The Return Of Wednesday Comics: An Imaginary Story

This is going to be a little out of left field.

On Sunday, word came out on Comic Book Resources that DC was cancelling five titles, including two from the DCYou initiative! Already! This included Justice League United, a book that I have enjoyed since its inception but have really liked the Brave and the Bold vibe that Jeff Parker had brought to the book since he jumped on board.

Over on Twitter, Mart Gray and I got into a conversation with artist Matthew Dow Smith and Hank Kanalz, SVP Editorial Strategy and Administration for DC Entertainment. We started riffing on ideas to fill the 'empty slots' on DC's docket. That included asking for a Doom Patrol book, a Supergirl book, and a second edition of Wednesday Comics

Figuring it would be fun to plan out the next Wednesday Comics roster as well as to try to convince Kanalz to do it, Mart and I decided to dream-cast our versions. Head to http://dangermart.blogspot.com/
to see Mart's ideas. Here are mine, including a blurb why.

Batman - Scott Snyder and Alex Maleev

Wednesday Comics needs a big name to act as a draw for readers and nothing, I mean nothing, sells for DC like Batman. So Batman, especially if written by Snyder, will be a big draw for completists. Add some moody Alex Maleev art on the big format of Wednesday Comics, this would be the straw that stirs the drink.

Wonder Woman - Geoff Johns and Mark Bagley 
 I figured that a second member of the Trinity should be included to act as a tentpole to prop up the book. While Wonder Woman was in the last version, it was something of a dreamy intriguing strip by Ben Caldwell. I figured going more mainstream and adding a big gun creator would also be a winner. So having Geoff Johns write a Wonder Woman only story, something I don't believe he has done before, would be a draw. Add Mark Bagley on the book, who drew here wonderfully in Trinity, and this is a good strip.

Johnny Quick - Jeff Parker and Doc Shaner
Parker and Shaner have shined to the point of super-nova brilliance with anything they have touched recently. In particular, the recent Flash Gordon comic and the Convergence:Shazam books showed they could take older quainter material and make them work in these more cynical times. With this in mind, I thought that Johnny Quick could use a little face lift. And who better to do that than these two.

Amethyst - Brandon Montclare and Amy Reeder
 Montclare and Reeder have teamed up for the impressive Rocket Girl book. That book is fantastic so pick it up if you haven't! Reeder was mesmerizing on Madame Xanadu, a book which spanned centuries and included a long stretch in the time of Camelot. Amethyst needs to go back to her roots. So why not make her Princess of the Gemworld again! These two would be magic (pun intended) on this strip.

Lady Blackhawk - Gail Simone and Joelle Jones
I don't know if I need to explain this one as it should be self-evident. Simone brought Zinda into the Birds of Prey and wrote her perfectly. Zinda was brash, fun, brave, and strong. So let's have her give us a WW2 era story of Lady Blackhawk. And who better to draw a period piece with all the fashion of that era than Joelle Jones who blew me away on Lady Killer. I want this to be a monthly, let alone a Wednesday Comic story.

Dr. Mid-Nite - Matt Wagner and Matthew Dow Smith
I seem to be aiming for period pieces in this volume. But I think DC has let some of these characters wither a bit on the vine. Matt Wagner wrote a Dr. Mid-Nite prestige format mini-series in '99 so why not revisit the character with another moody pulp story? And who better to have on art that Dow Smith who really would bring the ink and shadows! I am thinking pure film noir here.

Legion Espionage Squad - Sterling Gates and Marcio Takara
I have wanted a Sterling Gates Legion book on the shelves for a long time. So after taking a look back in time with some of my choices, I thought I should look forward. So a bright Legion story would be a nice change of pace in my Wednesday Comics. Since the Legion cast is huge, I thought limiting it to the Espionage Squad would make it manageable. And Takara's stuff is just gorgeous. Who wouldn't want to see his Cham, Invisible Kid, Shadow Lass, Phantom Girl, and Vi sneaking around?

Kid Flash - Bryan Q. Miller and Jorge Jimenez
I would rock the continuity boat here and make this the ginger Wally West wearing his yellow Kid Flash costume. We have seen Miller write a young Flash in Smallville. He has a handle on legacy teen heroes (read his Batgirl!). And he doesn't do enough comics! Add Jorge Jimenez' electric art and this could be a ton of fun. Jimenez' arc on Smallville with Wonder Woman was one of the best arcs of that series.

The Creeper - Landry Walker and Eric Jones
Walker and Jones were the team on Supergirl:Cosmic Adventures and Danger Club. Those were two very different styles of books, both superb. And Walker wrote the chilling Mad Hatter solo story in Joker's Asylum II. I am a huge Creeper fan but I can really describe why. The Creeper can be fun with a sort of bend to the dark and eerie, so there is great potential. I would love to see what these guys would do with that property.

Big Barda - Kelly Sue DeConnick and Cat Staggs 
I have been a fan of Kelly Sue DeConnick's stuff since the very beginning. She has written some very powerful women in her time - Supergirl, Sif, and Captain Marvel. So maybe it is time for DeConnick to get DC Cosmic. A Barda solo story would be a perfect fit. And why not bring Cat Staggs to interior art again. Staggs shined as the cover artist on Smallville. Her style would bring a depth to the story. And I would love to see her Barda.

Vic Sage, The Question - Corrina Bechko and Gabriel Hardman
These two are rocking the political history comic genre Invisible Republic. Having them do a corruption story would be perfect. And what seedier environment to put that type of story into than Hub City. I know that Renee Montoya is the current Question. But I like Sage and think this would be a grungy delicious strip. Bring in Myra, the love interest from the O'Neil/Cowan run, as mayor and you have all the ingredients you need.

Stalker - Mike Johnson and Aaron Lopresti
I am a big fan of Stalker.  There is something about this guy without a soul trying to battle the demon who tricked him that works for me. His title back in the day was cut short too soon. Johnson covered all sorts of times, including some barbarian-like environs on Ei8ht, so I think he would do a great job. And Lopresti is a great fantasy artist. He drew Stalker in Wonder Woman and the art leapt off the page. This is another book I want to be a monthly.

Blue Beetles (Garret, Kord, and Reyes) - Mark Waid and Chris Samnee
Waid and Samnee put together one of the strongest runs on Daredevil ever. They really complement each other. Waid has a complete knowledge of DC and wrote the recent Brave and the Bold comic which melded characters from different areas and times. So why not bring in all three Beetles into one story, maybe fighting Chronos? That would be awesome! Ladies and gentlemen ... the Beetles!

Newsboy Legion - Darwyn Cooke and J. Bone
I am again turning back the clock looking at some of DC's history. Cooke is a master of the Newsboy Legion's time period as seen in the New Frontier book. So why not see what he could do with these scrappy kids? And J. Bone collaborated with Cooke for a New Frontier story in the JLA:New Frontier Special book. Bone's style would be perfect for a Newsboy Legion story.

Mr. Terrific (Michael Holt) - Phil Jimenez
I really enjoyed Phil Jimenez run on Wonder Woman. The man can write and draw. Mr. Terrific is a character who I have enjoyed in most iterations. So I thought bringing Jimenez on as sole creator on a strip of the Michael Holt Terrific would be interesting.

And those are my 15 dream strips.
What do you think?

And would you buy a second volume of Wednesday Comics?