Between Arrow, Gotham, Constantine and the Flash, DC seems to gave the right formula for transferring their heroes to live action television. In this new feature, I should like to let myself be inspired by great cosplay and fan art to imagine other DC properties taken to the small screen and wonder aloud just what their shows would be like. For my first attempt, and because all the DC shows focus on male stars, I look at Power Girl.
Art by: Jeff Chapman, who specializes in photo-real female heroes (Deviant Art page)
Why PG? Simply put, I think the biggest names in comics - Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and yes even Supergirl - will forever be relegated to the movies. Case in point, Batman is on TV right now, and he's not allowed to be more than 12 or 13. Last time Superman was, he couldn't wear his costume. So Power Girl puts a Superman-related show on the air without having to use the Super-regalia. Chapman's choice of costume harks to the Man of Steel costume - those designs around the waste and armbands - with a definite S-shield shape to her her trademark "boob window" without actually giving to use the "S" or even the costume's colors.
With Karen Starr, we get a powerful woman in the board room as much as in superhero battles, so soap opera elements are as easy to integrate into her proposed series as they are in Arrow. Karen has had her share of romances in the comics, so there's that too. And please, oh please, make sure she has her mangy cat skulking around her penthouse apartment. Tonally, the show should take its cue from her most recent, late, lamented series: A sexy comedy with a resilient and often self-deprecating heroine. An interesting twist would be to push the series in the near future, or at least postulate that Superman has come and gone, leaving her in charge of Metropolis. Just as Gotham shows us Batman Family characters before they were stars, PG could feature Superman Family characters past their prime, or the next generation (a bit like Birds of Prey handled Batman, Catwoman and the Joker, and don't think I haven't thought of the Huntress as a frequent guest-star), possibly with Lena Luthor as the main adversary. I'd also love to see Vartox as a dangerous recurring Lothario from space.
But perhaps you have your own ideas for a Power Girl series... (And yes, more series proposals to come.)
Why PG? Simply put, I think the biggest names in comics - Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and yes even Supergirl - will forever be relegated to the movies. Case in point, Batman is on TV right now, and he's not allowed to be more than 12 or 13. Last time Superman was, he couldn't wear his costume. So Power Girl puts a Superman-related show on the air without having to use the Super-regalia. Chapman's choice of costume harks to the Man of Steel costume - those designs around the waste and armbands - with a definite S-shield shape to her her trademark "boob window" without actually giving to use the "S" or even the costume's colors.
With Karen Starr, we get a powerful woman in the board room as much as in superhero battles, so soap opera elements are as easy to integrate into her proposed series as they are in Arrow. Karen has had her share of romances in the comics, so there's that too. And please, oh please, make sure she has her mangy cat skulking around her penthouse apartment. Tonally, the show should take its cue from her most recent, late, lamented series: A sexy comedy with a resilient and often self-deprecating heroine. An interesting twist would be to push the series in the near future, or at least postulate that Superman has come and gone, leaving her in charge of Metropolis. Just as Gotham shows us Batman Family characters before they were stars, PG could feature Superman Family characters past their prime, or the next generation (a bit like Birds of Prey handled Batman, Catwoman and the Joker, and don't think I haven't thought of the Huntress as a frequent guest-star), possibly with Lena Luthor as the main adversary. I'd also love to see Vartox as a dangerous recurring Lothario from space.
But perhaps you have your own ideas for a Power Girl series... (And yes, more series proposals to come.)
Comments
In any case having PG gives you the freedom to do stories that are too whimsical for Superman and too mature for Supergirl.
Tim: Those do have a certain charm, thanks for pulling them out for us. JLI cameos too!
I'd have her be a Supergirl all grown up, frankly. There would be references to her teenage days, and to Superman having groomed her for bigger things before he left the planet.
http://screenrant.com/supergirl-tv-show-characters-james-olsen-cyborg-superman/