The former DCEU film studios, now DCU under WBD, never knew what they were doing. They would squander a lot of fan goodwill from 2011’s Green Lantern to the present day. The former DCEU announced several films that were supposed to go into future production, but never did. We never got a Cyborg, Nightwing, Green Lanterns, or Green Arrow film. Steven Spielberg supposedly got a green light to direct a Blackhawks film. We also never got the long-promised Plastic Man film.
Several years ago, the DCEU announced that Steven Spielberg was going to direct a film based on the BlackHawks, an obscure WWII-based DC comic from the 1940s that was also forgotten. I know that many films on James Gunn’s Gods and Monsters slate will not happen now. Still, I am one of many comic book fans having a hard time accepting that the Plastic Man film will probably never happen.
Why even promise it in the first place?
The Plastic Man Film
Mr. Fantastic of the Fantastic Four was actually a ripoff of Plastic Man. Plastic Man made his debut 20 years before the Fantastic Four. Plastic Man is a Justice League member in the comic books and a fan-favorite character. The character has a fanbase.
So, whatever happened to the Plastic Man film?
There have been a few attempts to produce a Plastic Man film since the 1990s. The DCEU first announced a Plastic Man film in 2018. The Wachowskis had been working on a Plastic Man screenplay since 1996 and even hinted that Reeves might star in their film in 2021.
There were even rumors that the Plastic Man film would feature a gender-bent female lead in 2020.
There have not been any status updates for the potential film in a long time. So, I will tell you about three of the best Plastic Man comics in this article.
I’ll even tell you about some of the earliest Plastic Man comics that you should consider investing in now as a hedge in case a Plastic Man film is announced in the near future.
But first, here is a short primer on the Plastic Man character.
Plastic Man 101
Plastic Man was created way back in 1941. The character made his debut in 1941 in Police Comics #1. He didn’t star in his solo series, Plastic Man #1, until 1943.
Patrick O’Brian was a small-time criminal who got bathed in chemicals after getting shot. Soon thereafter, he got his stretching powers. O’Brian got a healing remedy from a monk, and his body essentially became living rubber.
Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four comics would not make his debut until 1961.
DC Comics did not technically buy the rights to Plastic Man until 1956 due to ownership and copyright lawsuits with the creator. DC would also later create a variant character, Elongated Man, just in case they lost the rights to Plastic Man.
People over the age of 35 may fondly remember The Plastic Man Comedy/ Adventure show from the late 1970s and early 1980s. It was a live-action Saturday Cartoon show with an actor dressed as Plastic Man introducing cartoons. More people may remember Plastic Man as a cartoon character than as a comic book character.
WBD is now acting like a Plastic Man film was never previously announced. Anything can happen in the future, but you should not hold your breath for a Plastic Man.
In the meantime, here are three of the best Plastic Man comic book stories to help you learn more about the fan-favorite character.
1. The Terrifics Vol. 1: Meet the Terrifics (New Age of Heroes)
Mr. Terrific is a technological genius. Metamorpho has the power to morph his body into any natural element. Phantom Girl has the power to become intangible and phase through objects. Plastic Man has the power to stretch and elongate his body..
The Terrifics band together after being stranded in an alternative universe. They would then use their powers to fight for good. If this sounds like a blatant ripoff of the Fantastic Four, then you are right. This comic is a blatant ripoff of the Fantastic Four with a mission to reintroduce these characters to new readers.
This comic features great chemistry between the characters, adventure, and a great depiction of Plastic Man as the comic relief of the team.
The 144-page paperback collects the first six issues of the series. Due to the sudden popularity of Mr. Terrific, the physical trade is temporarily unavailable. You can buy it on Kindle $3.99.
2. Plastic Man: Rubber Bandits
This series was published in the mid-2000s. It was popular, but it was also controversial for its depiction of Plastic Man. Writer and artist Kyle Baker drew Plastic Man in a very loose, mid-20th-century Looney Tunes cartoon style. Baker went full gonzo with his Plastic Man stories.
Plastic Man deals with issues like adoption, late library books, music piracy, and Homeland Security with a heroic zaniness.
You can get the 144-page paperback of this series for $24.69 at Amazon.
3. Plastic Man
Published in 2018, this six-issue miniseries was written by fan-favorite Gail Simone to modernize Plastic Man’s origins. If a Plastic Man film is ever made, the origin story could be influenced by this comic.
This comic follows the same beats as the 1941 origin, but depicts O’Brian more as a hood down on his luck who does not believe he has any options in life.
Simone humanizes the character in this comic, writing him as a person hiding their pain and trauma with quips and one-liners. It allows readers to sympathize with Plastic Man as a character and less as a walking one-liner.
This 160-page paperback collects all six issues. Buy it now for $20.94 on Amazon.
Invest in The First Comic Book Appearances of Plastic Man
While Plastic Man is not a household name, that could change in the future, especially if a Terrifics film is ever announced. Or, if they ever decide to make a Plastic Man film.
Police Comics #1 from 1941 is a very rare comic book, and most collectors have not even seen a copy with a CGC grade higher than 4.0. A copy of this comic with a CGC grade of 4.0 is worth $18,000.
However, a copy of Plastic Man #1 from 1943 with a CGC grade of 9.2 is now worth $2,800.
These comics are integral to the history of DC Comics and have kept their value for decades. I think they would be great investments for a collectibles investor.
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The post Whatever Happened to the Plastic Man Film? Here’s 3 of His Best Stories appeared first on Personal Finance Advice.
