Your Crazy Ultimate DC Pitch

[Stardrifter]

So I thought it might be fun to do a topic where we discuss some of the crazy ideas we've had or can come up with for interesting takes we might have done here, if not for it being a bit TOO crazy.

Title: The Supermen

The Pitch: The planet Krypton is on the cusp of interstellar flight. The scientist Jor-El has developed an experimental jump drive that would allow his people to travel between the stars. For it's test flight, his son Kal-El, his cousin Kara Zor-El, engineer Zak-Thul, and decorated war hero General Zod are set to test the one of a kind ship. Along with the ship's AI, Braniac, they set course for the nearest star system.

But as they leave orbit, disaster strikes. Krypton explodes, the destructive wave interfering with the ship's jump drive. Suddenly the ship materializes halfway across the galaxy, in the Sol System, with no way to return home, and no home to return to. With nothing else to do, they head for Earth.

When they step out of the ship, the radiation from the Earth's sun causes a violent mutation in their Kryptonian bodies. They begin to develop powers beyond their wildest imaginations.

The Series: The series would be about the four discovering their powers and their place in the world. Zod is in command and at first he simply wants to lay low and assess the situation, discovering everything they can about this new world. But when Kal-El witnesses a plane falling through the sky above Metropolis, he can't hold himself back from helping.

Tensions rise amongst the group. Eventually Kal convinces Zod they must use their powers to help the people of Earth, and the four reveal themselves. As time goes on, Zod begins to twist their attempts to help into helping humans by ruling over them, forcing Kal to oppose him, with Kara caught in the middle.

All this time, Zak-Thul discovers he's mutating beyond his fellow Kryptonians. Strange bony spikes begin to protrude from his skin. His intelligence seems to get taken over by a predatory instinct. Until finally he becomes Doomsday.

And just what is Brainiac doing this whole time?

[Question]

A while back, there was a 'competition' to see who would be the new Batman writer. This is the pitch I sent in:

ULTIMATE BATMAN INCORPORATED

"What, a team Batman book? You so crazy, Q."

I know, right?

THE CLAIM:
Title: Ultimate Batman Incorporated
Subtitle: Legacy of the Bat
Heroes:
-Bruce Wayne (Bruce Wayne)
-Batman (Dick Grayson)
-Robin (Damian Wayne)
-Man-Of-Bats (William Great Eagle)
-Little Raven (Charlie Great Eagle)
-Black Bat (Cassandra Cain)
-Knight (Cyril Sheldrake)
-Squire (Beryl Hutchinson)

Villains:
-Ra's al Ghul
-Talia al Ghul
-Sin Tzu
-Mr. Freeze (Victor Fries)
-Roxy Rocket (Roxanne Sutton)
-Egghead (Edgar Heed)
-Scarecrow (Jonathan Crane)
-Joker (real name unknown)

Support:
-Jim Gordon
-Catwoman (Selina Kyle)

Wallpaper:
-Alfred Pennyworth
-Lucius Fox
-League of Assassins
-Wayne Enterprises

So I bet you're seeing some things that are weirding you out up there. Allow me to explain some of them.

Dick Grayson as Batman - I love Bruce Wayne, don't get me wrong, but Bruce Wayne dresses up in pointy ears and a cape in like half of DC's line. There's no shortage of that. You know what there's a shortage of, though? A Batman willing to crack jokes and an asshole Robin. Morrison's run on Batman and Robin is a personal favorite of mine, and Batman Inc continued this amazing shakeup of Batman's world. That's over now and it makes me sad, but with Ultimate DC, it doesn't have to be! I don't even need to explain what makes this different than probably every other pitch you've gotten.

Man-Of-Bats, et al - It's Batman Incorporated, which means it's not just Batman's story anymore. In my world, Bruce was absolutely Batman once upon a time, but an injury forced him to retire and hand the mantle to the next generation. However, Bruce-as-Batman was a symbol, an inspiration, and not only for Gotham. He inspired Man-of-Bats, he inspired the Knight, he inspired Cassandra Cain. He means something different to each of them. This also lets me explore some 'what-ifs' that wouldn't otherwise make a lot of sense. Black Bat is Batman without the family and allies he has in Gotham, Man-of-Bats is Batman without the infrastructure and cash, Knight and Squire are pretty much a love letter to the Adam West show. I want to show how they can all work together, exist together, in what will probably not be a very subtle metaphor.

Those villains! - Anyone can pit Bruce Wayne against his comic book rogues. For instance, the actual comic does that a lot. I've instead chosen to lift the villains from this series from a number of sources - comics (Ra's, Scarecrow), television (Roxy Rocket [whom I know made the transition to comics but I don't think she ever really stuck], Egghead), and video games (Sin Tzu). Sin Tzu, I'm particularly excited about because he's such a blank slate. With most of these characters, they almost have to be a certain way or else they'll come off wrong, but Sin Tzu is a blank slate. He can be anything.

No, seriously, Batman Incorporated? - Yeah. But not only is this good for me personally, but it also provides many opportunities for the larger universe as well. How does Superman react to the idea of a corporate-payrolled army of vigilantes? Maybe Jason Todd and Batwoman could be recruited into the organization one day and we could get some drama out of that? Or maybe Constantine and Knight and Squire could team up to battle a British supervillain, compare and contrast Constantine's dirty cheatin' with Knight's noble Silver Agey-ness. I dunno, I'm really spitballing here.

Also, skipping a good decade or so of Batman has even more benefits! Someone wants to use Tim Drake as a former Robin? Run any details by me first, but hey, that's cool! Want to use Barbara Gordon as either Batgirl or Oracle? Let's establish where she stands with Batman Incorporated and Dick, and then you can have your way with her! Consensually!

I bet you have some themes in mind too! - You bet your cape and cowl I do! The main theme I'm going for here is 'legacy', intertwined with a splash of 'old vs new'. The main point of conflict between Batman Incorporated and the League of Assassins stems directly from this. Ra's sees Batman Incorporated as Bruce trying to establish a modern-day League of Assassins, a group of individuals out to turn the world into the world they'd rather have. Sure, Ra's prefers the world be under his thumb and Bruce would rather see justice served whenever and wherever it's needed, but that basic similarity is there. Bruce trains Dick to be his heir, the new Batman, and Ra's will do the same with his heir Sin Tzu. Batman will recruit like-minded heroes into his new organization, and Ra's will recruit some of Batman's old foes. This is not to say that every issue will deal with the overplot; sometimes, you just want to read good clean superhero fun. This is the main drive of the first half dozen issues at least, though.

Speaking of! I didn't know how much of a synopsis you wanted, so I just wrote some quick descriptions of preliminary plans for each issue, with the caveat that I may change things if I think of something better in media res.

ISSUE ONE: "Batman and Robin"
The new Batman and Robin have been operating in Gotham under Bruce's supervision for roughly six months, when Mister Freeze escapes Arkham and begins tearing a path of sub-zero destruction across the city. The GCPD assumes Freeze's endgame is stopping the wedding of his ex-wife Nora Fries, but after meeting him in combat, Batman and Robin deduce that he's really after the daughter that Nora allowed Gotham Social Services to take from her. Batman and Robin race to stop what they now assume is a kidnapping, but what is really Freeze risking everything to say goodbye to his daughter one last time before her foster family leaves Gotham forever. Here, I'll contrast Robin's willingness to end Freeze before he touches the little girl with Batman's revelation that Freeze has more humanity left in him than they realized. Bruce notes that Batman and Robin saved the day in a way the GCPD never would have, leading him to hold a press conference to announce the formation of Batman Incorporated, the next step in the global fight against crime.

ISSUE TWO: "Man-of-Bats and Little Raven"
Batman and Robin travel to South Dakota to recruit Man-of-Bats and his sidekick Little Raven into Batman Incorporated. Man-of-Bats steadfastly refuses, despite the offer of equipment and a stipend, and much to Little Raven's annoyance. Man-of-Bats is a vigilante who lacks the wealth Batman enjoys, and who cares so much about his home that he swears he'd only use Batman Incorporated's funding to help his home. Meanwhile, Roxy Rocket attacks the area, using a variety of high-tech equipment (including her namesake rocket) to harass the townsfolk. Man-of-Bats deduces her true aim, however, to be the caverns said to have once been inhabited by the Miagani tribe centuries ago, and the equally-legendary treasure within. He stops Roxy using some down-to-Earth homespun wisdom and trickery, attempting to prove to Little Raven that high-tech doesn't always equal better. Little Raven reluctantly concedes the point, but is not happy about it. We end with Batman inviting Man-of-Bats into Batman Incorporated once more, this time with the promise that Wayne Enterprises will include the town in the company's world improving plan that I will think of a better name for later. This time, Man-of-Bats accepts.

ISSUE THREE: "Black Bat"
In a scene similar to the opening of issue two, Bruce Wayne to Hong Kong to recruit Cassandra Cain, Black Bat, into Batman Incorporated. She also refuses, and the businessman leaves. The next few nights, Black Bat matches wits with the lady thief Catwoman. Catwoman is a wily bitch, evading Black Bat's attempt to capture her and taunting the heroine. Cassandra, a former member of the League of Assassins, struggles with her temper at Catwoman's mocking. When Black Bat finally bests Catwoman in battle, the thief's mocking alllllmost convinces Black Bat to just end her now, but Cassandra restrains herself and leaves Catwoman tied up for the police. She escapes. Later, Selina Kyle meets Bruce for dinner, saying she's impressed with Black Bat's willingness to not kill the bitch. Black Bat shows up and reveals that she knew Catwoman was working for Bruce and, by extension, Batman Incorporated. She's pissed, demanding an explanation as to why Bruce would feel the need to test her. Bruce explains that he wasn't testing her ability to join Batman Inc, as she's long since proven that she's capable of that. Rather, he wants to see if she was able to overcome her League of Assassin training, to resist the urge to kill that had been ingrained in her for so long. Bruce is hoping that if Cassandra can overcome her League training, his son Damian may be able to as well. Cassandra's not happy, but agrees to join Batman Inc, and to help Damian learn to not be an assassin as best she can.


ISSUE FOUR: "Sin Tzu"
Murder mystery time! Batman and Robin investigate the mysterious locked-room murder of one of Bruce's pre-Batman teachers, a master of disguise who taught Bruce everything he knew about dual identities. The obvious suspect is the man's faithful butler, but then it turns out to be a shitty mystery because the butler admits to having done it. He reveals his true identity - Sin Tzu, Assassin extraordinaire - before leading Batman on a daring rooftop chase (he injures Robin before trying to escape). Meanwhile, Ra's arrives in the Batcave to have a leisurely cup of tea with his old for Bruce. They talk civilly - the injury that ended Bruce's life as Batman is also preventing him from ending Ra's - and Ra's reveals that Sin Tzu is his heir, the same as Dick is Bruce's successor. Sin Tzu is easily a match for Batman, though not much more than that, as neither has a clear advantage while battling on the rooftops over Gotham. Ra's reveals what a thorn in his side Bruce-as-Batman used to be, and further talks about how the very idea of Batman Incorporated might as well be a slap in the face. Bruce deduces the League's current goal - to kill everyone who taught Bruce his skills, to ensure the world will never create another champion with the skills of Bruce Wayne. Sin Tzu escapes after putting some civilians in danger to distract Dick, and Ra's waltzes out of Wayne Manor into the car driven by his daughter, and Damian's mother, Talia al Ghul. Meanwhile, a familiar laughing visage sees the new Batman fight and decides he'd like to play too...


ISSUE FIVE: "Knight and Squire"
In this love letter to the 1960s, Knight and Squire star as thinly veiled expies of Adam West and Burt Ward. The local constabulatory receive word that the Tower of London is set to be robbed by Egghead, the World's Smartest Criminal. Knight and Squire meet with a criminal profiler on loan from Interpol, who provides them with a look into the (likely) past of the criminal mastermind. They use the information to discover the location of Egghead's hideout, but he's prepared - the profiler is working for Egghead and has led them into a trap! However, the profiler is also Egghead's target, as he was one of Bruce Wayne's old teachers way back when. Egghead isn't here for the Tower of London at all! Knight plays to Egghead's ego and cons the criminal into freeing the heroes from the trap for a game of chess. Squire battles Egghead's henchmen and captures the profiler while Knight wins the chess game. The profiler is arrested, taken by Interpol somewhere not even the League of Assassins would be able to break him out of. Joke. Laugh track. Blackout.


ISSUE SIX: "Ornithophobia"
Black Bat has asked Robin to accompany her on a trip to Japan, in search of a forensic scientist who once taught Bruce Wayne the art of chemistry. He's been missing for several weeks, and the duo wish to make sure the League of Assassins has not killed him, and Black Bat also wishes to keep her promise to Bruce that she would help Robin overcome his assassin training. The scientist is alive, they find, but captured and heavily medicated by the Gotham criminal Scarecrow. In the process of attempting to arrest him, Black Bat and Robin are dosed by Scarecrow's fear toxin, sending them both into a hallucinogenic state wherein we the reader discover what they fear the most. I'm not giving details here (because I maaaay not have thought of them all yet), but I will say that Robin is deeply afraid of disappointing his father and betraying the faith Bruce has shown in Damian. Black Bat and Robin break free of Scarecrow's medicated grip and Robin, angry at what he sees as a violation of his mind, is sorely tempted to continue Scarecrow's beating well after the criminal surrenders. Black Bat stops him, though since Damian knows his father would be livid over murder it's not a lot of effort to keep him from going that far. Black Bat, meanwhile, is more troubled by a new development - the League of Assassins is apparently subcontracting their work to Gotham supercriminals.

So now you're a little turned on. I understand; I'm a little turned on from rereading these.

Hey, Q, this is all well and good, but... how many issues do you think you can pump out? - I have a boring desk job on the weekends where I have little to do. I can pump out six issues by the end of the year, no problem.

[Drake]

Question, I think beyond your take maybe being a little too different for the site that your biggest issue is that you only said you'd put out 6 issues a year. This site has a monthly requirement.

[DiscipleofBob]

Jul 29, 2014 17:29:11 GMT -5 Drake said:

Question, I think beyond your take maybe being a little too different for the site that your biggest issue is that you only said you'd put out 6 issues a year. This site has a monthly requirement.

This was back in, like, October. Six issues by the end of the year would have been impressive.

[Drake]

Oooohhh. Misunderstood that. Never mind then, Question. Kudos to you.

My crazy idea may actually come to fruition if SK doesn't claim the Flash (and it isn't THAT crazy), so I won't tell it here.

[Question]

Jul 29, 2014 17:29:11 GMT -5 Drake said:

...your take maybe being a little too different for the site

I was going for unique instead of just doing a generic Batman and his classic rogues thing. :/

Out of morbid curiosity though, what exactly made the pitch too different for the site? Just for my own curiosity; this pitch was from late last year like DoB said, so I'm not as sad about not getting to do it like I used to be.

[Drake]

If you're asking me, I don't know. I just write here.

[Question]

Huh. Thought you were an admin. Sorry!

[DiscipleofBob]

This won't happen unless we ever do a reboot, but since I torture myself with hypothetical claims lists for nearly every file, this is the basis of what I would have done for the Lantern.

Hal Jordan (Green Lantern), John Stewart (Yellow Lantern), Guy Gardner (Red Lantern), Carol Ferris (Star Sapphire), Ted Kord (Blue Beetle/Blue Lantern), and Booster Gold (Orange Lantern)

After that the rest of the claims list would have been working on getting the multicolored Lanterns who were engaged in an all-out war with each other. The human Lanterns would be caught in the middle as the Lanterns try to draft them, or eliminate them, before they can restore balance.

Indigo would have been left out for simplicity's sake, so instead my seventh Lantern would be Alan Scott (Black Lantern).

[Stardrifter]

Go go Power Lanterns!
Go go Power Lanterns!
Go go Power Lanterns! You Light Spectrum Power Lanterns!

[Question]

Jul 28, 2014 22:57:00 GMT -5 Stardrifter said:

Title: The Supermen

You know.

Superman is spoken for, but you could still totally do this with Icon, Mister Majestic, and Apollo.