Hank McCoy (Before the Fur)

I’m not a huge fan of the transition of DC mantles from one character to another. It always seems kind of aimless and surprising to me and there’s rarely much of a relationship between the former hero and the new selected champion.

Over the years though, I’ve become a big fan of Michael Holt, a.k.a. Mister Terrific. A revamp of a DC Golden Age hero, I think Holt is one of those cool and interesting characters that helps round out the DC universe into a more cohesive place to live in.

Holt is a kind of prodigy on par with the likes of Bruce Wayne, Ray Palmer and others and he isn’t afraid to flaunt it. I always thought it was kind of strange that he walked around with the words "Fair Play" on his costume. I mean I know the old-school Mister Terrific did, but it’s finally kind of hit me what ‘Fair Play’ is all about for this guy.

Nothing in Holt’s life--NOTHING--has been fair. Everything this guy has done he's done for himself. He has EARNED for himself. Holt lost his wife and unborn child before he ever had a chance to put on a costume. And no father should have to outlive their child.

That’s the thing with Mister Terrific. He’s had to be terrific to make the most of his life. Life is fair only in the sense that the chances of something bad happening to you are equal to the chances of something good happening to you. You're the one who has to do all you can to turn the odds in your favor. And that’s not easy.

I think what I like about Holt is that he comes across as cold and calculating, but I don’t think that’s really what makes him tick. The guy had an older brother who was mentally handicapped and passed away.

The thing is? He’s really seen how hard a place the world can be. And I think it’s sort of like that's his message here. We have to be terrific, we have to do more than the bare minimum in order to beat the odds.

It’s strange, but in some ways Terrific’s seemingly bottom line approach to life might be considered one of the most humanitarian and caring viewpoints you can have. He isn’t interested in hope, really; he’s interested in results because he knows that’s what people NEED. And it’s hard not to respect that.

Unfortunately, Mister Terrific is among the list of DC titles that were recently cancelled. This kind of thing drives me nuts. I know it’s the unfortunate way of things in this business (there’s always a smattering of books that are on and off the shelf), but I feel like DC has a whole slew of underrated characters here that need someone to just STICK IT OUT for more than a year or so and get them established in the public eye.

I know DC has a bunch of material they haven’t even touched from the Hollywood perspective: Flash, Aquaman, the ill-fated Wonder Woman project. Personally, I’m thinking a Mr. Terrific film--or at least a primetime, Smallville-esque show-- could actually be really compelling. Just something to think about.