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The DC Reboot came last month. There were just some things that seemed to be missing. If DC was truly attempting to make their universe more wide and diverse in its tone, they could do worse than add some of these titles back into the lineup.
- Jimmy Olsen: One of the real surprises of the last year or so was the Jimmy Olsen back up feature in Action Comics. There were months- okay most of the time- where I enjoyed Jimmy's adventures in the last ten pages more than I enjoyed Lex Luthor's adventures in the opening act. The special that came out reprinting the story as well as giving it an ending really wowed me. I wondered why this wasn't a series while DC continued to publish Supergirl and Titans. It was an energized and fun read. Of course those are not things DC has been for the last five years or so.
- The New Gods: Don't get me wrong, the New Gods were pretty much in a holding pattern since Kirby's original run. Grant Morrison attempted an entirely new direction that at least critically has not really caught on. However dozens of creators have shown there are a lot of ways to reinterpret the classic New Gods. I thoroughly enjoyed Walter Simonson's run on Orion. All this series needs is its continuity patched up, some old dust cleaned off and few of the ideas that didn't work trimmed and then left to do its thing.
- The Power of Shazam!: Every classic DC hero seems to be getting a fresh start. Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Green Lantern, and Green Arrow. Even Aquaman whose comic hasn't been a hit since 1998 is getting a fresh start. Where's the love for Captain Marvel? He's a character who has so much history and when done right- infectious optimism- that you can't help but like. His supporting cast- from Freddy Freeman to Mary Batson and even Uncle Dudley- are some of the best the DC Universe has to offer. Sure, it may seem like a 1940s and 50s relic but I don't think the idea of hope ever really goes out of style.
- Manhunter (Kate Spencer): I'm normally not a fan of the killer super hero type. I like Kate Spencer. I think it's the fact that she's broken and admits to it. She's flawed but not without a reason. She's trying to use that hurt for something positive and admits that she's probably not doing that by putting on a funny suit to fight crime. If anything, it only makes matters worse. If she really wanted to be emotionally healthy, she'd go back to the courtroom. There's also the fact that she tries to balance career, super heroing and time with her son. Instead for thriving, she's practically drowning. There's a lot going on with her and it is usually a very rewarding series.
- Blue Devil: I miss Blue Devil. Not the angst ridden mess found in Justice League International. Not the "demon seeking redemption" found in Shadowpact. I miss the happy go lucky, flies by the seat of his pants Blue Devil of the early to mid 80s. The guy who palled around with Cain when a mysterious force (cough not Elvira cough) booted him out of House of Mystery. The Blue Devil who fought guys obsessed with Errol Flynn movies. The Blue Devil who fought old Flash villains because Barry Allen was dead and DC hadn't decided to give Wally his boots yet. The Blue Devil who regularly teamed up with The Trickster. The Blue Devil who isn't afraid of being weird and zany without being completely silly.
- Young Heroes In Love : In the age of angst, this book was amazing. Oh sure the book had its moments of grimness, but it was somehow played for laughs. It was a bizarre mesh of action adventure and romantic comedy. It was two years of pure fun. It is one of those books that DC not only refuses to reprint but goes out of its way to refuse to acknowledge they ever published in the first place. It's a shame. The book is a great read, as long as you are at least in your mid teens. Also one of their letter columns has a very familiar name in it.
- Vext: Keith Giffen's disasterpiece Vext was one of DC's great forgotten books of the 1990s. It was the story of a God- one of mishap and misfortune- whose pantheon was foreclosed on due to insufficient worship. His godly powers manifested (again) and he was accidentally exiled to Earth instead of some other realm. Once there he triggers, usually accidentally, one series of disasters after another. The only problem with it was that DC pulled the plug on this series with issue six. It wasn't a miniseries intentionally- it just got cancelled. Each issue got funnier and funnier until the end when it simply unceremoniously stopped. I would absolutely love the chance to see new stories about Coleen and Vext. Or see if Vext would ever actually meet Aaron- his archnemesis who became obsessed with the idea of patron deities. Giffen clearly had plenty of ideas- including a much plugged team up with Blue Beetle and Booster Gold that never surfaced.
- 'Mazing Man: Anyone who read comics in the 1980s, or so surfed cheap boxes in the 1990s, probably remembers 'Mazing Man. It was a simple, charming series about a naive manchild wandering around New York performing good deeds, not because of some dark brooding pain but simply because it is the right thing to do. He didn't save the world. He found wallets on the street and got them back to their owners. He kept his friends in touch when one of them went into labor. He became the light and joy of an entire community by reminding them that it is the every day miracles of human kindness that can- if we choose to rise to the challenge- make us all heroes. It was also really funny and featured scripts by the now semi-retired Bob Rozakis and the amazing art from the likes of Stephen De Stefano and Fred Hembeck.
- Prez: I don't care if a new Prez series was done as a campy homage to Teen President: Vampire Slayer of the 1970s or the quasi-Miltonian fallen angel type written by Neil Gaiman and Ed Brubaker. I don't even care if they did it as sort of a 90s JLI meets the West Wing type of book. Actually that would be awesome. No matter how you did it- it would take a lot of balls to resurrect this book. The type of creative cajones that died at DC about a decade ago. I dare them to try this one.
- Plop!: Basil Wolverton and Wally Wood may be gone, but the original Plop! series of the 1970s, which I only own two issues of, still had other top talent who are still active in the industry. There is, of course, the famed horror team Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson. There were stories by Multi-Award winning cartoonist Sergio Aragones. Yes, Bernie Wrightson and Sergio Aragones, not just in the same comic but doing so regularly? Hell yeah. The mismashed styles are both horrific and humorous- which exactly what a horror parody book needs. Why the original book hasn't gotten a Showcase book is beyond understanding.
And now I have to respond to something. I got quite a few comments via Facebook and email from friends asking why their particular favorite Star Trek episodes didn't make the cut. So without further ado . . ." The top ten complaints I got from the Star Trek column."
- Hollow Pursuits (TNG): When I was younger I mocked Reg Barcaly. However that might have been out of sheer terror. I think every work place has a guy like this. Someone who is really smart, a little nervous but underneath it all is actually quite competent but just seems a little off. If you replaced holodeck addict with comic book hoarder you'd pretty much have me now. We all mock what we are to become.
- All of Our Yesterdays (TOS): This one is one of my mother's favorite episodes. She was not happy when she learned I didn't include it. In this one, Spock winds up back in the past and falls in love with a prehistoric woman of an alien planet. Unfortunately, she is stranded there and tries to force McCoy and Spock to stay with her. The reason was I found that Kirk stuck in another part of the past being accused of witchcraft story a little too cliche. Bewitched did this same plot twice.
- First Contact (TNG): Not to be confused with Next Generation movie of the same name, this tells the story of what happens when first contact with a species is made before they are ready for the burden of what that means. A friend of mine said that it was the first time that the Prime Directive really made sense to him. I left it off because of a weird scene where Riker basically becomes a prostitute in order to access to an escape route. What the hell?
- Yesteryear (Animated): This episode of the animated episode is remarkably good. Sure, on some level it is It's a Wonderful Life married with Old Yeller. However there are enough twists to make it extremely entertaining. It gives a lot of insight into Spock's background that we've never seen before. It's one of the rare animated episodes that was made canon. Then again, maybe that shouldn't be too surprising; like many of the good animated episodes were originally developed for the original series but were not produced that way for budgetary reasons.
- Unexpected (Enterprise): Two people told me Enterprise should have been represented. As I have only seen the first season in its entirety, this is the one episode that really wowed me. Mpreg fanfic on TV. Only instead of being played for shock value, it is used as a metaphor for societies double standard on unwanted pregnancies. It was amusing but nowhere near as hilarious when Red Dwarf did it.
- Future's End (Voyager): Several people said they were annoyed by my not having a best of Voyager on the list. This two parter is really the only one I could think of that really fit the bill. It is a really confusing time travel mess held together almost entirely by the energy and humor of Sarah Silverman. Why they didn't make her a regular is beyond me other than the fact that it would have been a waste of her time. She could have been doing stuff that was actually good.
- Assignment: Earth (TOS): This episode is weird. First for its odd use of time travel and weird space opera meets spies and saboteurs style storytelling. Secondly, for introducing the world to Teri Garr. Thirdly, for bringing into existence the enigmatic Gary Seven. Did you know this was almost the first Star Trek spin-off? Hard to imagine but it almost happened. Many people really like this episode because of its weirdness. It's good but not top ten good.
- The Host (TNG): I really wanted to focus on some issue episodes. This episode tackles, in a different perspective, many of the same themes as The Outcast. However, I think in terms of script, story and emotional impact The Outcast was a little more hard hitting. Maybe because while Crusher chose to end things once Odan went into a female host, Riker had happiness ripped from him.
- Measure of a Man (TNG): This another great episode for Brent Spiner and Patrick Stewart. It is in theme one of the most Roddenberryesque stories Next Generation ever did. It conveys almost everything that good Star Trek is supposed to be. The reason I left it off? I thought my list was getting a little too Picard and Data heavy. I wanted to diversify a little bit.
- Little Green Men (DS9): This episode is Editor In Chief Sheryl Roberts favorite episode of any Star Trek. It's enjoyable and really plays off the family dynamic of Quark, Rom and Nog. I really wish I could have included one of the Ferengi episodes; they are all amazing. It really says something about a series as a whole when a gem like this can get lost amongst such other really high quality episodes.
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