Killer Croc Redesign

I am not particularly fond of the newer versions of Killer Croc in the Batman comic (especially in the Hush series).  Overly reptilian incarnations of Croc don't seem to gel with the rest of the rogues gallery.  The classic Batman villains such as Joker, Two-face and Scarecrow don't have to be mutated monstrosities to still be intimidating.  Batman villains work best when writers avoid making them overly fantastic or super powerful.  Instead the Batman villains should be "tragic and deranged humans".  That fits so much better with Batman's own origin and psychology.  Like two sides of the same coin.  

For my version of Croc I wanted him to look a bit more generally creepy.  I was imagining him as a guy with a skin disorder that turns his epidermis into hard scales. After years of ridicule and abuse for his appearance, he finally embraces his disorder. As a result he starts to mutilate himself (cutting off his nose, filing and capping his teeth, removing the skin on his cheeks, contact lenses, skin implants etc).  My version of Croc wouldn't have as many super powers as his modern equivalent, but hardened skin that protects him and deadens pain, a brawler mentality, and a total lack of human compassion would still make Croc a mighty intimidating opponent!

Noir Martian Manhunter

My version of Martian Manhunter.

I think this character has a lot of potential, but DC keeps handicapping him with a horrible costume and a supporting role in the JLA.  What the hell is the deal with his costume?  He looks like a green simian Chippendales dancer.  He just needs a bow-tie.  Observe:

"Everybody's working for the weekend."

For my version of J'onn J'onzz I wanted to place him back in the role of detective John Jones, and for him to have a more restrained set of superhuman abilities: just telepathy, telekinesis and intangibility.  With those abilities he could still make himself seem invisible, or shape-shift, but he wouldn't have all of that other Superman-esque malarky.  Those abilities would also make him an excellent detective, because almost no clue would be outside of his grasp.  There's something about detectives that seems so detached and lonely that I also think is very fitting for J'onn.

I like the idea of him existing outside of the mainstream DC universe as well.  The tendency of DC to stick heroes in the JLA seems to really smooth out interesting character traits, and makes everybody really cheesy.

Someone on Devart pointed out that it would be really cool to put him back in the 40's, and do an Area 51/Men in Black kind of story arch.  I really love that idea! 

Rhino Hunting

Some more venting, but this time about animal conservation news.  

After reading the news about rhino poaching this year I was fantasizing about what would happen if poachers tried to steal the horn from the Rhino character from Marvel comics.

I'm quite into animal conservation, and 2011 was a real bummer for wild rhinos. The rate of rhino poaching was about 35 times higher last year than four years ago, and 54 have already been killed this year (about one a day). Not to mention that the Javan rhino was recently declared extinct in Vietnam (poachers got the last one).

I have nothing but loathing for people that buy rhino horn or poach rhinos.  Consuming rhino horn is basically the same thing as eating your fingernails!

I think this guy is really on to something!