James Gunn’s DCU has one job: to bring back one of Gotham’s most overlooked heroes. The new DCU is off to a strong start, and part of its success can be attributed to its mixing of DC icons with lesser known characters ready for their moment. Gotham is home to many heroes, and the DCU can make one in particular shine.
Simon Dark, created by Steve Niles and Scott Hampton, was the star of his own title, running for 18 issues between 2007 and 2009. Set in Gotham, Dark was a riff on Frankenstein.
Simon Dark DC
Cobbled together from the bodies of dead people and animated through supernatural means, Simon Dark protected Gotham from heinous threats.
Steve Niles Helped Revive A Classic Comics’ Genre
30 Days of Night Was a Landmark Comic
30 Days of Night
In 2002, IDW Publishing, still relatively new on the comics’ scene, released 30 Days of Night. Writer Steve Niles created the concept as a pitch for a movie, but when it was rejected by studios, it was retooled as a comic book. Drawn by Ben Templesmith, 30 Days of Night was a watershed book of the early 2000s.
30 Days of Night put IDW, Niles, Templesmith and horror comics in general on the radar of comic book fans. The horror genre had lapsed in recent years, and 30 Days, along with The Walking Dead, helped make it popular again. In the wake of 30 Days of Night’s success, Niles was suddenly a hot creator.
Simon Dark Tapped Into a Long-Standing DC Comics Tradition
DC’s Supernatural Side Had Just Gone Through a Major Overhaul When Simon Dark Premeired
Simon Dark from DC Comics
The supernatural/magical corner of the DC Universe is a rich one, and traces its roots back to the publisher’s earliest days. Before Superman’s debut in 1938, DC published the adventures of supernatural detective Doctor Occult, and this trend would continue into the Golden Age, with the introduction of Zatara, the Spectre and Doctor Fate.
When Simon Dark arrived in shops in 2007, DC’s supernatural side had just undergone an extensive overhaul, thanks to Infinite Crisis a few years prior. The rules of magic were rewritten, and the DC Universe had its first stable team of supernatural heroes in the Shadowpact, a sort of forerunner to Justice League Dark.
Despite being set in an exciting time for the DC Universe as a whole, Simon Dark never interacted with any of its icons. The book was self-contained, and even though it was set in Gotham, Batman never appeared either, and was only mentioned. No members of the Shadowpact showed up to recruit Simon.
Simon Dark is Ripe for a Comeback and James Gunn Can Help
Simon Dark Has Not Been Seen Since 2009
Simon Dark in Simon Dark #5 from DC Comics.
Simon Dark has fallen into obscurity since his book ended in 2009. An internet search reveals Simon has made no appearances in the 16 years following, and the series is currently unavailable on the DC Universe Infinite app. Furthermore, while Simon Dark was collected for trade, these are out of print, commanding high prices on the secondary market.
Furthermore, while Simon Dark was collected for trade, these are out of print, commanding high prices on the secondary market.
James Gunn has the opportunity to bring Simon Dark back in a major way by incorporating him into the DCU. While the DCU has not selected its Batman yet, The Dark Knight is set to debut in The Brave and the Bold. This movie could be the perfect place to introduce Simon Dark.
Yet given how low profile Simon Dark is at the moment, James Gunn may want to pick another DCU project in which to revive him. A Swamp Thing film has been set, and this would be another good vehicle to introduce Simon Dark. The character was never given a chance to shine, but the DCU can change that.