The Black Label imprint of DC Comics allows the company to publish darker and more mature stories featuring its vast collection of iconic characters. However, a number of characters are still waiting for their own Black Label series – from established characters to fan favorites. The weirder residents of the DC Universe shouldn’t be left out of the conversation either.
As strange as it sounds, giving some of the more ridiculous DC characters a Black Label series could be successful. The fact they’re so different from the usual kind of characters that get chosen allows for even more subversive stories.
10 Red Tool Could Step Out Of Deadpool’s Shadow
Red Tool is clearly meant to be a riff on Marvel’s Deadpool. Not only are their costumes and personalities similar, but Red Tool’s real name is Wayne Wilkins, much like how Deadpool’s real name is Wade Wilson. Due to excessive nerve damage, he’s incapable of feeling pain and is especially proficient in combat with tools like screwdrivers, hammers, and saws.
Red Tool has mainly been a sidekick to Harley Quinn, but making him the star of a Black Label series could take his character in a new direction and allow him to step out of Deadpool’s shadow (in the same way Deadpool became his own character despite the comparisons to DC’s Deathstroke). Perhaps a Black Label story that highlights how he doesn’t feel pain and shows off more of his fighting skills with different tools in visceral detail could do the trick?
9 Polka-Dot Man’s Role In The Comics Should Change
Polka-Dot Man had long been a ridiculed C-list Batman villain before his role in The Suicide Squad. There haven’t been any changes within the comics to reflect his role in the film. However, scoring a Black Label series would be a good start.
A potential Black Label story could take a page from Marvel’s Spider-Man: Life Story and follow Polka-Dot Man in real-time – from his first appearance in 1962 to the near present from his own darker perspective. It could comment on how the criminals in Gotham City subtly changed from the Silver Age to the Bronze Age and into the Modern Age through the eyes of Polka-Dot Man, who seizes the opportunity to become the feared and respected supervillain he always wanted to be.
8 Exploring Killer Moth In Gotham’s Criminal Underworld Would Be Fun
Killer Moth intends to be the supervillain equivalent of Batman, not only copying his technology and gadgets but also serving as a protection for criminals from both Batman and the police, much like how the Dark Knight protects the citizens of Gotham City. The other villains have never taken Killer Moth seriously in this endeavor, but what if they had to, and how would Killer Moth himself handle the weight of this responsibility?
A violent, darkly comedic story that sees an in-over-his-head Killer Moth desperately trying to protect other villains would be a perfect fit for the Black Label imprint.
7 Humpty Dumpty Deserves a Bigger Spotlight
Batman’s rogue’s gallery is made up of some of the most fascinating evildoers in comics, but Humpty Dumpty is especially intriguing. Created by Dan Slott, Humpty Dumpty isn’t intentionally evil; he simply wants to understand the reasons for why bad things happen to him, which he does by taking apart items and reassembling them. Unfortunately, his tinkering with such items (such as a subway train’s brakes) causes devastation.
Humpty Dumpty is already a dark enough character in the main DC continuity, but a Black Label series written by Slott that doesn’t hold back on exploring his destructive yet misunderstood nature in gruesome detail could increase his popularity exponentially.
6 Black Label Could Let Ambush Bug Give DC Comics A Piece of His Mind
Given Ambush Bug’s nature of breaking the fourth wall and poking fun at DC Comics as a whole, it’s shocking that he hasn’t yet taken aim at the DC Black Label. But there’s potential for him to do just that in a Black Label story of his own (uncensored and unfiltered), especially with his creator Keith Giffen on writing duties.
For example, a Black Label story that features Ambush Bug calling out DC for getting rid of Vertigo and making fun of the controversy surrounding the nudity in Batman: Damned would be pretty hilarious.
5 Plastic Man Should Get To Stretch His Chops Under Black Label
Plastic Man is mostly known for being a comedic character. However, that doesn’t mean that he couldn’t work in a Black Label story. In fact, a story starring the silly, stretchy sleuth could be experimental for the imprint.
A Black Label story could see Plastic Man getting involved in a mystery that becomes more horrifying and darker than he thought possible, pushing him to his limits. And getting the right artist that could depict Plastic Man’s powers in a style akin to body horror would be the cherry on top.
4 The Ten-Eyed Man Is Perfect For A Black Label Story
Several Batman villains were initially seen as joke characters before they were rewritten and became much more threatening. Ten-Eyed Man’s reinvention came in the pages of Arkham City: Order of the World, where he’s shown to be a contortionist of an almost mystical and brutal nature.
It would be wise of DC to keep this version of the Ten-Eyed Man going forward, especially because he could be explored further and in an even darker, psychological context in a Black Label story.
3 Bat-Mite Has Untapped Potential As A Villain
While he used to be a main fixture of Batman comics, Bat-Mite only appears intermittently nowadays. The Black Label imprint has thrived on taking established characters and twisting them in unique ways – such as making The Joker go sane – and a similar treatment for Bat-Mite could fully realize his untapped potential.
Perhaps a Black Label story could have Bat-Mite turn against Batman, where he uses his powers to place his idol in a sort of metatextual hellscape that both pokes fun at and pays homage to the Caped Crusader’s comics history. Bringing on famous Batman artists to contribute their artwork could add to the self-referential tone.
2 Condiment King Could Add A New Flavor To Black Label
Condiment King was intentionally made to be a laughingstock within the DC Universe. It might be inconceivable to think that the Sultan of Sauce could ever be taken seriously in a Black Label comic, but there is an unexplored aspect to one version of the character that could inform a darker story.
As seen on Batman: The Animated Series, Buddy Standler was a TV comic who The Joker had brainwashed into being Condiment King, which he did as revenge against Standler for kicking him out of a comedy contest. The Condiment King that appeared in the comics, Mitchell Mayo, could star in a Black Label story that also sees him brainwashed by the Clown Prince of Crime, only on a more horrific scale that leaves him permanently scarred and insane.
1 Black Label Could Redefine Brother Power The Geek
When it comes to characters that DC would rather have fans forget, Brother Power The Geek is usually at the top of that list. He was originally meant to appeal to the hippie counterculture of the 1960s, but a Black Label story could rework him from the ground up while keeping some of his offbeat nature intact.
A Black Label story could take a realistic look at the 1960s and follow Brother Power as a young man during this time period. He could go up against the unfair practices of the government, which then lead to him being killed. However, he’d suddenly be revived in the present thanks to his powers as an elemental, and it’s through his eyes that readers could get a commentary on what has changed and what has stayed the same from the 1960s. The story could also benefit greatly from a darkly mystical and philosophical tone along the lines of Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing run.