character her own voice, now the comics need to follow suit. The trick is to give her to a writer and artist with a real passion for the character. That's something that she has been sorely lacking for years. Hopefully, we'll see a great team give the character the Rebirth that she needs!

SUPERBOY

I mentioned before how Connor Kent as Superboy was one of my favorite characters during Geoff Johns's Teen Titans run. I think Connor is in need of a Rebirth. I was not a big fan of what was done to the character during the new 52. I felt he had a great origin and there was no need to tamper with it. But . . . that's what happened. Truth be told, I didn't read the books, I read about them and what I read did not impress me. Like Supergirl, Superboy is a great character. Whereas Supergirl wants to make a name for herself as more than just "Superman's cousin" I think Superboy is sort of the opposite. He wants to prove himself worthy of the S shield that he wears. Given his parentage as the son of Krypton and Earth (in the form of Lex Luthor) he has a great cross to bear. Does he choose the path of the hero or the villain? This was explored a lot during Teen Titans and when he went solo in Adventure Comics. I think there is still room to explore this concept. He's a very different character from Clark and that's what makes him so unique. There's more angst, inner turmoil, and fun to be had with a younger Superman character. I think a lot of that has been lost with the new 52 comics. Let's see Superboy return to his roots and get back to greatness!

SIMON BAZ

What the hell ever happened to this guy? He was introduced before Geoff Johns left Green Lantern and hasn't really been seen since. He was in the Justice League of America comic (again by Johns) but then vanished. He hasn't been a prominent character in any of the Green Lantern comic books despite being quite popular when he was first introduced. Now? Nothing! This is a shame considering I really liked him and looked forward to seeing more of him. Since DC is doing it's best to embrace diversity in the comic books I think bringing Simon back and giving him either his own book or a lead in a team book would be a great idea. Like all the best Green Lanterns before him, he was able to do things with the power ring that no one else could and proved himself worthy to be a Green Lantern. The Green Lantern Corps is all about diversity, which makes Baz's return not only logical but kind of expected. Why waste a perfectly great new character during the Rebirth event? Bring him back and make the fans realize that they've been missing out! 

SUPERMAN

Yepp. I went there. Yes, I've mentioned all three of the major "super" characters but truthfully, I believe they all need a Rebirth. Superman, quite frankly, is a tough character to crack. On the one hand, you have people saying he's not relate-able because he's too powerful (which is a poor reason not to like him IMO). On the other hand, people think he's too much of a goody two shoes (which is another poor reason not to like him). So how do you make Superman relevant and interesting? Writers and artists in the past have either made him younger (like in Smallville) or de-powered him, like he has been in the recent comic books. I think those are bad ways to go. You don't need to de-power him. Quite frankly, I've always seen Superman as a super-man in the sense that he's the man we should all strive to be like. He's taken his tragedies and made them into strengths. He's stood up for what's right even when no one else agreed or believed in him. That's the kind of hero that we need today. We need a hero that will stand up for what's right and just even if it's unpopular or controversial. The best versions of Superman, in my mind, are the ones where he hears both sides of the argument, weighs the options, and makes his decisions then. Now, this Superman also has uncompromising moral values, but it doesn't make him naive or old fashioned. It just makes him unique and interesting in a cynical world. I'd like to see a return to form for Superman. Hopefully, Rebirth will deliver that for me. 

These are my suggestions on who needs a Rebirth in the DC Comics Universe. With any luck, most if not all of these characters will be brought back to their former glory with great teams behind them. Otherwise, what's the point? 

Till Next Time!

JJ - the Comic Junkie!