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The upcoming Superman film from writer and director James Gunn features several characters who have not been seen in live-action movies until now. So, I’d like to offer a brief history and some recommended reading for a few of the heroes we’ve seen in the trailers so far. But first, let’s check out the trailer.

Guy Gardner, Green Lantern

Debuting in Green Lantern #59, Guy Gardner was the man who could have been Green Lantern. The power ring that belonged to the alien Abin Sur, who lay dying after the fatal crash of his spaceship, found two potential candidates to be his successor. Hal Jordan happened to be closer to the crash site, so he was chosen. After discovering that Guy was the ring’s second choice, Hal seeks him out, and they become friends, leading Guy to become a supporting character in the series. He eventually obtains a power ring of his own, becoming a fellow Green Lantern alongside Hal.

Raised by an abusive, alcoholic father, Guy is easily the most abrasive member of the Green Lantern Corps, as we see in his aggressive and dismissive actions in the Superman trailer.

Guy Gardner will be played by Nathan Fillion, who in the past has provided the voice for Steve Trevor in the Wonder Woman animated film and Green Lantern Hal Jordon in Justice League: Doom.

Guy became more noteworthy in the comics world when he became one of the inaugural members of Justice League International (JLI) in 1987. With several prominent members missing in action, the Justice League of America had all but disbanded. The JLI—made up of comparatively lesser-known heroes—stepped up in their place, and the Justice League of America comic book was renamed to match the new team.

This is a classic series that was quite contentious at the time due to its more jovial and humorous take on the Justice League concept. Guy’s portrayal is a bit infamous for how often he ends up the butt of a joke, including a moment when he challenges Batman to a bare-knuckled brawl and is promptly knocked out after he takes off his power ring.

However, the series also had its fair share of critical acclaim at the time, and opinions among comics fans have largely shifted towards the positive since then. Other than Batman, the usual mainstays of the Justice League are absent from the series, giving the team a fresh look even when you compare it to more recent Justice League titles. After the 1990s and the 2000s proved to be a rather grim and overly serious era in DC comics, superhero fans nowadays tend to look more fondly on this more lighthearted era of the Justice League.

While Justice League International might take Guy’s aggressive attitude to ridiculous extremes, I can’t say it’s an inaccurate portrayal of the character. And given the tone James Gunn seems to be going for with the new Superman film, anyone who enjoys that movie is probably going to like this era of the Justice League.

I enjoyed Justice League International a lot, and I hope you give it a shot!

Kendra Saunders, Hawkgirl

Okay. Hawkgirl is one of the first characters we saw in the teaser trailer, but she’s also… a lot. And the reason for that ties back to her relationship with Hawkman.

Hawkman appears in the Justice Society of America, but was also a member of the Justice League of America. The former takes place in the 1930s, and the latter in the present day. But rather than come up with a simple solution like making present-day Hawman the grandson of the 1930s Hawman, or having Hawman age really, really slowly, the editors opted for creative and often confusing explanations.

Yes, explanations. Plural. Because every time there was a change in DC’s continuity—whether that be some minor housekeeping or the world-shattering events of storylines like Crisis on Infinite Earths—DC always used that as an opportunity to re-explain what Hawkman’s deal was for the umpteenth time.

Hawkgirl, being Hawkman’s partner in more than one sense of the word, got caught up in all of this. As such, I’m going to simplify things by skipping over 40-ish years of retcons and revisions and just explain the current lore that’s relevant to Kendra as established in the 2018 Hawkman series. So, keep in mind that I’m skipping over a lot.

Long story short: Every woman who’s held the Hawkgirl moniker is a reincarnation of the angel Shrra, with Kendra Saunders being her newest form. Every Hawkman is a reincarnation of Ktar, a fellow angel who committed evil acts for which Shrra showed him mercy and understanding. As a result of Ktar’s actions and Shrra’s mercy, a deity known as The Presence cursed them to be reincarnated again and again until they saved as many lives as Ktar took.

Hawkgirl and Hawkman’s modern stories often deal with identity, usually with the current Hawkman, Carter Hall, trying to learn more about his past lives while Kendra tries to define herself outside of her relationship with Hawkman and their reincarnation cycle.

In the upcoming film, Kendra Saunders will be played by Isabela Merced in her first DC feature. She recently starred in the film adaptation of John Green’s Turtles All the Way Down and the second season of The Last of Us. You can watch both of these on HBO Max with one of our Roku devices.

Like the other Hawkgirls, Kendra is an aggressive fighter using a mace made of Nth Metal—a metallic substance that has an extensive list of special properties. Nth Metal was a major plot point of the Dark Nights: Metal crossover event, which also reintroduces Kendra into the current continuity of DC comics. However, I’m going to recommend starting with her new solo series by Jadzia Axelrod.

Taking place shortly after the Justice League disbands, Kendra makes a fresh start in Metropolis. It’s here where Axelrod lets us get to know Kendra on a personal level, backed up by evocative art by Amancay Nahuelpan. Their work together on this book creates a beautifully moving story that took me by surprise.

Modern Hawkgirl comics tend to focus on Kendra contemplating how to define herself when fate and her upbringing have already assigned her a role she didn’t ask for. This book is the height of that concept; a beautiful and bittersweet exploration of identity. This story made my heart ache for Kendra, yet also had me marveling at how she soars despite it all.

If you’re only going to read one book out of all the recommendations in this post, make sure it’s Hawkgirl by Jadzia Axelrod.

Rex Mason, Metamorpho

In contrast to Hawkgirl, Metamorpho’s origins and backstory are pretty straightforward. In the 1960s, DC started introducing heroes with abilities more outlandish than super strength and flight. Metal Men and Doom Patrol were two such series, and both were highly successful. As such, they tried to make lightning strike a third time and succeeded with the debut of Metamorpho in The Brave and the Bold #57.

Rex Mason was an adventurer transformed during an expedition by an ancient object known as the Orb of Ra. As Metamorpho, Rex is capable of transmuting his body into any element on the periodic table and, in turn, combining those elements to create chemical compounds. This gives him many options for dealing with danger, and he can always stretch and reshape his body to create weapons whenever he needs a simpler solution.

Rex Mason will be played by Anthony Carrigan, who previously played serial killer Victor Zsasz in Gotham.

Metamorpho is mostly known for his appearances in team books such as Justice League International and The Terrifics, the latter of which we’ll be talking about in the next section. While fans of the character widely enjoy Metamorpho’s presence in both titles, I would be remiss not to recommend the book that introduced Metamorpho’s original team, The Outsiders.

Batman and the Outsiders is a classic 1980s comic and a high moment among Batman’s illustrious career. It features Batman breaking away from the Justice League to form a new team with a collection of lesser-known and more diverse heroes including Katana, Black Lightning and, of course, Metamorpho.

Unlike Justice League International with its more comedic tone, Batman and the Outsiders is a more typical example of the Bronze Age of Comics. It has a bit more grit than what came before, but still features straightforward and heroic protagonists. If you’ve ever wanted to dip your toes into this era of comic books, this is a good place to start.

Michael Holt, Mr. Terrific

Arguably the most obscure hero on our list, the current Mr. Terrific is one of DC’s many legacy heroes. The original Mr. Terrific was a man named Terry Sloane, who debuted in Sensation Comics #1 in 1942—the same issue as Wonder Woman’s debut!

Nicknamed The Man of 1,000 Talents, Sloane used his numerous skills to fight crime. Though he was a reserve member of the Justice Society of America (JSA), he was well-respected among his fellow heroes. Sadly, he died in the line of duty in Justice League of America #171.

Our current Mr. Terrific is Michael Holt, a man with just as many talents as his predecessor. Holt debuted in Spectre #54 in 1997, in which the Spectre found Holt contemplating suicide after the death of his wife and child. Spectre told Holt the story of Terry Sloane’s life, which inspired him to continue living and assume the mantle of Mr. Terrific.

The main ability we see Mr. Terrific use in the Superman trailer is his T-Spheres, AI-powered orbs he invented. These are mainly used for espionage but also have offensive and defensive capabilities. Edi Gathegi will play Michael Holt. Gathegi appeared in the recent sci-fi film Aporia and the drama film Caged.

Like Metamorpho, Michael Holt is mostly known for his appearances in team books. He’s only had one solo series, which was sadly cancelled after just eight issues. So, I’m going to recommend The Terrifics by Jeff Lemire.

This title is a bit continuity-heavy, as it sees our heroes contending with the Dark Multiverse—a relatively new addition to the DC mythos that kind of overcomplicates the otherwise simple concept of “in some universes, the villains win.” But setting aside my personal quibbles with DC lore, The Terrifics works as a solid introduction to Mr. Terrific, as well as several other unusual and underappreciated characters from DC’s roster, so I recommend giving it a read!

Lois Lane, Superwoman

That’s right! On top of Lois Lane’s very human powers of journalistic integrity, she’s also gained (and lost) superpowers about a dozen times—as one tends to do when they’ve been a superhero’s love interest for over 80 years.

Lois Lane premiered right alongside the Man of Steel in Action Comics #1 in 1938. In every iteration of the character, Lois Lane has been strong-willed with a firm sense of justice and the bravery to act even without superpowers. So it’s not terribly surprising that she’s willing to put on the cape the moment she’s granted the same super strength and invulnerability as Superman and his Kryptonian kin.

In Gunn’s upcoming film, Lois Lane will be played by Rachel Brosnahan, who also starred in the recent action thriller The Amateur.

This is the rare occasion when I can promote a comic that is still running and that we receive monthly! This is still an ongoing storyline at the time of writing, and Joshua Williamson’s writing has a lot of charm that Jamal Campbell’s art brings out and amplifies. Check out the latest issues of Superman in our magazine section on the second floor!

In the current series, Lois is the wife of Superman, Clark Kent, and the mother of the other Superman, Jon Kent. In the recent crossover event, Absolute Power, many heroes and villains had their powers stolen. The bad guys were defeated in the end, as usual, but not everyone’s powers went back to their rightful owners. Thus, Lois found herself in possession of Kryptonian powers just like her husband’s, making her Superwoman once again.