What Ever Happened To...

I was rereading my Doctor Mid-Nite trade paperback today (something I do often that you should do as well). And I got to wondering: what the hell happened to Camilla Marlowe?

If you've read Wagner and Snyder's masterful reinterpretation of Doctor Mid-Nite -- the version that to this day stalks comics from JSA to Blue Beetle -- then you know who I'm talking about.

Camilla Marlowe was Pieter Cross's "sort of" sidekick and confidant who also might have been his love interest. They initially met when they were both buying drugs from a street dealer (if you don't know what I'm talking about, read the trade!)

Anyway, Camilla can't go out in the daytime -- she's got a skin condition that makes the sun burn her. Despite this setback (because of it?) she is incomparably awesome. She's smart, sexy, and ass-kicking when the situation calls for it. She's also inexplicably intertwined with Doctor Mid-Nite and his origin.

But after the last page closes on the Doctor Mid-Nite miniseries, we don't see Camilla again. We see lots of Doctor M. But absolutely nothing of Camilla Marlowe. I do not know why this should be. But it's always pissed me off.

You can't do Superman without Lois Lane. And you really can't do Doctor Mid-Nite without Camilla Marlowe. I'm not asking for her to get a solo series. She doesn't even need get face time. But she needs to be mentioned. Pieter Cross was devoted to his city. He was devoted to Camilla. But we never see or hear much of either of them.

I understand that he mostly shows up in ensemble casts. But there is so much more to Doctor Mid-Nite than him being the "go to" guy when a super-hero gets hurt. It doesn't do the character justice.

Bring back Camilla!

Lights, Camera...

Okay, so I'm back. Let's talk about movies!

There can be no doubt that despite some awesome films (well, Batman Begins) Marvel has done a helluva lot better than DC in turning its properties into movies. Nearly every Marvel character -- from Spider-Man to freakin' Elektra -- has gotten a film.

And I think that that has a lot to do with their success. Sure, movies like Elektra were flops. But basically Marvel is just throwing everything they can out there. They're diving into the third and fourth tier of characters for movies (Man-Thing, anyone?).

DC needs to consider doing this. DC has a lot of very cool minor characters that could potentially star in their own films. I'm sure I could name a dozen if I took the time. But instead, I'll just name one: Doctor Mid-Nite.

Doctor Mid-Nite would make an awesome movie. A killer costume, a unique concept, and powers that wouldn't require a lot of special effects (the movie could probably be shot with a relatively small budget).

Plus, they don't really even need to look hard for a good treatment of the character. Matt Wagner's done all the work already. If you haven't read the Wagner/Snyder Doctor Mid-Nite miniseries go read it now. It's conveniently been collected in trade paperback. Go on. I'll wait.

Are you back? Now tell me that wouldn't make a great movie. It's an origin story with an intriguing protagonist, good villains, and even one of those love interests that Hollywood loves so much. The Doctor Mid-Nite mini is the best comic movie adaptation ever made. Even if the movie doesn't actually exist.

With the right director and cast, Doctor Mid-Nite would be a huge hit. I can see it bringing in far more than the meager amount I'd imagine they'd have to spend on it.

There are lots of characters in the DC Universe just like Doctor Mid-Nite that would make great films (even if they aren't ready-made like Doctor Mid-Nite). But unfortunately, DC is locked down by Warner Bros. They can't open their doors and toss the characters out to roam free. The result is one DC movie every few years. And when they're coming so sporadically, the misses are easier to note than the hits...