Could a supernatural DC animated series work?

the greenman

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Upon recollection, I don't believe any supernatural superheroes have ever had an animated series. I think the concepts have always been left to filler Halloween episodes, among creature-of-the-week.

I think the closest I can think of is the animated Swamp Thing series where he regularly fought the Un-Men and Arcane. Other than that?

Justice League Action featured a great deal of supernatural episodes. Before that there have never really been great threats in that degree, say like an overarching Thanos style battle.

Who would you guys even choose? Justice League Dark? Zatanna?

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Yojimbo

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I guess if it were a team show it would be Justice League Dark because of marketability ("Justice League" is in the title). But I'd be down for Shadowpact.

Solo series my top picks would be Dr. Fate, Zatanna, Phantom Stranger, Sandman, Shade the Changing Man, Swamp Thing, Etrigan, or Constantine. Fate, Constantine and Etrigan/Jason shows would lend themselves to a procedural format investigating various cases. I'd love a Phantom Stranger series like Bruce Timm's Showcase short. Shade would probably too mind bending for execs, lol.
 

the greenman

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I was thinking JLD myself. When I researched earlier today, I did think about marketing. Though he doesn't have a brand name, Dr. Fate came to mind. Also he has a pretty good rogues gallery, which according to my studies in college is almost essential along with stories. On that note, doesn't SHAZAM qualify as supernatural or is he on the level of Wonder Woman and Thor?

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Yojimbo

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I was thinking JLD myself. When I researched earlier today, I did think about marketing. Though he doesn't have a brand name, Dr. Fate came to mind. Also he has a pretty good rogues gallery, which according to my studies in college is almost essential along with stories. On that note, doesn't SHAZAM qualify as supernatural or is he on the level of Wonder Woman and Thor?
Mmm, yeah, Shazam! is like Wonder Woman and Thor - more into mythology and gods and super hero stuff but definitely wades into the supernatural like the Seven Deadly Enemies of Man on occasion but not full on paranormal like JLD or Shadowpact, imo.
 

Yojimbo

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Shadowpact? Have you read them enough to think it could make an animated series? Was it Vertigo or DC?
It was DC. Read a couple issues from 14 or 15 years ago. Bill Willingham crafted a great cast of characters - broadly like the Doom Patrol, a team of not-so A list heroes who operate out of the back of a bar. Definitely a lot of action/drama but some subtle humor. I recall Ragman got really fleshed out and stole the spotlight. I think others could do a better job with the stories to make a full season. Like the comic came out around the time Spectre killed off the Lords of Order and Chaos which led to the Tenth Age of Magic - basically magic gets broken down to this raw and chaotic state and all hell breaks out. So I think the animated series could start its first season with the Shadowpact forming to deal with all the sudden outbreaks and trying to restore a balance.
 

the greenman

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I could see it
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hobbyfan

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It was DC. Read a couple issues from 14 or 15 years ago. Bill Willingham crafted a great cast of characters - broadly like the Doom Patrol, a team of not-so A list heroes who operate out of the back of a bar. Definitely a lot of action/drama but some subtle humor. I recall Ragman got really fleshed out and stole the spotlight. I think others could do a better job with the stories to make a full season. Like the comic came out around the time Spectre killed off the Lords of Order and Chaos which led to the Tenth Age of Magic - basically magic gets broken down to this raw and chaotic state and all hell breaks out. So I think the animated series could start its first season with the Shadowpact forming to deal with all the sudden outbreaks and trying to restore a balance.

I read that series, too. Cancelled too soon, IMPO. Great book. Came along around 1997, I want to say, when they tried a line of titles. Scare Tactics featured a rock & roll monster squad, if ya will. Night Force was revived. Book of Fate tried out a new Dr. Fate, IIRC, written by Keith Giffen. El bomb-o. They even did 1-shot Scare Tactics specials with established characters (i.e. Catwoman) to goose sales.
 

the_joker

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The DC Universe has a ton of characters and superpowers to play with, so I'm sure a show more oriented in magic or the supernatural could work. The biggest problem would be appeal to the general public since characters like Dr. Fate, Zatanna, and Shazam/Captain Marvel aren't the most well-known comic book heroes.

I still would like such a show, of course. I'd like to see all the weird imagery, location, and spells that would be incorporated.
 

Otaku-sempai

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The DC Universe has a ton of characters and superpowers to play with, so I'm sure a show more oriented in magic or the supernatural could work. The biggest problem would be appeal to the general public since characters like Dr. Fate, Zatanna, and Shazam/Captain Marvel aren't the most well-known comic book heroes.
Which is a little ironic in the case of Shazam! since Captain Marvel was once one of the most well-known comic-book heroes in existence.
 

the greenman

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Well, I guess if we're counting mystical origins, Wonder Woman needs her own cartoon ;).
Again with the Rogues gallery. In college I learned that in producing the storytelling is essential. Now this was WAY before the comicbook boom. Franchises was brought up in terms of television.

Look in our past. Adventures of Superman mostly had mad scientists, haunted houses, maybe some voodoo Witch Doctor (from what I remember). That was the 50's. However, look at the BTAS. Bruce Timm was a comic book fan, so he didn't have to pull stories from Batman '66 which created their own villains outside of the main ones.

Personally, Wonder Woman has a very weak Rogues gallery. At least she has 3 villains. SHAZAM has enough for animated series, which obviously allows for serialized stories.

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