In Derek Johnson’s article Will the Real Wolverine Please Stand Up, he discusses the rebranding of graphic novel characters. He mentions how Comic-Con is no longer primarily focused on comics as it now encompasses all other mediums surrounding these novels (Johnson 64). Through his case study of Wolverine he explains how Marvel rebranded this character with the release of the X-Men films. In our adaptation of Birds of Prey this approach could be useful or harmful in our adaptation. The Birds are familiar as they have been adapted to a TV show and have made appearances in Batman comics. So there is a slight fan base that we would need to stay faithful to. However as the TV series of this film did not make it past one season it is important to try and rebrand these characters to make them appealing to people who may be familiar with the show. In Johnson’s article he explores the way in which Wolverine’s appearance changed from the iconic blue and yellow to the black leather in later issues of the comic, in hopes of having some continuity between the Wolverine on the big screen with that of graphic novel (Johnson 79).

If we were to use the same model Marvel did with Wolverine with the Birds of Prey, there is a greater chance our franchise could be as successful. Along with a possible tweaking of the characters modifying the storyline could also help to interest more people in our franchise. Johnson mentions the increased sexual tension between Jean and Wolverine suggesting it was meant for an older audience (Johnson 80). As part of the possible rebranding of the Birds we plan to play up the tension between Oracle and Huntress as they both had a relationship with Nightwing. This change allows for a deeper look into the character psychology of both Oracle and Huntress.

Johnson, Derek. “Will the real Wolverine please stand up? Marvel’s mutation from monthlies to movies.” (Ian Gordon, Mark Jancovich, and Matthew P. McAllister, eds.) Film and Comic Books. Jackson : University Press of Mississippi, 2007. P. 64-85