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Favorite Revamped Characters

post #1 of 61
2/13/08 at 3:25pm
Thread Starter 
It is very common practice for comic book characters to be updated from time to time. It can be in the form a new costume, personality, or origin. Sometimes it can be greeted as a great idea and other times it can backfire on writers and artists.

I'd liked to focus on the positive and find out what revamped characters worked for you.

My choice is Mr. Freeze. He started out as a gimmicky bad guy with a freeze gun, but was given a real motivation and purpose thanks to the Batman cartoon from the 90s. Plus his armored suit from the cartoon seems to be the preferred look of the character in comics now.

What other revamped characters work for you guys?
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post #2 of 61
2/13/08 at 3:31pm


XTREME
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post #3 of 61
2/13/08 at 3:35pm
Some hipster jerkoff would probably pick that.
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post #4 of 61
2/13/08 at 3:55pm
Least favorite redesign ever:

The Beast's evolutionary 'upgrade' from timeless excellence to bit-player in the touring company of Cats.

I love Grant Morrison as a writer, but I fucking hate him for that.

I'm a fan of Mr. Terrific's revamp, however.
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post #5 of 61
2/13/08 at 3:59pm
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post #6 of 61
2/13/08 at 4:00pm
Are we counting Ultimate Universe here? Cuz if so, gotta throw my hate in for new latino, tattoo'd, mustache and goattee, dual hand gun wielding Mr. Sinister.
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post #7 of 61
2/13/08 at 4:05pm
Joe Casey's specialty. He currently looks to be doing a good job with the resurrected Youngblood. He also hit home runs with Wildcats 3.0 and GI Joe: America's Elite, adding substantial depth and interest to works previously shallower than a petri dish.
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post #8 of 61
2/13/08 at 4:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Syd View Post
Are we counting Ultimate Universe here? Cuz if so, gotta throw my hate in for new latino, tattoo'd, mustache and goattee, dual hand gun wielding Mr. Sinister.
On of Brian K Vaughn's rare missteps, I believe.
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post #9 of 61
2/13/08 at 4:25pm
DC's late 80s proto-Vertigo titles were really the boom years for interesting revamps. Moore's Swamp Thing, Morrison's Animal Man and Doom Patrol, Gaiman's Sandman, Milligan's Shade, the Changing Man...
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post #10 of 61
2/13/08 at 4:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Matt M View Post
DC's late 80s proto-Vertigo titles were really the boom years for interesting revamps. Moore's Swamp Thing, Morrison's Animal Man and Doom Patrol, Gaiman's Sandman, Milligan's Shade, the Changing Man...
Don't forget The Shadow, by Andy Helfer, Bill Sienkiewicz and Kyle Baker. That series was black humour at its finest.
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post #11 of 61
2/13/08 at 5:04pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Matt M View Post
DC's late 80s proto-Vertigo titles were really the boom years for interesting revamps. Moore's Swamp Thing, Morrison's Animal Man and Doom Patrol, Gaiman's Sandman, Milligan's Shade, the Changing Man...

Gaiman's Sandman wasn't really a revamp, though.
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post #12 of 61
2/13/08 at 5:10pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Amphibatron View Post
Gaiman's Sandman wasn't really a revamp, though.
It was the most radically divergent from the original property, but it still originated with DC editorial wanting to revamp old characters.
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post #13 of 61
2/13/08 at 5:18pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MSO Major Domo View Post
Don't forget The Shadow, by Andy Helfer, Bill Sienkiewicz and Kyle Baker. That series was black humour at its finest.
That revamp was actually by Howard Chaykin. Then DC launched an ongoing series with the above team.
*pushes up nerd glasses, sits, opens candy bar wrapper*
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post #14 of 61
2/13/08 at 5:20pm
If this were a typical comic book forum, people would be screaming "Taskmaster" left and right. And i would be hitting my head in the keyboard. Thank God they went back to the original look for his appearence in Moon Knight (and Civil War).
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post #15 of 61
2/13/08 at 5:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by BobClark View Post
That revamp was actually by Howard Chaykin. Then DC launched an ongoing series with the above team.
*pushes up nerd glasses, sits, opens candy bar wrapper*
I know that ... I mentioned the series in regards to the "Proto-Vertigo" reference, not the revamp. Chaykin's series was pure Chaykin; Helfer's series was much more character driven and was published in line with the other quasi-adult books that later became Vertigo titles. It had that violent/funny/perverse — and occasionally self indulgent — quality that Vertigo became known for.

I love the Chaykin mini-series, but it's not radically different from his work on Black Kiss, Power and Glory, etc.
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post #16 of 61
2/13/08 at 5:58pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jesse Custer View Post
I'm a fan of Mr. Terrific's revamp, however.
I was just coming in to say that. Along those lines, I also really liked the Dr. Midnight update that also appeared in the pages of JSA (along with his own decent miniseries).
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post #17 of 61
2/13/08 at 10:08pm
I;m going with Garth Ennis' Marvel MAX revamp of The Punisher. Gone with all the high tech stuff and side kicks, he just made Frank a full on psychotic force of nature.
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post #18 of 61
2/14/08 at 12:05am
I'll go with Animalman. Morrison took a fairly silly character and gave him a lot of personality. For all of the meta-ness of the vertigo book, Buddy Baker actuually feels like a real person. You don't really get that with most superhero comics.

Was the comic any good after Morrison left it? Must have been hard to follow that.
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post #19 of 61
2/14/08 at 12:25am
Waid & Wieringo's take on Sue Storm as Hot Soccer Mom. I dug her with the short hair. Too bad it didn't last.
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post #20 of 61
2/14/08 at 1:04am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Antoine Doinel View Post
Was the comic any good after Morrison left it? Must have been hard to follow that.
It wasn't awful, and Milligan(?) did a few interesting things with the character. But it never felt like anything other than an afterthought--Morrison's ending was just too good.
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post #21 of 61
2/14/08 at 1:08am
Didn't read the thread yet, so I'll be more conversational later. I just wanted to throw out my gut reactions here...

Brubaker's Cap and Winter Soldier really made me interested in those characters when I had never been before. It was a bit weird reconciling such a grim and violent image of those two with how I had seen them before, but the changes make sense.

I'm not sure Claremont and Miller's Wolverine limited series would be considered a revamp so much as a fleshing out of the character, but I think it's close enough so I'd go with that as well.

Morrison's stripping down and modernizing of the X-Men worked really well, although I didn't like how he took away from the metaphors of the X-Men by having them actually fight and be manipulated by the conscious force of evolution.
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post #22 of 61
2/17/08 at 3:23am
Matt Wagner's take on the Wesley Dodds Golden Age Sandman in Sandman Mystery Theater.

NOW that is a revamp of the character. I don't consider Gaiman's Morpheus as an overhaul at all--its an all new creation.

Personally, I would take an HBO series of SMT over the stories of the Endless anyday. Just because I think it would be easier to condense the material than the more estoric Gaiman series. As much as I LOVE Gaiman's Sandman, I would hate to have it butchered in anyway.
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post #23 of 61
2/17/08 at 3:55am
Denny O'Neil's bizarre revamp of the Question from Ditko's Objectivist asshole into a long-haired Zen master/liberal mouthpiece was kind of fucked.

Loved what that damn cartoon did with the Question, though.
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post #24 of 61
2/19/08 at 12:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Phil View Post
Denny O'Neil's bizarre revamp of the Question from Ditko's Objectivist asshole into a long-haired Zen master/liberal mouthpiece was kind of fucked.
Yeah, I always assumed that was O'Neil's long way of giving Steve Dikto the finger.
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post #25 of 61
3/1/08 at 12:02am
Ive always loved how Deadpool went from horror spawned by the pen of Rob Liefeld to being one of the funniest characters in comics...I usually give Gail Simone and Fabian Nicieza a lot of credit for that one.
As for villians, Brubaker's revamp of Mr Fear in the current Daredevil arc was fantastic.
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post #26 of 61
3/3/08 at 4:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ryoken View Post
Ive always loved how Deadpool went from horror spawned by the pen of Rob Liefeld to being one of the funniest characters in comics...
ANYTHING penned by Liefeld could be considered a horror...

I second the MAX Punisher nomination. Now that is how the Punisher should be!
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post #27 of 61
3/4/08 at 1:46am
I'll third the Garth Ennis / Punisher revamp; talk about bringing a character back from the dead. I still think about those last few lines in the 1st issue of "Welcome Back, Frank". Acknowledging and discarding the Zombie-Punisher stuff in just a few lines, no typical convoluted comic book explanation, just a simple and economic "fuck that nonsense, now lets move on" approach.
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post #28 of 61
3/4/08 at 1:03pm
I was kinda enjoying the Phantom Zone Three from Donner and Johns' Action Comics run. The outfits were cool, and I loved the throat tattoos. Finally linking Donner Zod and DC Zod worked out for me just fine.

The recent Freedom Fighters revamp that Acuna illustrated was tight.

I also think the Espagnol Blue Beetle works in a Spider-Man kinda way. The revamped New Warriors that spun out of Civil War had me until the Night Thraser reveal (his little brother? Fuck me) I liked the recent 7 Soldiers revamp, as it made me actually care about guys like the Guardian and Shining Knight.

I am really looking forward to the revamp of the New Gods. I always found that their "costumes" horribly dated, save for maybe Orion and Lightray.
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post #29 of 61
3/4/08 at 1:11pm
My all-time favorite revamp would have to be Starman, as Jack Knight is probably my all-time favorite comic book character. I love what James Robinson did with the whole lineage aspect, and the entire run of that series is just great, and actually pretty touching at times.

Another revamp I really enjoyed was Morrison's Marvel Boy mini-series. Some of the concepts he introduced in that series were just wild. I love the idea of a sentient corporation that travels from planet to planet in order to use up all the resources as a way of sustaining itself. That's just cool.
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post #30 of 61
3/4/08 at 2:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris O. View Post
My all-time favorite revamp would have to be Starman, as Jack Knight is probably my all-time favorite comic book character. I love what James Robinson did with the whole lineage aspect, and the entire run of that series is just great, and actually pretty touching at times.
You speak the truth. One of the most affecting series I've read. Just terrific.
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post #31 of 61
3/4/08 at 2:41pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jackstar View Post
You speak the truth. One of the most affecting series I've read. Just terrific.
Hell yeah...the issue in which Jack learns about his son is incredibly moving, and the ending of the series was touching in all the right ways.
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post #32 of 61
3/4/08 at 5:58pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ryoken View Post
Ive always loved how Deadpool went from horror spawned by the pen of Rob Liefeld to being one of the funniest characters in comics...I usually give Gail Simone and Fabian Nicieza a lot of credit for that one.
Actually, I think Joe Kelly really deserves the most credit. His run on the Deadpool ongoing series set a high watermark for the character.

Also showing the era in which I was serious about this stuff:

The post-Age of Apocalypse new direction for X-Force still to this day holds a very special place in my heart. During the year or so the characters went on their "road trip" we got more interesting characterization, as the characters rebelled against being Cable's army and tried to find their place in the world. Plus, great art from Adam Pollina and early work from Jim Cheung.

Also, and I know this will seem crazy to all the Moore Swamp Thing fans, but Brian K. Vaughn's revamp focusing on ST's daughter was totally underrated.
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post #33 of 61
3/4/08 at 6:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wadeisdead View Post
Actually, I think Joe Kelly really deserves the most credit. His run on the Deadpool ongoing series set a high watermark for the character.

Also showing the era in which I was serious about this stuff:

The post-Age of Apocalypse new direction for X-Force still to this day holds a very special place in my heart. During the year or so the characters went on their "road trip" we got more interesting characterization, as the characters rebelled against being Cable's army and tried to find their place in the world. Plus, great art from Adam Pollina and early work from Jim Cheung.

Also, and I know this will seem crazy to all the Moore Swamp Thing fans, but Brian K. Vaughn's revamp focusing on ST's daughter was totally underrated.
Guess you're right, I deserve a slap for forgetting about Kelly's work.
Count me in for the love for Starman...easily one of the best comic books runs ive ever read.
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post #34 of 61
3/5/08 at 1:56pm
I'm surprised no one's mentioned The Dark Knight Returns. That's one of my favorite revamps.

Other than that, Moore's Swamp Thing and Miracle Man, and I guess you can't call Miller's work on Wolverine and DD as 'revamps' but 'boosts', however, he affected both characters tremendously.

I can tell you which revamp I hate: Aquaman. Fuck that guy and his missing hand. I can't wait to see a revamp of the Wonder Twins though.
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post #35 of 61
3/6/08 at 1:00am
The Dark Knight Returns is a horrible revamp...it's the anti-vamp.
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post #36 of 61
3/6/08 at 2:44am
I wouldn't qualify DKR as a revamp, but it's the very opposite of horrible, despite what it's author has or hasn't done in recent years.

Now Batman: Year One, that's a great revamp. Still the gold standard of reimagined origin stories.
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post #37 of 61
3/6/08 at 4:15am
Quote:
Originally Posted by lordelsey View Post
The Dark Knight Returns is a horrible revamp...it's the anti-vamp.
It was awesome in 1986. When it was new.
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post #38 of 61
3/7/08 at 5:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by lordelsey View Post
The Dark Knight Returns is a horrible revamp...it's the anti-vamp.
Care to elaborate?

Quote:
Originally Posted by HunterRose View Post
It was awesome in 1986. When it was new.
How is it any less so now?
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post #39 of 61
3/7/08 at 5:49pm
Regarding Dark Knight, it's not so much the book itself as the "grim 'n' gritty" trend it inspired. Sure, it along with Watchmen (and I guess Maus) made comix respectable for adult consumption, but a lot of perfectly good, kid-friendly books lost their sense of humor and never got it back.

Influence aside, I'm not sure DKR qualifies as a revamp since the story isn't in continuity.
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post #40 of 61
3/7/08 at 6:01pm
Denny O'Neil's Green Arrow. In fact, any character Denny O'Neil touched in the early 70's.
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post #41 of 61
3/7/08 at 6:02pm
Frank Miller's Daredevil.
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post #42 of 61
3/7/08 at 6:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wadeisdead View Post
Also, and I know this will seem crazy to all the Moore Swamp Thing fans, but Brian K. Vaughn's revamp focusing on ST's daughter was totally underrated.
I totally agree with you on that. I thought it was a really fascinating entry in the character's mythos, and the series was just starting to hit its stride when it got canceled.
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post #43 of 61
3/8/08 at 1:14am
Dark Knight is the anti-revamp as it destroyed the character. It turned Batman from a detective that worked, into a psychopath superhuman. Rather then having to be smart to help those around him, now he's one step away from killing hundreds of people at any moment.

That's why it's a bad revamp. It killed what was the character.
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post #44 of 61
3/8/08 at 2:12am
Quote:
Originally Posted by lordelsey View Post
Dark Knight is the anti-revamp as it destroyed the character. It turned Batman from a detective that worked, into a psychopath superhuman. Rather then having to be smart to help those around him, now he's one step away from killing hundreds of people at any moment.

That's why it's a bad revamp. It killed what was the character.
I know that's how Denny O'Neil sees it.
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post #45 of 61
3/8/08 at 2:31am
Quote:
Originally Posted by lordelsey View Post
Dark Knight is the anti-revamp as it destroyed the character. It turned Batman from a detective that worked, into a psychopath superhuman. Rather then having to be smart to help those around him, now he's one step away from killing hundreds of people at any moment.

That's why it's a bad revamp. It killed what was the character.
Right, because pre-DKR, there was ever only one iteration of the character, and he never acted like a sociopath or killed anyone. He never broke any necks, never let anyone burn to death, never used a gun, none of that stuff.
All sarcasm aside, I swear I don't mind people disliking or even hating DKR, but so many of the haters put up the lamest "evidence" as to why it's "so terrible", and its almost always the same shit.
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post #46 of 61
3/8/08 at 1:49pm
Ennis' updated Dan Dare is pretty kick-ass.
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post #47 of 61
3/8/08 at 2:14pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by JacknifeJohnny View Post
Right, because pre-DKR, there was ever only one iteration of the character, and he never acted like a sociopath or killed anyone. He never broke any necks, never let anyone burn to death, never used a gun, none of that stuff.
All sarcasm aside, I swear I don't mind people disliking or even hating DKR, but so many of the haters put up the lamest "evidence" as to why it's "so terrible", and its almost always the same shit.
Totally agree. Further, what happened to the character after this story's release is in no way Miller's problem. Just because the subsequent Batman writers went derivative and simply followed where Dark Knight lead, it doesn't make Dark Knight a bad story. You can be pissed about its legacy (and rightly so; I hate the whole direction comics in general went around this time), but it doesn't make The Dark Knight Returns any less great as its own standalone work. It was never intended to be the vanguard of a new movement for the character. It was a "What if" story that became hugely influential. It's like saying that Star Wars is awful because of all the shitty sci fi films that came down the pike after its release.
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post #48 of 61
3/8/08 at 5:07pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Greg David View Post
Totally agree. Further, what happened to the character after this story's release is in no way Miller's problem. Just because the subsequent Batman writers went derivative and simply followed where Dark Knight lead, it doesn't make Dark Knight a bad story. You can be pissed about its legacy (and rightly so; I hate the whole direction comics in general went around this time), but it doesn't make The Dark Knight Returns any less great as its own standalone work. It was never intended to be the vanguard of a new movement for the character. It was a "What if" story that became hugely influential. It's like saying that Star Wars is awful because of all the shitty sci fi films that came down the pike after its release.
Yeah, but this stil doesnt provide a good defense point for Dark knight Strikes Again or the Godamn Batman.
Also, its not exactly a revamp, but Darwin Cooke's "The New Frontier" is a fantastic retelling of the DC universe.
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post #49 of 61
3/8/08 at 7:57pm
Dark Knight Strikes Again and Goddamn Batman are on their own. I'm not going there.
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post #50 of 61
3/8/08 at 11:39pm
Thanks to DKR, we got Arkham Asylum, Killing Joke, The Cult and Year One. I'm not complaining.

I loved Planetary's take on all the various Batman incarnations.
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