As noted last post I’m doing a wish list—here’s the overall and indie one. D.C. and Marvel to follow.

MY TOP 10 WISHES FOR D.C. COMICS IN 2012.

Also known as the top 10 suggestions D.C. will ignore in 2012….For indies and the overall industry, go here.

10.  Bring back Vertigo’s crime line.  Seriously.  It was awesome.

9.  Bring back Gail Simone and the Sinister Six.  It was a book that died in its prime and before its time.

8.  Bring back Batman: The Brave and the Bold Animated Series. It was the best TV you’ve done since Teen Titans Go. Okay, that’s my last lament for returns.  The rest of my suggestions are prospective….

7.  Make JMS write Gotham Hospital, like he promised.  Gotham Central was my favorite Batman book ever (take that, Grant Morrison!) and this concept focusing on a hospital procedural could be even better.  And if J. Michael is too busy writing original hardcovers, get Greg Rucka to do it.  Or Gail Simone.  Or Brian Azzarello.  Hell, there’s lots of folks who could have a gift for a gritty, serialized noir.

6.  Kill the back up features.  Sorry, guys.  It’s why I quit reading Adventure Comics in the old 52, and it’s making me want to drop Action.  If you can’t sell a title as a main story, why would think I’d want to lose pages out of the book I really want?  As an alternative, offer the back-ups as premium digital content: A buck a month, e.g.  This could also help you expand your digital presence which, frankly, is the future of the industry.

5.  Fix the DCU.  I’m not a slave to continuity, but the Batverse makes no sense at all anymore.

4.  Less books, better books.  Within three issues after the relaunch, about 1 in 5 new 52s have either rebooted creators or are looking like they’ll be cancelled.  In fact, coming out with the hardbound “omnibus” of all 52 books in one shot makes it seem like some of these won’t even get collected in trade.  If you would take my suggestion to publish bigger books less often.

3.  Get Grant Morrison to bring his A Game to Action Comics.  This title isn’t nearly the thrill ride it oughtta be.  In fact, reading it kind of feels like work.

2.  ‘Mazing Man: Absolute Edition and Steve Gerber’s Hard Time Vol. 2.  Pretty please?  These issues have never been collected, and they’re two of the best books DC has ever published!

1.  Regular cross-overs with Marvel!  Three of my most-re-read, most favoritest comics of all time were the Batman/Hulk and Superman/Spidey oversized comics and the JLA/Avengers minis.  Granted, most of the other DC/Marvel stuff was sheite, but if you make a plan for an annual cross-over and dedicate the right talent to it, there’s no reason it couldn’t be good.  And let the indies play, too—we all rise on the same tide, don’t we?  Here’s my suggestions to start you off:

  • Grant Morrison doing Batman/Wolverine book (with Kick Ass’ Hit Girl?);
  • Gail Simone having Batgirl and friends meet up with Spider-Woman, Ms. Marvel, and Storm to battle someone real sexist like Dr. Doom and Lex Luthor.
  • Joe Kelly on a Deadpool/Mr. Mxylxplk/Butcher Baker cross-over (and I know I didn’t spell that right);
  • Rick Remender on X-Force-meets Suicide Squad, and they take on Dynamite’s The Boys(!);
  • Garth Ennis (with art by Bill Sienkiewicz, Klaus Janson or Goran Parlov) on Nightwing vs. Punisher;
  • Deadpool meets Green Lantern (just so Ryan Reynolds could play both parts!);
  • And of course, all the Avengers teams meet all the Justice League teams.