Like Golden Age Superman but with training arcs and tournaments. Everyone's pulling out new powers randomly and then explaining how they got them. Most will never be used again.
>Clark would be raised in the mountains, taught martial arts, and turn into a giant monke under the full moon >Bruce and Arthur (Joker) would grow up together, only for Arthur to directly kill Thomas and Martha because the Court of Owls was planning a coup of all Gotham, and Bruce would fall even more off the deep end than Miller's Batman as a result >Plastic Man would be a pirate captain >Cyborg would be much younger and have machine guns in his butt
Those are just off the top of my head.
A bigger problem is half of the DC lineup are way too old to be a modern shonen protagonist, they all seem to top off around 16 majority of the time. DC characters could work as a 70s-early 90s era franchise at best.
Batman already works as the 80s era stoic, silent, assholish protagonist, he just needs a goofier more annoying sidekick.
Superman works as some kind of semi divine child of the sun type of being. Either related to a sun god, or blessed by one to be capable of harnessing the power of the sun. Each new power is unlocking a new ability through training and understanding sunlight and solar radiation. Like strength and durability is harnessing the density and raw force of the sun. Flight is controlling the gravity from the sun. Then heat vision. Superspeed is imitating the speed of light given off by the sun's rays. Other powers could he using the power of fusion, fission, radiation, bending space, slowing time etc.
Hal Jordan is probably the closest thing DC has to a shonen protagonist.
Hal basically functions like a standard moron that punches harder protagonist already.
Superman is largely the same expect Clark gets special super forms and Lois is just a full-on tsundere now.
For Wonder Woman, Diana, Steve and Etta travel around the world as Diana is always on the search for the next toughest fight. This all leads to her fighting Zeus in a 1v1 by the end of the series.
Batman is a comedy manga about Bruce trying to raise a 7 year old child while also being a vigilante by night.
>batman constantly getting power ups by learning new hidden martial art techniques and creating new gadgets >superman starts off with just a toned down version of super strength and super speed unlocking his powers one by one and leveling them up
>superman starts off with just a toned down version of super strength and super speed unlocking his powers one by one and leveling them up
So Smallville?
J'onn at first starts out looking human but when an alien attacks him he unlocks his Durlan shape changing powers and defeats them. He then has a few random adventures fighting off random Dominators that are secretly invading Earth. He defeats them but not before learning they were sent by Mongul and the Warzoons.
He then is told that he is also part Tamaranean and could access those powers with the right training. He goes off to train in a dangerous, life threatening place with a wise old Maltusian. Nearly dying in the process he unlocks his Tamaranean powers of flight and super strength.
While fighting Mongul he is nearly defeated but then he discovers he is also part Almeraci and can use psychic powers. After he defeats Mongul earth is at peace, until Atrocitus attacks. J'onn cannot defeat the Red Lanterns as he is now and must be trained by the Okaarans. Fighting Atrocitus he nearly dies, and is reborn as a New God, having an ancestor from New Genesis. The Oans refuse to allow New God J'onn to live in this dimension and send him to New Genesis where he now must fight in the war against Darkseid.
Superboy would've debuted before Superman and every new creative team leads to a complete reboot. Except Batman, because Bob Kane signs every story and doesn't credit the writer.
Hal Jordan is probably the closest thing DC has to a shonen protagonist.
Nah, Wolfman/Perez Titans and certain runs of the Legion are closest.
Are you the same
NAH
NAH
NAH
NAH
homie? Please frick off.
Nah, though.
NAH, homosexual. Please frick off.
nah schizofam, that ain’t me
>everyone who says nah is one person
holy meds
Nah, that's another guy
nah, that's me.
Second, at least as written by Johns. The climaxes in rebirth, Sinestro Corps War and Blackest Night all felt like shounen final battles.
Like Golden Age Superman but with training arcs and tournaments. Everyone's pulling out new powers randomly and then explaining how they got them. Most will never be used again.
Miller’s recent Superman: Year One reminded me of a shonen manga.
>Clark would be raised in the mountains, taught martial arts, and turn into a giant monke under the full moon
>Bruce and Arthur (Joker) would grow up together, only for Arthur to directly kill Thomas and Martha because the Court of Owls was planning a coup of all Gotham, and Bruce would fall even more off the deep end than Miller's Batman as a result
>Plastic Man would be a pirate captain
>Cyborg would be much younger and have machine guns in his butt
Those are just off the top of my head.
Not as existing characters, dude.
A bigger problem is half of the DC lineup are way too old to be a modern shonen protagonist, they all seem to top off around 16 majority of the time. DC characters could work as a 70s-early 90s era franchise at best.
Batman already works as the 80s era stoic, silent, assholish protagonist, he just needs a goofier more annoying sidekick.
Superman works as some kind of semi divine child of the sun type of being. Either related to a sun god, or blessed by one to be capable of harnessing the power of the sun. Each new power is unlocking a new ability through training and understanding sunlight and solar radiation. Like strength and durability is harnessing the density and raw force of the sun. Flight is controlling the gravity from the sun. Then heat vision. Superspeed is imitating the speed of light given off by the sun's rays. Other powers could he using the power of fusion, fission, radiation, bending space, slowing time etc.
Fits
Secret identities would be rare, except for characters like Batman. I don’t think Superman would be a reporter, he’d be Superman 24/7.
Superman is largely the same expect Clark gets special super forms and Lois is just a full-on tsundere now.
For Wonder Woman, Diana, Steve and Etta travel around the world as Diana is always on the search for the next toughest fight. This all leads to her fighting Zeus in a 1v1 by the end of the series.
Batman is a comedy manga about Bruce trying to raise a 7 year old child while also being a vigilante by night.
>Batman is a comedy manga about Bruce trying to raise a 7 year old child while also being a vigilante by night.
Nah.
>Nah.
Here comes that NAH homie b***h again. You black?
So you're black? That explains everything.
Wally West already is one
>batman constantly getting power ups by learning new hidden martial art techniques and creating new gadgets
>superman starts off with just a toned down version of super strength and super speed unlocking his powers one by one and leveling them up
>superman starts off with just a toned down version of super strength and super speed unlocking his powers one by one and leveling them up
So Smallville?
Not shonen but I could see Zatanna as one of those action magical girls like Sailor moon and precure
Hal basically functions like a standard moron that punches harder protagonist already.
J'onn at first starts out looking human but when an alien attacks him he unlocks his Durlan shape changing powers and defeats them. He then has a few random adventures fighting off random Dominators that are secretly invading Earth. He defeats them but not before learning they were sent by Mongul and the Warzoons.
He then is told that he is also part Tamaranean and could access those powers with the right training. He goes off to train in a dangerous, life threatening place with a wise old Maltusian. Nearly dying in the process he unlocks his Tamaranean powers of flight and super strength.
While fighting Mongul he is nearly defeated but then he discovers he is also part Almeraci and can use psychic powers. After he defeats Mongul earth is at peace, until Atrocitus attacks. J'onn cannot defeat the Red Lanterns as he is now and must be trained by the Okaarans. Fighting Atrocitus he nearly dies, and is reborn as a New God, having an ancestor from New Genesis. The Oans refuse to allow New God J'onn to live in this dimension and send him to New Genesis where he now must fight in the war against Darkseid.
Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps specifically the first arc
Hal Jordan is as shonen as it gets.
Especially his taste in women
Superboy would've debuted before Superman and every new creative team leads to a complete reboot. Except Batman, because Bob Kane signs every story and doesn't credit the writer.