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The late Darwyn Cooke's DC: The New Frontier is one of the best superhero stories of all time.

It was an instant classic when it was released in 2004, and within three years Warner Bros. had turned it into a movie - an unheard of rush in comic circles. So you can see why fans would want a version of that for Marvel heroes; turns out, so did Marvel. After all, Marvel has wanted its own Batman: The Dark Knight Returns for years as well. 

And as it turns out, Darwyn Cooke liked the idea of it - and actually had ideas for what he'd do - but when he was offered the opportunity, he had to say 'no.'

"There was a time I got a call from Marvel to work with my buddy Darwyn Cooke to create our own version of New Frontier - a limited series," says longtime Cooke collaborator (and friend), Jimmy Palmiotti. "Darwyn was interested but he was not a fan of the editor since they had a history and he passed."

This would seem to refer to a falling out Cooke had with then Marvel Comics senior editor (and future editor-in-chief) Axel Alonso, first being a professional falling out and then, according to sources, getting personal and involving others in their orbit. 

"We did talk about what we would do if we had done it though," Palmiotti continues. "I always think of the things that would have been done if he was still with us today."

Cooke was a devoted admirer of Marvel Comics legend Jack Kirby, and while he did do smaller work for the publisher, including two issues of Spider-Man's Tangled Web, the two-issue series Wolverine/Doop, and a guest issue of X-Force, the aforementioned falling out precluded an opportunity to do more.

Want more? Make sure you've read our list of all the best Marvel Comics stories of all time, and get ready for all the free Marvel comics coming as part of this year's Free Comic Book Day 2026 / Comics Giveaway Day  2026 events.