It was announced this week that James Robinson will be writing a new He-Man and the Masters of the Universe revamp for DC Comics. Generally speaking, I try to avoid revamps at the movies, but I’ve often enjoyed them as comics. Revamped movies almost always stink because they lose the thing that made a particular property special. Now, I didn’t care for He-Man when I was a kid, but it has gotten me thinking about other properties that I would like to see revamped as comics. I’ve assembled a list, and here are my top 5 picks:
1. Have Gun Will Travel.
The greatest western TV show of all time, at least in my opinion. This show starred Richard Boone as Paladin, an eccentric bounty hunter who lived in a hotel in San Francisco. There was talk a few years back about remaking this as a modern film starring Eminem, which is absolutely the stupidest idea I have ever heard. But a comic telling new (Richard Boone) Paladin adventures would be at the top of my pull list.
2. Joan of Arcadia
This was a great show that only lasted for two seasons. Highly regarded by both fans and critics, it starred Amber Tamblyn as a modern day Joan of Arc. God would show up as a cute boy on the bus or the lunch lady and suggest that she take a job at the book store or throw a party. By the end of the episode the side effects of whatever Joan did would have positive repercussions. I believe that the show was cancelled because it was positive and network TV only likes to put out crap, but then, I haven’t had TV coming into my house in six years, so what do I know? Also, commercials are beneath me.
3. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Arguably the best of all the Star Trek series, DS9 was relaunched as a series of novels back in the early 2000s. This relaunch was led by an amazing editor, Marco Palmieri, but has stalled in recent years due to layoffs and a scaling back of releases by Pocket Books. A new series could either pick up in the middle of the novel relaunch, tell stories set within the series, or come out with an entirely new relaunch that picks up from the final episode. In any case, I would certainly be there for this.
4. Firefly
I know, I know, there are Firefly comics that come out occasionally. What I want, though, I an ongoing series that fills in the gaps between the TV show and the movie. How long has it been since the last Serenity comic? Way too long! Firefly was brilliant, and deserves a second season (and more) as a comic book.
5. Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman
You are probably shaking your head at this choice, but I am serious. This show was a modern classic, and all of the major characters were left alive at the end. A new series could pick right back up where the show left off, and while the stories might be campy, they were always fun. I would certainly be on board for this book that will never be made.