Thursday, October 13, 2011

What DC missed: KIDS!!!!!

So we're all done with the 1st Month of the new 52 (and we're like 2 weeks past that) and it hit me that what was really missed was a chance to take on the one challenge DC said they really wanted to address, NEW READERS!

Now I know DC meant folks maybe younger than me who missed out on comics but why not go WAY younger and commit to 10 comics that are all ages that start fresh and are told in the "One and Done" format.

What do they have to lose really? They just committed to 52 books and I know they will have to axe 10 of those if they want to keep the quality up so here's what I propose:

10: Batman: The Brave and the Bold - It's a team up book and the book exists now and already works and you can just throw in kids versions of character that appear in the New 52 pretty much as they appear. In the 1st 3 issues, Batman can team up with Blue Beetle, Sinestro, and even Animal Man.


9: Young Justice: I don't care if ewe have the Teen Titans or not BUT, since the cartoon is still on, lets keep that book going. Young Heroes and Sidekicks having adventures!

8: Wonder Woman: When was the last time there was a Wonder Woman comic on the stands that a little girl in a comic shop could actually read? No offense to the great job that Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang are doing on the main WW book but a horse got his head chopped off all bloody like. Not for kids...

7: Legion of Superheros: Yeah I know the show got canceled a few years ago BUT this gives you lots of diversity and can be told in a "There's hope for the future" sort of way. Also it's KIDS HAVING ADVENTURES...IN THE FUTURE!!!!

6: The Power of SHAZAM: What the shit is the reason for not having at the very least a kids focused book about the adventures of Billy Batson, a kid given the powers he'd need to solve problems by the gods themselves!!!


5: Young Frankenstein and the Agents of Shade: Yeah I just bastardized the title of the main book but whatever. Make Frankenstein a kid monster and send him on missions with kid vampires, ghosts, wolf men and whatever!!! DO IT!

4: Tiny Titans: Well if this book gets canceled MFers would lose their shit. The soccer moms in the area of my store would do horrible things to their ex husbands. Can't let that happen.

3: Justice League of America: Ok so JLU is off the air and I'm mostly over it but kids should have a Justice League comic to read that isn't as campy as the Superfriends and isn't going to be as prone to darkness for the sake of darkness like Identity Crisis. How about a JLA book that tells the sorts of stories from the 1st 200 issues of the original DC JLA comic?

2: Superman: Because what kid doesn't like Superman! This also gives DC the ability to do what the Brave and the Bold comic does with guest stars. I'm really interested in Mr. Miracle, Orion and some of the other Jack Kirby creations.


1: Captain Carrot and his Amazing Zoo Crew: Look, you may think it's silly but trust me. Put this book in the hands of a 6 year old and you'll have his families cash for life.

here: read this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_Carrot_and_His_Amazing_Zoo_Crew!

4 comments:

Michael Moreci said...

Right on! And hey, let DC know I'm their man, when it comes to writing some Young Frankenstein...

The Ronin said...

One suggestion

Captain Marvel!!

He is basically Superman but he is a kid!

a kid who turns into an adult with a word

As adults we forget, or don't notice. However for a 6-7-8 or what have you year old that is a HUGE deal.

Introduce a 6 year old to Captain Marvel and watch him or HER become a fan for life.

Unknown said...

Yeah, that one was #6. There has to be a kids Shazam book.

me said...

I LOOOOOVE the old CC Beck Captain Marvel, but I feel like noone has the sense of fun that he had... Partly because they are shackled with this really strange alter ego (who only wears one set of clothes and is a boy reporter?!?). I think they should reboot Captain Marvel with an 8-year old Billy Batson who is a normal kid (other than being orphaned and having a foster family) dealing with normal every day problems of a foster kid. he could even be from a bad neighborhood. Anyway... by making a younger BB and making it really from a kids perspective you could have a comic that kids would read with the diligence of harry potter. Kids are better readers than ever these days. They don't just want easy adventure stories, they want good epic yarns.

Good point about a lack of good kids comics. Have you ever read Michael Chabon's essay about the comics industry ignoring kids. If you haven't you should check it out.