Holy reboot! Superheroes get a facelift

This summer some of the world’s favourite comic superheroes will be relaunched – new clothes, new lives, new stories. So is this a fresh adventure or a dastardly turn for our fearless friends?

AT THE end of August, DC Comics will unveil the biggest gamble in its long history – a full-on reboot for most of its iconic characters.

Forget everything you might know about Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman or Green Lantern (including what you’ve seen on TV and in films). For those who are not familiar with the comics, then this might be a good time to start reading.

It’s hard to overstate how big a move this is, but imagine a TV studio that had a stable of long-running series, some dating back to the 1930s. Now imagine that studio beginning 52 of these shows (that’s each of their superhero adventures) from episode one – erasing and replacing decades of episodic, long-arc storytelling.

Why is this happening? Why would one of the biggest publishing houses in the comic book world undo what’s been working for so long? One reason could be a general cultural trend for “reboots” – a fancy, more acceptable way of saying “remake”, except with better production values and (usually, but not always) greater ambition in storytelling.

From the aborted Wonder WomanTV series, to Hawaii 5-0, to the modern returns to the well for Batman, Bond and Star Trek, reboots are everywhere. In fact, they're so ubiquitous that in film, they're rebooting franchises that are still in rude health (such as Spider Man).

The reboot movement makes it more acceptable for DC to try this new strategy, but its motivation probably lies in the company’s complicated universe; many DC characters have numerous parallel, competing and contradicting story arcs, some spanning decades.

Superman has been killed, some have been crippled (in Batgirl’s case, permanently) and characters, backstories and contexts have been replaced. In 1986, for instance, a Superman comic series emerged that erased numerous supporting characters from the mythology.

This is all understandable, as comic writers should get the opportunity to breathe new life into icons without having to include dated and less popular characters, such as Supergirl, or embarrassing ones like Superdog.

Still, while these reworkings are understandable, they can be daunting and utterly confusing to newcomers; is this the Superman in which he’s done up like an emo kid? Or the one where Clarke Kent is an outgoing celebrity news reporter? Is this same Batman who admitted to wetting his pants (in a comic written by filmmaker Kevin Smith), or the thoughtful, angst-ridden one who appeared in Frank Miller’s comics?

Muddled context can be puzzling enough in single, stand-alone, graphic novels. It can be downright baffling when there are numerous episodic comics released at the same time with the same characters and with different, elaborate back-stories.

The confusion deepens when you consider high-profile, often contradicting superhero stories in films, TV series (animated and otherwise), videogames and expensive, misbegotten Broadway musicals.

Film adaptations of comics (from DC, Marvel and beyond) are already in danger of falling down the slippery slope of alternate time-lines: Christopher Nolan's Batman story, for example, contradicts Tim Burton's one: with Bruce Wayne in the former becoming orphaned by a random thug and in the latter having his parents killed by The Joker. In the recent X-Men First Class, director Matthew Vaughn and screenwriter Jane Goldman contradict plot strands for previous X-Men films (and some of the comics, of course). And with crossover films now happening (including The Avengers, which features Hulk, Iron Man and more), confusion for filmgoers will deepen.

Also, DC’s issue-one reboot is a nice opportunity to erase some of the more dated aspects of their beloved characters. Superman’s underpants-on-the-outside will be abandoned (at least temporarily) in favour of more conventional leg-wear. Well, tights on men are rarely conventional, but it’s a start. Also, expect to see less of Batman’s previous lifestyle choices: a wealthy bachelor taking in a teen street urchin might not look as innocent today as it did in the 1960s. As a comic character, Wonder Woman never really recovered from her lame TV series.

And ancient pop culture references (such as a character in Green Lanternbased on David Niven) can be replaced by something fresher. It will also be a chance to rid the DC universe of some of its lamer villains, such as Scarface, the ventriloquist dummy from early Batman comics.

Logistically, it involves a lot of horse-trading and new blood: three-quarters of the DC creative team will be moved around, and there will be new writers and artists. Dan DiDio, co-publisher for the company, says: “We’ve got a new set of creators coming in with new voices in the DC Universe. We really want to bring a new energy and excitement to our books.”

There is the danger, of course, of throwing the baby out with the bathwater. One forthcoming change will be the reversal of Batgirl’s paralysis. The character, rendered wheelchair-bound by The Joker in the 1980s, had been an admirably inclusive disabled superhero since then. Also, it does feel somewhat mercenary to disregard some of the finest comics ever created, many of which have been carefully built over the years from (literal) one-dimensional symbols to compelling, (literal and figuratively) well-drawn characters.

Will Batman survive his new life? Will Superman retain his wonder? Will Green Lantern still wear those bright green tights? Tune in on August 31st for the latest installments.

Take a hike, Superdog... what we would excise from the DC universe

Wonder Woman's Rope of Truth

The Amazonian superhero struggled for credibility for a long time, and that silly rope didn't help: we're not sure if she really wants to hear what a hardened criminal thinks of her costume.

Clark Kent's TV reporting gig

We can accept (barely) that a newshound Lois Lane (not to mention the entire staff of the Daily Planet) wouldn't notice that Clark Kent looks just like Superman, but when Clark starts turning up on TV and becomes a minor celeb, that becomes a stretch too far.

Other blow-ins from Superman's planet

While we're okay with General Zod and other villains emerging from Superman's birthplace, we draw the line at alien canines. Yes, we're looking at you, Krypto, the super dog.

Alfred the Butler

This is contentious, granted, but many Bat-fans (including this writer) are uncomfortable with the idea of young, super-fit Bruce Wayne ordering around a doddery old butler. Doesn't anyone else get uncomfortable when they see poor old Alfred wearing his tux with an apron while polishing a car for "Master Bruce"?

Robin

Unsurprisingly, a squeaky voiced young side-kick has always seemed out of place in the world of a lone, mentally ill vigilante. He never won over the fans like Batgirl eventually did.

Aquaman's costume

A costume overhaul is on the cards for all the DC superheroes, which is just as well, since most of Aquaman's duds would have looked seriously cheesy two decades ago.