Who’s Editing #7: We’re Doomed

Fire and Water Presents: Who's Editing Episode 7! In this Commonwealth special, Siskoid goes to the other side of the world to talk to Paul Hix of DC OCD and Waiting for Doom because, well, it's the Doom Patrol issue!

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Credits:
Theme: "Révolution" by Les Sherpas.

Bonus clip: "Grant Morrison: Talking With Gods" by Patrick Meaney for Sequarts, starring Grant Morrison.

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31 responses to “Who’s Editing #7: We’re Doomed

  1. Oh, great! It’s going to have a Grant Morrison clip. Let me just break out my Scottish-to-English phonetic dictionary…Ah, there it is, next to all my X-Men comics featuring Moira MacTaggart.

    Okay, gentlemen of the Commonwealth! I am ready to proceed!

  2. Thank you for the entertaining episode, gentlemen.

    I would like to suggest a name for Paul’s Elastic Lad, Elasti-Girl, and Elongated Man team. They could be The Rubber Band…. I’ll just see myself out.

    1. Brian, I’m trying to wrap my head around the idea, but it’s too much of a stretch for me right now. I’ll see if my mind snaps back after a good night’s rest.

  3. Thanks for a great show, I’d buy several of the books. I listened while having a hour of root canal treatment, talk about a welcome distraction.

    Siskoid, you do realise don’t you that by having Dolphin as a sign language user you’re opening up the sting likelihood of constant team-ups with Jericho?

    I like the Elastic folk team-up idea – did you ever see DC Comics presents #93 feature Superman and the ‘Elastic Four’? Jimmy, Ralph, Plas and… Malleable Man? It’s madly charming stuff from Paul Kupperberg, Alex Saviuk and Kurt Schaffenberger (boy, Paul wrote a wonderful Ralph and Sue).

    1. Having Jericho in my Dolphin comic is akin to Black Panther marrying Storm. It’s a big world and they’ve never met. I don’t even think Jericho exists in my comic universe.

  4. Another great episode. I do like Paul’s books for Dr. Psycho and for Duplicate Boy. I’d also buy his Duo Damsel one.

    Siskoid’s Dr. Thirteen and Dream Girl were both books I’d read as well.

    As for me:

    Enemy Ace
    writer: Matt Fraction
    artist: Michael Lark
    Hans Von Hammer was an honorable and formidable pilot in WWI, flying for his home land of Germany. Decades later, he is appalled when he sees what his country is doing under the Nazi regime. He defects to England and joins the RAF. Despite his older age, his skills still make him an ace. But he is truly a man without a country. His new comrades don’t trust him. He shot down the father of some of his fellow pilots. And the Germans consider him a traitor. Before, he was alone now by choice. Now he is truly alone. An ace with no friends, just enemies. But his honor and his skill still drive him to do what’s right.

  5. I always forget to offer something up, thanks for the reminder, Anj!

    How about a villain book?

    Emerald Empress #1
    Writer: Sterling Gates
    Artist: Emanuela Lupacchino

    Former Green Lantern Sorya of Planet Venegar, kicked out of the Corps for becoming addicted to her power ring, attracts a new object of might with her willpower. It comes to her first in her dreams, whispering, offering her arcane, forbidden energies, corrupting her completely. Sorya’s subconscious builds a story around what she hears, and as she wakes, and builds a new, villainous identity, she’s not shy about telling people she wields the Emerald Eye of Ekron.

    But she’s being played. The eye wants a new host, an expendable to help it learn the forbidden secrets of the universe, the secrets that twisted its original owner. Not Ekron, but NEKRON…

  6. Just throwing this idea out to you, Siskoid: If you are interested in having Blot the Bot be a co-editor in a later episode, Isamu and I have an idea on how to make that happen.

    Blot has already read 1,000 Who’s Who entries, as well as 1,000 comic book lines (or so it claims). We just need to ask it to create a comic line of its own.

  7. ALLEY-KAT-ABRA #7
    written by DHONIELLE CLAYTON
    art by CRASH LANDEN
    cover by DRAGOS DRAGAN
    Merton McSnurtle never wanted to be a super-hero. His abilities came as part of a cosmic bet, inspired by his sincerely being too lazy to make the effort to be dishonest, and his good deeds were compelled by a nagging voice from his shell. Merton eventually realized that the best way to tune out his conscience was to get good and “waxed” enough to permanently retire the Terrific Whatzit. When his nephew Timmy was diagnosed with terminal shell rot, Merton encouraged him to hit the carnuba hard as a last resort. Now the pair of them get box-faced and speed recklessly in search of munchies and cheap thrills. Can Felina intervene before all of the good deeds of Fastback are overwritten in his last days, or should she mind her own beeswax?
    ON SALE 12.23.20
    $3.99 US | 32 PAGES

    BABE #6
    Written by MARK RUSSELL
    art by SETH DAMOOSE
    cover by PETE WOODS
    The “x-tras” have taken control of the A.C.E. camp outside Stoneville, Nebraska in the riot over ELU’s dissection. Reep suggests now is the time to escape, unaware of the broad expanse with little opportunity for concealment. Broot prefers to fortify their position, even as the Council of Homeworld Security negotiates for a deployment of Black Razors to the site. Simple, innocent Babe must again choose between fight or flight, and with each such choice, becomes less and less like his namesake.
    ON SALE 12.23.20
    $3.99 US | 32 PAGES
    FC | DC

    BARDA #6
    written by JAMES TYNION IV
    art by LUIS XIII
    cover by DAVID LEE
    Big Barda 1971 variant cover by STEVE RUDE
    Aided by the Brainiacs, the Legionnaire Nura Nal has pierced the veil to astral project into the Mind-Force. Locked in final battle with Bedlam, Barda is offered a vision of a near-future reunion with her beloved Scott. But will it be in this life, or the afterlife, and what of Granny Goodness?
    ON SALE 12.02.20
    $3.99 US | 32 PAGES
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    BAT-GIRLS #6
    written by KAT HOWARD
    art by CHRIS RICH-McKELVEY
    cover by BUZZ
    The “Bat-Girls” have fallen apart before they ever really stood together. While Barbara rejected Dick’s offer to move with him to Metropolis, Nightwing couldn’t refuse to take Flamebird after all Cluemaster had put her through. The Huntress and Spoiler are now in the den of the Catwoman, and Batgirl herself can only tolerate a few hours of physical activity daily. It’s time to face the reality that despite wishing to honor the sacrifice of Gus Yale, Oracle and the Birds of Prey need to be reactivated. Local talent Isabella “Robina” Ortiz and Riko “R-iko” Sheridan are more than ready to start, while Harper “Bluebird” Row is only reluctantly willing. Evelyn “Starling” Crawford is plenty able, but her past indiscretions leave Babs hesitant. However, when of all people Doctor Thirteen turns up looking for help in debunking the reports of supposedly “supernatural” maniacs rampaging in Gotham, Oracle won’t be in a position to refuse any offers!
    ON SALE 12.23.20
    $5.99 US | 48 PAGES | FC | DC | FINAL ISSUE

    BAT-MITE FAMILY #6
    written by IAN MCGINTY
    art by TY TEMPLETON
    cover by CHRONORIN
    The Bat-Circle cannot Bat-Hold! Die Fledermaus flew the Batplane to Pokolistan. You just can’t trust Nazis these days. Man-Bat flew after him, but it’s going to take quite a while to catch up. Val Kilmer isn’t Batman Forever after all, as his one man show “The Darrell Dane Dialogues” has gone on as a socially distanced affair to audiences as small as its subject. The reanimated corpse of Earth-Two Batman decided to stay on Earth-43 last issue, which was for the best, since his stamina really gave out on a bellyful of baked Potato. We’re really going to miss Joe, too. He was a good guy, especially with butter and chives. That only left Bat-Mite, and well, all the imps are being called home to the 5th Dimension before the 3rd gets wiped out in the latest infinite Crisis. I mean, what were you expecting in six months? A Secret War? We like our knees to bend in this universe, pal!
    ON SALE 12.02.20
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    DIGITAL FIRST

    BEAST BOY #4 / CHANGELING #4
    Written By BRIAN LYNCH
    art by PEDRO DELGADO / ALEX GARCIA
    main cover by CHRIS SCHWEITZER
    flip cover by GENE GONZALES
    1:25 TEEN TITANS GO! variant cover by SCOOT McMAHON
    Steve Dayton cuts Gar off when he refuses to return to California to help train his new protege, Cosmic Boy. Beast Boy, Terra, Virtue and Katharsis are going to need new backing and additional teammates to tackle Project N.O.W.H.E.R.E., and the first offer comes from… The Chief?
    In the Changeling co-feature, Tau and his ragtag group decide that it would be better to attempt escape than to risk getting massacred in the next Culling, but Directors Templar and Centerhall have a new enforcer that they don’t stand a chance against: Duplicate Boi!
    ON SALE 12.16.20
    $3.99 US | 32 PAGES
    CARD STOCK VARIANT COVER $4.99 US
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    BLACK CANARY #6
    written by KELLY SUE DeCONNICK
    art by TBD
    The cursed soul of The Dummy now inhabits an actual ventriloquist’s prop, which resides in The Monsterlands. With the help of The Wizard, the Dummy has accessed Earth-2, but terrible creatures follow in his wake. Black Canary, the Cheetah, the Huntress, and Lady Deathbolt must put aside their differences to prevent a magical invasion of their world, which will serve as the greatest test of Dinah’s developing sonic powers yet!
    ON SALE 12.16.20
    $3.99 US | 32 PAGES
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    BRONZE TIGER #5
    written by BRYAN HILL
    art by DEXTER SOY
    cover by EDDY NEWELL
    Dr. Tzin-Tzin managed to survive his failed attempt to overthrow the Soviet Union by mind-controlling Peacemaker, but his status with the League of Assassins never recovered. He continued to have a presence as a minor crime lord in Southeast Asia, but died quietly and unmourned after a brief clash with Chang Tzu. Left to rot on a Himalayan mountain, the antidote for the poison that claimed Barney Ling and is ravaging Ben Turner lies within Tzin-Tzin’s bones. After landing in Kathmandu, Ben and Jason Bard will need the aid of Harry Stein and Tommy Jagger to illegally enter Tibet. Even if the Chinese remain unaware, there are other parties with a vested interest in keeping the Turner party away from the antidote…
    ON SALE 12.09.20
    $3.99 US | 32 PAGES
    FC | DC

    CATWOMAN: QUEEN OF GOTHAM #28
    written by ERICA SCHULTZ
    art by GENE GONZALES
    cover by STEPHANE ROUX
    card stock variant cover by TOM RANEY
    Selina’s sick with the flu, so all she wants is to curl up in bed with some chicken soup and Eartha Kitt playing in her buds. There’s no rest for the wicked though, as she sends her Tigress to shut down Earthworm’s child-selling ring. Despite White Rabbit being lucky to have kept both her feet after their run-in, she’s now bending Croc’s earflaps with talk of a coup. Floyd Lawton isn’t happy with his daughter being used as a bargaining chip, and Task Force X won’t just wave goodbye to their asset. Wanted for questioning in the death of her father, Spoiler’s sanctuary play means Donna Felina will have to deal with the Bat-Family sooner rather than later. If Selina is truly the queen, why does her tower feel more like a gilded cage?
    ON SALE 12.16.20
    $3.99 US | 32 PAGES
    CARD STOCK VARIANT COVER $4.99 US
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    CHALLENGERS OF THE UNKNOWN #4
    written by JON RIVERA
    art by BARNABY BAGENDA and ROMULO FAJARDO JR.
    cover by MATTHEW LESNIEWSKI
    Cave Carson variant cover by CHIKINUGGET
    It appears that a member of the Challengers has executed the agents of Scorpio taken prisoner after the Vertisol affair. As the Challs begin accusing and otherwise turning on one another, an outmatched Jimmy Olsen digs into his stash of Professor Phineus Potter’s “elastic serum” to even the odds against his new partners. What could have motivated this horrific event, and can the freshman squad ever redeem itself for this travesty?
    ON SALE 12.30.20
    $3.99 US | 32 PAGES
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    DART & THE GRIFTER #2
    written by AMRUTA PATIL
    art by DAVID LAFUENTE
    cover by JOE RAWLINGS
    card stock variant cover by DIKE RUAN
    Compelled by her visions of a dire near future, Dart needs a vessel capable of at least interstellar travel, but preferably with a multiversal drive, and she needs it now. Cash is no stranger to demanding women, but that’s a particularly tall order. His old buddy CyberJack puts him in touch with another friend from low places, Lucius Morgan. The Pirate King has taken on a contract from Gnome to retrieve an Eclipso diamond in the Andes Mountains. That’s Basilisk country, and Grifter has enough familiarity with all of these players to know this is the sort of gamble liable to end in cut throats. Cash understood that Dart would need soldiers to battle the revived Dark Destroyer, but he’ll have to put together a Covert Action Team just to get her into space to begin with!
    ON SALE 12.16.20
    $3.99 US | 32 PAGES
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    DON CABALLERO #1
    written by F.J. DeSANTO
    art by GABRIEL RODRIGUEZ
    cover by IMMOBLISSA NEW RISE IN POWER TITLE! Matamoros seminary student Martín Núñez only wants to be a vessel to extend the love and grace of his savior Jesus Christ to as many people as possible. His desire to serve his Lord and mankind takes a turn when he is suddenly subjected to nightly visions of mortal terror– kidnapping, rape, forced sterilization, false imprisonment, and murder. The visions guide him to a drug deal gone bad, with seven figures in unmarked bills left for the taking. Although scripture prohibits communion with the dead, Martín has been thrust into a supernatural dreamscape where the borders between the living and dead, the righteous and fallen, have blurred. Martín is a non-violent man without any specialized training, but his visions compel him to purchase advanced weaponry that will allow him to function as a gentleman knight on a mechanized steed. Don Caballero must thwart the unquestionable evils of human trafficking, illicit drugs, and the modern concentration camps of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Martín’s most fervent hope is that God is behind his newfound drive, but regardless, his soul cries out for the justice mortal law disallows!
    ON SALE 12.30.21
    $3.99 US | 32 PAGES
    FC | DC

    THE DOOMED #4
    written by JOSHUA WILLIAMSON
    art by HOWARD PORTER
    cover by KEN MEYER JR.
    card stock variant cover by masamune7905
    The terrorists-for-hire Burning World are amassing power from their base hidden in nuke-ravaged Qurac. Thanks to a recent influx of cash from Bialya, they’ve added Shimmer & Mammoth (late of the Fearsome Five), the anti-Wonder Woman Devastation, as well as the appropriately named Terror Twins to their ranks. As they had all but declared jihad on the threadbare local military forces, President Hurrambi Marlo requested the assistance of Stormwatch East, but Qurac’s non-member status meant that they were declined by the U.N. Dr. Light calls in her marker with Celsia after the recent episode with her father, but The Doomed struggle to navigate the region. Marlo offers them the fallen metahuman Sanjeet Bhatia, again caught in the grip of drug addiction. Can the team get the former Chimera cleaned up enough to help them against these mercenaries, or will the entire country fall under their onslaught? Meanwhile, the Chief’s New Doom Patrol expands to include a former Teen Titan, Solstice.
    ON SALE 12.30.20
    $3.99 US | 32 PAGES
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    FLASH XS #767
    written by N.K. JEMISIN
    art by SCOTT KOLINS
    cover by KEVIN MAGUIRE
    variant cover by DAVE ALVARO
    Jenni’s speaking out against Alien Containment Enforcement has earned her the ire of the President himself, demanding that she go back to whatever FAKE future cesspool that she came from on Chirper. The situation escalates with the A.C.E. breakout in Nebraska, prompting XS to race to help the displaced extra-terrestrials. Kid Flash only sees disaster in this action, as XS has no way of telling good “x-tras” from bad, and fears that she’ll contribute to a future tragedy. Complicating matters further, XS finds her old friend Luornu Durgo on the scene, with a wild fashion makeover and no memory of their time together!
    ON SALE 12.09.20
    $3.99 US | 32 PAGES | FC | DC
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    GEN⁵² #1
    written by FRANK J. BARBIERE
    art & cover by BEN CALDWELL
    variant cover by KAME URASHIMA
    Nearly a quarter of a century ago, International Operations intentionally exposed a squad of their soldiers to a chemical dubbed “Gen-Factor,” which caused the men to manifest low level metagenetic super-powers. Some died, others went mad, but most recognized the threat I/O posed and went into hiding. John Lynch remained loyal to I/O, and years later, gathered a second incarnation of Team 7 that included fellow returning members Alex Fairchild and Cole Cash. That operation also disbanded, and I/O’s interests shifted to the children of Team 7 that had themselves developed metagenes. This was the final straw for Lynch, who shepherded a batch of the children dubbed Gen¹³, both to safety and to strike back against oppressive forces.

    Eventually, Caitlin Fairchild paid that debt forward, infiltrating Project N.O.W.H.E.R.E. to aid in the release of other gen-active youths being exploited, tortured, and killed for sinister purposes. One such teenager was Kon-El, a clone presumed derived from the genetic material of Superman and other unknown parties. Kon-El was only one of many clones and parallel world duplicates of Superman to manifest in recent years, and their activities have caused an unsustainable strain on the time-space continuum. This has only been exacerbated by other multiversal travelers, including a small group of Legionnaires from the 31st Century.

    Detective Jocelyn Lure had been tasked with keeping an eye on Kon-El and the Lost Legion members, but when items from the 31st Century began disappearing from her temporal hidden base, she knew that she had to take more direct action. The reunited Kon-El and Fairchild were brought together with other gen-active children for a return to Lure’s time… and Lord Harvest’s. The timeline is not as it was expected to be, leaving Roxanne “Freefall” Spaulding (Fairchild’s half-sister,) Joseph “Jericho” Wilson (the son of Deathstroke,) Celine “Skitter” Patterson (the daughter of Amanda Waller,) and Robert “Burnout” Lane (son of John Lynch) stranded in a dystopic future that requires them to return to their past to correct! But first they have to overcome the threat of Doctor Regulus, a solar menace taking full advantage of a future mostly depleted of super-heroes…
    ON SALE 12.02.20
    $3.99 US | 32 PAGES
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    MOURNINGSTAR #6
    written by DAVID BARNETT
    art by ANDREA SORRENTINO
    cover by MATTHEW CLARK
    With Dawnstar finally out in the open, Bounty and Blok betray Azrael in service to the League of Assassins. However, Bethany Snow has alerted the Church of Blood, who have deployed Phobia, Plasmus, Silverback, & Warp to put down the assassins alongside the false heir of Trigon. Ulu Vakk doesn’t know whose side to choose, except definitely not the bloodthirsty crusaders of the Order of St. Dumas that he’s holding back. Into this holy mess strides the most beautiful man Ulu has ever seen, and terror settles upon Dawnstar, because this being can produce at will the one element that can slay her son!
    ON SALE 12.16.20
    $3.99 US | 32 PAGES
    FC | DC

    SAMURAI: WIND DRAGON #6
    written & drawn by ETHAN YOUNG
    cover by DAVE GROTE JR.
    While the capture of the Japanese nationalist Blood Soldiers and the diminishing of his Black Dragon Society by Spyral might seem from the outside as a defeat, the enigmatic new Dragon King sees it as a necessary winnowing of the unfaithful. Following the defeat of Big Science Action and Super Young Team, his Attōtekina Akui No Aru Teki Rengō (Overwhelming Malevolent Enemy Coalition) are poised to establish the next great pan-Asian villainous super-team. It’s up to the superfriend Toshio Eto to found the Sōdaina Jizen Enpawādo Senshi (Magnificent Benevolent Empowered Warriors) to counter their influence. Can Judomaster, Rising Sun, Crimson, & Byakko halt their expanding influence of evil?
    ON SALE 10.07.20
    $3.99 US | 32 PAGES | 6 OF 6
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    DIGITAL FIRST

    S.T.A.R. SQUADRON #7
    written by PETER J. TOMASI
    art by JORGE JIMENEZ
    cover by MADD
    Various squadrons are sent out to assess the state of the super-hero nation. This includes a check-in with Elasti-Girl and the Doom Patrol, recently returned from Planet Cliff with a much changed Robot…man? Meanwhile, the survivors of the Pine Ridge alien infestation have decided to reform the Blood Pack to size-up Nightblade, confirmed dead many times over, yet mysteriously active again.
    ON SALE 12.02.20
    $3.99 US | 32 PAGES
    FC | DC

    STRIKEFORCE SUPERMAN #28
    written by ROBERT VENDITTI
    art by DAN MORA
    cover by IBAN COELO
    Eradicator variant cover by T-HILL83
    There’s literal bad blood between Project Cadmus and the Advanced Ideas Division of S.T.A.R. Labs, from which The Superboy and Guardian were lured away by the Contessa. Dr. Harold Alexander Grey has continued to work from the samples he took from Jonathan Lane Kent, and when The Superboy experiences another episode of turgor, Grey’s team provides him with the best aid. Unfortunately, Cadmus’ Composite Superman debacle has attracted the attention of The Eradicator, acting on Krypton’s severe laws against cloning. While Strikeforce Superman rally to defend one of their own, Peter and Aya immediately notice that Jon has regressed emotionally since his brief time with them. Niti observes his coldness and cruelty, but also notes that Eradicator doesn’t seem to be especially interested in Jon himself. When The Superboy brutally dispatches the Kryptonian automaton, even his teammates wonder where this violence is coming from.
    ON SALE 12.16.20
    $3.99 US | 32 PAGES | FC | DC
    CARD STOCK VARIANT COVER $4.99 US
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    WHITE CANARY #6
    written by ALEX de CAMPI
    art by PHIL CHO
    cover by DAVID YARDIN
    variant cover by JOSÉ LUIS GARCÍA-LÓPEZ
    SOCIETY OF SHADOWS CONTINUES! C.O.B.A.L.T. has been utterly annihilated by Mayhem, their temporary offices strewn with ravaged corpses. Sarah and Cassandra, racked with illness, had gone to Lance’s fellow bandito El Papagayo for help, only to seemingly having been sold out to the League of Assassins. The pair are finally face-to-face with Lady Shiva and David Cain, but is Cassandra’s family reunion really their salvation in the guise of infamous death dealers?
    ON SALE 12.09.20
    $3.99 US | 32 PAGES
    FC | DC

    Additional Solicitations To Follow…

  8. I still love this show. So many great ideas and some really weird ones.

    My favourites were probably Paul’s Don and Earl book and Siskoid’s 1950s Doom Patrol. I would suggest Nicola Scott to draw Paul’s iteration of Easy Company for reasons.

    Do you think we could make Doll Man a grown up version of Doll Boy and launch a surreptitious Sugar and Spike comic? They were left out of Who’s Who and we need to get them in somehow.

    1. I’d buy that, Damien… did you see grown-up Spike in the excellent Keith Giffen/Bilquis Evely Sugar & Spike strip in the great Legends of Tomorrow strip of a few years ago? He was quite the hunkaspunk.

  9. By the way, I think Siskoid should have saved “Waiting for Doom” to be the title of his Kristoff series when he finally gets around to OH-What-MU the inevitable sequel to Who’s Editing.

  10. I’ve put off listening to this show (not much time to listen to podcast when I don’t have a commute). But I have a COVID puppy that needs to go on twice daily walks now, so I’ve got podcast listening time!

    I’m sorry I didn’t start listening until last week. Now I’m sorry I’m caught up!

    What a great idea. Love this show, love the guests, love the concept. Glad I’ve added this show to the rotation.

    I’m always amazed at the creativity of everyone involved. You guys have pitched a large number of books that would bleed me dry monthly.

    Siskoid, I like how you’ve kept your takes fresh – sometimes have an umbrella theme running through your books, and other times not.

    Some of the pitches have really made me think (I can’t get my own modification of your Creeper pitch out of my head Siskoid). Others are just plain fun. The podcast has certainly inspired me to try this sometime – maybe get “ahead” of you one episode, come up with my own ideas and see how they compare (they won’t be worthy, I’m sure).

    Looking forward to the next episode!

  11. Great episode guys! My solicitations and random thoughts:

    Dr. Thirteen- This is probably the epitome of, “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.” The obvious struggle is how does a skeptic work in the DC universe, but getting past that, as you both did brilliantly, the concept is sound. I might put more attention on Traci, who is a magic user, deliberately working behind the scenes to keep her father in the dark about the realities of the supernatural realm (and thus helping him to “solve” his cases his way) out of some sense that he would figure out Traci’s powers and disapprove.

    Dollman- So, this isn’t fully thought out, but what if “Doll” wasn’t indicative of Darrell’s height? Pretty girls are sometimes called Doll face or the like, so maybe Dollman is his nickname because of him being handsome and dumb. I like the secret agent bent, so a bit of a comedy about a James Bond who only succeeds because of his himbo personality?

    Dolphin is screaming for a CW or Freeform style teen, soapy, mystery take (like Riverdale or the like). Landau and Harkey are heading into their Senior year at high school, celebrating the end of summer with a bonfire on the beach. An errand cloud moves past the moon, and in the moonlight they see the form of an unconscious, nude girl washed ashore. They resuscitate her,but find her mute and amnesiac. A mystery begins to discover her identity, and deepens as the girl begins to exhibit unusual powers and behaviors. What is Dolphin’s secret, and is she friend or foe?

    Dream Girl- There was always hints that there was more to Nura than she let on, and that she possibly was using her looks as a smokescreen. I’d lean into that with “Dream Girl and the Legion of Super-Heroes.” This would basically be fan-service, but the series would retell every classic Legion story,but give the behind-the-scenes story explaining how Dream Girl was really the reason the LSH won. I’m sure I would eventually have to explain why she houses behind her flighty, “just-a-girl” persona, and I’d likely go the Booster Gold “greatest hero you’ve never heard of” route, which would be easy with someone who could tell the future. “I saw a vision that if anyone knew how powerful I really was, the whole universe would be in danger.”

    Duo Damsel- Straight funny book about her married life to Bouncing Boy. I would have zero crime fighting. Light comedy about how being able to split in two makes housework easier (while very obviously ignoring the bedroom implications. This is a family book). Think the Simpsons in the Future,maybe?

    Elastic Lad- Crisis of Infinite Jimmies, definitely. I liked the Fraction / Lieber book as well, SisKoid, and am probably influenced by that. I’d go slightly more serious, though. I’m thinking DC’s answer to Marvel’s Exiles, with variations of Jimmy Olsen from around the multiverse (basically all of the crazy Silver Age transformations Jimmy went through) being gathered together to fight big threats only they could face. Our POV character would be our Jimmy,who doesn’t understand why a cub reporter with no abilities was snatched away to team up with an Elastic guy, a werewolf, a super smart mutant,etc. Still funny, but with some pathos.

    Elasti-girl: Siskoid, your idea seems similar to the Betty Page series Dynamite is putting out. I would definitely read this.

    Elongated Man- Ghost Detectives is the greatest missed opportunity in DC comics history and should have launched immediately after 52. I would take it back further and do a living Dibny detective comic. The stretching would be secondary to Ralph’s detective skills and I would present him as Batman level in that regard. Globe-trotting done-in-one stories would have that 60s Hitchcock vibe.

    Y’all are missing the boat on Elu. Incredibly shy and no one knows what the race looks like? I would reveal that they look like Earth children when Elu crashes to Earth, in the process damaging the inborn forcefield creating ability. Elu is taken to an orphanage, where they are forced to confront the horrors of school for the painfully shy. Lots of coming of age drama with the “alien as metaphor for teenager feeling uncomfortable in their own skin” trope used unashamedly.

    Enemy Ace- Y’all already hit upon it, but I want the story of Von Hammer during World War II. In my head, he is forced to join the Reich (his family is threatened, let’s say), too old to fly himself (WW2 is twenty years after the Great War, after all), so he becomes the head of the Nazi flight school. Lots of internal struggle (does his honor demand he supports his country or undermine them? Can a man of honor hold to those principles and let his family suffer the consequences?) , before deciding to ride the fine line of saboteur. If he is caught, he and his family will lose everything, but if he doesn’t take the chance, then the world already has!

    Anyway, those are my little thoughts.

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