THE UNADAPTED: X-Statix

Within Marvel Comics, mutants have always reflected the society in which they are written. From the racial tensions of the 60's, and the AIDS epidemic of the 80's and 90's, right up to modern gay marriage issues, those with the x-gene have always been there as a stand-in for the current oppressed minority. And while the comics have often addressed the cultural impact of a world with such strange and different individuals in it, that was never really the focus of any story. That is, until The X-Statix burst onto the scene...


...literally.

CBM PROFILE: Deadshot

This is a new column where I'll look at how a single comic book character or team has been adapted throughout the years. Think of this as the opposite of The Unadapted (The Un-Unadapted, if you will) in that this will be chronicling characters who have made multiple appearances in expanded media. My first subject will be everyone's favorite gun-for-hire: Deadshot!



Daniel LuVisi's beautiful cover to
Secret Six, issue 15

Deadshot (AKA Floyd Lawton) first appeared in Batman's comic way back in 1950. He was a gimmick villain who posed as a hero trying to abdicate the Dark Knight's throne as the top crime fighter in Gotham. He was eventually found out and sent to prison. At the time, he wore a costume consisting of a top hat and domino mask. Upon being released from prison, he was rebranded as a marksman for the highest bidder. Along with the change came a new costume consisting of a targeting reticle over his right eye which has become an iconic part of the character's attire.

Since his early days, the character has evolved into more than a run-of-the-mill villain. He is a father who is devoted to making a better life for his daughter, a nihilist who isn't afraid to die when the time comes and a good friend to those he deems worthy. He's also become a fixture in DC's Suicide Squad, surviving more missions than just about anyone else. He even made the transition to the New 52 version of the team. With his devil-may-care attitude, it's no wonder he's been so popular outside of the printed page.

Fantastic Four (1994 film)

This poster is crazy rare and worth a fortune now. I'm not joking.

Most people could be forgiven for failing to understand the concept of an ashcan copy. When it comes to film, it's exponentially more difficult to comprehend or explain. Essentially, it's something that's created (usually a comic book) with the soul purpose of retaining or establishing the rights to a name or character. Ashcans are not intended for release and are typically easily tucked away. This is understandable for printed media where a writer and artist can rush something together in a few days in order to meet a contract stipulation. It's much harder to justify when making a film. You've got a director, writers, producers, a dozen cast members, hundreds of crew members and a hundred or so more extras. All of which are putting their time and effort into something that will never actually get to be seen by paying audiences. Why would anyone want to be involved with a project where their talents would never be showcased? Well, if you're the rights-holder to this film, you simply don't tell them.

Batman: Assault on Arkham (2014 film)

Beginning as a video game that was loosely based on a Grant Morrison comic, the Batman: Arkham series has become a force all its own. The series has sold millions of copies and remains a healthy outlier in an industry that is notoriously poor to comic books. When it was announced that an animated film was in the works and was to be set in this universe, there was a palpable level of excitement from most fans of the series. When it was announced that the film would star The Suicide Squad, my personal level of excitement grew to insane levels.

THE UNADAPTED: X-Factor

The "X-Men" sub-genre of books within the Marvel Universe tend to be very different from one another. There are various teams, agencies and allegiances and too many characters to name here. Within so many of those X-books the idea of change remains a fitting constant. All of these titles have seen massive shifts in tone, characters and concept. This edition of The Unadapted will look at one of those teams that's had relatively little in the way of exposure outside of the page.

Howard the Duck (1986 film)

Right off the bat, there's no way to address the timing of this particular write-up without discussing the ending of the recently released Guardians of the Galaxy film. So either proceed knowing that we'll be getting into spoiler territory or leave now.

THE UNADAPTED: Starman

Promotional ad for Starman #0

Starman is a character that dates back to the Golden Age of Comics. For those who didn't bother with the link, the Golden Age was a time from about 1938 to 1950 when superhero comic books were churned out like crazy and comic publishing became a big business. Many of DC's sizeable stable of characters were created in this period. Among them was Ted Knight AKA Starman, a science-hero from the 1940's who had a baton that enabled him to fly and shoot energy beams. It was powered by star-light, hence the name. The character was a member of JSA and All Star Squadron where he was often overshadowed by his teammates and rarely got a chance to shine (Ha! Puns). The character languished until he was revived in a post-Zero Hour series in the mid-90's created by James Robinson and Tony Harris.