10 Comic Book Characters That Need The Brightburn Treatment

1. Batman

Doppelganger Spider Man
DC Comics

Batman has gone incredibly dark before, especially in the comics, though never as dark as Brightburn. He’s got a gothic noir edge to him already, which seems to make him perfect for horror. However, for it to really be the Brightburn treatment, there’s a few things that need to happen.

Simply making Batman darker won’t work. It’s been done to death and Batman is a darker hero anyway: the Dark Knight. Brightburn works (as an idea, at least), because Superman is usually a symbol of hope and goodness. Batman is a hero, but not one who personifies the ideals of heroism the way Supes does.

To Brightburn Batman, you need to go deeper.

Batman is built on the idea of fear; he lurks in the shadows and picked a traditional symbol of horror as his emblem. Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins explores the themes behind the bat well.

What if it went even further though? A man who attacks you, based on your own fears? Compelled himself by some sick and twisted coping mechanism for his own fears? Scarecrow's fear toxin mixed with Batman’s gadgetry and imposing physical presence could make for something truly terrifying indeed.

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Self appointed queen of the SJWs. Find me on Twitter @FiveTacey (The 5 looks like an S. Do you get it? Do you get my joke about the 5?)