Top 5 Fridays: Newer Superheroes That Everyone Loves

Let me just tell you that this week's Top 5 Fridays was inspired by this week's Batman Eternal and if you haven't read that yet, well I might spoil some things for you but if you read last week's issue it shouldn't come as that much of a shock.  This week Harper Row went and masked up and saved the day against the Mad Hatter and reading that issue it made me think of what the future holds for Harper's alter ego Blue Bird.  It's really hard for creators to come up with new heroes that people can get behind and who aren't over shadowed by the characters that have been kicking ass and taking names for the last seventy years.  Will Blue Bird be someone that we can all get behind and enjoy reading about for the next (insert number of years here) or will she simply disappear eventually and only be a footnote in Batman's history?  Only time will tell but her superheroics in this week's issue of Batman Eternal led me to think about Newer Superheroes That Everyone Loves, so let's check it out and see if one day Blue Bird will make a list like this.






#5.  Blue Beetle - Jaime Reyes

Now I don't think it's that presumptuous of me to say that everyone loves Jaime Reyes, I know I do and besides for that reason I haven't ever heard anyone say anything negative against him.  It's weird, even though Jaime has appeared in comics, cartoons and even a live action version in Smallville, it seems that DC fans don't really talk about Jaime.  It might be one of those things where people really loved Ted Kord and after his death didn't want to bond with a new version of the superhero persona and I can understand that because when Jaime was introduced during Infinite Crisis in 2006, I was one of those initial naysayers, but after reading his stories and getting behind the new mythos, I just fell in love with the character and am pissed that he's not better represented in the New 52.......... Yeah, he had his own series but even though that ended, I just figured he'd become a part of something else like Teen Titans or something else that makes as much sense.  Jaime is a great character and even though I don't hear a lot of people talking about him, he's certainly done his best to stick around and for most people that didn't read Ted Kord's run as the character, this is their Blue Beetle.




#4.  Spoiler - Stephanie Brown

Besides for Wally West, I don't think I heard about a character that people demanded to see in the New 52 more than Stephanie Brown.  This character came on the scene back in '92 and even though I was never a huge fan of her, I have to respect the impact that she's had on fans throughout the years.  I was a huge Robin fan in the 90's and it was impossible to read that book and not get to know Spoiler........... and the weird thing is, even though fans demanded that she be brought into the new continuity, I haven't heard much from people since she was.  Is it one of those "okay I got what I wanted, so now I'll shut up" or is it that she has only had the briefest of moments in Batman Eternal?  I'd just figure if it was the latter that fans would complain more....... I don't know.  Either way, the character broke through and is someone that comic book fans will continue to love for a long time........ as long as she gets introduced to Tim Drake.  Oh man, that might come off chauvinist......... Oh man, why am I still writing?........ I'm only saying that a highlight of the character was her time spent developing a love interest with Tim Drake and it might be nice to see in a new continuity.





#3.  Stargirl - Courtney Whitmore

This amalgamation of the Star Spangled Kid and Starman came to us back in '99 and man is she just a likable girl.  Like Blue Beetle, she's been represented in Smallville and as a cartoon character in Justice League Unlimited.  For only being around for such a short time, this character has definitely broken through the new character stigma by joining teams like the Justice Society of America more recently joining the JLA and then Justice League United.  She's just a smart young woman, who desperately wants to use her power to do what's right and if that wasn't likable enough, her personality is based off of Geoff Johns' sister who tragically died during the explosion of TWA 800 in '96........... I hate bringing up tragic things but I love the idea of his sister living on in some shape or another and it's really beautiful.  Courtney has certainly come a long way and like me, the fans seem to have really taken a shine to her as well, leading to her moving up the ranks of superheroes with every team she joins.  Hopefully she sticks around for as long as comics are created.




#2.  Green Lantern - Kyle Rayner

Kyle Rayner holds a special place in my heart because while I read a few Green Lantern comics here and there growing up, it was really Emerald Twilight and Emerald Dawn that got me to really become the huge Green Lantern fan that I am.  Now I was one of those assholes that got pissed off when Hal went evil and Kyle took over as Green Lantern and even though I just said I only occasionally read Green Lantern, Hal was my Lantern and right there began my terrible bad habit of hating anything new.......... I've gotten better with age but I still have feelings like that from now and then and I just have to remind myself of Kyle Rayner because man did I end up loving this character as I continued reading Green Lantern.  He was young, he was hip and cool and better yet; he was a comic book artist.  It was a whole new ballgame for ring slinging in '94 when the character was introduced and it was a whole new obsession for me.  I'm not alone here, I've talked to countless people about their love for Kyle Rayner and his many changes over the years, so hopefully with that in mind; DC will do the right thing by keeping the character around after New Guardians is cancelled in March.  Keep Kyle going!





#1.  Robin - Tim Drake

1990 kicked off with a bang after Tim Drake was introduced as the third Robin.  I don't know if people missed having a Robin around to ground Batman or if they really hated Jason Todd in the 80's but for whatever reason as soon as this character hit, he hit hard.  Besides for the first Robin Dick Grasyon, I don't think that anyone else will ever compare to the love that people feel for Tim Drake.  Growing up I always new of Robin from Batman '66 and the Batman and Super Friends cartoons but that was the Dick Grayson version and I never really felt comfortable with him running around in speedos and pixie shoes, but when Tim Drake hit the scene with his late 80's attitude............ and pants, I just fell in love with this Robin.  Not only the pants thing, he was a different Robin than what we had before and relied more on his smarts than the other two's acrobatic skills.......... maybe it was just the pants or maybe it was just the right time and I was just the right age.  Whatever it was Tim Drake will remain one of the most popular and loved characters of DC Comics......... Now if we can only get DC to give him his own title like I used to love to read when I was young.


That's all I got for this installment of Top 5 Fridays and depending on your age you might not consider some of these characters newer but for me growing up these were the ones that got to me the most and the ones I've talked to others about for years.  Honorable mentions include Booster Gold, Lobo, Miss Martian and Static.  Like always if you feel I forgot anyone for this list or you think I'm full of shit, let me know.  Have yourselves a wonderful and safe weekend and we'll see you in seven.  Boosh!