There have recently been a lot of movies featuring comic book heroes that have been considered legends. Batman, Superman, the recent Green Lantern buzz, Iron Man, Wolverine, all of these heroes are certainly iconic, and certainly have been brought to the world in multiple ways that do justice to the characters. But what about those heroes that not everyone is familiar with? Who wouldn’t want to see a well-written movie about any particular comic book hero, even if he or she isn’t in the spotlight or the creation of one of Bob Kane? This editor has her own list of comic legends, all of whom are movie worthy and unknown or ignored.

1. Green Arrow – Yes yes, there has been Green Arrow movie buzz for years and yet, we are still getting remakes of remakes (I’m talking to you, Hulk franchise) before anything else has gotten off the ground for this one. Who wouldn’t love to see Oliver Queen either super rich and masterful, or having lost it all as a cynical old bastard that fights only for those who can’t defend themselves or purchase muscle? Green Arrow was a book of many firsts, and yet he’s ignored and put to the wayside so they can make one more computer generated pants-splitting movie.

2. Witchblade – The story is intricate, and the plot of a barely-watched television series on cable. But the story of the Witchblade is something that legends are certainly made of. The will of a warrior wrapped up in a modern day detective who fights the forces of evil without the help of a man. A little Wonder Woman, a little Xena, Warrior Princess, and a smidgen of Supergirl thrown in, this heroine is someone to keep an eye on.

3. Oracle – Oracle, aka Barbara Gordon, aka the original Batgirl, is one of this editor’s absolute favorite unknown superheroines. While confined to a wheelchair, a situation created by the Joker in one of the most iconic graphic novels known to the comic world, Oracle knows everything that is going on in Gotham City, and has more than once been the saving grace of Batman, Robin, Nightwing, Commissioner Gordon, and the rest of Gotham. And she does all of this while ignoring a physical handicap that has made lesser real people give up all hope and wither away. Her inner strength is what makes her super.

4. Death – No, one might not think of Death from the Sandman series as a hero, or even an unknown hero, but this particular character plays a far more important part than just deciding whether someone lives or dies. She is the exposition, and if I may, the juxtaposition of the entire series. The story as well as the scenery. The emotion as well as the logic. She keeps the Sandman grounded while reminding everyone that he’s also something spectacular.

5. Lucifer – While this blonde devil (in ever sense of the word) character from the Lucifer series seems like the absolute antithesis of a hero, it is actually quite the opposite in the world in which he inhibits. He questions blind faith and authority, he works with people no matter who they are or what they’ve done in the past. And if you think about it, aren’t those the qualities that we love in say, Batman, or Superman? No, he may not be the avenging angel that Michael is, but in the end, he is a hero none the less.

The world of comics and graphic novels may be filled with heroes, it is also filled with those characters who touch only the edge of the light. Characters that may not have big-budget blockbusters under their capes, but certainly deserve so. These unknown heroes and heroines are worth giving a second glance, and who knows, may become the next iconic image in the comic industry.