If we're honest, the 70s was the last decade that produced a number of great new comic book characters. Sure, the 80s had some notable new faces like She-Hulk, Lobo and Booster Gold but the 70s churned out the likes of Big Barda, The Forever People, The New Gods, Swamp Thing, Luke Cage, Ghost Rider, Iron Fist, Wolverine, Punisher, Colossus, Storm, Power Girl and a host of others. When we make our way to the 90s the number of new characters that stuck tapers off dramatically with the highlights being Spawn, Hellboy and War Machine. Looking at the last decade, there are some fresh faces full of potential that may not be A-listers today but are poised to become the stars of tomorrow. Which creation of the 2000s do you think will go on to achieve A-list status?
SENTRY
Created in 2000 by Paul Jenkins and Jae Lee, the Superman reminiscent hero faced an uphill battle simply because, well....he was reminiscent of Superman. With many fans viewing him simply as a cheap-knockoff, fan curiosity waned and Marvel took the character in a new direction that alienated readers even more. But with the right voice and art team, Sentry could return to even greater fanfare.
YOUNG AVENGERS
A few of the teams members where created prior to the 2000s but the concept of The Young Avengers first debuted in April 2005 from the minds of Allan Heinberg and Jim Cheung. The characters are slowly cultivating followers and it's only a matter of time before one or more of the characters becomes the center of a publisher-wide crossover event.
INVINCIBLE
The character stands to benefit from the cross-media fame of its creator Robert Kirkman and his other hit comic book, The Walking Dead. Created in October 2002, the Skybound/Image character is a second-generation superhero that struggles to deal with his powers and other typical teenager issues. It seems like a no-brainer that Hollywood would be interested in adapting another of Kirkman's creations.
BLUE BEETLE (Jaime Reyes)
Debuting in February 2006, DC Comics has made a concerted effort to make the Jaimie Reyes version of Blue Beetle a household name and to a certain extent they have. Thanks to a cameo on Smallville and a starring role in the recent Young Justice: Invasion animated series, most youngsters probably know Reyes moreso than his predecessor, Ted Kord. But that recognition hasn't transformed into comic book success as the character has yet to demonstrate the ability to sustain a solo comic book, at least not yet.
MISS MARTIAN
Another character from the animated Young Justice television show, must probably know the young superhero from that show and not her comic book roots. Created by Geoff Johns and Tony Daniel in Teen Titans #37 (August 2006) she shares a similar origin story as Superman as a youthful Martian placed in a rocket and sent to our solar system to escape a war between the White and Green Martians. With the show now 'possibly' concluded, DC Comics would be wise to revamp their current Teen Titans series to resemble a close approximation of the show for fans hungry for those stories to continue.
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