Hello to all readers of DC World and to all fans of DC Comics/Movies/TV Shows etc.  Welcome to edition number 15 of our Confessions of a DC Geek segment.  Apologies for the delay but life, work and becoming a grandparent last week has meant my spare time has been limited.

In this edition we have spoken to Dean Asquith who, as you’ll find out is as big a DC fan as anyone else that we speak to.  You’ll also see how he is a big fan of one character in particular and you will also see his thoughts on a few controversial issues.  I have no doubt that you will all enjoy this read, I certainly have done and I hope that you all go and find him on social media.  Well worth a follow, top fella.

Anyway, that’s enough from me for now, apart from asking that if you would like to take part in a future edition and give us your Confessions, then please get in contact as per the details at the end.  Please enjoy Deans’ confessions…


JH @DCW: First of all, would you mind telling me a bit about yourself – name, age (if willing), where you’re from and what you do for a living, anything else you wish to mention?

DA: My name is Dean Asquith and I am 26 years old. I’m originally from Crawley but I’m now living in Portsmouth. I work at NATS as a media specialist for the safety investigations team. I am husband to an incredible lady called Steph and a father to 2 beautiful little girls called Annie-Rose (3) and Matilda-Arrow (6 Months).

What, or who, helped kick-start your DC Comics fandom and when? 

My love for DC comics originally started with the Christopher Nolan Batman films. Specifically The Dark Knight. I fell in love with the characters and I become intrigued by the backgrounds of them.  So I researched the backgrounds which linked me to the universe. I decided give the TV show Arrow a try so that was me captured. The dark gritty nature of the DC comics world was beautifully absorbing.

Who is your favourite DC Superhero? 

My favourite hero by far is The Green Arrow. He is just incredible, the with, the passion coupled with the loyalty and heart he displays, in my opinion, sets him apart from the other heroes.

Who is your favourite DC Villain?  

Choosing a favourite villain is a hard one for me. The Joker is potentially the most interesting because of his warped mind. I have a soft spot for Harley mainly because of her relationships with all characters. Deathstroke I love because of his tactical mind and his appearance in Arrow. I’ll have to go with Harley ultimately.

Away from the two mentioned above, who is another character you could call a favourite, villain/hero/other character or one of each? 

I’ve mentioned a few villains so I’ll go with another hero. It has to be Batman… he started it all for me and we’ll…. he’s Batman.

TV shows – which is your favourite DC effort? 

Arrow by far. I know some people struggle with the flashbacks and sometimes slow nature of the episodes but I think what the Arrow writers have done is impeccable. They have developed a family of characters that are a hit with the fans. Stephen Amell does an incredible job as Mr Queen, however I do wish him to become a bit closer to the comic book character with his general humour and cockiness.

What is your favourite DC Movie?  

The Dark Knight is my favourite film but Man of Steel comes a close second. I have a little soft spot for Suicide Squad too.

Are there any DC Universe characters, any that we haven’t seen a live action/animated version of so far, you would like to see become part of the movie, TV or even animated universe?  If so, which character and who would you like to see play the part/s? 

I would love for the Green Arrow to enter the movie universe. I’m in love with the character and with Birds of Prey on the horizon maybe, through Black Canary, he can enter. In terms of actors to play him, I think Taron Egerton (He’ll be doing a bit of this in the new Robin Hood movie – John) would play a great witty Green Arrow but if he was a darker version of the character then Charlie Hunnam would be awesome.

The DC Universe has featured many, many actors on TV and in the movies, as well as animated movies/series’, so I ask you – who is your favourite actor, anyone who has made some any kind of appearance within a DC creation? 

I honestly believe that Henry Cavill’s portrayal of Superman is superb. He has made the character his own and his popularity is testament to that.

Speaking of the DC Universe, the new DC streaming service has been revealed and we are getting some great looking content.  If, by chance, this arrives in the UK, will you subscribe, and from all that new content that will be on there, what will you look forward to the most?

Yes, I will certainly subscribe to the service. Titans is certainly the most intriguing and I love what we’ve seen so far. A dark, R rated superhero series… who could say no?!

Comics – do you read them? If so do you have a favourite series, or a graphic novel, that you enjoy more than others? 

I do read them. I love them. The art, storytelling and act of collecting them is incredibly fulfilling. My favourite series currently is the Injustice arc. It’s amazing, visually stunning and the twists are nuts!

This editions’ controversial question/s: 

1 – When we first saw the Arrow tv show, it was a grounded, street crime (albeit over the top) related sort of show.  As it has gone on, superpowers/ancient mysticism has played more of a part.  Do you feel this helps or hinders the show?  Should it go back to its original roots?

I believe it should head back towards its roots but keep some of the new styling, it has adapted to the mysticism well and it ties into the rest of the Arrowverse well. The Green Arrow has always adapted to the fact he doesn’t have superpowers and it’s great to see this in the show. I want that boxing glove arrow though!

2 – “Fuck Batman”: Yay or Nay? 

Yay! It’s a new take and not really seen before but I don’t think we live in a world where there are no curse words. Also, Nightwing is always swearing in the comics and is constantly raked for it by Batman.

Another one kinda related to the above; we’ve seen the new Titan trailer (looks great by the way), but it has caused a lot of outrage from something I never saw coming (and no, it’s not the line above).  This is something that worries me about fandom, but we’ve seen a lot of venomous comments regarding the very beautiful Anna Diop (Starfire), who has had to shut down comments, of a racist nature, on one of her social media accounts.  These come from “supposed” fans who don’t seem to like the fact that, to play an orange alien, a black woman has been chosen.  Now, I know my thoughts on this (disgusting, shocking and various expletives come to mind when describing these people) but I’d be interested in readers thoughts? 

Those people are vile in all honesty. It’s totally uncalled for. Deadshot is normally portrayed as a white guy but nobody went that crazy when Will Smith was cast. I’m interested in her portrayal of a character in a much-loved universe.

If you were to fall in a swamp/be electrocuted/fall in a vat of chemicals/witness the death of a loved one etc. and made the choice to become superhero or villain, what would your name and powers be and what sort of costume would you go for? 

I would be a hero! Name…. it’s a hard one because all the great ones are taken! I would let Cisco from Flash name me! Powers… control of the elements and obviously an expert marksman! It would have to be like the Green Arrow but let’s add a cape!

Conventions – do you attend them and, if so, which has been your favourite? 

I do attend and my favourite by far, so far, is the DC Exhibition: Dawn of Superheroes at the The O2 London. 

Before we go on to questions regarding your collection, could you please tell our readers where we may find you online (Twitter, YouTube, Blogs etc.)? 

I’m on Twitter and Instagram at the moment! @EmeraldArcher1_

Now we have the necessities from you, on to the reasons that I created this feature, your DC collection. 

First up, do you collect large amounts of various and random DC merchandise or is there a single type of item that you like to pick up? 

I gather everything I can in terms of merchandise! I have everything from stickers to statues!  

Do the items you collect relate to one specific character/movie/TV Show etc. or is it just all things DC Comics?  

All things DC comics for me!

Of the items you own, do you have a most prized possession? – I’m not asking for your favourite here, but the one/s you cherish most of all. Why does it/they mean so much to you? 

My Green Arrow by Kevin Smith graphic novel. It was my first graphic novel for the Green Arrow and it was given to me by my beautiful wife.

Is there something in your collection that you would consider the strangest? If so, what made you buy it?  

A Flash lollipop holder…. it was Flash, so I got it! Haha!

Do you have something in your collection that could be described as a rare item?  

I wouldn’t say rare but I have comics dating back to 1983.

What is the your “go to” item when showing off your collection to, say, friends or family?  

My graphic novel collection. I love showing off the art and explaining the stories.

Following on from the Conventions question – when (and if) you attend, do you buy all the merchandise that you are able to or are you there for any celebrities that may be attending and getting any autographs/photos? 

I love to purchase merch and meet celebrities, I will be attending the MCM London convention and I hope to meet people there!

What are the biggest and smallest items in your collection?

The biggest is my Justice League character statues and the smallest is a tiny little collection of DC kinder egg toys!

I doubt that this will be applicable but out of curiosity, is there an item in your collection that you regret buying.  If, by any chance there is, what is the item and why do you regret it? 

No way!

Is there a Holy Grail for you, an item that you would love to own that may prove to be extremely difficult or even impossible to obtain? 

The holy grail for me… owning everything Green Arrow!

Cheeky question 1, but what is the most and least expensive item that you have added to your collection? 

Most expensive is the graphic novels and least is certainly the sticker I got from some candy sticks.

Cheeky question 2, but most and least valuable item in your collection? 

Probably the same answer!


And so there it is, edition 15 of Confessions of a DC Geek is finished but I am sure that you will all agree, this has been another super read in a great series of fan interviews.  If you wish to comment, and we hope you do, then please do so below or on my own, or the teams, social media pages.  Most welcome as always.

My thanks go to the Emerald Archer himself, Dean, for taking part and giving us an insight in to his fandom.  Therefore, if you would like to take part yourself and confess all then please get in touch via the contact details below:

My own Twitter: @DC_ComicsGeek

My email: john@dcworld.org.uk

Team Twitter: @_DCWorld

It would be great to hear from you and get an insight in to what in the DC Universe makes you tick.

Cheers, John

AS ALWAYS, I WILL NOT FAIL THIS WEBSITE, AND CONFESSIONS OF A DC GEEK WILL RETURN.