DC Characters In Need of the Spotlight

Two years ago DC Comics made a dramatic and controversial movie by rebooting its entire line of comics under the banner of The New 52. The move attracted a whole new audience to their product as they not only made their comics friendly to beginners but also diversified their product with a new focus on; horror, fantasy, and westerns. We are now two years into this new era of the beloved comics publisher and yet there have been many beloved characters who have yet to appear or have shown up only in brief glimpses. These heroes and villains may not have the popularity which comes with having an “S” or a bat on their chest but they do have devoted fanbases who want to see them.

Wally West/The Flash: True Barry Allen may be the most iconic speedster to ever put on the red

and yellow, but an entire generation of fanboys (myself included) are for more familiar with his former sidekick, Wally West. Under the famous runs of writers such as; Mark Waid and Geoff Johns we fell in love with West as he grew into his own in the Flash legacy. During Flashpoint we saw the character die at the hands of his arch nemesis, Captain Cold and since then there has been no sign of him. Out of all the characters in their pantheon, DC must realize that Wally West is the one most fans are clamoring to see.

The Question: Like the Loch Ness Monster and Sasquatch, this mysterious investigator has been sighted in brief glimpses around the dark alleys of the DC Universe lately, hinting that he is part of a larger story at work. Largely ignored throughout most of his time on the printed pages, his appearances in the animated series, Justice League Unlimited turned the obscure hero into a fan favorite and his final moments in the weekly series, 52, further endeared him to comic fans. Hopefully as the larger story that he seems tied up in grows, we will see the trench coat clad vigilante spouting off his famous eccentricities.

Stephanie Brown/Batgirl/Spoiler: The teenage hero everyone hated, until she took on the mantle of Batgirl under the pen of Bryan Q Miller. Miller succeeded where so many others have failed in showing the readers who Brown was and why we should care about her. Many fans have had a hard time accepting the fact that she is simply gone, just as they had grown attached to her and wish to see her swing across the dark skies of Gotham once again. While few are suggesting that she returns to the Batgirl mantle, especially since Gail Simone is blowing everybody away in her current run, perhaps a return to her Spoiler persona is in order; and given her chemistry with current Batgirl Barbara Gordon perhaps she can take on a fun sidekick role.

Ted Kord: Before Jaime Reyes, rediscovered the scarab, Blue Beetle was a geeky underdog who sought to use his resources for justice. Often looked down upon as simply being Boost Gold’s best bud, their is no doubt that the character had a lot of heart; which he proved in the lead up to the Infinite Crisis. With the relatively clean slate the creators at DC now have a return is not outside the realm of possibility. Though the role of Blue Beetle is already filled, Kord is an interesting enough character he can stand on his own out of costume.

Justice League International: A series that ended far too early. The positive is that many of the aspects that made this team so beloved have appeared in the new, Justice League of America series, but it is not the same. Showcasing the best elements of obscure characters such as; Booster Gold, Vixen, Fire, and Ice. The chemistry of the team members along with some great stories endeared them to fans and hopefully we can see them pop up again soon.

Raven: This staple character of the Teen Titans oozed cool more than any other teen hero in the DC Universe. Originally slated to appear in the current Titans series, plans were changed as DC seems to be positioning her for a grand scale story arc involving her father Trigon. But there is no doubt that this new incarnation of the Teen Titans would greatly benefit in the eyes of readers by having this beloved character return to the team. If need be should could easily be seen splitting her time between the Titans and the Justice League Dark.

Elongated Man & Sue: This couple broke fans’ hearts with their tragic arc in Identity Crisis then later in 52. With fans having gained a new appreciation for this couple it seems to be the perfect time to

put them back in the spotlight in this new rebooted version of the DC Universe. With famous couples such as; Lois and Clark and Barry and Iris being split up in the world of the 52; readers are in need of a strong super hero couple. Much like Lois Lane, Sue Dibney is no damsel in distress as she is often seen right alongside her husband and his Justice League cohorts. And Elongated Man having the combination of Batman’s intelligence and resolved paired with Plasitc Man’s powers, would make him a great addition to the super heroes of the DC 52.

Ray Palmer/The Atom: True Ray Palmer was in Frankenstein Agent of SHADE and a woman under the alter ego of The Atom has recently joined the ranks of the Justice League it is still not the same. I have always had a soft spot for this particular pint sized character. Perhaps he can be recruited by the Justice League of America for his intellect, which could be a great asset.

Icon & Rocket: One of the more remarkable things about the New 52 is how they successfully integrated characters from DC’s other lines of comics into the DC Universe proper. Now we can see a world where Vertigo’s John Constantine and Wildstorm’s Grifter rub elbow’s with Green Lantern; but many comic fans are wondering about the heroes from another line of comics that once stemmed from DC, Milestone. Aside from a brief series starring the ever popular Static Shock, the characters from the city of Dakota have been strangely absent. During his run on Justice League of America, Milestone co-creator Dwayne McDuffie proved that his characters could add a lot of excitement in the DCU. Icon and his sidekick Rocket were easily the most intriguing characters to come from the era of Milestone Media and would be a welcome edition to the New 52. Seeing how one of the purposes for the reboot was to make their characters more contemporary, this duo could easily bring a great deal of social awareness to comics that could grab headlines as the politically opposed pair offered up their takes on the world.

I know there are many more heroes and villains fans wish to see return to the pages of DC Comics. Feel free to tell me who you are missing in the comments section