When DC Comics rebooted their entire universe and redesigned all of their characters in the fall of 2011, it was a bold move that has been both a blessing and a curse. They saw increased sales and media attention, but at the same time, they’ve made a lot of big mistakes, and have dealt with their fair share of bad press. Comic book fans will be debating the success or failure of the New 52 reboot for years to come. But with any reboot, the biggest changes have been to the characters themselves. And these changes run the gamut from something as small as a costume change (Superman, Wonder Woman) to having their entire history rewritten (Cyborg, Martian Manhunter). Heck, Aquaman is now one of the biggest and coolest heroes in the world.

But not everybody got off so well. There some characters who seem to have been wiped off the face of the Earth!

Missing. Call the police.

Longtime Flash Wally West is nowhere to be found in the rebooted universe. Nor is former Wonder Girl Donna Troy. And both of those characters are very popular, each with their own huge fanbase. Yet DC hasn’t done anything with them, nor do they seem to have any plans for the characters. And i’ts not just Wally West and Donna Troy. A whole host of DC Comics characters have yet to make the transition into the New 52 universe, including some of my favorite characters. So if any DC editors are reading, here is my list of six characters who need to show up in the New 52, as well as suggestions of where I’d put them – if, you know, you wanted to hire me. Just sayin’.

6. Doomsday

Doomsday SMASH!

Who is he: Doomsday killed Superman! In one of the biggest comic book stories of all time, the mindless brute Doomsday appeared on the planet Earth and beat a path of destruction to Metropolis before throwing down with the Man of Steel himself! Who could ask for a better first appearance than that? Unfortunately, Doomsday was terrible in every follow-up appearance. The character peaked early and quickly became pathetic. Which I think means everybody is ready for Doomsday to come back in a huge way!

Where I’d put him: Obviously Doomsday can’t just kill Superman again, he’s been there and done that. He also doesn’t have to relive all of the subsequent stories where he was turned into a laughing stock. DC’s writers are no longer shackled to Doomsday’s crappy follow-up stories. They’re free to completely reinvent the villain and turn him back into a true menace. I don’t know what that reinvention might entail, but they need to come up with something big. Galactus-level big. Turn Doomsday into a villain who threatens the entire world with his strength, and pit him against Superman in the greatest throw down, drag out battle of his life! And then never use Doomsday again. Because if you don’t learn from history then you’re doomed to repeat it.

5. The Wonder Twins

Wonder Twin Powers, extermi–No, tha’ts not right

Who are they: I love the Wonder Twins! Zan and Jayna are aliens from the planet Exor, and when their powers combine, she can turn into any animal, and he can turn into any form of water. They were fist-bumping before it was cool. They were also the stars of the Super Friends, which I’m sure we all have fond memories of. Sadly, the Wonder Twins get no respect, even when DC brought them into their comic book universe in the pages of the very mid-90s Extreme Justice and the very late-90s Young Justice. I bet you didn’t know that the Wonder Twins actually appeared in canon comics, but it’s true! I even own a few of the issues. True gems of my collection, indeed.

Where I’d put them: The Wonder Twins are at the top of my pitch list if I ever get hired by DC Comics. I think they’d be perfect as the trashy, reality TV superheroes, banking on their good looks and the fact that they’re aliens to become celebrities. They’d be the Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie of the DC Universe. But if they reject that pitch, I think the Wonder Twins would be neat additions to the Teen Titans if that team ever expands. I think the nostalgia factor is ripe for the Wonder Twins and they need to come back in a big way.

4. Elongated Man

Chicks dig…long necks?

Who is he: Ever heard of Plastic Man? Well this isn’t him. Elongated Man is Ralph Dibny, private eye and bendy superhero. Just like Plastic Man, he can stretch his body in weird ways. So he’s also just like Mr. Fantastic from the Fantastic Four. Because apparently stretchy powers are really popular, yet nobody can come up with a good superhero name for them. At any rate, Ralph is an old school private investigator who drank a magic potion and got super-powers. Between him and Plastic Man, he’s probably second best. And that’s saying a lot.

Where I’d put him: This may be a long shot, but I think Ralph could hold his own in a solo series. I see a younger, dorkily charming Ralph working as a private eye while trying superheroics on the side. It would be like a gritty, street-level PI story with a hint of wit and geekery. Throw in Ralph’s wife Sue, and you’ve got a cute power couple of struggling 20-somethings trying to make it in today’s world with off-kilter jobs. If that doesn’t work, you could just put him on the Justice League, or something.

3. Stephanie Brown/Cassandra Cain

Chicks also apparently dig black leather

Who are they: Back in the day, Barbara Gordon wasn’t the only Batgirl. These two young ladies both took over for a spell, and both were beloved by fans. Stephanie was a young, perky blonde girl who decided to get into crime-fighting to go after her super-villain father, the Cluemaster. She started out as the Spoiler, then graduated first to Robin, and later to Batgirl. Cassandra Cain was the silent but deadly daughter of two world-class assassins, trained from childhood in the killing arts. But Cassandra rejected that lifestyle and turned to Batman instead, who trained her to fight crime as Batgirl. I think, given the option, a lot of kids would turn away from their parents to join Batman.

Both Stephanie and Cassandra were even given their own Batgirl comics – but apparently they were also both hated by DC editorial.

Stephanie and Cassandra were both eventually served up in the name of dramatic twists, and they were either killed off (Stephanie) or turned evil (Cassandra) for the sake of some story. Fans were livid, to the extent of actually harassing the writers and editors at comic conventions. Eventually DC wrote some hasty fixes to the problems, and fans were sort of sated, but then along came the New 52 reboot and apparently erased them both from history. In the new continuity, the only Batgirl is Barbara Gordon, and it’s as if Stephanie and Cassandra never existed at all. So I guess DC editorial got their way in the end.

Where I’d put them: This is a tough call, because DC isn’t about to replace Batgirl again anytime soon. They went through a lot of flack putting Barbara back into the cowl in the first place. So replacing Barbara Gordon is out of the question, but what if – hear me out -they became Batgirl anyway? If DC really wanted to be bold and new, maybe Barbara puts together her own Batgirl Incorporated and starts bringing on her own trainees. Batman has had four Robins, right? Who says Batgirl can’t train her own Batgirl Jrs?

It will sell a million copies! Add Wendy from the pre-reboot Batgirl series and Barbara could have her own team of sidekicks!

2. Renee Montoya

The part Michelle Rodriguez was born to play, baby!

Who is she: Renee Montoya started out as a police detective in Gotham City, because, surprisingly, they don’t just let Batman solve all the crimes. After a grueling year – during which both her partner was killed and a super-villain outed her as a lesbian – Montoya turned to superheroics, and was trained as the new Question. Montoya was one of my favorites before the reboot, and her Question was a nice, modern update to the classic comic character. She brought a new energy and a new spunk to DC’s staple of heroes. Plus it was just cool following Renee’s story from police detective to superhero, which DC writers told over the course of several years and multiple series.

Where I’d put her: Montoya isn’t about to come back as the Question anytime soon because DC have rebooted that hero and given him some kind of mystical origin, which I completely disagree with. But at any rate, I think Montoya would be perfectly placed back into the Gotham City Police Department alongside characters like Commissioner Gordon, Harvey Bullock and Maggie Sawyer. In fact, why not put Montoya in the pages of Batwoman, the two of them are ex-girlfriends and Renee would add some fantastic personal drama to the series.

1. Catman

He is man, hear him ‘meow’

Who is he: Meet Catman, the coolest super-villain (or anti-hero) at DC comics. Thomas Blake is the poster boy of the old writing adage: ‘there are no bad characters, only bad writers’. Catman started out just as you’d expect him to, as a silly Catwoman rip-off who quickly turned into a pathetic joke villain. But then along came writer Gail Simone, who plucked Catman out of obscurity and turned him into a lean, mean lion warrior! She put him in her Secret Six comic, which was easily the best, coolest comic DC was publishing before the reboot. Why they haven’t relaunched Secret Six under Simone is beyond me.

Where I’d put him: First and foremost, Catman should only be written by Gail Simone at this point. Aside from Batgirl, Catman is Gail Simone’s masterpiece. She knows what makes him tick, and she’s the one who made him popular in the first place. Unfortunately, Simone isn’t writing any comics these days where Catman would fit, unless he guest-starred in Batgirl for some reason. No, the one and only place to put Catman in the New 52 is in a revival of Secret Six. Make it happen, DC!

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Who else is missing from DC’s New 52 universe? I know these aren’t the only six. Which of your favorite comics remain in limbo, desperate for a return? Or where would you put some of these characters? Let me know in the comments!

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