With decades of continuity,DC Comicshas countless heroes more than worthy of fans’ attention. There are the obvious legends, like Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, and there are the lesser-known or fan-favorite darlings like Conner Hawke, Cassandra Cain, and Max Mercury.
Considering the number of heroes throughout the DC Multiverse, more than a few are stars in the making. But there arejust as many DC heroes that definitely could use a breakfrom the limelight. There’s only so manyBatmanstories one can read at once, after all - and so many obscure DC heroes that deserve their moment in the publisher’s latest era.
10Highlight: Vixen
First Appearance:Action Comics#521 by Gerry Conway, Curt Swan, Frank Chiaramonte, Gene D’Angelo, and John Costanza
A beloved member of theJustice Leaguewho was first inducted during its infamous Detroit era, Mari McCabe, otherwise known as Vixen, has rarely been utilized to her fullest potential. She’s been featured in numerous League lineups – and featured prominently in the late Dwayne McDuffie’s run on theJustice League of Americatitle – but she’s rarely been highlighted post-Flashpoint.
Vixen did join Batman’s revamped Justice League of America, co-leading the team with the Dark Knight himself and eventually taking over full-time as the team evolved into the more forward-thinking Justice Foundation. But in the years since, neither Vixen nor her Foundation have gotten a true chance on the mainstage apart from her recently joining the Birds of Prey. And considering Mari’s civilian career as a fashion mogul, she’s more than used to the spotlight.
9Hiatus: Barry Allen’s Flash
First Appearance:Showcase#4 by Robert Kanigher, Carmine Infantino, Joe Kubert, and Gaspar Saladino
The Silver AgeFlash, Barry Allen, has had quite the resurgence over the last two decades. Returning from the dead during theFinal Crisisevent, Barry wasted no time resuming his mantle as DC’s primary Flash, not just in the comics, but across media adaptations as well. Though the reception of said adaptations has varied, the second Scarlet Speedster remains a DC mainstay, but there are many fans that would’ve preferred he’d never been resurrected.
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After all, Allen’s resurrection did eventually lead to theFlashpointdebacle and a decade of overly confusing continuity. With his successor, Wally West,reclaiming the position as the Justice League’s de facto Flash, Barry Allen has recently been taking more of a background role, and it’s honestly done wonders for the character. And once he finally helps clarify continuity in the upcomingNew History of the DC Universeby Mark Waid, Jerry Ordway, Todd Nauck, and more, it’s best for Barry to take a breather.
8Highlight: The Signal
First Appearance:Batman#21 by Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, Danny Miki, FCO Plascencia, and Nick J. Napolitano
One of the breakout characters of the Dark Knight’s New 52 relaunch, Duke Thomas, known as the superpowered hero the Signal, has been sorely missing the spotlight befitting his codename. A metahuman with the ability to manipulate light and shadow,Duke stands out from the wider Bat-Family in more ways than one, but it’s those same differences that make him so compelling.
Of course, there are the worthwhile complexities that come with exploring a Black crimefighter in Gotham City, but even aside from matters of representation, Duke’s status as a daytime hero with metahuman abilities in Gotham City is well worth digging into. Since donning his uniform, fans have seen Duke fight alongside Batman, Black Lightning, and the Outsiders, but the Signal is more than ready to be highlighted with or without a chaperone.
7Hiatus: Titans
First Appearance:The Brave and the Bold#54 by Bob Haney, Bruno Premiani, Charles Paris, and Stan Starkman
Since their debut as the originalTeen Titans, the heroes that would grow into the Titans have long been portrayed as DC’s next generation. But when that generation finally got the opportunity to step up to the front line following the Justice League’s disbandment afterDark Crisis on Infinite Earths, they unfortunately failed to live up to the hype. The Titans' legacy is one of DC’s most famous, but the group hasn’t really had much of an impact in the last decade.
At this point, it feels like they’re essentially just stuck trying to prove their worth compared to the Justice League instead of embracing their unique identity and legacy that made them popular in the first place. With their wheels continuously spinning,it would make total sense for the Titans to go on hiatus– at least until there’s a new story to tell that doesn’t involve Trigon, Terra, or being as good as the Justice League.
6Highlight: Yara Flor
First Appearance:DC Nation Presents: DC Future State#1 by Joëlle Jones and More
The Future State Wonder Woman is a perfect example of a character that DC Comics seemed exceedingly intent on highlighting only to dust her under the rug when the character didn’t land exactly the way they expected. An Amazon of the Esquecida tribe in Brazil, Yara made a name for herselfas Wonder Girl in the Infinite Frontier era, becoming more closely entwined with the other members of Diana of Themyscira’s extended family.
Don’t forget to check out Yara Flor’s solo series,Wonder Girlby Joëlle Jones, which is available now both digitally and in a collected edition from DC Comics!
Unfortunately, this affiliation with her predecessors has turned Yara more into a supporting character, when, with her potential, she should be a star. There have been more than a couple of valid criticisms regarding aspects of cultural representation throughout her brief publication history, but there’s no way that a more culturally informed creator couldn’t turn this Wonder Girl into the Wonder Woman her fans know she can be.
5Hiatus: Batman / Bruce Wayne
First Appearance:Detective Comics#27 by Bob Kane and Bill Finger
Everybody loves Batman. He’s undeniably DC Comics’ cash cow and an incredibly fascinating character in his own right. But while the Dark Knight undoubtedly deserves the spotlight that he’s been under for the last nearly ninety years, at a certain point, it just becomes too much. Though it’s not as overwhelming as the early days of the New 52,Bruce’s Batman still stars in multiple solo titles a month– both in ongoing and miniseries format – and he’s also featured in several team-up series as well.
That doesn’t even include the random guest appearances he makes when a series needs a bump in sales, but all in all, Batman is saturating the market. No one man can be everywhere at once, not even a Caped Crusader, so maybe it’s time tolet Batman catch his breathand shift the focus to less well-known heroes.
4Highlight: Red Son and Starchild
First Appearance:Action Comics#1038 by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Miguel Mendoça, Adriano Lucas, and Dave Sharpe
The Superman Family has grown and consolidated considerably over the last few years, and two of the brightest additions to the House of El are none other than Osul-Ra and Otho-Ra, also known as Red Son and Starchild. Rescued and adopted by Clark and Lois after the Man of Steel liberated Warworld, these young Phaelosian siblings scratch the itch for young Kryptonian heroes that fans have hadever since Superman Jon Kent was aged up.
Recently, both Osul and Otho have seemingly been sidelined as emphasis has shifted away from the Family aspects of the Superman Family. But with their unique abilities, their fascinating backstory, and their heartwarming connection to each other and to their adopted family, Red Son and Starchild have what it takes to become DC icons.
3Hiatus: Jon Kent
Both as Superboy and Superman, Jon Kent has always had massive potential, and more than a little pressure, to measure up to the legacies of Clark Kent and Lois Lane, so it’s sad to say that he just isn’t quite there yet. As the new Superman, Jon adopted the motto of “truth, justice, and a better world,” but so far, that seems to be more lip service than anything. His stint as the Man of Steel felt particularly milquetoast, with none of his superheroic actions working towards that “better world” apart from a few pleasant sentiments.
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Ultimately, while he has Clark’s altruism,he feels like he’s missing Lois Lane’s trademark bite, leaving him utterly toothless as a hero and as a character. His handling of the fascist Superman ofInjusticefame – hugging a brutal dictator and murderer instead of taking him down – is the perfect example of the problems with his portrayal. Luckily, the Super Son seems to be taking an interesting turn as a member of the new Secret Six, but should that fail to spark a real change in the younger Superman, then the Jon Kent character needs a break.
2Highlight: Marilyn Moonlight
First Appearance:Superman#2by Joshua Williamson, Jamal Campbell, and Ariana Maher
The ghost of a Wild West hero called the Spirit of Metropolis, the spectral vigilante known as Marilyn Moonlight isone of the coolest new DC Comics heroesto be introduced in recent years, but she’s hardly gotten any exploration past that initial introduction. She’s teamed up with Superman a couple of times, but she hasn’t made another appearance sinceSuperman#11 by Joshua Williamsona and David Baldeón in early 2024.
Not only is her design incredibly striking, but she’s got a dynamic and spooky power set that sets her apart from the Big Apricot’s other powerful protectors. And with an intriguing backstory tying her tothe very history of Metropolis, there’s much that Marilyn Moonlight could teach Superman and Metropolis’ other contemporary defenders should she be given a real chance.
1Hiatus: Tim Drake
First Appearance:Batman#436 by Marv Wolfman, Pat Broderick, John Beatty, Adrienne Roy, and John Costanza
To many,Tim Drake is the greatest Robin of all time, but that’s just his problem. Aside from a brief and ill-advised identity change as “Drake,” Tim has been stuck in the role of Teen Wonder ever since returning to the Robin mantle when Young Justice reunited. These days, he’s stuck sharing the role of Robin with Damian Wayne, and there are no signs of that status quo changing anytime soon.
Obviously, the sliding timescale of comics makes it hard for any characters to grow and develop, but Tim Drake feels as if he’s been actively regressed over the last few years. While he was once unique as the first Robin to truly forge the identity into its own hero outside of Batman’s shadow, he now seems to be stuck in the shadow of who he once was, with no clear direction for who he’s going to be. Tim may be fans’ favorite partner for Batman, but for the sake of this Teen Wonder, the creators atDC Comicsneed to give Robin a break and figure out just who the character is outside the mantle he innovated.
