Remake & Reboot: The GEN13 Comic Series

When DC revamped its universe with “New 52,” it set readers minds afire with all the possibilities in terms of reviving their favorite characters. We’ve seen DC revive the decade-dormant hero Resurrection Man for its own series, and draft an even more dormant series, Night Force, for a new chance at success. DC is sitting on a wealth of potential hits (even moreso than Marvel), just waiting to be explored; and one of those is the teen heroes of Gen13.

The Concept:

Before I raise anyone hopes, I’m not vouching for a retro return to the tone and story of the original early 1990s Gen13 (sorry, Quelocke fans!) Instead, a new Gen13 series needs to take what made that series great and adapt it for modern times. People remember Gen13 for J. Scott Campbell’s art and a story that was steeped in the early bloom of “alternative” culture and the earliest Real World because that’s what teenagers were into. Those teenagers have grown up, so a new Gen13 needs to aim for today’s teenagers.

Also, a new Gen13 needs to avoid being so insular that its line-up is just modern versions of Fairchild, Grunge, Rainmaker, Freefall and Burnout. They have the immense teen population of the DCU to grab from now, so I’d take that opportunity to bring in other teen heroes like Brainiac 5, Static Shock and Aqualad in addition to some Gen13 stalwarts. Fairchild and Grunge have already made their New 52 debuts, but for my money I’d be most interested in a rebooted Freefall as the center piece for the ensemble cast.

As for story, that is something you can take story notes from the original. Kids on the run is a timeless concept, from Romeo & Juliet to Goonies and Marvel’s Runaways, especially when they think the “adult” world is out to get them. The key for this is figuring out a way to make it organically work within the confines of DC’s current continuity without being bogged down by it.

The Creators:

The Writer – Brandon Graham: I admit, I’d been wanting to do a Remake & Reboot on Gen13 for awhile now, but it wasn’t until I happened upon a twitter conversation Brandon Graham  had talking about his ideas for it that it all gelled. And try as I might, I couldn’t find any writer better suited than Brandon to do it. Some people might pigeon-hole Graham as a hard sci-fi guy if they’ve only read Prophet, but reading works like King City really show how imaginative he can be while also inserting alot of personality and youthful spirit, and at its heart, that’s what Gen13 thrives on. That’s why J. Scott Campbell’s work made Gen13 popular in the first place, and that’s why Adam Warren’s great run on the title was as good as it was. Brandon Graham wouldn’t write a 20 page homage to the original Gen13  circa 1993; he’d create a Gen13 for today.

The Artist – Matteo Scalera:Scalera has been killing it with his work on Secret Avengers, and it’s just a matter of time before someone gives him the keys to a new series to fully show what he can do. Although his style might be considered dark and akin to Gabriel Hardman or Francesco Francavilla, Scalera’s got “bounce” to his line and is comfortable in more than one style. I’d love to see what he and Brandon Graham would come up with together. Remember, Graham’s an artist too — imagine what he’s be able to ask for, and get, from Scalera.