Should There Be Three Batmen?

One of my favorite things about DC's Dark Knight is how varied his appearances can be. One minute he's the shadowy agent of vengeance who stalks the night, the next minute he's all smiles and hand-shakes with the Gotham City Mayor. One second he's the moody loner who can't help but hurt the ones he loves, the next he's a father of four, mentor to many, founding member of The Justice League and Superman's best pal! But just because this is all the work of one man, doesn't mean it has to stay that way. So, What If There Were Three Batmen?

I've always thought the majority of Batman canon was a bit screwy. When I'm reading a Batman comic I'm supposed to believe he's vulnerable, clever, and resourceful. But over in the Justice League comics he's flying spaceships and outsmarting super-computers. There's always been a strange shift between the grittier, more grounded Batman, and the high-flying, superhero hijinks Batman. Spider-Man is able to pull off the street level/super level over in Marvel, but that's because he not only has powers, but has a personality that favors different groups of characters. Spider-Man can have a battle of morals with Punisher one day and then high hive Thor the next. Batman-on the other hand-is in his element when he's being a crime-solving ninja soldier in Gotham City, but when he's around The Justice League he needs to be a team player and is usually given the tech-work. Not to mention that one annoying moment in every Justice League story where someone has to say, "Why is Batman even here? He doesn't have any powers". Only for Batman to outsmart them or make a sly remark or do something cool that makes everyone shut up.

Among a million other things, Geoff Johns is working on a comic called "The Three Jokers" which is about-wait for it-three Jokers. Yes, as it was first revealed at the beginning of DC Rebirth two years ago, there have been three different men calling themselves The Joker over the course of Batman's career. One is the original Golden Age Joker, the second is similar to Alan Moore's Joker from "The Killing Joke", and the third is Scott Snyder's version of The Joker from his Batman run throughout the New 52. Three Jokers, but not three very different Jokers in my opinion. In fact, if there was to be a division of a Batman character, I think it should have been Batman. 

The Caped Crusader

Consider this to be the most superhero part of Batman. The Batman of the 60's and 70's, chipper, friendlier, he makes puns. This is like "The Brave & The Bold" version of Batman. This Batman makes public speeches, this Batman operates in the daytime, this Batman wears the goddamn blue and grey and yellow costume! This is like Adam West Batman with a bit more elbow grease. This is a Batman who wants a Robin by his side, a Batman who is happy to work alongside The Justice League. If we were to put one Batman character in each of these positions, I could see Dick Grayson becoming this Batman. However, if the circumstance was something a bit more comic book-like, and Batman was hit with a "duplication beam" and this was one of the Batmen who's pop out, he's be a great Batman for those who miss campier adventures with Batman and Robin. In fact, that's the book you put him in. "Batman & Robin".

The Dark Knight

People love a dark and gritty Batman. That "Killing Joke" shit, that "Dark Knight Returns" shit, a grizzled, aged, psychologically broken man who turned himself into a lethal weapon shit. This Batman breaks bones, this Batman might kill once and a while. Use a gun once and while. If Zack Snyder can make Batman a killer, and if "Titans" can make Batman a killer, and if people love the idea of Red Hood so much, make a Batman who kills. This is a Batman who thinks Robins are a mistake, who thinks the Justice League are just bombs waiting to go off, this Batman would rather wipe out crime than worry about his business, his family, his health, or anything else. But, when those few moments of humanity and vulnerability shine through, they remind you that this Batman isn't a monster like the criminals of Gotham. This Batman is simply standing on the edge. If someone were to be put into this Batman's position, it'd make sense for it to be Jason Todd. And you'd be wise to revive the title "The Dark Knight" just for him.

The World's Greatest Detective

And finally, the Batman we know today. This Batman is a jack of all trades, he's a martial artist, he's a detective, he's a man of the world. One of the best parts of splitting Batman into three people is allowing the brutal side and the campy side of Batman to shed off the modern Batman, allowing him to be a dedicated crime-fighter and a balanced man. This Batman can be on teams, but can also work alone. This Batman adapts, but can still work in traditional stories. Obviously, this would be Bruce Wayne, and he'd star in "Detective Comics", and the "Batman" title could revolve around the three Batmen responding to one another or taking part in their own adventures.

So, what do you think? Should DC split Batman up for a little while? Or can the character continue to switch gears?
Let me know and thanks for reading!

An Honest Post

This is hard now.

I feel like I'm out of words. Like, every opinion I have is either already written. All my creativity goes into podcasts now. Podcasts, I know for a fact, not everyone listens to. Maybe I'm doing it wrong, but I feel like I've put enough lines out there. Links, Facebook profiles, Twitter. Hell, my podcast just got added to Spotify, Anchor, Google Podcasts, and a bunch of other sources I've never even heard of. I don't like bitching and moaning about low downloads, but I see how many people check out this blog a day and I think "Jesus imagine if every view this one post got was a listener". Just this month, fifty-five people checked out a post on this website. Fifty-Five. You know how many listens my podcasts get? Four to twelve. Maybe you readers just don't have the means to listen to podcasts, maybe podcasts are scary and new, maybe podcasts are boring because there's nothing to look at. And when I try to do a video podcast, again, those fifty-five people go missing.
Who am I kidding? You don't come here to read about some guy who's struggling to be creative or to bombarded with advertisements for a podcast. Hell, "listen to my podcast" is probably the second most unappealing thing to say to someone next to "check out my blog". Podcasting is just so easy. I A. don't have to do it alone, B. can discuss whatever I want to, and C. use it to entertain people. But writing for a blog. I don't know. It's not exhausting. I'm not under pressure. You fifty-five readers aren't pressuring me to write better or write more. You don't tell me anything, even if I would like you to. Hell, I'll take hate comments, I'll take death threats. I just want to know who I'm writing for. When I started doing this, five years ago, I did it because I wanted to be a writer. I still do. And doing this everyday was practice. It was training. But somewhere down the line I just stopped ignoring my doubts. I'm not disappointed or anything, I just feel like I haven't gone anywhere. Like in the five years I've been blogging I've made no steps forward. The podcast, live shows, those were movements. I got Kurt Busiek to comment on my post, but he only did it because I messed up on something I was writing. My biggest achievement was acquired because of a mistake.
I started this blog to practice being a writer, but I also did it to distract myself. Five years ago, I had graduated high school, ditched collage after three months, and was still hanging on to my ex from school. I had a job at a grocery store and I needed something to keep my attention, something to keep myself from going miserable. Because like all 20-somethings I was depressed for no good reason. So I replaced my sadness with this. This blog. This further interest in the world of comic books. I leapt into a fiction to escape my reality.
Fast forward five years and I'm back with my ex and in a healthy relationship. We live in an apartment. I have a new job that's flexible, well-paying, and doesn't require me to interact with customers. I'm happy. Happier than I've ever been. I have everything I want and room for more. I may not be the most famous or most rich guy in the world, but I'm better off than other guys out there my age. And maybe that's why this is hard. Because my drive was to convince people comic books, superheroes, and fictional stories could inspire people, build people's beliefs, and just be damn meaningful. I think that, my friends think that, and my girlfriend is starting to see that. Comics mean a lot to me, but I can't pretend I need to distract myself with them anymore. I'm not going to stop reading or watching cartoons and TV shows and movies, but I shouldn't beat myself up over writing about comics on my blog. I think I've earned a pat on the back. I've been doing this for five years and even if it hasn't changed much, I've changed a lot. I don't need to distract myself from the things I don't have, because I have all I want now.
I owe my friendships to the comic book stories I've been able to share, I owe the cushion that carried back to the woman I love to comic books for keeping my mind busy, and I owe my creativity, my drive, my interest, and my pride to this blog. And I owe a thank you to anyone who read a post in passing. To anyone who clicked on a list just to look at the pictures. I owe a lot to a lot of people for a lot of things. And I owe piece of mind to myself. I never wanted The Panel Biter to become my career. I never wanted The Panel Biter to take a place above my relationships. And I never wanted The Panel Biter to take a place above my happiness. I was happy to be a blogger, even if it meant a dead end. Even if it means this will one day end. Even it means one day the podcasts, the videos, and everything else related to this little blog ends.
But in the words of a naked blue man, "Nothing ends, Adrian. Nothing ever ends".
Thanks for reading.

Morphin' The Power Rangers Pt. 2

Yesterday we celebrated the 25th Anniversary of Power Rangers with my pitch for an animated series. And that was a lot of fun, but some of you Power Rangers fans may be looking towards the big screen. So this is my pitch for a new Power Rangers movie that would be both a sequel to the 2017 film and a loose adaptation of Lord Drakkon story from the recent comics.

So what possessed me to continue off of the 2017 film. I wasn't crazy about it to be honest. I didn't really like the new versions of old characters, I didn't like how slow it felt, and I'm not a fan of the designs of the suits, Rita, or even the Zords. But what I did like was the modern take on the teens. Like, they were actually teenagers with attitudes and not just a bunch of community service goodie-goods. And I liked the time given to develop their characters and their powers. But other than that it all felt very generic and dull. And while I'd love to do a film where we flesh out those characters further or see how they grow or introduce a new version of Tommy, I think there is a a very obvious storyline that would help make this movie stand out.
In Boom Studio's "Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers" comic, written by Kyle Higgins, The Power Rangers end up fighting a mysterious new villain known as Lord Drakkon. When Tommy and Billy travel to his world they find it to be an alternate future of Earth where Tommy remained Rita's subject, obtained a new layer of power, and enslaved the Earth. Essentiality answering the question most Power Rangers have asked being "what would have happened if Tommy stayed evil". And I think this is a plot you want to use. Mainly because most people recognize the Green Ranger. I have several friends who aren't big Power Rangers fans, they know little to nothing about the series, but when questioned about their favorite Ranger or an episode they remember vividly, it was when The Green Ranger showed up. It was the first case of "I'm you, but evil" in the lives of many young viewers. It also helps that Tommy's actor Jason David Frank is the poster boy of the entire franchise, ofter reappearing in other Power Ranger seasons and conventions. People love him just as much as he loves the franchise.
And that brings me to the third corner of this movie pitch: bring back the old actors. Like I said the plot takes place in the future which means if you have any surviving Rangers, they could be played by the old actors. Now some of these characters obviously don't work. 2017 Billy/Blue Ranger is African-American unlike his 90's counterpart, and the opposite is the case for Zach/Black Ranger. And due to the passing of Trini's actress in the 2000's she obviously can't appear. However, Austin St. John (who played Jason), Amy Jo Johnson (who played Kimberly), and Jason David Frank (Tommy) could all return to play the future versions of their characters AND match up racially to their younger selves.
The film would consist on future Kimberly (played by AJJ) going back in time to kill Tommy (new actor) before he can become The Green Ranger, but The Rangers stop her. Before she can explain her time travel device reaches it's expiration and she is sucked back to the future with the 2017 Rangers. Now in this dystopian future, The Young Rangers have to help Kim and her rebellion of supporting characters like Bulk & Skull, and would-be Rangers like Rocky, Adam, and Aisha (all of whom are played by their old actors) fight back against the army of Lord Drakkon (JDF). Through the story The Rangers would learn about the lives their future selves lived. Trini died like a badass, Zack managed to scar Lord Drakkon, and Billy sacrificed himself to save Kim. In their mission to recover old Zords and train rebel fighters, Jason would have his own journey where he goes off to find his future self. Jason would learn his future self (played by ASJ) is the prisoner of Lord Drakkon.
The Rangers free Old Jason, they reactive some Zords, Old Jason reluctantly kills Drakkon, and the world is saved. And the 2017 Rangers last job is make sure Tommy doesn't become Lord Drakkon in their timeline. But taking what they know, the kids have a better idea. Flashback to 2018 where Tommy has become The Green Ranger and he and Rita are destroying Angel Grove. The 2017 Rangers return and kick their asses, Rita leaves Tommy to die, but The Rangers save him from falling off a cliff or something. So instead of Tommy becoming their greatest enemy, he becomes their newest ally.
You get to continue the 2017 film with a new villain-turned-hero who worries over his potential evil future, and you may even get a new franchise of retired Rangers trying to fix their broken world! So, yeah, just mix the emotional character stuff from the 2017 movie, the time travel craziness from the comic, and the nostalgia of the 1990's show, and you got a recipe for a Power Rangers movie everyone would love!
Thanks for reading!
Would you watch this movie? Comment below!

Morphin' The Power Rangers Pt. 1

It's the 25th Anniversary of Power Rangers, the long-running, action-packed TV series that I've followed since I was a kid. I love Power Rangers and now is the perfect time to be a fan of it. There are two really great ongoing comics, one of them has an epic event called "Shattered Grid". "Power Rangers Ninja Steel" just had a huge crossover with past Rangers, including Tommy. There's a cool podcast starring Youtube personalities RPG-ing as Power Rangers, there's the next series "Power Rangers Beast Morphers", new action figures of various Rangers, and now that Hasbro owns Power Rangers we can expect even more in the future.

So, in honor of the big 25, I wanted to do a double-pitch. Tomorrow we'll be talking about what I'd do for a live-action Power Rangers movie, but today I wanted to pitch a Power Rangers cartoon. Something akin to "Voltron: Legendary Defender". Animated, story-driven, twelve to fifteen episodes. And this isn't a modern retelling, it's more of an alternate version of the second season of "Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers" and it's characters.

Zordon

The alien sorcerer Zordon managed to defeat the evil witch Rita Repulsa from within his dimensional prison by rallying together five teenagers with attitude to be his new Power Rangers. Basically, all of the first season of the show happened, including Tommy being the evil Green Ranger, but turning around and helping The Power Rangers. The big change was when Rita almost killed one of the Ranger's family members and the kids went against Zordon's advice and took the fight to Rita. They managed to destroy her and her minions, but at a cost. Now, three years later, Rita Repulsa is somehow revived alongside her minions. And the Rangers don't live in Angel Grove anymore. Some of them have lives, families, some are down right missing. Zordon has to act fast. So he tasks the now older Billy Cranston and Alpha 5 to recruit a new team of teens. Through Zordon we get new bits of lore for the Power Rangers Universe. Like, how Zordon was a Red Ranger and he had his own cosmic Power Rangers team back in the day. We learn the Ranger's source of power-The Morphin' Grid-can be better utilized by teenagers than adults. Little things like that to flesh out the details. Maybe Zordon even projects a field around Angel Grove every time a monster/robot fight happens and that's why buildings don't collapse? Just a thought.

Rocky DeSantos

Power Rangers isn't a series known for deep, three-dimensional characters. Especially the Season Two recruits. This time around, Rocky is from L.A. and used to be part of a gang called the Rose Boys. Rocky was moved to Angel Grove to live with his Aunt and to begin moving on from his old life of crime. This desire for redemption is what makes Zordon decide he is worthy, and his ability to work in a group setting is what lands him the role of Red Ranger. Rocky takes things very seriously, he wants to do good and escape his old reputation. He doesn't have a great relationship with police, and most people find him threatening, but his friends see his heart and his effort and respect him for what he does. Oh, and since this is animated, Rocky would be voiced by his actor Steve Cardenas. And, hey, since most Power Rangers actors aren't doing much, they could all come back to voice their characters. That'd be a great chance to influence the franchise without worrying about the shape their in or the their time schedules.

Billy Cranston

Billy is the oldest member of the team and the only veteran Ranger, which puts him in the role of the team genius and their on-the-field mentor. A role unbefitting for Billy because while he might make an excellent science teacher, he was the last Ranger to become a master martial artist. What's more is that Billy is twenty-one, still living with his parents, still in Angel Grove, and is kind of seen as a shill by the community. The other Rangers went off to do other things, but not Billy. He's still kind of awkward and hard to understand, but with Rita back and new Rangers to join, Billy has the opportunity to grow up a little and take responsibility. In fact, in the years he's been off-duty he's been helping Alpha spruce up the Command Center and has even started modifying the Zords. However, the big twist for Billy is that he isn't Billy. He's a Putty. Remember that "great cost" I mentioned when I talked about the final attack on Rita Repulsa? Well, Billy was that cost. Stricken with grief and regret, The Rangers agreed to bring Billy back to life using Zordon's powers and the clay Finster uses to create Putties. Billy was successfully revived with no memory of dying. When Billy learns this in the season finale it shakes him to his core. The past three years have been a lie, he hasn't grown or changed because he isn't real. These are all issues Billy will have to face next season.

Adam Park

It's a good thing Johnny Yong Bosch is a successful voice actor now. So Adam was the shy guy in the original show, but Billy is kind of taking that role now. So Adam's new character is the jock stereotype. He's overconfident, stubborn, head-strong, kind of slow, but he is also a team player because he plays on the Angel Grove high school football team, The Saints. At first he comes off as a jerk, but Adam genuinely cares about his fellow Rangers and comes to consider them close friends. His relationship with The Rangers brings out Adam's softer and more creative side. Maybe he's actually a skilled writer or actor and his commitment to football has clouded his real interests. Like being masculine made him afraid to be honest with himself. That way we still get the sensitive character from the show, but hidden behind the armor of a quarterback. His Ranger life and football life can come to a crossroads and Adam has to leave his sport behind to save the world.

Tanya Sloan

So this is a picture of Aisha Campbell as The Yellow Ranger and Aisha actually was the second Yellow Ranger, but I'm going with Tanya Sloan from "Power Rangers Zeo" for a reason. See, Tanya's backstory in the show was that she was from Africa and I kind of liked that about her. From my experiences in high school and at work, I've seen a lot of refugees from oversees and I think viewers might appreciate the realism of having someone like that as a Power Ranger. So, Tanya Sloan is a Nigerian refugee who escaped capture from an African warlord by being adopted by a family in America. She wears clothing accurate to her heritage, has trouble adjusting to American customs, but is otherwise polite, supportive, and very friendly. As for Aisha, she works at Earnie's Juice Bar-the frequent hang out spot for The Rangers. Aisha knows about The Rangers-new and old-and is a sort of supportive bystander who helps cover them when they go off to fight bad guys or give them real world advice that Zordon can't provide them. Aisha is like the big sister of the Rangers and her relationship with Tanya is adorably sisterly.

Katherine "Kat" Hillard

I hope Kira Ford doesn't mind if I swipe her character profile. In the original show Kat didn't have the best backstory. She was an Australian girl kidnapped and brainwashed by Rita and turned into an actual cat to spy on The Rangers. She turned good and took over as the Pink Ranger after Kimberly left. But the pink costume ain't all she got from Kim, because Kat and Tommy later hooked up. I know I was never a fan of Kat, so I wanted to just go totally different with her character and try not to make her Tommy's new pink rebound girl again. This time around Kat moved to Angel Grove from Australia three years ago. She and her mom moved because her father-a police officer-died on duty and the family had to moved for their own protection. The death of her father while on duty left Kat with a detest for law, heroics, and authority. Kat is essentially the "punk chick" archetype. She initially doesn't want to be a Power Ranger, especially the Pink Ranger. However, she finds it fun to fight monsters so she sticks around and eventually comes to love her teammates. She finally feels what it's like to be a hero like her Dad. She even develops feelings for Rocky, despite his past as a criminal. And you can still have episodes where Rita makes her evil or she gets turned into a cat. That'd be one half dramatic and one half hilarious.

Lord Zedd & Rita Repulsa

Rita Repulsa, Goldar, Baboo and Squat were destroyed by The Power Rangers, but Finster was able to bring them back with the help of Lord Zedd and his apprentice Scorpina. In this story, Lord Zedd is a galactic tyrant with a few planets under his belt. He is powerful, merciless, and is concerned more with his reputation than the strength of five human children. He is the former apprentice to Rita's father Master Vile and uses Finster's clay to revive Rita and her minions and offers his assistance. At first he does this in the hopes to get the attention of Master Vile, but eventually he comes to love Rita, much to Scorpina's dismay. At the end of the season, Rita's minions are destroyed again and she is left nearly destroyed, but Zedd and Scorpina help her again. Meanwhile, Master Vile and his son Rito plan their meeting with Zedd and Rita to express their disappointment.

The Old Rangers

In season one we learn Tommy Oliver (former Green Ranger) is still in Angel Grove just keeping to himself. Because Rita gave him his powers, she also cursed him after he turned good. Eventually the Green Ranger powers will run out and Tommy will die, so he's trying to save as much of that power as possible. As for his love interest Kimberly (Pink) she moved on to join the U.S. gymnastics team and travel the world. Trini (Yellow) and Zach (Black) are now married, living in Europe, and expecting a child. And while it sucks to acknowledge Trini's actor passed in the early 2000's, I'm sure there are plenty of Asian-American actresses who'd be honored to voice her. And Jason (Red)? Missing, and not to be found for a couple of seasons. The old Rangers may be referenced, but that's about it. Trini, Zach, Tommy, and Kim may come back in the season finale to help defeat Rita again, but they'd go unseen for a season or two as well. Oh, and Bulk and Skull are The Power Rangers biggest supporters and still don't know who they are.
And that's what I would do with a Power Ranger animated series. More dynamic characters, deeper story arcs, and a wider universe to bounce off of. I've got plenty more of animated Ranger ideas, so if you want to read more comment below and I will see you all tomorrow when we talk about my idea for a Power Rangers movie!
Thanks for reading!

Green Arrow 20 Years Later

Which target will the Arrow Family hit next? This is The Green Arrow Family...20 Years Later!

Green Arrow & Speedy

With his father retired from the superhero life, Connor Hawke-Queen is the new Green Arrow and he keeps the citizens of Star City safe for crime. Connor's kept Ollie's sense of humor and ideals, and though he may not be as loud as his father, Connor's mixed heritage makes feel strongly about social justice and defending those who are different. Whether it be street criminals or deadly assassins, Connor has been trained by the best to handle any circumstance. In his personal life, Connor runs a Community Homeless Shelter and uses his money from Queen Industries to help clean up the streets. Connor's sidekick is Lian Harper/Speedy, Roy Harper's daughter. Lian's mother is Cheshire-the assassin-and she has her temper, but she also has her father's sensitivity, making a tough combination. But Connor is a patient tutor, and with Lian approaching her twentieth birthday, both Connor and Roy are worried about her maturity making her dangerous.

Ollie & Dinah

Oliver Queen's identity went public about five years ago and instead of cowering in fear, Ollie rolled with the punches by becoming Star City's favorite patron. Ollie wrote a tell-all book about his experience of being Green Arrow, he's very active in political discussions, and is renowned for his signature chili. He and his wife Dinah now run a gym called "Pretty Bird's" which specializes in teaching self-defense classes. Dinah herself has become a woman's rights activist and as influential a figure in the community as Ollie. In a way, their identities being revealed only increased their strength as heroes.

Red Arrow

Emiko is Oliver's younger half-sister and the current Red Arrow. Like her mother Shado, Emiko acts in the shadows. Tending to foil the plots of organizations from afar. As a destroyer of ninja cults, crime families, and weapons dealers, she often clashes with the likes of Huntress (Cassie Cain), Batman (Damian Wayne), and even Connor Hawke. Which is a shame because most of the Arrow Family is on the outs with Emiko because she murders her targets, much to Ollie's disappointment. Emiko and Lian get along very well, though. This worries Roy and Connor, Lian is a daughter of an assassin after all so there's no telling if she'll grow up to be a killer too.

Arsenal

After years of failed startups, Roy Harper has finally scored the woman of his dreams-Donna Troy, a fellow founder of the Teen Titans and the oldest member of The Wonder Women. Roy no longer operates as Arsenal, instead opening up a shooting range outside of Star City. Victor Stone used his own body-cloning technology to clone Roy a replacement arm, after Prometheus cut off his old one. His drug problem is now non-existent, and he sometimes comes down to Connor's homeless shelter to talk to other junkies about overcoming their addictions. Donna was initially afraid of becoming a step-mother, Lian was a teen at the time she and Roy married, Lian's mother already had a bad reputation, and Donna felt like her powers would make Lian uncomfortable. But like all step-parent/step-child relationships the two woman have become great friends. Donna and Roy also have a four year old named Robbie.

Next week: the other green guy.

Spider-Man Is Just Fighting Monsters

Dude, Spider-Man's villains are just actual monsters. Like, not the people. They're more like metaphorical monsters. Rhino is a big ass angry dude, but he's still a dude. But like, between vampires and werewolves and lizard people, Spider-Man is unexpectedly the center of Halloween spirit.

The Lizard

The Lizard is classic horror. Disheveled scientist tampers with science beyond his understanding, the results mutate him into an obscene monster, and his only hope of not slaughtering innocent people is some hopeless goof in spandex. The Lizard is scary because sometimes he's just an scaly Hulk who doesn't know right from wrong, but other times-and this is scarier-he does know what he's doing, and even if it's bad he'll justify it. Like turning other people into Lizards or attempting to make his condition last longer. It's at that point the mad doctor goes from a victim to the seed of his own destruction.

The Green Goblin

Everything about The Green Goblin screams Halloween. He's a creepy Goblin. He throws exploding pumpkins. He rides a gargoyle-like glider and cackles like a demon. And worst of all, he has a man-purse. The Green Goblin has inspired plenty of rip-offs like Hobgoblin and Jack-O-Lantern who have their own staples of fear, but what lies beyond the green mask is a savvy, psychotic, egotistical capitalist businessman who'll sacrifice even his own son to get away with murdering people.

Morbius The Living Vampire

Just a vampire. Just a goddamn vampire! Like The Lizard, Mobius was a just a scientist who was trying to cure himself, but somehow ended up turning himself into a freaking bloodsucker! And not the modern, sexy, mysterious, dangerously erotic vampire. No he's a ghost-white, red-eyed, long-fanged, clawed creature of the night. He's like Tommy Wiseau's inner self. And he needs to suck. Blood. Or plasma, if he's on a cartoon.

Man-Wolf

He's just a goddamn werewolf! For crying out loud! To be fair, Man-Wolf was formally J. Jonah Jameson's son so he has some connection to Spider-Man's personal life. But ignoring that this freaking guy turns into a werewolf thanks to some weird moon rock. Not a bite or a curse or a costume, a rock turns him into an actual werewolf. Did you know Man-Wolf was the champion of another dimension for a time? Not scary, just bizarre.

Venom

Hey look he's got a spider on his chest. Weird. Venom capitalizes on making you shit your pants. Everything from the sharp teeth, claws, piercing white eyes, and inky black muscles is designed to intimidate you. The dude has saliva for days and a tongue as long as a toddler's arm. And he used to always threaten to eat people's brains. Let that sink in. Not to mention all the crazies he's attached to. Eddie Brock was a dickhead, Scorpion was a career criminal, Flash Thompson wasn't all bad, but he still had issues. And if one of these alien nightmares wasn't enough he's "spawned" multiple spin-off characters like Riot and Screech and Phage. And how can we forget Carnage. See at least Venom is usually an anti-hero who won't kill you if you're innocent, but Carnage is an actual serial killer with a weaponized alien skin that makes him impossible to kill. Venom is Jason Voorhees, Carnage is Freddy Kruger.

Morlun

You know, I don't like Morlun. I don't like what he does. What he represents. The era he comes from. The repercussions of his existence. However, I will admit an energy vampire who comes from a family of multiversal immortals and who's prime directive is to hunt down specific people, kill them, and eat them for their spiritual ties is pretty damn scary. Especially in the Marvel Universe where half the population of heroes and villains are animal-themed and Morlun goes after animal totems. This dude ate Spider-Man eyeball. This dude killed Spider-Man. This dude and his family slaughtered alternate versions of Spider-Man across reality just for dinner. That is commitment.

Thanks for reading.

Which of these spooky villains scares you the most?

The Flash 20 Years Later

Flash forward to the future as we check in on the Scarlet Speedster...20 Years Later!

The Flash

Wally West is The Flash. Again. He lives with his wife Linda, his son Jai West, and his toddler Iris II in Keystone City. Wally works as a government agent under direct instruction from President Dick Grayson. Usually the missions given to Wally include body-guarding certain political figures or attending meetings or simply being somewhere to follow someone. Real low-key situations, which Wally kind of hates since he's much more of a people person. Luckily, if the job goes South he can use his powers to solve the problem faster than anyone can see. It's a good paying job that allows Wally to spend time with his family and fight crime. He also spends a lot of time with his cousin Wally West II (the African-American former Kid Flash) who lost his legs in a fight with Gorilla Grodd years back. Wally II still has powers, but can't risk using them with a crippled body.

Professor Barry Allen

Barry lives in Central City with his wife Iris and their daughter Dawn. Barry also has a pet dog named Jay after the Flash before him. Barry teaches forensic science at Central City College and acts as an informant for crime-fighters. He and Wally often run (at normal speeds) around the campus grounds, and Barry often builds and repairs Wally's Flash stuff. Barry quit being The Flash to start a family and because he respected Wally enough to know he'd make a great successor, though he hasn't lost his powers yet and still uses them in small doses. However, Barry theorizes if he goes too fast he may become one with The Speed Force.

The Kid Flashes

In an attempt to teach the kids how to properly use their powers, Barry and Wally created costumes and trained their children-Jai West and Dawn Allen-how to be Speedsters. Dawn is sixteen, she is a teacher's pet and a know-it-all, but has trouble in social circles. Jai is thirteen and is cocky, immature, and has a loud sense of humor. The two cousins don't exactly get along, but under Wally's tutorship learn to work together as The Kid Flashes. Specifically, Jai's callsign is "Red" and Dawn's is "Yellow". They find that when they combine their speed they can be almost as fast as Wally. 

Impulse

When Barry and Wally began settling down ands starting up families, time-traveler Bart Allen knew his future was assured. If Barry has a kid, that kid will have another kid and that kid will have Bart! But the problem is, The Reverse Flash would always jump out of The Speed Force to attack Barry and his family. So in order to assure his future, Bart Allen/Impulse must remain in The Speed Force and use his powers to stop various versions of The Reverse Flash from getting out. Doing this not only fully infuses Bart with The Speed Force's energy, but causes his endless battle with The Reverse Flash to get the attention of other time travelers like Metron of The New Gods, Time Master Rip Hunter, and time-traveling superhero Booster Gold. But Bart's mission can't be stopped by the likes of them, he must defend his lineage at all costs. Even the cost of his happiness.

The Rogues

The Rogues were a group of criminals who didn't take lives or attack families, all they did was rob banks and scare folks, but a new era demands a new band of criminals. This band is led by Private Frost AKA Frankie Snart, the daughter of Captain Cold and Louise Lincoln/Killer Frost. Frankie was born with her mother's powers and first discovered them when she absorbed her mother's ice powers and killed her by accident. Her father tried to help her, but she freaked out and ran away. Frankie returned after killing the likes of Caitlin Snow, Victor Fries, and Cameron "Icicle" Mahkent. Captain Cold-now just a civilian-frequently seeks The Flash's help in curing her. Frankie's Rogues include Reflect-daughter of Mirror Master and Golden Glider, Captain Boomerang Junior, Icy-Hot (some punk who stole the guns of Captain Cold and Heatwave), and Old Man Trickster. Weather Wizard has retired from villainy and now runs a business where he will change the weather for a large sum of cash so people don't have to cancel birthday parties and weddings, though Flash is working on taking Wizard down since he is messing the the climate. Gorilla Grodd has taken over Gorilla City, but without telepathy. Instead Grodd has become a sort of politician and has won over his people, he currently is in talks with the United Nations.

Thanks for reading.

Next week: Green Arrow.

The Teen Titans 20 Years Later

What do you do with teens when they grow up? Where will The Teen Titans go in their future? This is The Teen Titans...20 Years Later!

Cyborg & Robotman

Victor Stone has found himself on many superhero teams over the last 20 years, and in the time he spent growing and becoming stronger, he eventually found a way to regain his humanity. Following the death of Robotman, Victor Stone managed to recreate his mortal body and return to his human form. However, since parts of his brain are still cybernetic Vic has the ability to control technology with his thoughts. Bringing an all new meaning to the name "Cyborg". But all of his cybernetic parts had to go somewhere, so Vic created Robotman 2.0 from his robotic limbs, a new artificially intelligent robot to help fight crime. While Vic goes on to lead a new Teen Titans, Robotman is part of Beast Boy's new Doom Patrol.

Starfire

Starfire has rediscovered her long lost race, The Tamaranians. And has the permission of The Martian Manhunter to relocate her people to Mars. However, the long journey there will force her to assume the position of queen and hire the deadliest man in the galaxy to help protect her people. With the help of Lobo The Bounty Hunter, Starfire spends six years moving her race across the cosmos, fighting monsters and menaces alike. By the time they finally reach Mars, Lobo has fallen in love with Starfire. Her optimism, compassion, and confidence in even the lowest of life-forms has made Lobo reevaluate his life. No longer does he want to be a gun for hire, a shameless mercenary, or a cosmic womanizer. Starfire brings out the honest man in Lobo and the two get married and lead New Tamaran together.

Beast Boy/Animal Man

Beast Boy has outgrown the "boy" and become known as Animal Man. After Buddy Baker retired and passed his connection to "The Red" to Gar, our green friend became adorned with red markings throughout his body. He dons Buddy's blue and white suit and takes the role of The Red's protector. This means less pizza parties and more paranormal summons with the likes of Swamp Thing, Doctor Fate, and The Specter. Garfield and Raven do end up settling down and having a son named Clint, named after the late Robotman. Clint's powers are a mix between Raven's sorcery and Gar's ability to tap into the animal kingdom. As "The Animancer", Clint specializes in summoning and controlling animals from across history, as well as mythological beasts. Gar currently leads The Doom Patrol, and Clint is a member of Victor's Titans. Gar's Doom Patrol includes Robotman II, Negative Man, Bumblebee and her husband Guardian, and Morpho, the son of Metamorpho and Element Woman.

Raven

After the soul of Jim Corrigan was allowed to rest, someone new had to become the vessel of The Spectre. The Spirit of Vengeance was absorbed by Raven after she learned the life of his next vessel would be essentially ruined by the responsibility of being God's Wrath incarnate. As The Spectre, Raven wrestles with the voice of Spectre on one shoulder, and Trigon on the other. When she leans towards vengeance her purple robe becomes green, and when she gives in to evil her robe becomes black. Raven seems to have even less time to spend with her friends and family now that she has become God's agent of punishment, but is sure to assert herself and even disagree with what God commands.

Deathstroke

While age doesn't do much to the super-soldier named Slade, Deathstroke isn't exactly living the same exquisite assassin life he used to. His second son Joseph has a husband and an adopted son, his daughter Rose is a member of the U.S. military, as well as being a wife and mother, and his loyal butler Wintergreen has died of old age. Slade-in his older years-is living on a farm in Russia with his new wife Minerva and his ten-year-old son Shane. He's now a simple farmed who realized he lost his family a long time ago. Lost he chance to be a father. Slade is pulled back into his old life by President Grayson who informs him of Brother Blood's plot to kill the children of Arabia to achieve immortality. Deathstroke once more, Slade does the dirty deed and leaves his signature sword in the hands of a young village boy who was brave enough to help him find and kill Brother Blood.

The New Teen Titans

Formed by Victor Stone, The New Teen Titans reside in the team's original tower in San Fransisco and the team's members are flown in three days a week to train under the veteran hero. The team includes Perry Olsen/Superboy, the son of Supergirl who usually resides in New Krypton on the planet Mars. Like his father Jimmy Olsen, Perry can be very eager. But he can also be very clumsy. Renee Drake/Robin, daughter of Tim Drake and Stephanie Brown and the partner to Steph's alter ego Batwoman. A mix of genius and cheeriness makes Robin a bit of an over-thinker. Lyta Trevor/Wonder Girl is the prideful daughter of Wonder Woman, and a victim of biting off more than she can chew. Dawn Allen and Iris West are The Kid Flashes, Red and Yellow respectively. The cousins are fast on their own, but faster together. Lian Harper is the daughter of Roy Harper, she's the current Speedy, and she seems far more interested in just hanging out than fighting crime. Mareena is the daughter of the original Aqualad and the partner of the current Aquaman, and as Aquagirl she is a free spirit who cares a lot about the environment. And, the aforementioned Animancer.

Thanks for reading!
Next week: The Flash!

Hasbro: Cinematic Contender?

Between the dying Foxes and desperate Sonys, beyond the castles of Disney and the climb of Warner Bros, there lies in wait another Cinematic Universe waiting to appear. One full of heroes, soldiers, and giant robots. A lot of giant robots.

Hasbro has been setting up a potantial gold-mine of a universe under out noses for the past year. Or, at the very least, they own some properties that could make them a solid Cinematic Universe. One to rival Marvel or Star Wars or even DC? Maybe not. But, Hasbro owns licensing to some of the most iconic toy, TV, and movie franchises of the 80's and 90's. The big three properties Hasbro owns are G.I. Joe, Transformers, and the newly acquired Power Rangers. Now, in terms of film, G.I. Joe has had two pretty underperforming films, Transformers has some blockbusters and is setting up for a reboot, and Power Rangers...tried. Point is these three franchises have made cinematic appearances, all with the goal of launching successful film series. And I think now that Hasbro owns Power Rangers they have the ability to set up something big.

In case you're unaware Hasbro Studios has worked with Paramount Pictures on both G.I. Joe films and all the Transformers movies. And with "Bumblebee" seeking to revitalize the Transformers brand with a fresh, less-testoroned breath of air, it would be the perfect time to expand their established universe. In fact, these three franchises could coexist in a way Marvel and DC couldn't match. See, with Marvel and DC it's always superheroes teaming up, or superheroes forming a team, or one superhero joining an established team. But Hasbro has something a little different. They own a widely known series of military operatives who all perform different functions and all have catchy names. A new G.I. Joe movie could be a spy film, an action film, and even a modern film about counter-terrorism. It will fill that Action-Advnture, soldier-saluting, war film genre. And because G.I. Joe are a government operation they can be in the background of other films. Take Power Rangers, right? I have a whole pitch for what you do with Cinematic Power Rangers, but we'll shelf that. We all know The Power Rangers are the traditional superhero, teen angst, comedic action movie about teamwork and overcoming personal issues kind of film. And we know there's going to be a couple fights with giant monsters. Imagine a scene where The Power Rangers are helping clean up Angel Grove and rescuing people, and The Red Ranger is helped out by a large military man. And when The Rangers ask who these military guys are, they tell The Rangers "We're friends. That is, until you go from fighting monsters to fighting terrorism. Then, we might have a problem". Then their leader waves his hand and yells, "Let's go, Joes". Established characters in an established universe. The Joes and The Power Rangers aren't going to fight or trade members or anything, just talk a little. Maybe one of their sequels will have a team-up.

And hey, what do The Power Rangers use to finish the monster? A giant robot. So when The Megazord makes it on to the news, The Autobots come out of hiding on Earth to investigate. And when The Autobots come out of nowhere, who starts keeping an eye on them? The government's elite task force G.I. Joe. Then the new Transformers movie can have Roadblock riding alongside The Autobots as they fight Decepticons. And The Joes and Rangers help protect citizens there too. And Lord Zedd uses the dead body of a Decepticon to build Serpentera. And Cobra Commander extracts the poisonous pollen from a Power Ranger monster. And Megatron gets a nuclear warhead through Cobra's connections. You just create so many connections between franchises and easy explanations. In a world where giant robots, military task forces, and superheroes exist things remain exciting without feeling bloated. This is because unlike Marvel or DC there aren't a lot of players to remember. It's primarily three teams of heroes. Three teams of villains. You may rotate some Autobots or kill of some Joes or upgrade The Rangers, but the connections don't change. And if they do and The Joes consider The Rangers a threat? Good. That's a film and that's a chance to push both movies in a new direction.

Another Hasbro property? "MASK". Mobile Armored Strike Kommand. I know, they really had to work in that "K". MASK is a covert organization of soldiers who don armor that give them superpowers and the ability to pilot transforming vehicles. Soldiers? Super-suits? Transforming vehicles? Well shit, if that isn't the perfect film franchise to launch after the first three wear out I don't know what is! G.I. Joe develops an off-the-books splinter group of soldiers, they manufacture armors based off The Power Ranger's suits, and then build machines that replicate Transformers! You can even call these new machines "Gobots". And hey, maybe Ratchet creates microscopic robots to help repair Autobots internally and he dubs them "Micronauts"! Hasbro also owns ROM The Spaceknight, an alien bonded with a giant robot who defends people. He'd be perfect for an interstellar Transformers movie. Jem & The Holograms could perform a concert in Angel Grove in a Power Rangers film. Stretch Armstrong could be a stereotypical superhero with elastic powers who cameos in a Transformers movie before he's crushed by Starscream. And-risky move here-Hasbro could make a My Little Pony film that ends with the Pony's jumping realms right into the middle of a Joe/Cobra fight. That'd be an easy way to further introduce magic into this universe.

There is so much potential to a Hasbro Cinematic Universe. It has magic, robots, superheroes, military, all the elements that Marvel and DC have. It can tell overarching stories with characters and teams in different and unexpected ways. It can set up potential team-ups or clashes, we could see a universe in where Zordon has met Optimus Prime before and Billy Cranston helps upgrade The Autobots and Snake Eyes fights The White Ranger or something! I really think Hasbro has a chance and I'm willing to bet they're planning to make this kind of power play. So go see "Bumblebee" when it comes out and maybe, just maybe, we'll get an after credit sequence where Starscream asks another robot if he's an Autobot or a Decepticon and the robot will turn and say, "Dude, we're The Power Rangers".

Thanks for reading!

Joes! Roll Out cuz' it's Morphin' Time!

Wonder Woman 20 Years Later

So what is the future of the Wonder Woman Family like in my head-canon? This is Wonder Woman...20 Years Later.

The Wonder Women

When Diana quit being Wonder Woman, she didn't leave the mantle to one of her successors, but rather to all of her successors. Donna Troy, Cassandra Sandsmark, and Lyta Trevor are The Wonder Women. They represent sisterhood, truth, and justice! Each of them carries one of Diana's signature weapons. Donna uses a shield to protect the innocent from harm. Cassie uses the Lasso of Truth to teach friend and foe alike the power of submission. And Lyta wields a sword and the responsibility of authority. Between the three of them they effectively equal one whole Wonder Woman and make up for each other's shortcomings. Donna is aggressive, but Cassie and Lyta are friendly. Cassie is headstrong, but Donna thinks things out. And Lyta (daughter of Diana and Steve Trevor) is inexperienced and naive, but her sisters have been superheroes for a long time. Each of the girls has a strong connection to Wonder Woman and deals with the mantle being on their shoulders in different ways. Donna feels undeserving of it, Cassie finds it stressful, and Lyta wants to do everything she can to prove why she can be the next Wonder Woman. Together, they fight super villains, evil Gods, and monsters alike!

Queen Diana

Since passing the torch to her successors, Diana has become Queen of The Amazonians and a diplomat among the United Nations. While she hasn't seen combat in many years, her Godly blood keeps her sharp even in her older years. She continues to train alongside her daughter, and assists her husband whenever he battles mythological threats. Diana's bodyguard is Artemis and when she is unsure of her people's direction, she can always seek guidance in her mother Hippolyta who is enjoying her retirement in Malibu.

Steve Trevor & The All-Star Squadron

General Steve Trevor and General Kate Kane organize the new Task Force X, renamed "The All-Star Squadron". His Squad includes both heroes and villains who want to redeem themselves. He is of course Diana's husband and Lyta's father and he tries desperately to spend time with them when he isn't leading droves of costumed meta humans into battle. Some of his usual draft picks include Clayface, Bronze Tiger, Livewire, Ravager, and Starwoman. And unlike Waller's old Squad, Trevor treats his soldiers like people and wants nothing more than to turn them into heroes.

The Villains

During the 20 Year gap Ares-God of War-destroyed the bridge between Mount Olympus and Man's World, preventing the Greek Gods from interacting with humans. He remains the only God to walk among mankind and uses his powers to influence countries into fighting each other. However, The Wonder Women do their best to prevent wars between nations, much to his annoyance. Circe remains a powerful trickster, but has formed a truce with Diana. Circe will be allowed protection from Earth's heroes as long as she stays on Themyscira, but is also required to provide Diana and The Wonder Women with her knowledge of dark magic. She occasionally whips up monsters for the Wonder Women, knowing her deal with Diana protects her. Giganta has reformed from villainy and is part of Steve Trevor's All-Star Squadron, often used to transport troops and as a last-ditch weapon against enemies. Giganta has also been working with Ryan Choi/The Atom on reversing her gigantism powers. And finally The Cheetah, who has spent her days collecting children from African villages that have been ravaged. By sharing her blood, Cheetah transforms children into her Cheetah Cubs and together they travel the jungles and deserts killing corrupt men. While her feud with Diana has diminished, she refuses to let The Wonder Women prevent her from the hunt.

Thanks for reading!

Up next: The Teen Titans.

The Marvelous Mantle of Captain Marvel

So both Shazam and Captain Marvel are getting movies. But you thought they were the same person. Well, they were. But they're not anymore, they are different characters in different universes. No, Shazam isn't the true Captain Marvel, he was just the first. But not Marvel's first. And no the girl one isn't Marvel's first either. Ugh. You seem confused. Alright, here are the Three Captain Marvels That Actually Matter.

DC's Captain Marvel (1939)

Billy Watson was given the power of a Greek pantheon by an old wizard named Shazam, and when Billy shouts the wizard's name, he grows to the peak of his adulthood and is equip with miraculous powers! He becomes Captain Marvel! The character of Billy Batson was originally created and published by Fawcett Comics, until a lawsuit from DC Comics prevented new Captain Marvel stories from being written. The lawsuit was on the basis that Captain Marvel was all to similar to DC's Man of Steel. After the lawsuit went through, Marvel Comics realized the name "Captain Marvel" wasn't being used and decided to create a Captain Marvel of their own to end confusion over who published the character. 

Meanwhile, DC Comics would eventually absorb Fawcett Comics and it's characters, meaning Captain Marvel/Billy Batson could return as a member of the DC Universe. While his book was titled "Shazam" or "The Power of Shazam", Billy kept using the name Captain Marvel for the next three decades, meaning when the character appeared in cartoons and animated movies, he'd still be known as Captain Marvel. This, of course, continued to confuse non-comic readers who didn't know the history of the name.

In 2011, as part of the New 52, Billy Batson's superhero persona was officially renamed "Shazam" to lineup with his catchphrase. Geoff Johns adjusted the origin, how his powers work, and integrated him into The Justice League. From then on, Billy would appear as "Shazam" in cartoons and animated movies, and will be known solely as Shazam in his upcoming film.

Marvel's First Captain Marvel (1967)

Captain Mar-Vell was a member of the Kree, an alien race who sought to invade Earth secretly. Mar-Vell took a human disguise while on Earth and fell in love with it's people. He rebelled against his comrades and defended Earth as Captain Marvel. Captain Mar-Vell only exists to avoid confusion. When people hear the name "Captain Marvel", they should think of him/her as a character owned by Marvel Comics. However, the existence of Billy Batson/Captain Marvel prevented that. So when Billy disappeared, Marvel Comics took the chance to put their stamp on the name.

Captain Mar-Vell would eventually die of cancer, and his title would be taken by many other characters including his son and daughter. Finally in 2010, his longtime ally Carol Danvers/Ms. Marvel took the mantle and became Captain Marvel.

Captain Mar-Vell has returned briefly from death, and has appeared in a few cartoons, but is mostly remembered as the catalyst for Carol becoming a superhero. Mar-Vell will appear in the upcoming "Captain Marvel" film.

Marvel's Current Captain Marvel (1968)

Carol Danvers was an member of The U.S. Air Force, but after meeting and building a relationship with Mar-Vell, she was infused with Kree DNA as a result of an alien device exploding. Afterwards, she discovered she had all of Mar-Vell's powers. Deciding to strike out on her own as a hero, she became Ms. Marvel. Carol's early history is a unique one. She began working as a writer for a pro-women magazine and took the moniker "Ms." as it reflected the rise in female empowerment. "Ms." was title forged from the lack of a term for a single woman. Married women had "Miss", but men were known as "Mr." whether they were married or not, meaning you could identify a committed woman, but a man's title made it ambiguous.

While her early stories put a feministic stamp on the superhero genre, later stories showed Marvel writers didn't know what to do with her. While Ms. Marvel became an Avenger and became more popular than her male counterpart, her life began to fall apart after an Avengers story where she was impregnated and had no memory of it. This led to her giving birth to the man who got her pregnant and then him hypnotizing her into being with him romantically. In the 1990's, Carol's powers were stolen by the X-Men Rogue, and she slid into an alcohol addiction.

When Carol became Captain Marvel it was part of Marvel's mission to have a "Wonder Women"-like figure for their universe, but they couldn't have it be an X-Men or member of The Fantastic Four due to their movie rights belonging to 20th Century Fox. They wanted a powerful, assertive female hero who'd be perfect to star in a movie. And by replacing the moniker "Ms." with "Captain", they felt Carol Danvers became independent of Mar-Vell's history.

Carol has had the most pop culture exposure of any Captain Marvel, she has starred in cartoons and video games and will be the focus of the upcoming "Captain Marvel" film. However, her recent title change has not helped erase her past, and in some cases has only recreated the controversy around her character. While she used to be a celebrated feminist superhero, the identity of feminist culture has changed in modern culture which makes her appearance and attitude discomforting to less educated fans. In addition, the mishandling of her character continues as she was the unintentional antagonist of the recent "Civil War II" event. For as much as Marvel Comics wants Carol to be their Wonder Woman, their habit of trying too hard has made the character harder to enjoy for their readers.

Hopefully that squares things off! Thanks for reading!

Who is your favorite Captain Marvel!?

Superman 20 Years Later

Alright, now that we got all those overdone Batman characters out of the way, let's explore my head-canon for the future of The Family of Steel. This is Superman...20 Years Later.

Superman

So obviously Jon Kent-The Son of Superman-has become Superman in his thirties. I imagine he hasn't donned the actual costume yet as he still hasn't felt like he's earned it. Being the next Superman comes with a lot of expectations and many of his adventures would see him tackle issues his father could easily solve without fighting. But while Jon has mastery over his powers, he still struggles to reach the kind of purity his father has. Partly due to the temperament he got from Lois. So, as the new Superman, Jon would face common super-criminals, extra-dimensional enemies, and intergalactic forces. Jon maintains his friendship with Damian Wayne/Batman, he has a long-distance relationship with Kathy Cobb who has left Earth to restart her alien colony, and is treated with much respect by the superhero community. In his civilian life, he works as an intern at The Daily Planet News Channel. He lives in Metropolis with his old dog Krypto The Superdog, but also manages a farm in Smallville on weekends with Clark and Lois.

Clark Kent & Lois Lane

Lois Lane is in charge of the Daily Planet News Channel, much to the dismay of her coworkers as Lois doesn't care about ratings or time slots and only cares about the important stories being talked about. While she isn't able to go out and investigate anymore, she has Jon as an intern to go investigate for her while she runs the channel. DPN is basically the opposite of Fox News. Meanwhile, Clark Kent has been traveling the country in secret only donning the Red S for special occasions. All Clark wants to do with his time on Earth is to inspire people and convince them there are still good people out there. Clark is a kind of motivational speaker, and neighbor to everyone across the country. Helping with car troubles, saving people who are in burning buildings or who are drowning in lakes, or just giving some good advice to the people who need it. Clark has become a sort of urban legend, that if you're in dire need of help in life, Old Man Supes will show up and give you hand. Every weekend, Clark, Lois, and Jon meet back up in Smallville to run The Kent Family Farm together.

Conner Kent & Kara Danvers

Remember The Bottled City of Kandor? Yeah, Superman managed to resize it and place it on Mars with Martian Manhunter's blessing. But a city full of superpowered aliens needs some management. That's where former Superboy and former Supergirl-Connor and Kara-step in to watch over New Krypton. Meanwhile, Miss Martian stays on New Krypton as an informant in disguise and is Connor's wife. For Conner, protecting New Krypton is a learning experience. Since he is a clone of Superman and Lex Luthor he hasn't been exposed to Kryptonian culture until now. In his civilian identity of Connor Kent, he is a member of Krypton's Council and tries to help guide his people, but struggles to balance the values of Superman with the business savviness of Lex Luthor. Kara takes after her father by becoming a scientist and monitoring Mars, space, and the biologies of the Kryptonians. Kara has also settled down with Jimmy Olson, the only human on New Krypton and the acting diplomat of the human race. They have a son named Perry Olsen. But, Conner and Kara have other duties other than their work lives. When the criminals of New Krypton abuse their powers, Connor and Kara adopt the identities of two legendary Kryptonian heroes: Nightwing and Flamebird.

John Henry Irons

John Henry Irons and his niece Natasha Irons have hung up their capes and founded Steelworks Inc., a construction company that builds everything from superhero vehicles to headquarters. They repairs damaged superhero equipment and upgrade the gadgets of aspiring heroes. They hire hard working Metropolis citizens as well building Superman robots to help do the jobs human cannot. While John focuses more on building infrastructure for the superhero community, Nat is much more interested in having a hands-on relationship with the new generation of heroes. Oh, and their logo is an anvil with a hammer on top and an "S" in on the anvil.

The Villains

The Atomic Skull has become the superhuman officer of The Metropolis Police Department and is a proud example of the system helping bad guys become helpful members of society. Following in his example are Kryptonite Man, who works at Star Labs with the elderly Emil Hamilton, Metal who now works for the U.S. military, and Parasite who's called in to absorb massive leaks of hazardous materials. Bizarro Superman and his son Boyzarro have been on the Moon for years just challenging each other. In fights, in games, in contests, all to keep Bizarro Superman from being a nuisance on Earth. Plus, it's the closest Boyzarro gets to personal time with his dad. Brainiac remains a universal threat and has even begun kidnapping warriors from various planets and turning them into "Cyborg Supermen" to build an army against Earth and New Krypton. General Zod has taken over The Phantom Zone and runs it like a prison city. He has lost all hope in breaking out and defeating Superman, so he, his wife Faora, and their son Lor-Zod run Phantom City with their army of robots The Eradicators. Mongul-now stripped of his War World and strength-runs a TV show that simulates battles between heroes and villains of the past and present using statistics, history, and future television effects. Mr. Mxyzptlk writes the clever dialog for the show and often disagrees with Mongul's conclusions. Lex Luthor is an old man who's business was bought out from under him, the people he once manipulated have left him in the cold, and as such he has become a desperate, but crafty evil genius. He constantly is looking for new ways to gain Superman's powers, clone himself into a younger body, or to organize the next generation of super-villains from the shadows.

Thanks for reading!

Next: Wonder Woman!